The Hunt for the Yeti Skull: Nepal (2 page)

Jack's dad, John

He moved the family to England when Jack was two, in order to take a job with an aerospace company. Jack's dad thinks he is an ordinary boy and that his other son, Max, attends a school in Switzerland. Jack's dad is American and his mom is British, which makes Jack a bit of both.

Jack's mom, Corinne

One of the greatest moms as far as Jack is concerned. When she and her husband received a letter from a posh school in Switzerland inviting Max to attend, they were overjoyed. Since Max left six months ago, they have received numerous notes in Max's handwriting telling them he's OK. Little do they know it's all a lie and that it's the GPF sending those letters.

Jack's older brother, Max

Two years ago, at the age of nine, Max joined the GPF. Max used to tell Jack about his adventures and show him how to work his secret-agent gadgets. When the family received a letter inviting Max to attend a school in Europe, Jack figured it was to do with the GPF. Max told him he was right, but that he couldn't tell Jack anything about why he was going away.

Nine-year-old Jack Stalwart

Four months ago, Jack received an anonymous note saying: ‘Your brother is in danger. Only you can save him.' As soon as he could, Jack applied to be a secret agent too. Since that time, he's battled some of the world's most dangerous villains, and hopes some day in his travels to find and rescue his brother, Max.

DESTINATION
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Nepal

There's an ancient Buddhist temple in the valley called the Monkey Temple, because holy monkeys live inside it. You have to climb 365 steps to get to it.

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In the north of Nepal are the Himalayas, a mountain range. Eight of the world's tallest mountains (including Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga and Lhotse), are found in Nepal.

 

 

On May 22nd 2010 Jordan Romero, aged thirteen, became the youngest person to climb Everest.

Mount Everest is considered dangerous to climb because of its altitude (or height). The altitude can cause sickness in the brain and lungs.

Mountain climbers begin climbing Everest at either North Base Camp in Tibet or South Base Camp in Nepal, where they spend many days getting used to the altitude so they can avoid the sickness.

There are lots of different types of climbing – make sure to take lessons with a proper teacher before you try them!

‘Bouldering' is where you scramble over large rocks using your hands and feet, rather than ropes, and with a crash pad for safety. You can do this outside on natural rock, or at an indoor climbing place.

‘Ice climbing' is scaling an ice wall using a harness, rope, ice axe and crampons. Crampons are spikes attached to the bottom of your boots that dig into the ice to stop you from slipping.

‘Mountain climbing' can use the techniques above – people attempting to climb tall mountains must carry enough equipment, food and water with them, since it can take days to reach the top.

Oxygen Exchanger:
If you're climbing mountains or diving underwater, strap on the GPF's Oxygen Exchanger. This two-part device converts the carbon dioxide that you breathe out into fresh oxygen whenever you need it. Comes with a wrap-around breathing tube and mouthpiece.

Crafty Crampons:
The GPF's Crafty Crampons provide just enough ‘stick' to prevent you from slipping on icy surfaces. Just strap these spiky, steel frames onto the bottom of your boots. The frames automatically adjust from flexible to rigid, depending on whether you're walking or ice climbing.

Klimbing Kit:
When you need a powerful rope for climbing, use the GPF's Klimbing Kit. Just point the hatch of this circular case in the direction you want, and push the ‘eject' button. Instantly, one of three ropes will fling out. If you need to fix the rope, tie a spike at the end before ejecting.

Snow Shades:
To prevent snow blindness in high altitudes, wear your GPF Snow Shades. Like the Google Goggles, the Snow Shades also have a built-in zoom feature that's activated by flicking a small switch on the side of the lens.