Passage Report: No. 100
Sahula, 2014
Goodbye sea, Hello Himalayas
"Come with us Dave..." - in the 1970's Skipper (NZ mountaineering at time) was invited to join a Australian expedition to the Pakistan Himalayas. A job took priority. A decision regretted a lifetime.
"...come with me..." - Skipper was invited by Crew to join a group of friends on a Nepal Himalayan trek. Skipper hesitated (cost, gear, flights...) momentarily..."I'll go..." The trek departed Australia in some two weeks.
Organised by World Expeditions (www.worldexpeditions.com) was a 10 day trek to Ama Dablam (6856m) base camp (4609m) with 9 persons (mostly sheep, cattle graziers from Yass region, NSW, average age 49 - 70, four men, five women (including one "pace maker"). Designated as "moderate" the trek (below 5500m) required 6-7 hours a day at a steady pace - good health and fitness.
Ama Dablam ("...the second most beautiful mountain in the world..." - Ramesh (Nepalese tour guide)), which Edmund Hilary, on his first time "... looked in wonder on the amazing summit..." ("Everest, Summit of Achievement" 2013),spears, deep blue, beset amongst endless, white, black, Himalayan peaks rising to (Chomolungma ("Mother Goddess of the World" - Tibetan, Sagarmatha ("Head of the Sky" - Sanskrit, Nepalese), Mt Everest (Superintendant of the Great Trigonmetrical Survey, Sir George Everest (1852), (8848m).
The world's highest peak is at the head of the Khumbu Valley, home of the Sherpa ("Shar" - east, "pa" - people). They are '... descendants of nomads, agricultural labours and traders of SE Tibet...they are tough...extremely canny in business dealings...towards the end of the fifteenth century... as followers of Nyingmapa (Vajrayana - tantric) buddhism (...providing (inter alia) for protection and reverence of the surrounding natural world ...that treading on sacred peaks, risked Godly displeasure...)...driven by oppression from Mongolian Islam...seeking freedom from feudal lords...they began to migrate...over Himalayan passes into the relatively, uninhabited, more arable, hospitable valleys...of the kingdoms of Nepal (a group of warring, powerful kingdoms)..." ("Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest" - Tenzing, 2001).
Isolated from Katmandu politics, "...they managed their own affairs...largely according to Tibetan tradition... rarely moving from their villages...they grazed their yak herds, grew potatoes and barley in small terraced plots...until the early twentieth century..." when surveyors, adventurers, mountaineers, entered their realm.
Initially, these foreigners viewed the Himalayas from Tibet. Nepal was closed till the 1950's. The "opening" allowed various foreign expeditions to attempt Sagarmatha. New Zealander, Hilary and Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, succeeded in 1953, opening the floodgates to touristic curiousity.
High above, endless sea breaks to villages, terraces of the rugged, steep, Himalayan foothills and Katmandu. Hanging, dense, pollution haze clouds the near valleys; a premonition of modern life in an ancient city.
Two cultural, World Heritage sites (2 natural sites - Sagarmarta, Chitwin) stand precariously amongst the chaos besetting the old city.
Some one million citizens (Nepal population 27 million, 2 million absentee) vie for space amongst seething traffic, unformed footpaths, roads, dust, tumbling, narrow tenements, knotted, bundled, threatening electricity wires and the encessent cacophony of hooters, horns, bicycle bells, trade, selling, and business, perfected in the "Themel" (core Old city)
Behind high walls, the palaces, stand silent in large parks. In 2008 the Kingdom of Nepal became a republic. A hazy golf course, incongruous, ignoring, the adjacent noisy chaos, provides space to a lonely, well dressed, club member and caddy.
Nepal is is one of the worlds poorest economies (less $1000/year). Westerners buy cheap (AUD = 87 rupees, GBP = 160 rupees (Feb., 2014)).\
Yet, a smile is inherent Nepalese. A visitor feels safe, welcome, secure. Meeting is clothed in happiness.
School children walking or in run down, yellow buses, pass immaculate in uniforms. Education, available to all, is highly prized.
"I have a business degree...I work here as jobs are scarce..." - porter, Radisson Hotel. Down an unpretentious side street, bomb mirrors check the airport taxi, neat police guards, uniformed door, security and porters. give a swift, smiling salute "...Namastah..."
Ramesh, tour guide, welcomes the group. Allocated luxurious rooms (World Expeditions special rate), we relish, serenity, peace.
Death, paraded on ancient terraces, adorned in golden silk, orange flowers, fired to ashes, received by adjacent Bahamati River waters (to Ganges), is a daily Hindu ritual attended by crowds and colourful swami priests (50 rupee photo).
A giant (second largest) stupa, white, golden topped, adorned in prayer flags, ringed by prayer cyclinders, turned by Buddha's devotees, squats, dominant, amid suburbia. Artists painsakingly colour the ancient, intricate, mandalas.
Bags (day pack and World Expeditions bag) into a bus. Goodbye luxury. Anticipation, let the adventure begin.
"...flight...to Lukla is delayed..." - an hour, two, a day. Wind at Lukla. Back to "luxury." Two days of fog, wind "...it can be closed for days, a week..."
"...Dad, on Google, it's the world's most dangerous airport..."
Clutching day packs, knees to chin, view...down into a deep "v" valley; the pilot turns, lines up a impossibly short, thin, black strip...bounce...engines roar...relieved cheer!
Sign: "Welcome... Tenzing - Hilary Airport, Lukla..."
"...this memorial is to the 12 passengers, crew, in 2006..."
Citizens of Lukla, bemused, smiling, quietly, pass, engaged in daily life from shops, lodges, windows, doorways. Children, worldly, cute, playfully wave.
Dudh Koshi Nadi (river), creamy frigid, blue, tumbles, cuts, far below, imperceptably between soaring, snowcapped peaks, impenatrable, immoveable guardians to valley life. We trek up ancient, clinging, rock paths.
There are only footpaths. Porters, bent, hidden beneath impossible loads (every material "need" - rice, mattresses, galvanised iron, doors, timber, beer, coco cola, potato chips...etc...paid by weight, maybe 120kgs) slowly pass.
"Yak attack" - bells, mellow, resounding. "...stand well off...they can be aggressive..." Horses, adorned in colourful covers, packed, tingling, compete.
Stupa's, white, gold topped, eye passersby; Mani stone hewn "prayers" pile protection (pass to left), Red, yellow, blue, white, green prayer flags adorn trees, houses.
First day to Ghat. World Expeditions campsite provides accomodation. Meals are prepared by the trek cook. Trekkers health is the Guide's constant concern (medically trained guides, a full medical kit). Altitude sickness the most prevalent (Dimox tablets).
"...a long day today, 7 hours..." due to two day delay.
Porters, loaded, shuffle off.
Steep, level, down, up, on stone stairs, stoney rough, across narrow, wire strung, swaying bridges (wait for Yaks, horses, laden porters!), slowly up. Camera's click, recording, mindful, almost overwhelming, beauty.
"...it is Everest (Sagarmarta)..." - a distant summit, peaking (8848m), between jet streaming cloud, above Nuptse (7861m) of the vast, Himalayan range.
Ambition, adventure, satisfied.
"...we are fortunate...trekkers often see only cloud...
"...it was our hardest day..." - out of the valley ever up to Namche Bazaar (500 pop. - 3500m), administrative centre and largest village in the Khumbu Valley.
A welcoming lodge at Khumjung - hot bath, wifi, TV, washing...
Neat stone houses and lodges, clean paths...Buddhism encourages cleanliness, environmental concern...a colourful monastery sits above, women (in long skirts, traditional aprons) tend the terraces, digging potatos, tending growing vegetables...children play, basketed baby sleeps...
Many males work in Dubai or overseas, returning to own tourist lodges...
School children (secondary) climb to Kunde "Hilary" secondary school.
Kunde "Hilary" Hospital: "...we service numerous villages... have two doctors, two nurses, 15 beds...outside is a woman who has trekked three hours with her baby, she will return today...there are clinics in some villages...serious illness must be portered to Lukla (Katmandu hospital)...all funds are private (Himalayan Foundation, particularly, Canada, New Zealand).
"...it took some time to encourage western medicine...previously Shamans provided cultural "medicine"..."
"...Hilary is a "god" here..." - a gold stature overlooks the school ground.
Tenzing Norgay stupa records his Everest success. "...he is controversial in Nepal, he lives in India..."
Descending to Khumjung, Skipper dry retches - altitude - Guide recommends Dimox (two tablets daily, till again at 3500m).
Early morning rise: a hot tea, followed by hot water, wash bowl, breakfast...outside cold sun kisses white peaks.
Other trekkers, Korea, China, Europe, Australia...lunch at village lodges, Himilayan peaks, valley's white, blue, green from sunblest patios...
Tengboche Monastery inner sanctum, an explosion of colour, icons, Buddha, golden, sanctifies the believers. Monks prepare for chanting...outside prayer wheels invite turning.
"...if you make a donation...the monk will open the container..." revealing a Yeti scalp (top half) and boney hand.
"...300 years ago these were stolen..." recently, found in India and NZ and sent to the UK for scientific assessment and returned to the monastery. Reports raise doubts whether the scalp is of a Yeti. Hilary "Yeti" expedition found no sign.
Local culture records the Yeti's demise.
"...the Yeti kept coming into villages destroying yaks and houses. Locals noticed the Yeti's copied village tactics... villagers made large wooden swords, conducted a mock battle where all seem to die. Yeti's (at night), left real swords, slaughtered themselves to extinction.
A monk strikes a drum, chanting from a prayer book.
Overnight camp provides a guitar. A night of song amongst trekkers.
Gateway to Sagarmarta World Heritage area, police checkpoint collects fee, checks permits.
Trekking groups pass bound for Everest base camp, passes and numerous destinations.
Frozen waterfalls, fall motionless, off mountain walls. Rhodendron forests arch, budding.
"...what do you wish to do - climb to Ama Dablam base camp or return?" Trekkers are slowing - it has been long and hard.
Guide in morning decides to continue. Trekker's willingly, wend slowly to Mingpo lodge, a short distance from the base camp.
Cloud swirls around Ama Dablam. Some opt to descend, four (including Skipper and Crew) trekkers opt for base camp (4600m) - the treks highest point. Cloud reveals a soaring, spectacular, wall of tumbling ice and snow. The summit route is a rock, ice, knife ridge.
"...3 or 4 climbers die each year..."
"...it is beautiful..." - a valley cloaked, white, in morning snow. Falling lightly, it coats Trekkers, makes paths slippery to Phortse Thanga campsite.
Pass Nepalese researchers seeking local snow leopards. Colourful birds forage nearby. Eagles glide over the valley. Yaks graze on steep slopes.
Skipper talks on World Heritage - its value, threats - to the group.
Porters, cook, sirdar, guide - group provide 2000 rupees each to be pooled and dispensed - it is gratefully received - trek song "They Are the Best" is sung by group, Nepalese drumming, song and dance in return.
Flying in requires flying out. A clear morning. Airport siren signals, plane has departed Katmandu. Banking steeply, it lines up, lands, passengers out, new bundled aboard, engines roar, brakes released, races, catapulted off drome end ...relieved cheer...banking steeply into blue to Katmandu. White distant peaks raise memories.
Reality bites. Brown cloud covers the city. Chaos revisited till Radisson peace and quiet.
Group farewell dinner: "...we will meet soon..." A superb trek, made more so by World Expeditions staff, Guide Ramesh and team.
Skipper and Crew fly to lakeside Pokhara - R&R. Colourful row boats, para-gliders waft above - a place to rest. Beyond, the high peaks of the Annapurna Range and Sanctuary rise above the city pollution mixed in land haze.
Returning, we visit Bandipur - ancient trading village of the Newar merchants, sited to avoid low land malaria. High on a ridge, its particular architecture records its past.
Risk is part of travel. However, the Lukla flight is eclipsed by the bus travel along the crowded, kamakaze, two lane, narrow "highway" to Katmandu. Skipper,
Crew seek the Radisson "sanctuary, before flying home to Australia.
A superb "time out." Nepal, in particular, the Khumbu Valley, remains high on Skipper's recommendations.
Skipper commends World Expeditions for a well organised trek with ever helpful staff.
Next Report: Return to Sahula.
Best
David
25th March, 2014
