Traveling to Nepal and climbing Everest

Photo Credit: Rupert Taylor-Price via Compfight cc
Mount Everest

People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.      ~St. Augustine

Hey kids!

Let’s travel.

Let’s wonder at the majesty of the mountains.

Let’s connect with some real people who live in Nepal or who are planning to climb Everest.  Through the magic of blogging, we can meet some students at the Maya Universe Academy Sagarmatha.  Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, this school serves 26 students.  The Maya Universe Academy runs three non-profit, community run campuses.  They are the first of their kind in Nepal.   According to their website, “In 2011, 90% of private school students were admitted to a secondary educational institution compared to 46% of public school students.”  The Maya Universe Schools began as a community endeavor to provide free, quality education to the rural Nepalese people.  Kids at these schools have lives similar to Sun-jo in our story, Peak.

We are also able to flatten our classroom walls and climb Everest with some mountaineers.  Visit Alan Arnette’s blog for a first hand account of everything Everest.  Mr. Arnette has climbed Everest four times as well as completed the Seven Summits.  His blog has tons of  information, videos, photos, and links to other Everest bloggers.  He can show you all his gear, break down the cost for climbing Everest, give you training tips, share some fun Everest facts for kids, and, most importantly,  relay his experiences climbing Mount Everest.  Mr. Arnette’s is the Everest of blogs!  You can spend hours climbing through his posts, reading and learning.

Today we will visit Nepal and climb Everest vicariously through blogging.  After you travel to the Maya Universe Academy and climb Sagarmatha, leave a note for the students and climbers you encounter.

People with goals can do incredible things, like open schools and climb mountains.

Like St. Augustine, let’s marvel at the people we meet and the people we are.

What did you learn by visiting  the Himalayas and Sagarmatha?

 

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Roland Smith’s Peak

Roland Smith’s award-winning novel, Peak, lends itself to thought provoking discussion in multiple disciplines: philosophy, history, politics, religion, science, ethics, and education. As we read about the adventure of the protagonist, aptly named Peak, we will have opportunity to share our thoughts on these topics.
After just reading the back of the book, or watching the trailer below, I immediately questioned the ethics of not only allowing, but encouraging, a 14-year-old to climb Mount Everest, the Earth’s highest mountain. Stunningly, this feat was accomplished in real life by an American teenage mountaineer, Jordan Romero, on May 22, 2010.

Watch the trailer. Watch the National Geographic video.  Watch the interview with Jordan Romero.  Then decide…

Would you climb Mount Everest?

(Write a quality comment.  Yes or no is not enough.)

13-year-old attempts to summit Everest

Print Friendly, PDF & Email