These past three days have mostly started off chilly and hazy, and yet each of the last three days have cleared up beautifully by afternoon. Crisp, clear, snow-topped Himalayas stand out in perfect definition against the blue, blue sky. As the sun sets, they turn a beautiful, soft pink. I can’t get enough.
Wonderful winter days that make you happy to live in Nepal.
ECS Nepal published a reprint of my article Ghosts on Everest in their first post-earthquake issue (July/August) which came out this month. It’s something I wrote years ago and while I sincerely hope my writing has improved since then it’s an article that is still really close to my heart. It originally ran in their March 2011 issue, and they asked me edit it a little to tie it in with the hope that things there will soon be normal and people can do treks like the Everest Base Camp again. And unlike the Langtang area, which has been sadly devastated, it does seem that the Everest area is up and running–both for climbing and trekking–in time for this autumn’s tourist season. Now we just have to hope the tourists come. If you’re interested, the original article is archived here.
Last night I read the news on the BBC’s website, and woke up to it on the cover of Nepal’s newspapers: 15 Sherpas dead in an avalanche on Everest, the most people to die there in a single accident, ever. I scanned the names in the paper, looking for any I knew; I didn’t find any, and felt relief and then guilt for being relieved. Those who died were all hard-working men with families at home waiting for them. Dawa Tashi Sherpa, the survivor airlifted to Kathmandu, has his wife — five months pregnant with their first child — waiting in the hospital to see him, and for her joy there are at least 15 families who will never see their loved ones again.
In the days to come the old topics will probably be rehashed: overcrowding on the mountain, and over reliance on Sherpas in the all-important task of rope fixing. But I hope this doesn’t overshadow the memory of these men, most of whom were not climbing for adventure or glory, but to provide for their loved ones. May they rest in peace.
The Himalayan Times and Kathmandu Post newspapers for April 19, 2014. The discrepancy in the number of the dead is due to The Himalayan Times counting only the bodies that had been retrieved to date, while The Kathmandu Post included those still buried in the snow, not yet dug out.
One of the things I love about Kathmandu is how you can turn a corner while driving home in traffic and come upon a view of the Himalayas like this one. Isn’t it fantastic?
