Everest!
A street in Thamel, Kathmandu
Leaving tomorrow, November 2, very early for the first leg of 16 days’ hike from Lukla Nepal to Everest Base Camp. Spent the day in Kathmandu doing final preparations, buying last minute items, re-packing my stuff to balance the weight for my porter and me, each carrying about 30 pounds, and getting the final briefing from Ram Pahari, our trek outfitter at Himalaya Journeys – purveyor of “The Endless Journey”. We are totally pumped.
My group consists of Kent Stuckey, Columbus, Ohio, Pete McIlroy, another friend from Columbus and his friend, Roger Verney from near Boston Mass. Kathy and Al Wilson from Indianapolis round out our group. They summited Kilimanjaro with me in 2oo8.
I sometimes ask myself the question, “why do I want to do this apparently crazy stuff. Roger analised this over a beer in a local Kathmandu bar this afternoon. He said “I think you want to do this because you thrive on achievement”. I agree, but there is more. Yes, the physical challenge, the adrenaline, etc. But I think what really makes me do it is the SPIRITUAL high from and adventure such as this.
Every year when I go ski out West, it takes me several weeks to get down from the euphoria. I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2008, and I still can hardly speak of that experience… I am still high on it. So, maybe it is best summarized in this poem I came across some time ago by Robert Cramer.