Admiring the view
Dona Lake is considered hazardous because those moraine sediments are not necessarily stable , so any weakness or failure could result in a catastrophic outburst flood into the downstream area , which would wipe out hiking routes , community settlements and hydropower facilities . As a result , the lake has been extensively researched through remote and inperson observations in recent years . Still , more is needed to know about the physical conditions of this lake or any large glacial lake in this region .
THE TEAM
The crack team of two – myself and Duncan Quincey , who supervises my PhD – are based in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds . Duncan has been working in the Himalaya for almost 20 years and is no stranger to research methods that push the boundaries . His most recent project in the Himalaya took a converted pressure washer as high as Everest Base Camp ( 5364 m a . s . l .) to drill into the Khumbu Glacier and measure its internal temperature with depth .
Whilst I have researched other glacierised areas , including the Alps and the Arctic , this was my first experience leading an expedition , never mind an expedition to the Himalaya ! Luckily , we had a brilliant team from Himalayan Research Expeditions to support us . However , aside from the classic residential activities in our youths , both Duncan and I needed more experience kayaking and knew we would need to put in the training hours if we were to feel comfortable on the water in such an extreme environment .
TRAINING
One of our first challenges was sourcing a tandem kayak that could be transported on foot to the lake . Here , Nick Pipe , who runs Vortex , an independent retailer importing Advanced Elements equipment to the UK , came to our rescue . We acquired an Advanced Elements Convertible Elite kayak through his sponsorship of our expedition . This fifteen-foot
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