What I learned in the Himalayas

I've heard it said a couple times - "trip of a lifetime".  That's high praise (pun?) for any trip or adventure.  It certainly deserves space amongst the finest few things I've ever done.  It's not that it was so extremely hard or challenging - it was -  but many things are;  it wasn't more scenic than say scuba diving a barrier reef, or more special a location than the Vatican, the Pyramids or a lost city, but the Himalayas and Everest are all of this put together.

Compound this with remote-ness and the knowledge of the need to check in to let loved ones know you're still alive after days of silence.

To go to such a place, you are seeking something - the social media selfie with EBC signs in the background to flaunt to friends at it's shallowest, or clarity around the meaning of life from the cathedrals at the roof of the world and the spiritual people that inhabit the place.  There were varied reasons we all arrived at this doorstep, and all walked away affected in some small or significant way.

Here's what I learned, or perhaps more specifically here's what was reinforced with me through my adventures there.

•  That no matter how steep the hill, or thin the air I can do anything I resolve to do.

•  I am and will be accepted for who I am, regardless of age, abilities and background
•  Mountains remain magical for me personally.  It's where (as the Sherpa and Inca believe, the Gods rest)  They are magnificent, and inspire awe in me.
• That I am truly fortunate, lucky and 'blessed' to experience connectedness when in such places.
• That even the holiest and most pious around us have the capacity to have fun, and experience great joy 
•  I learned that shared accomplishment is much much better that single accomplishment as supporting others offers me a great sense of personal reward.
•  I saw that everyone has demons in varying forms, some baggage that they carry daily,  and if pushed hard enough it will emerge.
• There is a great well of strength of personal grit in many people, and it's usually not obvious or clear even after getting to know someone.
•  It was reinforced to me that wealth, stuff and means have little to no bearing on one's happiness.

 I see that life is (as they say in the region) "Nepali-flat".  It undulates, moves and goes up and down but is generally even, and is punctuated by serious ups and downs that are distinct, temporary and take us way up, or way down.

• I learned to only take what you can manage with you, in essence we need to carry our own loads  - but we do have choices what we take with us.  For me that meant avoiding unneeded extras as they are literally on your back.
• I see that sometimes you need a cane

I walked away knowing I needed to look up frequently, and enjoy the view - what you see may be gone around the next bend.

The last key learning I gathered from this trek was that sometimes you stumble, and that's ok.  Get back up and keep walking. 

Trekking to Everest

I've just returned from the Himalayas and Nepal, my first trip there.  It was a stunningly beautiful part of the world and the inherent history and cultural significance of Everest cast a large shadow over all we did.  

Our aim was to hike to Everest base camp - there are no roads or other ways to get there. It was two weeks and 100+ km's of climbing and descending the foothills and mountains in the Khumba region. Physically challenging due the remoteness, terrain and altitude gains, we "peaked" at 5500+M or 18,200+ feet above sea level, getting there on our own feet.  The "major road" in the region  is a rocky path varying from 10cm to 2M wide, shared with all locals, yaks, mules and other wildlife.

It was in many way an epic trek - the scenery was breathtaking around every bend, and movement from lush areas around the Hillary Bridges, to the more sparse landscapes to finally emerging above the tress and plant line to the last 'village' before Base Camp, Gorak Shep.   The air got thinner and thinner and our resolve got stronger to make it.  Unheated buildings, and lots of down-time to acclimatize meant two weeks of being quite cold, but warm through our shared commitment.

All along the roadway / path were Nepalese & Tibetan symbols and prayers and prayer wheels - the Sherpa people that are local to this place migrated here from Tibet over 500 years ago to escape marauders and instil these passes and villages with a peacefulness and serenity.   As proud as they are in playing a role to help bring people from outside Nepal to the tops of their mountains, (Tenzing Norgay is a national icon) some remain sacred and rarely climbed, such as Ama Dablum below.

So what did I learn in the days where every turn of the head brought another stunning vista, and every step up and forward to the roof of the world emptied your lungs and made your legs sing ?  A great deal actually.

It's worth noting that my son and I did this together with 13 other younger people.  I can say that with conviction as I was 20 years older than the next oldest on the trip, and without exception they all impressed me.  We'd all arrived there for varying reasons - spiritual, for the challenge, looking for new answers and just wanting to be in the moment, in the place.  We got along very well, supported one another when things were tough, and laughed together endlessly.  Our group was a mix of nationalities from seven countries.  All were fit and fast - so much so that we had to slow down to allow altitude acclimatization to happen effectively.

Along the trek we were engaged in the moments presented as a group as well - those significant little events that resonated were coming across the climber memorials (We'd all seen the movies and read Krakauer's book); and playing football with the Monks from the Tengboche Monastery at 12,600 feet up.  An incredibly special moment for me was playing goal in these games and watching the clouds clear around Everest for the first really good view.  It's seemed like karma to let the Monks bearing down on me to score, having been rewarded with such a divine distraction, but alas karma favoured my old legs in that moment. The Monk's blessings on our prayer flags still freshly in my mind.

The solemn and the celebratory punctuated the trip.  It was made ever more serene by the chance breaking of cloud cover - often at dawn and dusk - when it became apparent that our humble walking was happening under the watchful eyes of the local giants.

The Khumba region features four of the ten highest peaks in the world, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu all 80000+ M high and being there with them is something I'll recommend to anyone.  This place is incredibly spiritual, and more.  It's very hard to get to, and the 103kms two week trek doesn't add to ease of access - but then all good things are worth the effort, aren't they ?

This is Everest, just above Base Camp, as it peaks out above the Khumba glacier and ice fall.

The long way around - again

Off to Katmandu.  Four flights, three days and I'll admit it - I'm kind of looking forward to it. I like planes and I picked this trip specifically for the airlines, connecting cities and aircraft.

Yes, I'm a geek.

I'll post some pictures soon.

Bon Voyage

Chomolungma - The Mother of The World

Hillary was said to have remarked -  being asked why he'd risk such a feat, that he did it simply because 'it was there'. I think I understand that.

It's the highest and most foreboding place on earth.  We cannot survive there.  The mountain is a 'she' and yes, she calls to us, beckons to the adventurous spirit in each person and dares us to challenge ourselves.

My favourite extreme adventure companion and I are off to Nepal this week, to see her, soak her in and stand in awe of Chomolungma.  To bask in her majesty and cast our eyes upon her, above the clouds, and above the worries of everyday life.

I'd rather be rich in experience, than wealthy in things, and this trek is spiritual in so many ways.

More to come...

Dear Apple Watch - We need to talk ...

Hey Apple Watch, we've sure had some great times.

I wanted to start with the positive, as you introduced me to new sensations, capabilities and showed me a world I was unaware of.  For that I'll always be grateful.  But you know, times change, and I'm not always looking for those same things 100% of every waking minute.

Haptic is great - especially when I'm in loud places, or otherwise not paying attention.  But let's face it Apple Watch - you're kind of needy and you always seem to be buzzing, farting or pulsing my wrist.  What's interesting and innovative in moderation becomes annoying when I want some zen or quiet times.  Sure, we could spend a little time apart, but that's just made me realize that I don't always need you.

I think it's not me - it's you.  Battery life and dependability have become an issue too - let's face it. When on the shelf for a while, you don't just snap back to your old self, and that's a shame as the moments we are together now are filled with reboots and glitchy behaviour.  I know many of your family seem to get twitchy with age - I no longer use my my old iPhone and Mac for similar reasons...But I thought you might be different as you're so much more...personal.

We ran, sweated, and showered together, you showing off your water-proofness and me happy to have you on.  You had play lists and sang me songs via bluetooth headphones which due to battery constraints is really more of a gimmick.  But it's not enough, I'm sorry to say

But I think it's time to look at other options now.  We can still talk, maybe go for the occasional run or something, but it's over.  We could still be friends, maybe.

America Deserves Trump

Probably not a popular sentiment, at least not if you read the east coast papers - Wall Street Journal or New York Times, or watch any of a raft of liberal media options.  All these outlets have something in common though - but let me come back to this, as I think there's a more fundamental point here.

Do you recall a few years ago, when we saw the rallies and camps set up around Wall Street and in other US cities protesting the 1% ?  Really they were angered that the US had allowed itself to become an elitist society where the rich got richer and the poor got dumped on.  The movement seemed to have a little momentum, and then due to lack of a defined leadership and stated mission, slowly faltered and went away.  They were protesting an increasing level of unfairness in their country if I might paraphrase the situation.

Over and over again we see this gap - between what I might call 'average America' and the elite on TV and the leadership they put in place in the country.  While jobs move elsewhere, and it's tougher than ever to make a living,  rich guys in Washington argue vehemently about the principles of providing cheap health insurance to those that can't afford it, and big companies make profit minded decisions, rather than community ones.  It's vogue as a business leader to move your headquarters or at least significant operations to Ireland or other havens for example (See: Apple, Google, Microsoft and Pfizer etc).  The net result of this is that the $600B+ in avoided US taxes gets shifted to be a burden elsewhere - onto guess who.  (The US current account deficit is running at $503B, coincidentally).  In times when spending demands are increasing, security concerns are increasing, and concurrently Wall Street needs more and more profits from listed companies, we see this gap widening and widening.  It's between those who have, and those who don't have.  Because a lack of government programs or funding doesn't hit the 1% that own and run the companies, that own the media and buy elections, it hits the bottom 50%.  And let's face it, the bottom 50% are generally powerless. They can't vote with their wallets, as all they can afford is Walmart.  They can however vote with their voices and ballots.

So what are we seeing ?  We're seeing a Presidential candidate that has tapped into that anger, that growing sense of unfairness that doesn't divide America along red and blue lines, but between the haves and the have-nots.  The media in the country seems aghast at the idea that this racist, blowhard of a chameleon seems unstoppable, and the Republican Party seems powerless to stop him too.  But they are missing the point... it's not Trump that is magnetic, he's simply the orange release valve on the pressure that's been building up ever since the banks took government handouts and gave themselves bonuses. He's the way to vent anger that factories and well paid jobs shifted to other countries, and employment now means service jobs at minimum wage.  He's the only one that while admittedly still a billionaire, seems to be understanding the blatant lack of a level playing field and saying it out loud.

Capitalism vs democracy has been brewing for a long time in the US, and it's not a popular argument to make.  Media - who themselves are part of the 1% - don't want to speak to it, as the very thought can be seen to undermine the American dream.  But this election cycle we're seeing a resurgent level of old-style democracy in the US, and they're mad, and they're out to right some wrongs.  Donald Trump with all his baggage, is their man.

Everest

It's magnetic to me.  Like K2 in Pakistan, Everest represents something unearthly and unreachable.

I've had the good fortune to be able to see and climb a few mountains with some of my very favourite people. Time 'at altitude' is special.  The air is clearer and so is your thinking.  Happily, my passion for nature's wonders is shared by someone close to me, and so together we're about to set off to trek to Everest and see the beauty of Nepal.

We aren't climbing the mountain as I don't think I could, and live to tell the tale anyway. Seeing it and being beside it will be enough.  The auro of Everest beckons.