Operation Everest Summiteers Meet the Joyful Kiddiewinks of Namche Bazaar

The 'mini - sherpas', as sometimes named by the tourist and the mountaineers, are a very happy-go-round children. They love to be around new people and enjoy some really good equation with them.

Their population is very little and hence they enjoy the time when new flocks of people come in their village and be - friends with them.

Namche bazaar, which is also termed as the 'gateway to Everest', has a population of sherpas and their families. Being at a 3,440 meters elevation, it is not possible for the people to travel to the main city of Kathmandu for basic amenities. So the small village has its own school, ATM, and clinics, so that their community can at least get their basic facilities.

People at namche bazaar are very shy and modest in nature. They generally don't get along with the mountaineers or the aliens who come for the summit. Mostly the man of the house interacts with the outsiders as their community is a bit conservative and follows their age old customs and ethics.

The mountaineers in order to survive in the high altitude try to acclimatize themselves by staying at Namche bazaar for at least 3 - 4 days. They go for acclimatization walk; take good amount of rest followed by some recreational activities. This relaxation period helps them to restore a good amount of energy and get acclimate with the zone and the atmosphere.

Throngs of trekkers come to this Himalayan region every year leaving behind heaps of litter and garbage behind them. Indian Army made an effort to clean up the debris and dross and managed to collect 20 - 25 kgs of waste in just 20 minutes.

Yaks are mostly seen in the higher altitude areas. Due to their surefooted quality, the animal has the ability to carry heavy luggage in steep slopes where even humans fail to walk and that is the reason the summiteers generally use yaks for carrying their extra loads. Beside their specific quality of carrying burden in rough mountain roads, yaks are also considered to be the 'status symbol' for the Sherpa who owns a herd of yaks. The major portion of their earning goes after the yaks and it is an important piece of property for the Himalayan dwellers.

Indian Army 'Team Everest' Treks further to Tengboche. This will take them closer to their final destination 'Mount Everest'