Dankeschön Switzerland (Satis Shroff)

THANK YOU SWITZERLAND: Nepal’s Friends Indeed 

(Satis Shroff)

The Swiss people have donated 32 million Swiss Franks to the people of Nepal (and 26 million for refugees). The devastating tectonic earthquake in Nepal in 2015 which caused a lot of death and injuries, and ruined the livehood and lives of the Nepalese in the hills of Sindupalchowk, Gorkhas and Langtang areas have moved the Swiss people.

(Gorner Glacier, Zermatt, Switzerland)

The Glückskette (Happiness Chain) which is a Swiss charity has helped to collect donations. The Stiftung Glückskette has been able to gather 75 million Franks last year and has started 102 assistance-projects in 33 countries.

Due to the earthquake, avalanches and landslides in Nepal, no climber was able to reach the top of Everest last year. But this climbing-season, some 300 climbers from different countries are huffing, puffing and snorting and waiting in long queues in their mountaineering gear to climb the highest mountain in the world: Sagarmatha 8848m, also known as Everest to the outside world.
The Ice-Doctors (specialist Sherpas) have prepared the last stage of the ascent via a new route because the old route was damaged by the avalanche last year.

No-Graffiti-Zone: China had to introduce new rules and regulations because of the many climbing enthusiasts. The mountain has been declared a ‘No-Graffiti-Zone’ and egoistic climbers who spray ‘I was here’ will be prosecuted.

It might be mentioned that since there are no toilets along the way, the Everest trail smells of human solid waste. If a dog’s solid waste has to be gathered by the owner, who not introduced a similar system for humans. This way the Himalayan air will not be polluted, and the rarefied region will be free of Salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria and other human-carried germs.

The Everest, Sagarmatha or if you prefer Chomolungma, has experienced turbulent times in recent years. In 2013 a fight developed between a team of Sherpas and the so-called professional climbers Ueli Steck and Simone Moro. In 2014 a tragedy occurred in which 16 Sherpas were killed in an avalanche. The Nepalese ended the climbing season immediately due to the bereavement and respect towards the dead.

The Gods have been appeased and this ear it’s business as usual with the same procedure as last year. Even the Swiss climber Ueli Steck is underway in the Nepal Himalayas, out to set a new record in fast-climbing.

Apropos Switzerland, good ol’ Ueli is trying out a new route along the southern wall of the Sisha Pangma (8027m). Whether he’ll send a selfie on his blog of himself smoking a sisha up there on Sisha Pangma is another matter.

(Aquarelle by SatisShroff)