News
MK clients help with Ladakh flood relief work08 September 2010At the end of July, Kate and Tony Wright flew to Ladakh to begin their MK trekking holiday in the Markha Valley. Three days into their trip their plans dramatically changed when flash flooding hit Ladakh. Over 25cm of rain fell in a single night turning the capital Leh and surrounding villages into muddy rivers and destroying all communications and essential facilities including the hospital. Faced with such massive destruction and desperate need, Kate and Tony abandoned their trekking plans, picked up shovels and helped with the relief work. Alongside other tourists and local people, and with very limited tools or equipment, they attempted to recover homes and possessions from the all enveloping mud and water. They continued helping with the relief work for the remainder of their trip and have now returned home, deeply affected by their experience and the scale of the trauma and devastation left behind. There are still over 800 people missing in the region and thousands more in need of survival basics such as shelter, medical supplies, sanitation and warm blankets. Mountain Kingdoms is giving £1,000 to Save the Children Fund India who are leading the relief work on the ground. If you are also interested in making a donation please visit the Save the Children India website. Please note that donations can be made using a UK credit card but will be in Indian Rupees. |
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Natural World - The Himalayas19 August 2010The BBC have produced a stunning documentary on the wildlife of the Himalaya as part of their Natural World series. The hour-long programme, narrated by David Attenborough, features a variety of habitats; from snow leopards chasing prey among the highest mountain peaks to bears living in the harsh Tibetan plains and dancing pheasants in the alpine forests. Natural World will be shown at 8 pm Thursday 19th August BBC2, repeated Sunday 22nd August at 5 pm, then available to watch on BBC iplayer. |
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The Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service03 August 2010In January this year nurse Wendy Lovett travelled to Ethiopia on our Complete Simien Mountains Trek. Inspired by the local people she met on trek Wendy has set-up the Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service in conjunction with the British charity Community Projects of Africa. An Ethiopian nurse will now travel by mule to some of the remotest villages, providing much needed medical care at no cost, along with essential health education. As part of Mountain Kingdoms commitment to Responsible Travel, we contributed £600 to this excellent project. In addition, clients will have the option of donating to The Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service after returning from their trek. |
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Reaching Mont Blanc Summit03 August 2010During July, Lance and Mark Flowers successfully reached the summit of Mont Blanc (4,810 metres) on our expedition which is carefully designed to maximise the chances of a successful summit bid. Led by Kevin O'Neale, an expert British Mountain Guide, they acclimatised over the week by climbing two peaks over 4,000 metres, the Weissmies from the Hohsaas hut, then the Hohlaubgrat on the Allalinhorn from the Britannia hut. An afternoon on the Trift glacier 'Ecole du Glace', gave the opportunity for refreshing their skills in the use of ice axe, crampons and movement across crevasse zones. For the ascent of Mont Blanc, Lance and Mark were led by Smiler Cuthbertson, an experienced mountain guide. Kevin remarked 'the week went very well indeed, they made a quick ascent up and down from the hut in about eight hours, with perfect conditions'. |
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Two new faces at Mountain Kingdoms22 July 2010This month Mountain Kingdoms will be joined by two new members of staff. Charlotte Walker, who has just joined the Marketing team and April Webb, who will shortly be joining the Operations department. Both are looking forward to their first job in the travel industry. |
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£100 saving - Black Necked Crane Festival Tour, Bhutan14 July 2010With visits to villages, monasteries and weaving centres this trip offers a fascinating insight into Bhutanese culture in less than two weeks London to London. The highlight is time at the unique Black-Necked Crane Festival in Phobjika that celebrates the annual arrival of these magnificent and rare birds. Black-Necked Crane Festival Tour 4 - 15 November £2,595 (including flights) - saving £100 |
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MK supports Mongol Rally team25 June 2010July 23rd saw the start of the annual Mongol Rally in which teams drive 10,000 miles from Goodwood to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. The rally aims to make the world a ‘little less boring’ and encourages teams to drive entirely unsuitable vehicles, with no back up support, whilst also raising money for charity. Mountain Kingdoms is providing equipment and advice to a team called Yak to the Future who are raising money to support Mongolian families. And we’ve also given advice to ‘the Mongolance Crew’ who are taking on the epic drive in a converted ambulance. Best of luck to them both. |
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New departures - Everest Base Camp & Gentle Trekking Bhutan23 June 2010Many of our autumn treks have been filling fast, so we've added new departure dates for our Gentle Trekking, Lodges & Hotels Bhutan and our Everest Base Camp Trek. This is a 'Special' Departure of our classic trek that visits both Base Camp itself and Kala Pattar from where you can get stunning close up views of Everest and the surrounding mountains. |
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Steve Berry launches the Zanskar Bridge Project08 June 2010Steve Berry, MD of Mountain Kingdoms, is raising money for a unique bridge project in the Himalayan Kingdom of Zanskar, northern India. Traditionally the Ladakhi people depended on incredible woven twig bridges in order to cross the icy rivers which cut through their harsh mountain kingdom. Increasingly ancient Zanskari traditions are being abandoned, and with introduction of steel cable suspension and metal girder bridges there are now only a couple of traditional bridges still in existence, both old and in poor condition. Typically, a twig bridge lasts 12 to 15 years and therefore it will not be long before these, too, disappear. Working with the support of King of Zanskar, Steve hopes to raise enough money to build a completely traditional Zanskari bridge of interwoven twigs, with the aim of keeping the Zanskari traditions and culture alive. It is hoped that by building this bridge in the main township of Padum that other similar bridges will be built in other parts of the small kingdom. The bridge at Padum will provide important access to the village of Padum, attract tourists and their much-needed dollars and help keep an ancient skill alive. To date Steve has raised £750 through donations. A total of £10,000 is required for the complete project, of which £2,000 will fund the first bridge. To find out more, or to make a donation please contact Steve Berry on 0845 3308579 or email steve@mountainkingdoms.com |
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A traditional take on Everest19 May 2010Steve Berry has just returned from Everest Base Camp, and an ascent of Kala Patar, successfully achieved with his daughter, Katie, 19 years, and Mountain Kingdoms client Dan W from London. Dan has a thing about traditional tweed, and wore a full suit to the summit of Kala Patar. Besides being warm, breathable and showerproof Dan promises that tweed beats modern fabrics in nearly every department. Not only that but Dan's suit is 40 years old and still going strong - how many modern fabrics could boast that! Led by their sirdar Nima, an Everest summiteer, the convivial, if somewhat eccentric party enjoyed flawless weather, electric views of Everest, and bumped into many of Steve’s old friends along the way. Acclimatisation is the key to a great Everest trek and Steve proved this at the age of 61 years by running uphill past another group of trekkers on the day they climbed Kala Patar!! |
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Druk Path - new Bhutan trek18 May 2010Due to popular demand we are introducing a shorter version of our classic Chorten Path trek - the Druk Path. This two-week trip takes in the cultural highlights of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha along with a scenic five-day trek through pristine forest and high alpine pasture. 7 November - 20 November £2,495 (including flights) |
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Special prices for Nepal's classic circuit treks05 May 2010Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna Circuit are three of Nepal's greatest treks, circling three of Nepal's highest mountains. Each offers a glorious mix of dramatic mountain scenery, challenging trekking and captivating culture. This autumn we're offering some great savings to encourage you to experience them for yourself. Manaslu Circuit 3 - 28 October Now £2,195 (with flights) - saving £150 Annapurna Circuit 24 Sep - 17 Oct Now £2,095 (with flights) - saving £200 Dhaulagiri Circuit 30 Sep - 19 Oct Now £2,550 (with flights) - saving £250 |
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Trekking peak triumphs14 April 2010Congratulations to our 15 clients who have made it to the top of either Mera Peak (6,476m)or Island Peak (6,189m)in Nepal this spring. Excellent acclimatisation, carefully chosen routes and the best guides and leaders ensured they claimed their summit success. |
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Everest Base Camp video01 April 2010If you think that the Everest Base Camp trek might be for you but you'd like to find out more before you book, then watch our new Everest Base Camp video. Filmed last autumn, it gives a real insight into life on trek and the amazing scenery you experience from day one. See it now on our Everest Base Camp Trek page. |
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Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes - New Departure23 March 2010Due to demand, we are adding an extra departure of our Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes Trek this autumn. This is a longer variant of the classic Everest Base Camp Trek that crosses the Cho La pass and ascends both Kala Pattar and Gokyo Ri; with stunning views from start to finish. Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Lakes 25 Oct - 15 Nov 2010 £2,295 including flights |
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Everest Base Camp Trek - reduced prices17 February 20102010 sees the 60th anniversary of the first expedition to Everest Base Camp through Nepal, when legendary explorer, Bill Tilman, forged the trail that has now become the standard route to Everest. MK is celebrating the birth of this classic trek with superb savings of up to £280, an improved itinerary and some added extras. Click through to our Everest Base Camp Trek page to find out more. |
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Seven Seas & Seven Summits20 January 2010MK trek leader Graham Hoyland, the Everest climber whose search for George Mallory’s camera led to the finding of his body, has a new quest. He’s planning to sail around the world with a group of climbers, sailing in each of the Seven Seas and climbing each of the Seven Summits. This voyage has never been completed before. Having already sailed a yacht to Antarctica across the toughest ocean- the Southern Ocean- and climbed the hardest pair of Seven Summits- Everest and Denali- he’s well on his way. “This is something I’ve wanted to do most of my life." Graham says "Pete Boardman first thought of this challenge, and my hero Bill Tilman would have loved to do it- but probably on his own in an old wooden boat. I’m planning to do this in comfort.” |
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Everest Base Camp - special departures04 January 2010For experienced trekkers, who relish an extra challenge, we are offering three special departures of our Everest Base Camp Trek this year. These departures will have the option to trek to both Kala Pattar and Everest Base Camp. They also include time at the Saturday market in Namche Bazaar. Download our 'Special Departures' itinerary to find out more. |
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Praise for MK's Annapurna Circuit28 September 2009Journalist, Nigel Richardson, travelled to Nepal with us earlier this year to try out our new Annapurna Circuit Trek and was impressed with what he experienced. Our new version of this classic trek has been designed to avoid the road that has been built along the Kali Gandaki Valley. In his article, published this week in the Saturday Telegraph, Nigel describes the route as a "jazz riff on a familiar tune" that links together villages that have traditionally seen few westerners and that will now benefit economically from having trekkers pass through. The route leaves the crowds behind during the day, travelling along varied scenery with views of the high Annapurnas throughout. |
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Carbon offset funds allocated to school solar project, Ladakh17 November 2008All 2009 Mountain Kingdoms holidays which include flights will be carbon offset through TICOS - the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service. We have just received confirmation that our carbon offset funds will be committed to a renewable energy project at a school in Ladakh, India which we have been supporting for many years. The first phase of the project at the Druk White Lotus School near Leh is underway with the installation of an island grid powered by 54 solar panels being mounted on school buildings. The project aims to provide a fully renewable energy supply for the school, which when complete will accommodate 750 students, including 200 residential students from remote mountain villages. All Mountain Kingdoms staff and trek leader flights are also carbon offset. |