Part Two: photos of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") from Makalu Base Camp to Everest crossing Sherpani Pass, West Col and Amphu Laptsa passes

Photo: view of West Col from top of Sherpani Pass

Photo: Baruntse seen from Sherpani Pass

Photo: Chamlang and Honku Chuli seen from Sherpani Pass

Photo: rapel/ abseil from top of West Col

Photo: abseil/ rapel from West Col (approx 240m)

Photo: Upper Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: Baruntse seen from Upper Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: descending to lower Baruntse Base Camp

Photo: moraine ridges on trail to Amphu Laptsa High Camp

Photo: one of the Panch Pokhari lakes

Photo: morning climb up Amphu Laptsa

Photo: scree slope on Amphu Laptsa

Photo: Amphu Laptsa glacier

Photo: view of Hongu valley from half way up Amphu Laptsa

Photo: seracs on Amphu Laptsa

Photo: view of West Col from Amphu Laptsa

Photo: top of Amphu Laptsa Baruntse behind

Photo: descending Amphu Laptsa

Photo: view from Amphu Laptsa to upper Imja glacier

Photo: abseil/ rapel down Amphu Laptsa

Photo: camp near Imja lake

Photo: Imja lake and Cholatse & Taboche

Photo: Lhotse and Island Peak

Photo: Cho Polu

Photo: trail to Chukkung

Photo: Chukkung Ri

Photo: Dingboche (4,400m)

Photo: Kangtega and Thamserku

Photo: Upper Pangboche village

Photo: chorten near Pangboche and view of Everest

Photo: Tengboche monastery

Part One: photos of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") from Makalu Base Camp to Everest crossing Sherpani Pass, West Col and Amphu Laptsa passes

Photo: farmhouse near Sedua in Arun valley

Photo: young girls near Tashigaon village

Photo: working in fields near Tashigaon

Photo: cloud forest above Tashigaon with Shipton La behind

Photo: crossing snowy Shipton La

Photo: Langmale Kharka (4,400m) in Barun valley

Photo: approaching Sherson with Chamlang, Honku Chuli and West Barun glacier icefall

Photo: Alistair and Chhonga with Peak 6 and 7

Photo: Makalu Base Camp

Photo: Makalu with Barun Pokhari (lake)

Photo: approaching Sherpani Pass Low Camp (5,200m)

Photo: Sherpani Pass Low Camp

Photo: Everest and Lhotse as seen from Sherpani Pass Low Camp

Photo: Makalu as seen from Sherpani Pass Low Camp

Photo: trail to Sherpani High Camp

Photo: trail to Sherpani High Camp (Barun glacier below left)

Photo: entering valley to Sherpani Pass High Camp

Photo: Sherpani Pass High Camp (5,700m)

Photo: view to Makalu Advanced Base Camp

Photo: glacier leading to Sherpani High Camp

Photo: base of Sherpani Pass with Makalu behind

Photo: climbing snow gulley to Sherpani Pass (fixed ropes)

Photo: climbing rock traverse to Sherpani Pass (fixed ropes)

Photo: view from Sherpani Pass to glacier approach

Photo: Buddhist prayer flags on Sherpani Pass

Photo: view from Sherpani Pass to Chamlang and Honku Chuli

Photo: abseil/ rapel from top of Sherpani Pass

Photo: descending Sherpani Pass

Spring 2011: Swiss rescuers standby in Nepal

Photo: heli rescue on Manaslu (Copyright: Nepal mountain rescue cell)

Photo: heli rescue on Dhaulagiri (Copyright: Nepal mountain rescue cell)

An email from Menno Boermans - Alpine Rescue Center:

For the second year, mountain rescue specialists of Swiss Air Zermatt are present in the Nepalese Himalayas. In the months of April and May they are training Nepalese helicopter pilots and rescuers of Fishtail Air how to perform rescues at high altitude. In the meanwhile the crew is standby, to come into action when someone is facing a life threatening emergency.

In spring 2010 -the first season Air Zermatt and Fishtail Air joined forces- the team made history by saving the lives of three Spanish climbers from almost 7000 meter on Annapurna. A performance which got a lot of attention worldwide and was honored with the Eurocopter`s 2011 Golden Hour Award in the United States. Other rescue and recovery missions in 2010 where performed on Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest.

The team is stationed in Lukla and able to initiate high-altitude rescue attempts within hours of receiving a call. If necessary they fly a so-called human sling operation, an aerial maneuver originated in the Swiss Alps (1970). The rescuer will be brought to the patient, hanging from the helicopter on a longline, a rope that can be extended up to 200 meters. After doing a quick patient assessment the rescuer will evacuate the climber by clicking the harness onto the longline. In a second rotation the rescuer will be flown of the mountain.

To practice this kind of evacuations, in March 2011 the Nepalese crew underwent special training missions in Switzerland. Air Zermatt's chief pilot Gerold Biner emphasizes that the goal of the Nepal Air Rescue Project is that in the future the Nepalese team can carry out missions by themselves.