We've been chatting about Everest for weeks now, looking at upcoming expeditions, analyzing the route, and reading plenty of great content from Alan Arnette's Everest 2010 Blog. All along I mentioned that the season would generally get started in early April, with Kathmandu swelling with climbers and trekkers in late March. Today, I'm happy to say that the season officially begins, as climbing legend Apa Sherpa has left his home in Utah for Nepal, where he'll go for his 20th summit on the mountain, breaking his own record in the process.
According to this story in the Deseret News, Apa left the U.S. yesterday for his homeland, where he'll make yet another assault on the tallest mountain on the planet, while also helping to spotlight a cause that is near and dear to him.
Last year, Apa was part of the Eco Everest Team, which collected more than 13,000 pounds of garbage on Everest. This year, he is hoping to raise awareness of the need for education in Nepal while promoting his Apa Sherpa Foundation, an organization whose purpose is to help promote education and economic development in his home country.
So, with Apa now back in Nepal, it is safe to say the season has officially begun. When you have the record holder for most summits back on the job, you know things are starting to get serious. Good luck Apa. Grab number 20!
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