Over the weekend of 9–10 August, we had the pleasure of attending a special event:
The Old Base Camp of Polish Himalayan Mountaineering – ‘In the Footsteps of the Participants’ Festival, which took place at the Nature and Education Centre at Sobieszów Palace in Jelenia Góra.
This is the first edition of the Polish-Nepalese festival, which recreates the atmosphere of Himalayan expedition bases from decades ago and combines the experiences of mountaineers with the spirit of the mountains and the East.
The atmosphere of a real base camp
The organisers made sure that visitors could feel as though they were in a real camp in the Himalayas. There were tents, prayer flags, aromatic masala tea, Tibetan singing bowls and music, all of which created a remarkable atmosphere of authenticity. The festival was not only a series of talks and meetings, but also a symbolic bridge between the cultures of Nepal and Tibet and the Polish Himalayan tradition.
Meroway on stage – talks by Nima Sherpa
It was a particular honour for us that Nima Sherpa, co-founder of Meroway Adventure, had the opportunity to co-host two talks at the festival:
- together with Alexander Lvov he was talking about it, What do people eat in the Himalayas? – from the traditional Sherpa diet to high-altitude food on expeditions,
- amongst legends such as Krzysztof Wielicki, took part in a discussion on equipment used in high mountains and how it has changed over the years.
We are immensely proud that Nima was able to share his knowledge and experience on the same stage as the leading figures in Polish and international mountaineering.
Meet the Legends
The festival provided an opportunity for the most outstanding Polish Himalayan climbers to meet, including: Krzysztof Wielicki, Leszek Cichy, Aleksander Lwów, Anna Okopińska, Piotr Snopczyński, Wiesław Panejka and Janusz Kulis. Conversations, recollections and discussions with these figures served as a reminder of just how important a part of the history of world mountaineering Polish Himalayan mountaineering is
Meetings with participants on our expeditions
But for us personally, the greatest honour was meeting you all – participants in the Meroway expeditions, who turned out in large numbers to visit our stand. Some popped into the festival by chance, whilst others came specifically to meet us and reminisce together about the time we spent in the Himalayas. It was precisely these conversations, handshakes and photos that made us realise once again just how great it is to do what we do!
Why was the festival important?
Festival Old Base Camp It was of particular significance to us because:
- connected generations of mountain lovers, from legends to young enthusiasts,
- recreated the authentic atmosphere of a Himalayan base camp,
- he pointed out that The Himalayas are not just about the peaks; above all, they are about the people and their stories.
We would like to extend our special thanks to Maciej Pietrowicz, whose passion and determination made it possible for the festival to come into being and bring together so many outstanding figures.
Thank you for the invitation, and we wish you every success in organising future editions – we believe that Old Base Camp has the potential to become a permanent fixture in the calendar of Poland’s most important mountaineering events and to inspire future generations of travellers.
