MEREDITH — The Meredith Public Library, 91 Main St., will welcome author Russ Staples to discusses his book 'My Everest Odyssey' on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. More than 50 years ago, Staples trekked from Kathmandu to Mount Everest in sneakers and a borrowed backpack, one of the earliest Americans to visit the 17,800-foot basecamp.
The program is free and open to the public. Copies of 'My Everest Odyssey' will be available.
Staples, a New Hampshire native, was one of the earliest trekkers to the base of Mount Everest. While a Peace Corps volunteer in southern India in 1967, the 22-year-old set out with a borrowed backpack, $200 in his pocket and youthful enthusiasm that served him well on his 27-day, 400-mile journey.
Unlike Everest hikes today, Staples’ 1967 hike was unsupported. There were no planes, no hospitals, and no rescues. He relied on the kindness of rural Nepali farmers and his own determination. He visited ancient Buddhist monasteries, terraced fields, and Himalayan wilderness, as he walked in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary and the 1963 American expedition.
Staples’ memoir is based on the journal kept during his trek, and includes never-before-published photos of Everest and Nepal.
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