Trips and Expeditions ahead in 2009

We are now all set for upcoming expedition to Mount Manirang (6593m) the highest peak in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Its going to be small team with faces old and new in Adventure Mania.

Martin Muecke, a climber whom I met in Russia and raced on Elbrus is coming down. Rajeev Ranjan who had joined me in one of exploration treks in remote kishong valley of North Sikkim in 2006 is back with us this year. Matthew Duffy, currently living and working in Mumbai is the new face.

Its going to be same team from Adventure Mania as well with me and Thendup leading the climb; Kiran and Indra will act as support crew. Since I have tried to keep the costs low, it will be a lightweight, semi-alpine style dash on the mountain with the factors of altitude in mind and body. I have called Kaza and Keylong this morning to find out that the high passes of Rhotang and Kunzumla will open by end of this month. And the roads till the last village of our climb is in good condition.

This year, we at Adventure Mania has been suffering terrible from cancellation. I have no hesitation to admit that Adventure Mania is small. We do not have marketing networks or offices. Word of mouth and some contacts in mountaineering community in UK, Ireland, France and Germany gives us work to sustain. I must also admit we have good friends in other countries like the USA or even Iceland! But strangely enough this year work is vaporized.

So has the global recession, the so called financial meltdown panic has hit Himalayan Mountaineering too? I guess the answer is yes! I was talking to my friends in the Indian Mountaineering Foundation the other day. Statistically, there is very little foreign expeditions booking in the Indian Himalaya this year so far. Indian teams are going to the mountains alright, since they never had to pay the huge permit fees ( and most of the Indian mountaineering ventures are either subsided by the Army, IMF or Clubs).

But is it just the panic to lose one's job, thats stopping a climber to travel to India now, or do we have more contributors to that paranoid feeling: terrorism? Swine flu?

But life can not just stop for us who has to climb mountains to sustain with self esteem in this society. So we are still hoping we will get some interests in the following expeditions:

Mt Meru North Expedition- August 6- 27, 2009

We are also inviting people to join our Parangla Trek

Parangla Trek: September 2009

Dates: September 3, 2009- September 26, 2009

This trek will have Yoga Sessions by Hilde Wasserfall (Germany). Please email us for more info.

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Adventure Mania
official website: www.adventuremania.com
Upcoming Trips blog: http://adventuremania-india.blogspot.com
Raja's personal blog:http://himalaya-raja.blogspot.com
Real Adventure Journeys Across Himalaya
Call Raja: +91 97487 61139
Optional Number :+91 92305 11139

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