Trek and Learn
Trekking in the Himalayas conjures up many images for the uninitiated. Gleaming white mountains, exotic campsites, picturesque temples and precipitous paths. This is our eighth trip to Nepal and we confidently expect to encounter all of the above. But trekking is so much more than postcard views and cold, crisp mountain air. In every sense it is an immersive experience that quite literally takes your breath away. From the moment the jeep drives out of the gates of the Hotel Manang the adventure begins and the senses are assaulted.
There’s the lurching and rolling as the jeep jostles with traffic and then there’s the precarious and disintegrating narrow road that could, so easily send us tumbling, jeep and all, a thousand metres into a raging Himalayan torrent.
The road-head town is usually an ugly place full of trucks, freight and building materials. Even the best of the trailhead hotels is likely to leave you with itching flea bites to remind you of your visit for days on end.
By the first day on the trail your guts are usually rumbling and toilet paper anxiety is never far away. The transition to Asian toilets makes even the most basic of needs an adventure even if it is not one to relish!
As the trek begins the heat of the ascents is usually crippling and as the paths steepen and your breathing labours in the thinning air you begin to wonder if you will ever make the next tea stop let alone the next lodge or campsite?And then comes the nagging thought, ‘how the heck am I going to function at 5,300m our target altitude?’
Self doubt and performance anxiety now take over from the grumbling bowels and the valley itches. A porter cruises past at breakneck speed with no bead of sweat despite his ginormous load. Puffing and sweating you will, by now, be cursing your lowland genes and your slovenly sea level habits. If you are anything like me you will now be wondering why on earth you have left behind the comforts of home and cool, oxygen-rich air.
But then you will fall into conversations with old friends who appear to be taking everything ever-so-easily and in their stride. It’s our seventh time here with Denzil spaced, more or less evenly, over 25 years. A huge database of shared experience, shared acquaintances and shared emotions. Despite those common roots our conversation turns to how AGM batteries fail, moorland regeneration and stiffened midsoles in walking boots to mitigate the pain from arthritic feet.
With all our trek friends, most of whom we have known for decades, the conversation flows freely and easily. Yesterday Andy, whom I first met in 1991 because of an article I wrote in GP magazine, taught me about how to free up seized stainless steel bolts using an induction heater coil. I’m not sure I’ll ever need to buy such an esoteric bit of kit but the time was not wasted as, at the same time, he performed an ECG on me using two thumbs and an iPhone!
It is beyond doubt that we have an eclectic, if slightly eccentric, group of trek friends who talk on most things without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Last year I think I slightly offended Mark with a blog-tease about his red panda trousers. Allegedly they are packed self consciously away in his kit bag and it will be interesting to see if they emerge as the trek progresses. Anyway we have studiously avoided all mention of red trousers and chatted about large scale re-wilding projects, coal mining, fracking and carbon capture instead.
From Tim I learned today about grinding corn using two stones and the superiority of krypton over argon in modern double glazing. I learned how to synchronise the AC phase of a generator (hydro or nuclear) with the AC phase of the National Grid. Luckily Andy’s hydroelectric plant does this all automatically. That reminds me I must ask him how our solar panels do it. Never a dull moment with Tim!
Continuing my trekking education I tried to chat to Chris about email newsgroups and making wiki websites. She said she was too breathless to chat but I think it was really because she is still sulking at me after the stay-press trekking trouser blog. Those cool pants have, incidentally, stayed disappeared and the billowing, hippy trecksters from the early 90’s are still bringing up the rear.
With Heather I chatted about Pixybooks and how she shed a tear after reading my Langtang landslide blog from our trek with her last year. I think that was meant as a compliment! Anyway it reminded me to be ever so careful about what I say about Heather as she and her Dad follow my blogs assiduously. Heather’s Dad, if you are reading this, we would love to meet you some day. Oh, and by the way, Heather’s a great adventure-mate!
You will have seen by now every sense gets assaulted when on trek and sometimes those conversations are so engrossing that the scenery goes un-noticed and you arrive at your night’s camp having forgotten the heaving lungs, the ache in the knees and itch on the arm. As the Sherpa-tea flows and you settle down for the night you will reflect on the fact that no nut can’t be undone with a Czech built thermal induction coil bolt extractor.
Every day on trek is an education in every way!
