Mera – the First Dog to Ascend a 7,000 Metre High Mountain
Sometimes you encounter a story of a stray dog that joins people during their greater or smaller adventures. Mera had quite an enviable adventure. Moreover, she has become the first dog that ascended a 7,000 metre high mountain. So, it means she has been to higher spots than most of us ever will.
An inquisitive dog named Mera appears to be a cross between a Tibetan mastiff and a Himalayan sheepdog. She joined a group that was descending from Mera Peak in Nepal and she was also named after it. The expedition then continued to Baruntse, a peak in the Himalayas just south of Mount Everest, and the dog followed them.
The 20-kilogram animal became friends with the group’s leader Don Wargowsky, who shared his tent with her. She even got a sleeping pad and a jacket to use as a bed.
Such mountaineering is not only physically, but also mentally demanding. A dog companion in such situations can be a great way to relax a little and relieve stress.
However, it’s not common here for mountaineers to be friends with stray dogs due to the prevalence of rabies. Mera won over the mountaineers and accompanying sherpas with her nature and her excellent climbing skills though. Wargowsky said they had never met such dog before. He stated that Mera was special and brought luck to the expedition. Some members even thought she was blessed.
At one point Mera was unable to follow the climbers and spent two nights alone on a glacier as high winds raged. They were all convinced she would be unable to survive. However, two sherpas had to return in that direction and they saw her. They encouraged her to cross the difficult section, so she was able to follow the expedition again and continue her ascent.
When the climbers finally set out for the summit at 2am, Wargowsky left Mera sleeping in his tent. She reportedly slept until morning and then caught up with the team. She crossed terrain which had taken the mountaineers seven hours in just two.
On the final ridge the dog ran ahead of the climbers, who were moving slowly due to the rarified air at high altitude. Despite fine weather, it was around -20 °C.
Of course, after the dog leaned up against Wargowsky and wanted to be petted, he wished to adopt Mera. However, he was unable to fly the dog out of Nepal, but the dog has been adopted by the expedition’s base camp manager, Kaji Sherpa.
When one says a mini breed, most of you will immediately think of a Chihuahua. And it’s not surprising, its the smallest dog breed in the world. They are popular abroad as well as in the Czech Republic and they are often picked by people whose desire...
The Ragdoll, a cat which reminds you of a dog with its behaviour, was in the top three favourite breeds among keepers in 2017. At the worldwide scale, it is on the second place, right after the Maine Coon. The Ragdoll is a very cuddly pet which is into...
Cats have always been regarded as mystical animals with many mysteries. One of them might be the question why these creatures like sitting in a circle so much.
You might be asking why should a cat learn to walk on a leash in the first place? It doesn’t mean you should go hiking with your cat. However, a short walk might be a great adventure for your cat. And you can’t do that without a leash, especially in a...
Keeping an eye on the weight no longer concerns only us, the two-legged creatures. Vets deal with overweight and obese pets more and more often. Most often, it applies to dogs and cats, but even rodents can easily suffer from obesity. How to prevent...
Toxins are accumulated in body during winter and spring is therefore the best season for detoxification. Everything awakens and people purify their bodies so why shouldn’t we involve our closest companions to it?
The fact that it’s no problem to go for a journey across the whole continent (or even the whole world) together with your pet is well-known to the owners of three cat travellers – Bengal cat Suki, courageous cat Wilow and fearless tom cat Simon. They...
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to be more active. A dog is a great companion for an active life. What is a healthy level of exercising with a dog?
These portions seem so small, shouldn’t I give my dog more? And should the dry food be dipped or not? And how many times a day should I feed my dog? And should I supplement the food by something? When should we switch to adult dog food? This is only a...
Do you know how to properly behave with your furry friends in national parks and protected nature areas? Are you sick of all the trash in city parks? And are you considering what you should do to be a more
eco-friendly dog owner? You can also...
Siberian Husky is an amazing dog breed. It is a very active dog. Agile, strong and distinctive. That’s why many mushers use them to pull their sledges. It is said that all dogs who like pulling are suitable for a dog sled, but a Siberian Husky really...
Domestic cats don’t go outside as often as dogs and you have to prepare them for travelling. However, they won’t avoid visiting a vet or travelling to a cottage from time to time.