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| The Mountains |
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One of the main reasons for
travelling to Nepal must be to see or to climb the mountains, particularly the Mount Everest.
Situated within Sagarmatha National Park in the Khumbu
region bordering Tibet, the mountain’s proper Nepalese
name is Sagarmatha or Head of the Sky. The Sherpa's
and Tibetans worship it as Chomolongma or Mother Goddess
of the Earth.
At 8,848 metres or 29,022 feet, Mount Everest is the
world’s highest peak which has been opened for commercial mountaineering
for many years. It forms part of the Great Himalayan Range,
that expands for some 800 kilometres or 500 miles and includes a
further 8 summits above 8,000 metres or 26,240 feet.
The areas outside
cities and towns
provides an amazingly varied topography as the snowy
mountain summits give way to jungle-clad hills, picturesque rivers and
lush tropical forests in the interior.
For trekkers and walkers, Nepal is an absolute paradise: the hamlets
and mountain villages are connected by hundreds of trails that have
been used for centuries, with little change even today. The rules
and practicalities for trekking are presently easy to arrange (see Sports
section for more details).
Many temples and Buddhist shrines can also be visited while
in route and travellers should make sure that they observe the
appropriate religious protocol (see also Social
Profile section). |
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