Here are some more photos of our visits in Delhi to the Childreach-related projects. I’m really glad that we got to see this in the run up to our Everest base camp trek.

Hope you like em!
Rosanna

Day 2 of my Everest Base Camp Trek adventure began with a much needed lie-in before we went to breakfast at the Smile Foundation’s office – the partner charity in Delhi. We had spicy crackers, biscuits and a MacDonald’s veggie burger … interesting! We were then given a briefing about their partnership with Childreach and the projects they have in India.

Then we went to visit two of the projects. The first was a college where the students could learn beauty therapy, English and basic computer skills. The students attend sessions which last for 6 months, 6 days a week. The students couldn’t speak much English and when they spoke to us they were quite shy, but they all wanted us to write our names out for them on paper.

We went to a shopping mall briefly before going to the next project and I was again surprised to see that in the toilets there was a shower hose connected to the wall to use in place of loo roll!

The next project was in a slum and I was shocked at some of the conditions the people were living in - flies and bugs were all over the food which was being prepared in the streets.

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With the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen approaching, campaigners hope to tackle the problem of increased glacial melting in the South Asia region. The general degradation of mountain landscapes threatens to jeopardise the future of experiences like Everest trekking and Bhutan tours in the region.

A specialist with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Pradeep K. Mool, tells how “a majority of the glaciers are reported to be shrinking in mass at low and mid-altitudes in the Himalayan region, but only a few of them are being scientifically monitored.”

Worrying stuff to say the least. Hopefully they’ll get something done in Copenhagen because the Kyoto Agreement runs out in 2012 and we’re missing targets.

Try to keep those politicians honest, guys.

A team of climbers from Malta are breaking national records in the Khumbu. They are currently undertaking altitude training on the mighty Cho Oyu, the sixth highest of the world’s peaks, ahead of their planned 2010 summit bid of Everest. Advanced base camp at 5700 metres is their current position, as they head up the mountain and back down again, pushing their limit each time.

On Friday they reached 6400 metres. Their aim is to achieve the highest altitude that a Maltese climber has ever reached, beyond 8000 metres, hence the name of their expedition: Challenge8000.  Of course, the peak of Mount Everest awaits at a mighty 8848 metres.

You can follow their progress at http://www.challenge8000.net/