Varem on Eesti alpinistid Tõivo Sarmeti juhtimisel jõudnud Cho Oyu tippu (1998.a., 5 alpinisti) ja Broad Peakile (2001.a., nn Rocky Summit, 8035 m, 4 inimest). Eestlased Everstil varem käinud polnud, kuid lätlased jõudsid planeedi tippu 1995.a. (varemalt Dhaulagiri 1993) ja esimene leedulane Vitkauskas juba 1993.a.

Käesoleva alpinismihooaja muudab Mount Everestil eriliseks 50 aasta möödumine Edmund Hillary ja Tenzing Norgay Sherpa esmatõusust planeedi kõrgeimasse punkti 29. mail 1953.a. Seetõttu on mäel rekordiline hulk alpiniste, tippujõudnuid saab arvatavasti olema 200 ringis. Suurim oli hiinlaste ekspeditsioon, kes väidetavalt andis tipust ka esimese live-televisiooniülekande. Uuendatud on ka mitmeid rekordeid: noorim tipputõusnu on nüüd 15 aastane sherpa tüdruk, vanim on 70 aastane jaapanlane Yuichiro Miura (kelle suusasõidust Everesti 8000 m kõrguselt Lõnasadulalt vändati 1970.aastatel film, kuid mäe tipus ta tookord ei käinud). Purustatud on ka tõusu kiirusrekord: Lhakpa Gelu Sherpal kulus 10 tundi 47 minutit jõudmaks Nepaalipoolsest baaslaagrist (5300 m) tippu, Apa Sherpa tõusis tippu juba 13. kord oma elus, jne.

Eesti ekspeditsioon algkoosseisus Tõivo Sarmet, Raivo Plumer, Margus Proos, Ivar Lai, Boriss Slepikovski (arst, varem jõudnud Vene ekspeditsiooni koosseisus 8500 m kõrgusele), Alar Sikk, Rein Loik, Saulius Vilius ja Tõnis Lepik (kaameramees) jõudsid Tiibeti kiltmaal 5200 m kõrgusel asuvasse Everesti baaslaagrisse 29 märtsil. Nad sooritasid kolm aklimatiseerumis- ja varustuse ettevedamise tõusu: ülemisse baaslaagrisse (6450 m aprilli alguses), Põhjasadulale (7000 m, aprilli keskel) ja 7600 m kõrgusele (29-30 aprillil: Raivo, Alar ja Saulius). Seejärel tõusis väga tugev tuul ning kõik ekspeditsioonid põgenesid mäelt baaslaagrisse. Käesolev aasta on Everestil olnud erakordselt tuuline. Nagu eestlasedki, olid mitusada alpinisti aprillis ja mais sooritanud oma aklimatiseerumistõusud ning olid valmis tippu ründama juba mai keskel, kui mäge tabas tugev torm, mis purustas mäenõlvale rajatud laagreid ja takistas rohkem kui nädala jooksul alpiniste Rongbuki baaslaagrist (5200 m) kõrgemale minemast. Paljud ekspeditsioonid loobusid üldse edasisest tõusust. Alles 20. mail jõudsid tippu põhjapoolset tõusumarsruuti kasutades selle hooaja esimesed alpinistid.

Eestlased alustasid 19.mail oma otsustavat rünnakut 6450 m kõrgusel asuvast ülemisest baaslaagrist (ABC, Advanced Base Camp) tõusuga 7000 meetri kõrgusele Põhjasadulale. 20. mail jätkasid Alar Sikk ja leedulane Saulius Vilius tõusu, jõudes õhtuks 7500 m kõrgusel asuvasse järgmisse laagrisse. Neile järgnes päevase vahega Ivar Lai, teised ekspeditsiooni liikmed laskusid sadulalt tagasi ABC-sse. Põhjuseks on toodud ühelt poolt terviseprobleeme ja pikka aega suurel kõrgusel viibimisest tingitud füüsilise vormi langust, teiselt poolt napi varustuse tingimustes panuse tegemine sellel hetkel füüsiliselt kõige paremas vormis olnud ekspeditsiooni liikmetele (teatavasti viis torm ära osa mägironijate poolt ülemistesse laagritesse viidud varustusest telke, magamiskotte, hapnikuballoone). 21 mai õhtuks jõudsid Alar ja Saulius 8300 m kõrgusel asuvasse viimasesse laagrisse. Seal puhati mõned tunnid ning keedeti teed magamisest ei tule sellisel kõrgusel midagi välja - ning peale südaööd kella kolme paiku asuti tipu poole teele. Kaua aega ei olnud midagi teada meeste käekäigust, sest omavaheline side alumiste laagritega katkes.

Teiste ekspeditsioonide kaudu saadud teated olid vastuolulised. Räägiti marsruudi võtmelõikudesse, nn Esimese ja eriti 8600 m kõrgusel asuva Teise Astme redeli juurde kujunenud alpinistide järjekordadest. Kuigi Everesti järsk põhjahari oli Hiina ekspeditsiooni sherpade poolt eelnevalt tuginööridega varustatud, muudab tõusu raskeks tugev tuul ja hapnikupuudusest tingitud kurnatus. Paradoksaalselt sai paljudele saatuslikuks just see järjekord Teise astme (Second Step) juures, sest 8600 meetri kõrgusel on liikumine väga aeglane. Varem mäel valitsenud ebasoodsate tingimuste tõttu olid vägad paljud ekspeditsioonid oma tipuüritsue planeerinud just nendele esimestele veidigi soodsamatele päevadele. Arvatavasti oli põhjapoolsel tipuharjal tollel päeval üldse 100-200 alpinisti. Shveitslased, kellega koos Alar ja Saulius arvatavasti läksid, pöördusid kõik redeli juurest tagasi.

Tipuvallutus kinnitati Raivo Plumeri telefonikõnega 23.mai õhtul. 24 mai õhtuks aga jõuti tagasi baaslaagrisse, kust asjaosalised andsid juba telefoniintervjuusid. Alar Siku väitel lõppes tal Teise astme juures raisatud aja tõttu tipus otsa hapnik, ning allatulek muutus väga ohtlikuks. (Lisahapnik ei vii alpinisti kaugeltki meretasemele, vaid vähendab subjektiivset kõrgust umbes 1 km võrra, kuid lisandub hapnikuballoonide koormus). Alarit aitas elusana alla jõuda meeskonnakaaslane Saulius. 22.mai õhtuks, peale ligi 20-tunnist kurnavat päeva jõudsid mehed 8300 m vahelaagrisse. Selleks ajaks oli sinna tõusnud Ivar Lai, kes esialgsete teadete alusel läks öösel samuti oma tipukatsele ning jõudis umbes 8500 meetrini. Ilm oli veelgi ebasoodsam, pealegi jäi Ivar ühe ettevaatamatu liigutuse tõttu ilma oma seljakotist, peale mida muutus edasine prooviminegi võimatuks.

23. mail laskusid kõik ABC-sse (6400 m) ja 24. mail Rongbuki baaslaagrisse 5200 m kõrgusel. 26. maiks on ekspeditsioonil tellitud dzhiibid baaslaagrisse, kust sõidetakse otse Katmandusse. Lhasa külastamiseks ei jää dzhiipidel sõites enam aega, suur osa Hiina siselende on aga sarsi tõttu ära jäetud. Võidukas Eesti ekspeditsioon jõuab koju 2. juunil kella 13 paiku.

Koostatud ekspeditsiooniliikmete telefonikõnede, ajakirjanduse ja internetiallikate alusel.

Vaata ka:

Eestlased Dzhomolungmal
Meelitav, kohutav, rõhuv Mount Everest (A. Raudsepp)
Everesti ekspeditsiooni kodulehekülg
Matkainfot Everesti baaslaagrisse
http://www.reisi.net/index.php?id=696&artikkel_id=3813
http://www.everestnews.com/everestnews3/estonian.htm

In many ways, Egypt is the Nile. And since tourism to Egypt first began, boating down the world's longest river has been THE way to see the country. The following edited extract from Lonely Planet's completely revamped Egypt explains one way to enjoy a bit of Nile navigation:

There are hundreds of large cruisers travelling the Nile, but they are not the only option for exploring this giant watercourse. For those who want extreme comfort - and have the budget to pay for it - there are a few beautifully restored 'dahabiyyas' (houseboats) sailing between Esna and Aswan, offering a return to the days of luxurious and leisurely Nile travel. Cheaper and more popular with independent travellers are feluccas; these simple sailboats are an alternative to the crowds and noise of the large boats, offering a far more intimate experience of the river and monuments (at an affordable price).

Most felucca trips begin at Aswan - the strong northward current means that boats are not marooned if the wind dies. Trips go to Kom Ombo (two days, one night), Edfu (three days, two nights) or Esna (four days, three nights). Many of the felucca captains are Nubian (people originating from the region between Aswan and Khartoum in Sudan) and will take you for tea in their village along the way. Nights are spent on the boat or camping on an island in the Nile. Night-time entertainment ranges from star-gazing to partying, depending on you and your fellow passengers.

Officially, feluccas can carry a minimum of six passengers and a maximum of eight; it costs E£25 Egyptian per person to Kom Ombo, E£45 to Edfu or E£50 to Esna. On top of this you need to add E£5 per person for police registration (this is done by the captain), plus there's the cost of food supplies. You can get boats for less than the official rate, but take care; if it's much cheaper you'll either have a resentful captain and crew, or you'll be eating little more than bread and 'fuul' (brown fava beans, boiled and mashed...mmm) for three days.

Finding a good captain is essential, especially if you are a woman travelling alone or travelling as a group of women. Many of the better captains can be found having a 'sheesha' (water pipe) in Nileside restaurants such as the Aswan Moon or near the Panorama restaurant in Aswan, or on Elephantine Island. If you want help, Shukri Saad and his assistant Hakeem Hussein at Aswan's tourist office (tel 312 811; Midan al-Mahatta) can recommend some reputable operators (or at least advise you against some who are shady).

Some tips for planning felucca trips:

• Ensure that your boat is river-worthy - look for sunshade, comfortable seating, blankets, cooking implements, a place to lock up valuables etc;
• Establish whether the price includes food;
• Agree on the number of passengers beforehand;
• Agree on the drop-off point before you set sail - many captains stop short of towns then arrange for 'special' shared taxis to your final destination;
• Don't hand over your passport - a photocopy will do for the permit;
• Take plenty of bottled water (unless you fancy drinking the Nile) and whatever other beverages you're into;
• BYO sleeping bag (it can get bitterly cold at night), insect repellent, hat, and life jackets and other safety equipment;
• If your trip includes tours of sites such as the Temple of Karnak and Valley of the Kings, make sure the admission costs are included (they can be expensive); and
• If you have a guide, make sure they don't divert you to a perfume or alabaster ' factory' unless you want to pay exorbitant prices for goods that include a hefty commission for your guide.

Destination - The Best & Worst of the Philippines

The siren songs of the Philippines are many and varied, played by an impressive range of people and places. The most familiar with travellers are doubtless Boracay and Banaue but, if you have the time, the country offers visitors a tropical symphony of attractions.

While the larger islands like Luzon, Cebu and Mindanao make the most music, the little islands often have the biggest surprises. Delights in a minor key include Camiguin (Mindoro), for its rainforest and reef, the Visayas' Bantayan beaches and Malapascua Island, 'the thinking person's Boracay'.

Then there are the activities: mountain biking on Guimaras, hiking on Sibuyan Island, and diving and snorkelling off Moalboal, North Pandan Island and southern Leyte. Other highlights include the sunset over Lake Sebu, in the heartland of Mindanao's T'boli people, and the beautifully preserved historic towns of Silay (on Negros) and Vigan (in North Luzon). The Mt Mayon volcano's perfectly symmetrical cone and the weird lahar (rain-induced landslide of volcanic debris) formations of Mt Pinatubo are just two of the many volcanic sights on the islands.

And the lowlights? An easy inclusion is Angeles, the prostitution and sex-tour capital of the country at least nearby Mt Pinatubo gives you something else to look at if you have to pass through. Despite efforts to clean up San Fernando (La Union) after the US military left, what remains are a dearth of decent beaches and a swag of tourists in search of prostitutes.

Manila would probably make most travellers' lists of 'cities you'd hate to lose your passport in'. It's one of those places resident expats learn to appreciate, if not exactly adore, but first-time visitors often can't wait to escape the grime, crime and eye-popping chasm between rich and poor. Fair enough though beyond the nightlife, the capital does have enough attractions to keep you entertained for a few lively days.

More than a few towns would charitably fall into the 'nice place to live but I wouldn't want to visit' category. Danao and Subic Bay and Mactan are particularly devoid of charm; Tagbilaran's air pollution is sobering, and Kalibo saves all its colour for its big Ati-Atihan Festival in January, the nation's biggest and best mardi gras.

In the Spotlight - Wild wanderings in Alaska

In this edited extract from the new edition of Lonely Planet's Alaska guide, we get the lowdown on getting as far into the distance as you can go - exploring the remote Alaska Peninsula by ferry.

There are two ways to see a part of the remote region of Alaska known as 'the Bush' without flying. One of them is to drive the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. The other is to hop onto the Alaska Marine Highway ferry when it makes its special run five or six times each summer along the Alaska Peninsula to the eastern end of the Aleutian Islands. Once a month from May through to September or October the MV Tustumena departs Kodiak and continues west to Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass and Dutch Harbour before backtracking to Kodiak.

The Tustumena, a 290ft vessel that holds 230 passengers, is one of only two ferries in the Alaska Marine Highway fleet rated as an oceangoing ship, thus its nickname 'The Trusty Tusty.' The boat docks at smaller villages along the way only to load and unload, which is plenty of time to get off for a quick look around. In Dutch Harbour, the ship stays in port for six hours, long enough for a van tour specifically designed to accommodate ferry passengers. This is truly one of the best bargains in public transportation. The scenery and wildlife are spectacular. You'll pass the perfect cones of several volcanoes, the treeless but lush green mountains of the Aleutians and distinctive rock formations and cliffs. Whales, sea lions, otters and porpoises are commonly sighted, and birdlife abounds. More than 30 species of seabird nest in the Aleutians, and over 250 species of bird migrate through here. Diehard birders are often on board sighting albatrosses, auklet s, cormorants and puffins. If you don't know a puffin from a kittiwake, you can attend presentations by the onboard US Fish and Wildlife Service naturalist, who points out birds and other wildlife and runs programmes on many aspects of the Aleutians.

Viewing wildlife and scenery depends, however, on the weather. This can be an extremely rough trip at times, deserving its title 'the cruise through the cradle of the storms.' On the runs in the fall, 40ft waves and 80 knot winds are the norm, and no matter when you step aboard you'll find barf bags everywhere on the ship - just in case.