This spring Rita James journeyed to Nepal for the adventure of a lifetime, ascending more than 7,000 feet, one step at a time, on a trek with members of the Himalayan Rescue Association, who were headed to the Mount Everett Base Camp to set up a medical clinic.
James and her group encountered pack yaks, golden Buddhist domes, stony Hindu ruins, monkeys and, high above all other wonders, the formidable peak of Mount Everest and the imposing mountain tops nearby. With supervision and guidance of competent and caring Sherpas, James reached for the top of the world — 17,000 feet above her Anacortes home — and found a place of stark but deadly beauty, where something as simple as a chest cold is life-threatening.
James will present a slide show and give a talk about her experiences 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the Anacortes Public Library.
The presentation is part of the library’s travel series, which continues through Nov. 18.
Upcoming talks are “The Pleasures of Canal Boating in France” on Tuesday, Oct. 27; “Travels in Myanmar (Burma)” on Wednesday, Nov. 4; “Independent Travel in Southeast Asia” on Tuesday, Nov. 10; and “Paris: A Travelogue” on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Questions? Call the library at 293-1910, ext. 21.








