Hardwear Sessions

It is still Nepal, one must only peel the onion to find a fresh layer. Shortly after breakfast I met with Babu Sherpa, "Karma" as we know him. He works magic on us, with the waive of his hand we are somehow delighted that the Royal Nepal Airlines, a government controlled aviation entity no longer flies to the destination we desire. Hongde, a small landing strip in the Menang province of Nepal will have to be reached on foot.

Expedition life, as a mentor once told me, always arrives unexpectedly. We calculate our risks,our philosophy and our ability to get through anything, somehow we just don't ever budget for $2000 charter flights. It feels good to be twenty eight years old fresh off the plane and in the Himalaya hiking, who wouldn't add another 120 miles to an already invested journey? Especially the Annapurna circuit.

So that is what we will do. The three of us will be landing in Pokhara, Nepal tomorrow, then flying to Jomsom the morning of the 25th and beginning the high portion of our approach--a 5500' day of hiking over 17,800' Thorung La pass. Glad I got that light backpack from Osprey and those convertible pants from Mountain hardwear right? We'll be panting and sweating a bit. Luckily we've hiked Thorung La from both sides before so we know what to expect. I actually think we're getting to know the place.

We had a different option, begin in the jungle and rise above the clouds but somehow--this boy that escaped Tennessee Augusts--is only willing to bear the dripping wet heat after the cold frigid summit. That alternative sounds like just the measure of contrast one needs to fully appreciate the diverse ecosystems of the Himalaya. We will enjoy our journey to basecamp and continue sending dispatches along the way.

April 24, 2008

Besisehar, a small outpost I refer to as the heart of darkness at the roads end, is our destination today. The weather in the high Himalaya is not clearing for flights and delayed passengers are stacking up. We will begin our ascent from the wet canyonlike bowels of The Annapurna Himal jungle.

I prefer the high arid climate of the Dhauligiri Himal but with no flights near on the horizon the approach over Thorung La could cost us precious days on the mountain. Jungle to alpine runs the full gamut of Nepal's diverse ecosystems. This will be a full value climbing expedition, from Besisehar we are 22,000 ' below the summit.

Like Tim and Josh I'm happy to get moving. To get the blood flowing again, I had a massage to work out the trunklinkle "cankles" that were once where my calf muscles met my foot. Tim said they reminded him of his childhod nanny Marion...wow, three days of sitting on airplanes and soaking humidity and my legs resemble a 70 year old woman-tough crowd. I got an interesting story from Mukti, the messuese and want to share it with you all.

Mukti, whose name means "freedom" in Nepali, shared tales of walking across 300 broken glass bottles and scampering across hot coals barefoot. Impressive, albiet bizzarre. As we discussed some of my expriences of mind over matter he shared a Nepali folktale: Touching the Lion.

A Guru and his student were once driving through a field when they saw a sleeping lion. They stopped the vehicle and appoached the savage feline while it slumbered. Halfway across the field, the student became afraid and wished to turn back. The Guru carried forward, claiming experience would guide them, the student followed. Foot by foot they approached within inches of the lion. The lion awoke...

The Guru, a wise and patient man spoke in front of the startled lion saying "I have lived many days, this may be the last". The lion suspectly investigated the two, sniffing them up and down. Slowly, the lion turned his back and walked away, the guru calmly stroked the lions back as the beast casually slipped onward into the distance. Slowly the Guru and his sudent returned to their vehicle, having touched the lion and their lives.

Climbing a mountain is a lot like this. We hope that we can touch the lion and our lives too. Climbing in the high Himalaya is often just as simple and spontaneous an idea as the guru and his students actions. I can only hope the mountains will grant us such access and humbling awareness.

We'll catch up with everyone from the trail.