There's quite a lot of activity today in the quiet village of Serka Zong, here in the foothills of the Himalayas. It seems the old rail line which once served the area tea plantations has been pressed back into service by an upstart travel outfit called Himalayan Escapes. One of their most popular tours, Expedition Everest, is setting out for base camp... despite protests from the locals.
The full story of Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is complex and incredibly dense with detail. For starters, the name of the attraction refers to both the hiking tour which we are about to join and the stories told in these parts of the mythic protector of the mountain.
All around us are warning signs, everything from fliers and shrines to news articles and the "evidence" on show at the Yeti Museum, asking us not to go on. Yet we continue. We are among hundreds of western travelers who have come a long way to challenge the world's highest peak, and we're not going to let some silly superstition keep us away.
Himalayan Escapes has only recently opened this branch in Serka Zong, which explains the "fly by night" nature of their signs, essentially no more than banners strung up on nearby rocks and buildings. Once inside the booking office, though, we can see that they are an experienced tour company.
The board lists a wide number of ongoing expeditions in the Everest area, and patches and decals on their equipment reference past tours along with certain professional affiliations.
But wait just a minute. What's that black and red badge say? "Mouseketeer Mountaineer Expedition?!" Hmmm. Maybe this really is some 'Mickey Mouse' operation after all.
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