Welcome to the Himalayas


Approaching the village of Serka Zong, we catch our first glimpse of the breathtaking peaks of the Himalayas. Everest, called Sagarmatha or Chomolungma by the locals, is the most well-known of these, with its claim to fame as the highest mountain in the world (just over 29,000 feet). There are many other mountains in the region worth exploring, though, including the sacred Mt. Kailash and the second highest peak on Earth, K2.


Most mountaineers coming to the region, however, have their sights set on Everest (actually the broad, lower mountain seen in the distance at the right in the photo below). To get there from Serka Zong, expeditions must first traverse the Forbidden Mountain (the jagged peak in the left foreground of the shot), legendary home of the Yeti.


Of course, most serious explorers don't give much credence to the Yeti stories told by local people. The tales of a Yeti who protects the mountain from intruders are nothing more than myth, cooked up to frighten children or explain seemingly "mysterious" events. There's nothing more to it.

Right?

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