What Mountain Am I?

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 41 - 51 of total 51 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Jun 3, 2011 - 02:50am PT

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Jun 3, 2011 - 02:51am PT

why does every mountain have to be climbed?

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Jun 3, 2011 - 02:57am PT

why don't you ask Phil Trimble?
http://www.law.ucla.edu/faculty/all-faculty-profiles/emeritiprofessors/Pages/phillip-r-trimble.aspx
report back here...

Stewart Johnson

climber

lake forest

Jun 3, 2011 - 12:05pm PT

namche barwa?

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 3, 2011 - 09:54pm PT

Thanks everyone, especially Ed and Jan, for your contributions. I've learnt a bunch of stuff.

Namche Barwa was long the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, at the east end of the Himalayas, in the great bend of the Tsangpo. IIRC, the Japanese climbed it some years ago. Bet it wasn't cheap, and definitely hard to get to.

Nanga Parbat, at the west end of the great ranges, rises from the Indus River to the summit, something like 7,000 m in 15 km, and it's similar at the other end. Serious topography.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Jun 4, 2011 - 01:19am PT

Bhutan actually gets most of its revenue for providing hydro electric power to India. The reason they charge tourists and climbers so much is to keep the riff raff away. The prime minister is quoted as saying they've seen what happened in Nepal and don't want to repeat that.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Jun 4, 2011 - 01:21am PT

Himalayan people say that if you want your children, livestock or crops to grow, you worship the mountain gods. If you are concerned about your next reincarnation and the quest for enlightenment, you pray to Buddhist gods.

There have been a number of cases in the Himalaya where local people prevented climbing in spite of official permission since they believe it angers the gods who then cause misfortune for the surrounding locals. When Tasker and Boardman climbed the lower summit of Tseringma/Gauri Shankar, they stopped 30 feet short of the summit and bowed to the goddess and no ill effects were reported (See Boardman's book, Sacred Summits).

However, a couple of weeks after Roskelly trampled around on the highest summit of Gauri Shankar, a glacial lake on her flanks burst and the ensuing flood in Rolwaling killed one woman and seriously injured two others and they've been having glofs ever since. They've also been petitioning the Nepalese government to put Tseringma off limits ever since.