Annoyed Adventurer

I have been what most people would call an adventure traveler for about five years. I’ve slept on a frozen river in Japan, trekked throughout Nepal and have been all through Europe and North America with little more than a backpack. So I was more than a little annoyed by Pat Halty’s description of typical adventure travelers (“Anyone Can Go Anywhere for Outdoor Thrills,” by Frank Riley, March 4) as adult professionals who enjoy outdoor activities but who want and can afford the comforts and amenities of home.

This makes it sound as if the only people who go on these trips are Park Avenue yuppies who wander around the Annapurnas in Banana Republic chinos and designer parkas by day and hold up in Conde Nast-approved hotels by night. They want to play Indiana Jones for a week and then brag about it to their corporate buddies during happy hour at the Red Onion. Halty sounds as if she’s fishing for some new customers with more dollers than sense. This is exactly what we don’t need.

One need only look at the terrible situation that has arisen in Katmandu in recent years. With more and more tourists flocking to Nepal to see Mt. Everest, the town has become a veritable Himalayan drugstore. FREDIE R. VINSON

Costa Mesa