Clayton Wolfe loves all outdoor activities – running, camping, climbing the world’s tallest mountains. The Scottsdale realtor has scaled four of the vaunted Seven Summits, and most recently conquered the tallest of all, Mount Everest, on his second attempt. While doing so, Wolfe raised $25,000 by selling engraved Golden Everest tokens for $100 to give back to The Saguaros, a nonprofit that raises money for children’s charities. “Getting to the top represented something to me as a major life accomplishment, something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I think it’ll remain one of the greatest things I’ve ever done for myself,” he says. “The Himalayas are unbelievable. You can’t put into words how they make you feel so small as a human being.” Wolfe shares his Everest-area recommendations.
YAK & YETI KATHMANDU
Known as Nepal’s finest hotel, the five-star luxury Yak & Yeti is enriched with the capital’s culture and history and is a popular spot for climbers all over the region. “If you stay here in the spring or fall, you’re guaranteed to be climbing, or running into people climbing, Mount Everest, Lobuche or Ama Dablam,” Wolfe says.
THAMEL
“Thamel is kind of like our Old Town Scottsdale,” he says. The streets of Kathmandu’s commerce and entertainment district are visitor-friendly, with buzzing nightlife, lively bars and restaurants, and endless street vendors proffering everything from snacks to souvenirs.
FIRE AND ICE PIZZERIA
Travelers to Kathmandu can find a surprising taste of Italy at this hot spot – at an affordable rate, too. “Fire and Ice is the best pizza in the city. I never thought pizza in Nepal would be so good, but it’s incredible,” Wolfe says.
