Annapurna IV

Besisehar, a small outpost I refer to as the heart of darkness at the roads end, is our destination today. The weather in the high Himalaya is not clearing for flights and delayed passengers are stacking up. We will begin our ascent from the wet canyonlike bowels of The Annapurna Himal jungle.

I prefer the high arid climate of the Dhauligiri Himal but with no flights near on the horizon the approach over Thorung La could cost us precious days on the mountain. Jungle to alpine runs the full gamut of Nepal’s diverse ecosystems. This will be a full value climbing expedition, from Besisehar we are 22,000 ‘ below the summit.

Like Tim and Josh I’m happy to get moving. To get the blood flowing again, I had a massage to work out the trunklinkle “cankles” that were once where my calf muscles met my foot. Tim said they reminded him of his childhod nanny Marion…wow, three days of sitting on airplanes and soaking humidity and my legs resemble a 70 year old woman–tough crowd. I got an interesting story from Mukti, the messuese and want to share it with you all.

Mukti, whose name means “freedom” in Nepali, shared tales of walking across 300 broken glass bottles and scampering across hot coals barefoot. Impressive, albiet bizzarre. As we discussed some of my expriences of mind over matter he shared a Nepali folktale: Touching the Lion.

A Guru and his student were once driving through a field when they saw a sleeping lion. They stopped the vehicle and appoached the savage feline while it slumbered. Halfway across the field, the student became afraid and wished to turn back. The Guru carried forward, claiming experience would guide them, the student followed. Foot by foot they aproached within inches of the lion. The lion awoke…

The Guru, a wise and patient man spoke in front of the startled lion saying “I have lived many days, this may be the last”. The lion suspectly investigated the two, sniffing them up and down. Slowly, the lion turned his back and walked away, the guru calmly stroked the lions back as the beast casually slipped onward into the distance. Slowly the Guru and his sudent returned to their vehicle, having touched the lion and their lives.

Climbing a mountain is a lot like this. We hope that we can touch the lion and our lives too. Climbing in the high Himalaya is often just as simple and spontaneous an idea as the guru and his students actions. I can only hope the mountains will grant us such access and humbling awareness.

We’ll catch up with everyone from the trail.

Ben Clark
clark@explorersweb.com
www.annapurnaiv.com
www.therestofeverest.com