The Red Bulletin November 2019 (UK)

Nepal
TRAVEL TIPS
NEPALESE
BY NATURE
Nepal is a trekking and hiking paradise, but
the Roof of the World has much more to offer,
including ‘mad honey’ and a tooth fairy
The chopper ferries the jumpers up to a summit-equalling height of 7,000m
Nepal
Kathmandu
Mt Everest
Lukla
The average daytime temperature during November’s
Everest Skydive is around 15°C. Rainfall is low then,
too, making it the best month to visit Nepal.
EXPLORE HIMALAYA TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Trekkers’ paradise: the village of Namche Bazaar sits at an altitude of 3,440m
sky, the topography of the
Himalaya seems to swallow me.
Once the parachute opens, my
speed slows to about 25kph and
I’m level with Mount Everest for
the next six minutes, not more
than a couple of kilometres away.
A quiet descent near one of the
most awesome forces of nature
on earth is humbling and lifechanging.
It’s an incredible
feeling to be able to experience
something that so few people ever
have the opportunity to try. Yet
it always feels good to land on
the ground safely at Syangboche
Airstrip, 3,780m above sea level,
where the temperature is balmy.
As a tandem-skydive instructor,
I’ve completed roughly 8,000
“As I fall through the
sky, the Himalayan
topography seems
to swallow me”
dives in more than 40 countries in
seven continents. I’ve dived into a
sinkhole in Belize, onto Antarctic
and Arctic ice sheets, and over the
pyramids of Giza – remote locations
are my speciality. But, as the
operational manager, organising
the annual trip to Nepal for Everest
Skydive is a labour of love. For
11 months, I work hard on the
logistics from my office in Florida.
SEE
Several exotic animals inhabit the Himalaya, says Tom
Noonan, but some are more visible than others...
YETI
“There’s a belief the yeti is still out there, but no one has seen
him recently. There are yeti bones in one of the temples.”
SNOW LEOPARD
“Snow leopards are rare. I’m thankful I’ve not seen one, as
I don’t want to bump into one in the middle of the night.”
YAK
“Massive yet beautiful and docile, yaks do the heavy lifting,
carrying all the stuff that people can’t.”
VISIT
There’s plenty to do in Kathmandu
HONOUR THE TOOTHACHE TREE
In a part of town that’s home to many dentists is a chunk of
Bangemudha tree covered in coins. These are offerings from
orthodontically poor locals to Vaishya Dev, god of toothache.
TRY HALLUCINOGENIC HONEY
Procured in the Kathmandu Valley, this rhododendronenhanced
liquid gold is known locally as ‘mad honey’ on
account of its hallucinogenic qualities. It’s also used to relieve
stress and is said to have Viagra-like properties.
EAT YAK CHEESE
Try this surprisingly delicate cheese, which has a mild, milky
flavour and strong herbal notes, at local farmers’ markets.
THE RED BULLETIN 71