Taking Amateur Radio to near the world's roof top

A devotee of the Summits On The Air (SOTA) program in set to use portable Amateur Radio as he joins others on one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas.

Allen Harvie VK3HRA, will walk from Nepal to the Southern Everest Base Camp, travelling through the Sagarmatha National Park (9NFF-007), which is on the World Wide Flora and Fauna list.

Allen has gained a permit to take and operate a QRP radio. Due to weight and size needs, only 20-metres CW will be possible from 6 -9 May 2014, during local sunset to sunrise.

Sherpas are elite mountaineers serving as guides at the extreme altitudes in the region. Supplies are carried by them on animals, usually yaks, to replenish the Everest Base Camp that attracts thousands of trekkers each year.

The base camp becomes the end of a journey for most, and those going higher in altitude take two days of rest by for acclimatization before climbing Mt Everest.