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By Tom Rumsey
The
Himalayas is one of
those places that
very few people ever
have the fortune to
visit. One of the
few places in the
world that just
thinking about makes
you breathless.
I had hiked all
over Britain and
had visited the
Alps, and was
suitably
impressed at the
splendor that
only vast
mountain regions
can create. The
opportunity of a
lifetime came |
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about…the chance to
travel to Nepal.
Unfortunately
the timing of
this trip with
my parents was
superbly timed
in the middle of
the Easter
break, prior to
my exams. I knew
that I was not
only going to
have to work
hard for my
exams, but I had
to be able to
justify a
holiday at this
time of year.
 What better
incentive to
work hours a day
on Level 10,
poring through
textbooks. I was
quietly excited
about this, and
when the day
came I was happy
to forget about
real-life for a
bit and enter a
world of vast
mystery and
magnificence.
When we flew
across the
southern coast
of Pakistan, and
flew onto Indian
airspace, I
finally knew
that the
adventure had
begun. The small
screen at the
front of the
cabin displayed
a relief map of
the area, and
anyone that has
ever seen a map
of Nepal or
Tibet will agree
that it is
amazing.g.
The whole of
Tibet is
basically a
plateau seldom
dropping below
5000m in
altitude, and
Nepal is nestles
on the southern
edge of this
plateau, and
contains 14 of
the 16 peaks in
the world that
are over 8000m.
However, you can
only grasp this
size when you
look out of the
plane window at
cruising
altitude and see
snow capped
peaks towering
above the cloud,
and to think
people have
stood atop these
peaks is truly
mind-blowing.
As Chris
Bonnington put
it once. “If I
had seen the
Himalayas before
those of
Scotland, then I
would have never
become a
mountaineer. As
the scale of
these mountains
would have
appeared
desperately
unattainable”...couldn't
put it better
myself.
 On arrival in
Kathmandu, you
could see the
locals standing
by the runway
with their stock
of cattle.
Obviously having
rushed them off
the runway
before the 1 of
2 planes that
would land here
today touched
down.
After going
through customs
we were
immediately
greeted by about
300 Nepalese
folk vying for
our business.
Luckily we were
met by our Guide e
Khum and whisked
away quickly to
our hotel.
My
preconceptions
of Kathmandu
were immediately
dashed as we
sped out on to
the main road.
Although they
officially drove
on the left hand
side of the
road, it seemed
the safest way
was to charge
around aimlessly
as long as you
were going in
the right
direction. Those
caught sticking
to the rules
would soon find
themselves
trapped in by
cyclists, trucks
and cows/yaks.
One of the most
noticeable
things when
driving around
the city was the
number of crates
of Coca-Cola
being sold by
the huts in the
side of the
road. The water
here is of a
very poor
quality, and we
were advised to
drink soft
drinks whenever
possible.
Although the
locals seemed
happy drinking
the local
water...they
must have
stomachs of
steel.
 After a night in
a homely hotel,
and getting
plenty of
‘Nemaste’
practice, we
were soon
preparing
ourselves for
the trek. Khum
greeted us
outside with a
huge gang of
lads. These were
to be our
companions/load-carriers
for the trek,
and I would hope
to now consider
myself a friend
to these truly
spirited people.
We were informed
that we had a
80km drive to
where we were
beginning the
trek at the head
of the Langtang
Valley. However,
when the fully
laden Land Rover
arrived, we knew
that this was
more than just a
drive.
With no less
than 16 people
onboard at one
stage (including
a baby), we were
off. The drive
took us North
East of
Kathmandu, and
along a well
used road
through
countless towns
and villages,
gradually
winding up into
the remote
wilderness areas
that we were
aiming for. The
road soon became
extremely rough,
and was more
like a tourist
path up a
popular British
peak than a
road, and yet we
still carried
on.
Here we were
informed that we
had about 6 more
hours of driving
to go, and that
the road will
soon get quite
bumpy!
 At this point I
will interject
and try to give
you an idea of
the lay of this
road. It was
masterfully cut
into the side of
the mountains,
and contoured
around steadily
gaining
altitude. The
trees grew along
side the road
protecting your
nerves from what
was easily a
2000m drop down
into the valley.
The side of the
mountains were
skillfully
converted into
staggered paddy
fields, and the
whole area was
dedicated to
agriculture.
The driver of
the Land Rover
was a genius,
and was not
willing to slow
down for any
sort of
obstacle, and
would frequently
cheat death by
turning away
from the valley
at the last
moment.
However, the
bravest people
we saw were
those who would
cling for hours
onto the scary
side of the huge
buses that would
rattle along the
road. A bus with
40 seats was not
considered full
until there were
at least 120
people in, on or
around it.
After arriving
at our
destination, and
trying to enjoy
some true
Nepalese
mountain
culture, we soon
nodded off to
sleep in the
tents that were
set up for us by
our gang. .
 After an early
start we were
finally off, and
so began our
trek into the
valley of the
Langtang. Our
porters and
cooks had left
about an hour
before us to set
up camp, and get
our food ready.
Here you truly
begin to
understand that
all of the
Nepalese are so
fantastically
happy, they were
such innocent
and unassuming
people that you
couldn’t help
but love them….
they even looked
happy when they
were carting
70kg bags of
rice on their
heads for 30
miles to their
remote mountain
homes.
As the valley
days went on,
and I was
wondering if
were ever going
to see any
mountains, Khum
told us that we
were going to be
crossing a
saddle soon,
that would be
the true
beginning of the
mountains…I was
extremely
excited!
Then, as if out
of the blue they
appeared, the
weather was
magnificent, and
only a few
clouds imposed
upon the sky’s
unreal blue
dominance.
Jagged peaks
covered in snow
all year around
began to rise
unstoppably
around us, this
is knew was the
reason I was
here.
One memorable
moment was when
I was gazing
majestically at
a peak that
towered above
our heads, and
was a truly
beautiful sight.
I asked Khum
what it was
called and he
said it had no
name, ‘it wasn’t
even 6000m high’
(fair enough I
thought!).
 As we climbed to
about 4000m, the
climax to our
trek came into
view, there it
was the Langtang
Lirung, a mere
7400m(!). The
highest peak in
this area, and
it was truly
magnificent. It
was the highest
point on an
impressive
horseshoe carved
out by 3
glaciers.
It did however
take a
commanding role
of the local
weather system,
and was never
the same from
one hour to the
next!
After sitting
atop a rock,
some way away
from the remote
village that
served the
trekkers/climbers
attempting the
local mountains,
I relaxed and
enjoyed the
sunset turn the
snow covered
face of the
Langtang from
brilliant white,
through a
blazing orange
to an eerie
blue, the very
tip only
blessing me with
its presence
very rarely
amongst the fast
moving cloud.
After a poor
nights sleep,
the true cruelty
of trekking in
the mountains
hit me, and I
was struck with
a body pummeling
combination of
food poisoning
and mild
altitude
sickness…unfortunately
the only way to
go was down.
Shattering my
dream of
climbing Tsergo
Ri, just shy of
5000m, although
I knew that I
would be back
one day.
 After some
fantastic
stomach
acrobatics, and
struggling to
summon the
energy to move
more than 10
feet without a
rest we finally
got down to a
more comfortable
altitude, where
I was fed
gallons of
garlic soup and
mountain tea (if
only I knew how
they brewed it,
wonderful!).
The next day,
weak but able,
we walked back
along the
valley, and
trekked through
more beautifully
located
villages,
desperately poor
but populated by
hard working and
smiley faced
people. It was
in these places
that the true
realization that
you were in one
of the poorest
places in the
world, a county
that has only
one
export...tourism,
and struggles
with that.
It is also
wonderful to
notice that the
people were not
begging or
appealing, they
were simply
curious of the
westerners. Yet
they seemed to
have no desire
for our way of
life, they
seemed content
to get by with
what they had.
As we drove back
down the
so-called road,
we were to be
let in for an
unexpected
treat. Bhal our
cook had struck
up a close
friendship with
my parents from
their previous
trip out there,
and he had
invited us back
to lunch at his
house in one of
the villages on
the way home.
We were of
course delighted
with the invite,
but hadn’t
expected what
was to be in
store for us….
After being
greeted by a sea
of faces, many
of whom had
little
experience of
westerners.
Gazed curiously
at us as we
walked towards
Bhal's house.
(Although most
of them were
equally as
entranced by the
Land Rover that
had just pulled
up laden with
people!).
 Bhal’s house was
basically a mud
hut, although it
did have 2
floors and the
standard of the
building was
obviously the
fruit of many
hours of proud
labour. The
views were also
spectacular,
across the huge
Trisulu valley,
endowed with
hanging paddy
fields and
crops. One
notable thing
was that Bhal’s
children were
extremely lucky
to be able to
afford a good
education in
Kathmandu, and
their proudest
possessions were
their
textbooks….
these were at
least 20 year
old O’Level
books, complete
with British
graffiti!
Our lunch
consisted of
Nepal’s staple
diet of Dhal,
basically a
spicy lentil
paste, which was
extremely
filling and much
appreciated,
although the 50+
crowd of
onlookers
watching your
every bite made
it slightly
harder to eat.
One of my
favourite images
of the whole
trip was
captured just
after dinner,
and is one I
will treasure
forever….
After a few more
hours of
off-road action,
we trundled back
to Kathmandu,
tired, dirty but
extremely
satisfied. The
Nepalese people
are a kind and
happy folk, and
we have a lot
more to learn
from them than
them from
us…their
constant
optimism is
contagious. The
country is
absolutely
spectacular, and
can never really
be justified in
an article or a
collection of
pictures…. maybe
HikeSoc should
visit one day?!
If you have a
desire to visit
this spectacular
country,
send me
an email
rumsey@rumseytek.freeserve.co.uk , or
visit our guide Khum's website
http://www.uniquetreks.com .
(the editorial
has a
reassuringly
Nepalese twang!)
He is a
reputable guide
who treats his
porters well,
and dealing with
him directly
means that it is
cheaper for you
and cuts out the
middleman, so
all of the money
goes straight
into the
stagnant
Nepalese
economy.
All photos in
this article
were taken by
the author. |
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