Oct 30; Pangboche, Nepal, 13,275'

We are descending fast now, all the way from Base Camp to Pangboche in six hours. Our hope is to reach Lukla in three days, catch early flights out to Kathmandu, and use the extra two days to visit the Chitwan National Park in Nepal's low-lying jungle region along the Indian border, home to elephants, tigers and hippos.

Nepal is a country of contrasts.

Namaste,
Jim Ronning