Kathmandu Valley

In 1975 I resigned my job, gave up my bedsit and went travelling across Asia. My destination was Nepal where a friend of mine was working. I traveled by bus from Istanbul in Turkey to Delhi in India. It took a couple of months and was a very stupid thing to do as I suffer from travel sickness. Prior to this trip I had only been on a school skiing trip to Switzerland and hitchhiked to Paris whilst at college. To say I was green was an understatement.  I only ever took slides on a small Kodak instamatic camera. I have managed to now download them onto a USB. Their quality isn't great but they hold wonderful memories for me. These photos were taken as we approached the airport in the Kathmandu valley. I had boarded the plane in Lucknow rather than Delhi as it was a cheaper option but I have no idea how I got to Lucknow. I remember thinking it was a scary place to land as the runway didn't look that long and the valley is surrounded by mountains.

I note from my journal that my baggage was searched on entry into the country. I wonder if it was because I was wearing an afghan coat that I had bought in Afghanistan that probably wasn't cured as well as it should have been!

I got a taxi from the airport to the school whereTony worked.  His house was part of the campus. I spent the rest of the day meeting some of the people who worked there. These two young men were gardeners and also came with us on the treks to act as porters. The following day they acted as guides taking us up the local mountain, Shivapuri (2732m/8963ft).

They took us past their home where we were introduced to their families. Everyone wanted to have their photograph taken.

It was harvest time and we saw the rice and corn being gathered and dried. Everything was done by hand.

Hanging the corn out to dry.

Digging a field by hand.

Views of the valley as we climbed up Shivapuri.

Prayer flags flying above a monastery.

Looking down the valley towards the school.

The buddhists were enjoying a meal as we walked past.

There were lots of flowers around the monastery.

Bell at  the Sankhu monastery

We decided to go back down from here as the climb was hard work.  In the evening we were taken to the British Embassy to a reception for the successful British Everest expedition. I have no idea how we received an invitation or how I managed to find appropriate clothes.

24 th September1975: First Britons conquer Everest

Dougal Haston and Doug Scott have become the first Britons to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain.

The men arrived at the top of Mount Everest via the previously unclimbed south-west face, 33 days after establishing their base camp.

The team succeeded on a difficult direct route which has repulsed five other attempts and set a record for the fastest time up the peak.

Expedition leader Chris Bonington reported the pair had reached the 29,028ft (8,848m) summit safely and were now on their way down the mountain.

He also said they were ahead of schedule and hoped more of the 18-strong group would be able to reach the top.

The south-west face of Everest has been regarded as one of the most difficult challenges in mountaineering because of its length and exposure to high-level winds. BBC website.

In my diary I wrote:  I met Dougal Hasten, a thin wiry looking bloke who was very tired! Two years later in 1977 Dougal Haston was killed in a skiing accident in Switzerland.