Letter from Lhasa: An odyssey to Mount Qomolangma base camp

by Cao Bin

MOUNT QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Sitting in a tent at the base camp of Mount Qomolangma with a post office next to me, I write this piece recounting my extraordinary first encounter with the highest altitude I have ever experienced.

Situated on the China-Nepal border, the world's highest peak stands tall at a formidable 8,848.86 meters. Climbing it is an immensely challengi