Ron Sutherland: John Hunter - Himalayas trip

Last week we had John Hunter as our speaker, talking about the ascent of Mera Peak in the Himalayas. He showed slides of his approach to the area which meant some hair raising flights in and out of Lukla airport and a trek into the base of the peak. Some of the pictures were stunning captures of the scale and beauty of the area. Then followed his journey up the peak in very cold conditions, as low as minus 21 degrees C. The summit gives glorious views of the Himalayas range, in particular four of the five highest peaks in the world over 8000m.

He finished with a look at the culture of the Himalayas including visits to the sights in Kathmandu, which raised an eyebrow or two in the audience.

Overall, this talk showed an outstanding achievement for John himself and an excellent depiction of the landscape he encountered. A vote of thanks was given by Mairhi Trickett, the president of the club.