Escape from Kathmandu by KS Robinson

If you’ve read any KSR (Mars Trilogy, Wild Shore series, Years of Rice and Salt), this is absolutely NOTHING like those. Nada. Not even close.

Escape from Kathmandu is a engaging romp through the bureaucracy, cities and world of Kathmandu and the Himalayas as seen through the eyes of three young fellows. The book is actually broken down into a four smaller novelettes. In book one we are introduced to our characters: Freds, George and Nathan. On a previous trip to Nepal, Nathan has discovered a Yeti while part of a graduate student scientific research team while in the mountains of Himals. He finds out that part of the team has now come back and they have kidnapped the yeti with the intent of revealing him to the world. With the help of his newfound freind George and old climbing partner Freds, they set off to save the Yeti from certain exploitation.

In book two, Freds meets back up with George while guiding hikers up various mountains out of Kathmandu. Freds is leading a couple of Brits and talks them into saving the now exposed body of Mallory. However, plans are being foiled by a earnest and doltish photographer in Georges group. George is forced to go after his missing hiker and suddenly finds himself hiking to the summit of Everest with Freds and the monk Kombu.

In book three, the point of view shifts from George to Freds, who now talks George into helping him save Shangri-La. Freds has found out about a project to build a road that would lead right into this famous valley. However, after his last two adventures with Freds, George is less than willing to believe or help Freds and Freds has his work cut out for him in enlisting his friend.

By book four, George wants nothing to do with Freds, but much to his surprise, Freds has shown up on George's threshold. Freds talks George into a "vacation" to the warmer climes of Nepal and a very reluctant George agrees to go with...buy why? What is Freds motivation for involving George this time?

The first two stories were definitely the stronger of the four. I found the third novelette was a bit slow to develop. With the POV change from George to Freds, it took some mental gymnastics to change the characters around and made moving into the story a bit more difficult. Robinson’s imagery was enough to pull into the reader into the plunging valleys and rocky heights of the Himalayan mountains. He added just enough splash of color to see the vivid greens of the vegetation and the bright blue of the sky...and the less pleasant side of country life in a third world country as well. By book four we are back to Georges POV.

The writing was quirky and the characters engaging and numerous. There were only a couple of times my subconscious went..."nah...not plausable..." but not enough to really pull me out of the story. And it is that, a fun, easy story...after all, yetis do exist....