:: Current Location : Breckenridge, Colorado :.After a night in Kathmandu(trust me it's not relaxing, it's just a bed with the cacophony of chickens, dogs, and every motorized horn possible keeping the air filled with noise), we were off on our flight to Lukla and hike in the Khumbu-Mt Everest region. Again, no taking off shoes, but I did have to give my big wooden stick for checked baggage. They guy next to me had a wooden stick 2 feet shorter... his made it to carry on... size not functionality...Our delightful aircraft was a 20 person fixed wing propeller plane. Not pressurized, no cockpit door(no sleeping on the job for these pilots, the flight is only 45 minutes long) and a flight attendant who passes out boiled sweets and cotton swabs for the noise of the engines. Landing on close to a 30 degree pitch in Lukla makes it a quick and abrupt landing. The flights are only in the morning when the good weather allows, so we were off to Everest at 7am for a quick start.
Mike had picked up a stomach bug in Pokhara and was still feeling the affects. We were starting at 2700 meters, so no need to climb up through the jungle this time. Many more yaks and the porters had the ingenious idea to use their hiking sticks, shaped like T's, as a prop under their wicker basket backpacks. After 2 days we made it to the Sherpa capital village called Namche Bazaar. Mike was in full on sick mode now and I sought out a pharmacy. After diagnosing him as having either giardia or bacterial intestinal problems, we drugged him up with Hydrochloric acid and giardia treatments, but it would take 2 days too take effect. While waiting for him to get better, I caught a head cold, which lovingly moved into my chest to develop bronchitis. Hacking up blood and bright green phlegm while trying to take a picture of a mountain seems foolish, but I guess that's what I did.
After ridiculing the woman who was puking on the Thorong-La pass in my last email, it would seem foolish for us to continue, but neither of our symptoms were for altitude sickness, so we could continue, just not under the most ideal conditions.
We were told of a few mountain passes that would allow a circuit route instead of the straight up path to base camp and back, so we headed up to Gokyo lakes(six of them along the glacier). We passed Macheremo where Reinhold Messner supposedly saw a yeti and one attacked some yaks. The local lodge owner we talked to was there in '74 when it supposedly happened, but he laughed it off when we asked about it. Clouds were constantly coming in by early afternoon, so most of our days consisted of us waking at 4am to see if the weather was clear. We climbed up twice for views of Everest and Cho Oyu. Cho Oyu Base Camp was deserted because of the the Chinese blockage of peaks over 6000m, but the whole area is a beautiful convergence of glaciers coming off the high peaks. Everest is probably the least photogenic mountain around, but it is the biggest, so it pulls the asian tourists with plenty of cameras. We had a group of 4 guys in the buff except american flag
thongs taking pictures to lighten the mood.Our pass was called Cho La, and was the same height as Thorang-La, 5420m. We followed some porters in the fog until we saw a wall of snow and scree. They kept going up, in their fake chinese sneakers and light jackets, so we followed. On a map we saw, this section is called "slippery trail" because the sun never hits here and the snow accumulates. It was indeed slippery, but we made it over alright. By this time we had picked up another German trekker, Markus, who was travelling at our same pace(fast, even though I was still sick). He had been through India and was a better bargainer, so we just let him fight it out with the lodge owners and food vendors and we'd slip in expecting the same price.
Gorak Shep is the high village before Everest Base Camp, and we climbed up for another closer view of Sagaramatha, as the Nepalis call it. We could see base camp perched on the glacier and it's a 2 hour hike up to it. After reading climbing books, I had a picture of trash and oxygen bottles everywhere, but camp was exceptionally clean. They have recently had cleaning campaigns, so base camp is rather tidy for being perched on a grinding glacier. I've heard the higher camps are still messy, but most people won't see those.
We had heard there was a bakery tent, and found it to have quite possibly the best apple pie I have ever tasted. How these guys manage to bake at such high altitude is amazing. I saw the guy trying to knead frozen dough with a butcher knife. A group of Austrians came in and Markus translated their conversation for us. They had made the summit a few days earlier, and the one guy seemed pretty happy about it. But, they had "left" one of their members up on the mountain. Euphemism for "the guy died and we didn't have the energy to bring him down" They said they were on top without gloves because it was "warm", but obviously one of the expedition members didn't make it. It made me think how much I like climbing but that I don't need a silly statistic if one of my friends has to die in the process. Many of these sherpas climb 10 or more times to the summit and make endless trips caching up for the camps, but it's just a job for them. There is an overwhelming
feeling of "at your own risk" around camp, as people have more to be worried about than being nice to trekkers who wander through.There was another pass to the Makalu peak area that was less used that we wanted to try. First we had to climb down to Lobuche, which turned out to be the coldest and most miserable lodge of our trip. The Everest Marathon was on the 29th of May, and they were using this area for the runners to acclimatize. Our tiny lodge turning into the medical tent and everyone with problems came into the dining hall for medications while we were trying to eat.
The next morning was too foggy to see across the glacier we had to cross, and we lost the path, so we just dead reckoned and aimed for a point on the other side. Markus stayed low and ended up in the moraine lake, while Mike and I attacked the loose sand/scree hills. We all made it across to see the clouds clear and give us great views of the whole Khumbu Valley. This pass was just as steep, but no snow. Little bouts of sunshine showed us some glacial lakes on the other side of the pass. After 10 days of no showers(they cost money for hot water, and our frugality prevented us from showering, unless a nearby stream allowed a hobo washing), we thought a dip in the lake would be refreshing.
Normally, Mike is the cold water specialist, but I had the enthusiasm today. Mike also proposed that a quick dip would cure my cold... the theory failed... After sounding confident, Mike decided against jumping in, but Markus and I got in and shamed Mike into joining us. Needless to say, none of us lasted more than 10 seconds in the water before gasping for air from the shock of the cold.
We had heard of a trekking mountain we wanted to climb, but only recently learned that Island Peak needed a permit to climb. The statistical 6000m or 20,000 ft mountain is sought after by amature climbers on their way up to the 8000m ranges. Instead we climbed to the base camp and saw the huge lake that had formed in the moraine.
It was now only down back to Namche and back up to a village where a huge Buddhist festival, Mani Rimdu had just ended. Our way through Tengboche saw a huge tent pitched for a speech by one of Sir Edmund Hillary's grandsons. We instead sat in the temple "puja" where the monks chant their mantras and prayers in harmonic chaos. It lasted over 2 hours, and was quite an extrodinary audio/trance feeling. A monk came over and accused mike of filming, but still pictures are allowed without a flash. While he politely explained his camera was only taking pictures, a film crew was walking around filming the whole thing. We had overheard the cameraman "donate" $100 in order to be allowed to film. Filler for whatever else he was filming must have been worth it, at least compared to our honest interest in what the monks were doing.
Thami was up the valley on the way to the old Tibetan trade route over the Nangpa-La pass. It was closed until recently, but opened up on the Nepali side until the pass with Tibet still being closed to foreigners. The village was recovering from the festival and we seemed to be the only ones in town. After shorting ourselves on meals to save money, we ordered 27 different meals to appease our hunger. The "didi" or woman of the house was a jovial lady with a slightly psycotically happy husband(this guy would laugh at anything, quite often). We found a dead moth in the sugar bowl and he started laughing and picked it up to show the rest of the family and laugh some more.
On our way down to Namche on May 29th, Tenzing-Hillary Everest Day, we caught the finish line of the marathon. Best time was 3 hours 53 minutes, and most of these guys had severe limps from the bashing of their knees from running down from Gorak Shep to Namche the full 26 miles. We even loaned our hiking sticks to a few of the runners to hobble down to the main part of town to their hotels or restaurants for the celebrations and music concert later that night.
Instead, we had a marathon 10 hour day down to Lukla to catch our flight, the same dinky ride off the cliff at Lukla. They use every inch of the runway and you get a pretty good g-force feeling as it banks up to gain altitude over the cliffs.
Upon entering Kathmandu again, everything seemed eerily quiet. We quickly learned, as there were few radios in the lodges we stayed at, that the monarchy had been disolved by the new government. The king has been given 15 days to leave the royal palace so they can turn it into a museum. The king was not widely like or the prince even less after the strange murders of the previous king in 2001. So, most people here are happy for him to go and are eager to see what the new republic of Nepal can provide. The prince is already gone, but the kind is supposedly taking astrologers' advice as to when the perfect time to leave is.
Since Tibet is closed and the monsoons haven't hit yet, the country is still seeing plenty of foreigners lingering around. So, there are still plenty of people around while we hang out in Kathmandu. The hilarious attempt at a sex trade here is under the guise of 'shower dances'. The seedy night clubs with dancing on stages with stripper poles all advertise this additional option. Curiosity got the best of us and we popped into the Red Lips Dance Bar. We managed to ward off the waiter who kept trying to get us to buy the triple overpriced drinks and one of the dancers who sat down to get to know us. The local Nepali men danced on the stage more than the girls did(whose faces looked miserable, they just didn't want to dance). A fight broke out at the strategic time to allow us to escape without having to pay for our research trip. I never figured out the exact details of a shower dance, but we did see the shower nozzle above the stripper bar, so I'll leave
it to everyones imagination.Our hotel has a view of the palace and is only a 5 minute walk to the gates. If all goes well with our plans to visit the Indian Himalayas, we won't be here when he leaves. I've never been evicted from an apartment, but it's hard to imagine what being evicted from a palace would be like....
We finished the trek quickly again: 16 days, roughly 100 miles, 2 passes at 5400m, and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery I've ever seen.
I'll leave you with a quote about the awe of nature, which I find confirmed while travelling throught these magical places(I'd also add looking upon the Himalaya in his list):
--
"What can be more soul shaking than peering through a 100-inch telescope at a distant galaxy, holding a 100-million-year-old fossil or a 500,000-year-old stone tool in one's hand, standing before the immense chasm of space and time that is the Grand Canyon, or listening to a scientist who gazed upon the face of the universe's creation and did not blink? That is deep and sacred science." - Michael Shermer
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.: Ben Hansen :: 8:58 AM [+] 0 comments
:: Current Location : Breckenridge, Colorado :..AFOOT.and.light-hearted,.I.take.to.the.open.road,.Healthy,.free,.the.world.before.me,.The.long.brown.path.before.me,.le ading.wherever.I.choose....Henceforth.I.ask.not.good-fortune-I.myself.am.good.fortune;.Henceforth.I.whimper.no.more,.pos tpone.no.more,.need.nothing,..........Strong.and.content,.I.travel.the.open.road....The.earth-that.is.sufficient;.I.do.n ot.want.the.constellations.any.nearer;.I.know.they.are.very.well.where.they.are;.I.know.they.suffice.for.those.who.belon g.to.them.......Still.here.I.carry.my.old.delicious.burdens;.I.carry.them,.men.and.women-I.carry.them.with.me.wherever.I .go;.I.swear.it.is.impossible.for.me.to.get.rid.of.them;.I.am.fill'd.with.them,.and.I.will.fill.them.in.return.)....You. road.I.enter.upon.and.look.around!.I.believe.you.are.not.all.that.is.here;....I.believe.that.much.unseen.is.also.here... .Here.the.profound.lesson.of.reception,.neither.preference.or.denial;.The.black.with.his.woolly.head,.the.felon,.the.dis eas'd,.the.illiterate.person,.are.not.denied;.The.birth,.the.hasting.after.the.physician,.the.beggar's.tramp,.the.drunka rd's.stagger,.the.laughing.party.of.mechanics,.The.escaped.youth,.the.rich.person's.carriage,.the.fop,.the.eloping.coupl e,....The.early.market-man,.the.hearse,.the.moving.of.furniture.into.the.town,.the.return.back.from.the.town,.They.pass- I.also.pass-anything.passes-none.can.be.interdicted;.None.but.are.accepted-none.but.are.dear.to.me..You.air.that.serves. me.with.breath.to.speak!.You.objects.that.call.from.diffusion.my.meanings,.and.give.them.shape!....You.light.that.wraps. me.and.all.things.in.delicate.equable.showers!.You.paths.worn.in.the.irregular.hollows.by.the.roadsides!.I.think.you.are .latent.with.unseen.existences-you.are.so.dear.to.me....You.flagg'd.walks.of.the.cities!.you.strong.curbs.at.the.edges!. You.ferries!.you.planks.and.posts.of.wharves!.you.timber-lined.sides!.you.distant.ships!....You.rows.of.houses!.you.wind ow-pierc'd.façades!.you.roofs!.You.porches.and.entrances!.you.copings.and.iron.guards!.You.windows.whose.transparent.she lls.might.expose.so.much!.You.doors.and.ascending.steps!.you.arches!.You.gray.stones.of.interminable.pavements!.you.trod den.crossings!....From.all.that.has.been.near.you,.I.believe.you.have.imparted.to.yourselves,.and.now.would.impart.the.s ame.secretly.to.me;From.the.living.and.the.dead.I.think.you.have.peopled.your.impassive.surfaces,.and.the.spirits.thereo f.would.be.evident.and.amicable.with.me.....The.earth.expanding.right.hand.and.left.hand,.The.picture.alive,.every.part. in.its.best.light,.The.music.falling.in.where.it.is.wanted,.and.stopping.where.it.is.not.wanted,....The.cheerful.voice.o f.the.public.road-the.gay.fresh.sentiment.of.the.road....O.highway.I.travel!.O.public.road!.do.you.say.to.me,.Do.not.lea ve.me?.Do.you.say,.Venture.not?.If.you.leave.me,.you.are.lostDo.you.say,.I.am.already.prepared-I.am.well-beaten.and.unde nied-adhere.to.me?.O.public.road!.I.say.back,.I.am.not.afraid.to.leave.you-yet.I.love.you;....You.express.me.better.than .I.can.express.myself;.You.shall.be.more.to.me.than.my.poem....I.think.heroic.deeds.were.all.conceiv'd.in.the.open.air,. and.all.great.poems.also;.I.think.I.could.stop.here.myself,.and.do.miracles;.My.judgments,.thoughts,.I.henceforth.try.by .the.open.air,.the.road;)....I.think.whatever.I.shall.meet.on.the.road.I.shall.like,.and.whoever.beholds.me.shall.like.m e;.I.think.whoever.I.see.must.be.happy.....From.this.hour,.freedom!.From.this.hour.I.ordain.myself.loos'd.of.limits.and. imaginary.lines,.Going.where.I.list,.my.own.master,.total.and.absolute,....Listening.to.others,.and.considering.well.wha t.they.say,.Pausing,.searching,.receiving,.contemplating,.Gently,.but.with.undeniable.will,.divesting.myself.of.the.hold s.that.would.hold.me....I.inhale.great.draughts.of.space;.The.east.and.the.west.are.mine,.and.the.north.and.the.south.ar e.mine.......I.am.larger,.better.than.I.thought;.I.did.not.know.I.held.so.much.goodness....All.seems.beautiful.to.me;.I. can.repeat.over.to.men.and.women,.You.have.done.such.good.to.me,.I.would.do.the.same.to.you....I.will.recruit.for.myself .and.you.as.I.go;....I.will.scatter.myself.among.men.and.women.as.I.go;.I.will.toss.the.new.gladness.and.roughness.among .them;.Whoever.denies.me,.it.shall.not.trouble.me;.Whoever.accepts.me,.he.or.she.shall.be.blessed,.and.shall.bless.me... ..Now.if.a.thousand.perfect.men.were.to.appear,.it.would.not.amaze.me;....Now.if.a.thousand.beautiful.forms.of.women.app ear'd,.it.would.not.astonish.me....Now.I.see.the.secret.of.the.making.of.the.best.persons,.It.is.to.grow.in.the.open.air ,.and.to.eat.and.sleep.with.the.earth....Here.a.great.personal.deed.has.room;.A.great.deed.seizes.upon.the.hearts.of.the .whole.race.of.men,....Its.effusion.of.strength.and.will.overwhelms.law,.and.mocks.all.authority.and.all.argument.agains t.it....Here.is.the.test.of.wisdom;.Wisdom.is.not.finally.tested.in.schools;.Wisdom.cannot.be.pass'd.from.one.having.it, .to.another.not.having.it;.Wisdom.is.of.the.Soul,.is.not.susceptible.of.proof,.is.its.own.proof,....Applies.to.all.stage s.and.objects.and.qualities,.and.is.content,.Is.the.certainty.of.the.reality.and.immortality.of.things,.and.the.excellen ce.of.things;.Something.there.is.in.the.float.of.the.sight.of.things.that.provokes.it.out.of.the.Soul...Now.I.reëxamine. philosophies.and.religions,They.may.prove.well.in.lecture-rooms,.yet.not.prove.at.all.under.the.spacious.clouds,.and.alo ng.the.landscape.and.flowing.currents.......Here.is.realization;.Here.is.a.man.tallied-he.realizes.here.what.he.has.in.h im;.The.past,.the.future,.majesty,.love-if.they.are.vacant.of.you,.you.are.vacant.of.them....Only.the.kernel.of.every.ob ject.nourishes;.Where.is.he.who.tears.off.the.husks.for.you.and.me?....Where.is.he.that.undoes.stratagems.and.envelopes. for.you.and.me?...Here.is.adhesiveness-it.is.not.previously.fashion'd-it.is.apropos;.Do.you.know.what.it.is,.as.you.pass ,.to.be.loved.by.strangers?.Do.you.know.the.talk.of.those.turning.eye-balls?....Here.is.the.efflux.of.the.Soul;....The.e fflux.of.the.Soul.comes.from.within,.through.embower'd.gates,.ever.provoking.questions:.These.yearnings,.why.are.they?.T hese.thoughts.in.the.darkness,.why.are.they?.Why.are.there.men.and.women.that.while.they.are.nigh.me,.the.sun-light.expa nds.my.blood?.Why,.when.they.leave.me,.do.my.pennants.of.joy.sink.flat.and.lank?.Why.are.there.trees.I.never.walk.under, .but.large.and.melodious.thoughts.descend.upon.me?....I.think.they.hang.there.winter.and.summer.on.those.trees,.and.alwa ys.drop.fruit.as.I.pass;).What.is.it.I.interchange.so.suddenly.with.strangers?.What.with.some.driver,.as.I.ride.on.the.s eat.by.his.side?.What.with.some.fisherman,.drawing.his.seine.by.the.shore,.as.I.walk.by,.and.pause?.What.gives.me.to.be. free.to.a.woman's.or.man's.good-will?.What.gives.them.to.be.free.to.mine?.......The.efflux.of.the.Soul.is.happiness-here .is.happiness;.I.think.it.pervades.the.open.air,.waiting.at.all.times;.Now.it.flows.unto.us-we.are.rightly.charged....He re.rises.the.fluid.and.attaching.character;.The.fluid.and.attaching.character.is.the.freshness.and.sweetness.of.man.and. woman;....The.herbs.of.the.morning.sprout.no.fresher.and.sweeter.every.day.out.of.the.roots.of.themselves,.than.it.sprou ts.fresh.and.sweet.continually.out.of.itself.)...Toward.the.fluid.and.attaching.character.exudes.the.sweat.of.the.love.o f.young.and.old;.From.it.falls.distill'd.the.charm.that.mocks.beauty.and.attainments;.Toward.it.heaves.the.shuddering.lo nging.ache.of.contact.....Allons!.whoever.you.are,.come.travel.with.me!....Traveling.with.me,.you.find.what.never.tires. ...The.earth.never.tires;.The.earth.is.rude,.silent,.incomprehensible.at.first-Nature.is.rude.and.incomprehensible.at.fi rst;.Be.not.discouraged-keep.on-there.are.divine.things,.well.envelop'd;.I.swear.to.you.there.are.divine.things.more.bea utiful.than.words.can.tell.......Allons!.we.must.not.stop.here!.However.sweet.these.laid-up.stores-however.convenient.th is.dwelling,.we.cannot.remain.here;.However.shelter'd.this.port,.and.however.calm.these.waters,.we.must.not.anchor.here; .However.welcome.the.hospitality.that.surrounds.us,.we.are.permitted.to.receive.it.but.a.little.while......Allons!.the.i nducements.shall.be.greater;....We.will.sail.pathless.and.wild.seas;.We.will.go.where.winds.blow,.waves.dash,.and.the.Ya nkee.clipper.speeds.by.under.full.sail....Allons!.with.power,.liberty,.the.earth,.the.elements!.Health,.defiance,.gayety ,.self-esteem,.curiosity;.Allons!.from.all.formules!....From.your.formules,.O.bat-eyed.and.materialistic.priests!...The. stale.cadaver.blocks.up.the.passage-the.burial.waits.no.longer....Allons!.yet.take.warning!.He.traveling.with.me.needs.t he.best.blood,.thews,.endurance;.None.may.come.to.the.trial,.till.he.or.she.bring.courage.and.health.......Come.not.here .if.you.have.already.spent.the.best.of.yourself;.Only.those.may.come,.who.come.in.sweet.and.determin'd.bodies;.No.diseas 'd.person-no.rum-drinker.or.venereal.taint.is.permitted.here....I.and.mine.do.not.convince.by.arguments,.similes,.rhymes ;.We.convince.by.our.presence.........Listen!.I.will.be.honest.with.you;.I.do.not.offer.the.old.smooth.prizes,.but.offer .rough.new.prizes;.These.are.the.days.that.must.happen.to.you:...You.shall.not.heap.up.what.is.call'd.riches,.You.shall. scatter.with.lavish.hand.all.that.you.earn.or.achieve,....You.but.arrive.at.the.city.to.which.you.were.destin'd-you.hard ly.settle.yourself.to.satisfaction,.before.you.are.call'd.by.an.irresistible.call.to.depart,.You.shall.be.treated.to.the
