Mike Kung is in the Khumbu region of Nepal, for an attempt to soar a paraglider higher than anyone ever has before, up the south face of Lhotse. We’ll be updating this with news of the Paratrekking team, as it comes to us.
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Everest Paratrekking team members: oxygen masks on
On their second day in base camp, Mike Küng and the Paratrekking team have taken to the skies, testing out the conditions and the oxygen systems.
Mike thermalled with an eagle, without oxygen, to a height of 6,300m, where both his vario and helmet camera unfortunately failed in the -20C temperatures. A second camera, using an external power source, carried on working and captured a freezing Mike flying next to the spectacular backdrops of Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Island Peak. The footage is to be shown on German television.
Mike Kung ready to launch into the Himalayan skies
The rest of the team experimented with using their oxygen systems in the air, and flew to Dingboche.
Weatherwise, a low pressure system over Tibet is afecting the weather in the Everest base camp area. The wind at altitude is strong and the air damp, causing cloud to settle at less than 5,000m in the afternoons and capping the altitude gains possible by paraglider. However, both Mike and expedition leader Andreas Schubert are confident that when the upper wind eases it should be possible to thermal up to 8,000m.
Mike flying in front of Thamserku, 6,608m
