Khumbu map

KHUMBU MAP Rene de Milleville Paris The Khumbu Map presented here is simply to aid trekkers visiting the Everest area, to permit them to locate themselves as well as to identify the surrounding summits. A scale of 1:100,000 has been chosen because it allows the Khumbu area to be represented on a map which is of manageable size and can be carried in a pocket. The summits, principal ridges and glaciers of the mountains are shown in the conventional style of schematic maps. The representation of relief is depicted with contour lines at 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 meters. Cross lines spaced at five kilometers, or 3.1 miles, are provided to aid the judgment of distances. Altitudes are indicated in meters, but a meters-to-feet conversion chart of sufficient range is provided to permit easy transformation of the altitude measurements. The altitudes are given for permanent villages, summer grazing settlements, and lakes - that is to say, the places generally suitable for camping. The symbol representing the permanent villages is different from that for the summer grazing settlements. This is to remind the trekker that the grazing settlements are only inhabited during the warm, rainy season (monsoon) from June to September for settlements at about 4,700 meters or above, and from June to the beginning of November for the lower settlements.1 We have indicated some "chortens" which offer a beautiful panoramic view and are well worth a visit. The profile provided of the route from Lukla to Base Camp and Kala Pattar is intended to answer some frequently rasied questions. This profile can also be of assistance in scheduling the stages of the trek, considering the classic problem of ascending at high altitudes. It should be kept in mind that Kala Pattar, whose ascension is easy, provides a very beautiful panorama. The spellings of the names used for this map are, for the most part, taken from existing documents. Nevertheless, without wanting to do the work of a linguist and after experiencing some difficulty in comprehension by the Sherpas, some names have been written in a manner which will enable a foreigner to read them to a Sherpa with the hope of being understood. 1. The only exception to this is perhaps the grazing settlement of Dingbache, where some families remain for most of the winter. However, the majority of the houses are closed during the cold season.

246 | Kailash It is useful to note that a name like Thangbache, for example, can be found written in six or seven different ways depending on the document consulted and the language of the author. The Sherpas themselves seem to pronounce certain names differently, depending on whether they belong to the old or new generation. Among the maps already existing for the region, we should mention the large scale map of 1:25,000 (Mahalangur Himal), 1957, and that of 1:50,000 (Khumbu Himal), 1963, which represent the terrain with the same methods as European maps of the Alps. These maps are published by Kartographische Anstalt Freytag-Berndt und Artaria, Wien, Austria. We have used the altitudes shown on these maps for our own whenever possible. The panoramas and photographs we have taken in Khumbu have been very useful in creating this map. The "Mount Everest National Park" mentioned in this map does not presently exist, but its establishment has been officially announced and will soon take place. We hope this map will be useful to many travellers, and we will appreciate any suggestions for its improvement.