Lama Geshe Dies
Today I learned that much revered Lama Geshe, 87, of Pangboche passed away. For almost anyone who has climbed in the Khumbu Region of Nepal, and many trekkers, you know this wonderful man. He lived in the Himalayan Sherpa village of Pangaboch, 13,074’/3,985 m, with his wife. Their home is about three days walk from Everest Base Camp and two days from Lukla. They raised their son and daughter in their simple home that had a perfect view of Ama Dablam Lama Geshe received his Buddhist doctorate in Tibet as a young man. He was living the simple life of a Buddhist Monk when China invaded Tibet in the 1950’s. To continue his studies, practice his religion and save his life, he fled back to his home in Pangboche. He was one of the highest-ranking Lamas in the region, said to be third in line to HH The Dalai Lama; but I don’t think he cared about such things. 2010 Stroke In September 2010, he had a massive stroke in his home. He was flown to Kathmandu for emergency surgery but few held out hope for the then 78-year-old Lama. His operation went well but he developed infections. He spent six months with his daughter in Kathmandu recovering but desperately wanted to return to his simple home high in the Himalaya. He wanted to see his wife, his friends, he wanted to return to the life that was his. Despite the odds, he did exactly that. In speaking with his son that year, I learned he wanted to return to bless the climbers again that spring season. He loved the climbing community and they loved him. The climbing community came to his financial aid with donations help cover some of his medical expenses. His family was extremely grateful. A Warm, Kind and Gentle Man If you do not know Lama Geshe then this is what makes him so special – his smile, his gentle touch, his soft laugh, his aura that made you feel as if the world was in good hands. His hands were always warm no matter how cold the room was. You simply felt better no matter your woes by just being near him. If you go climbing any mountain in the area with Sherpas, they will insist on receiving a blessing from Lama Geshe. There is quite a ceremony to the blessing and it’s common to have to wait for an hour or more if he is currently blessing a team. You wait outside in the small grass yard, surrounded by a stone wall. Perhaps a yak walks by, bells clanging in the background along with the soft flutter of prayer flags overhead. A Special Blessing If his daughter is home, she serves as organizer ushering people out, then the next team in. His wife brings in hot tea or coffee-milk along with simple biscuits on a metal tray. It is a large room by Sherpa standards with benches lined up against the walls. Lama Geshe sits behind a small desk, his back to a wall of windows allowing the sun to shine directly into the otherwise dark room. Usually, one of the senior Sherpas, often a monk himself, will take the lead and introduce the team and what mountain they are climbing. The Sherpas know Lama Geshe well as do many of the foreign guides and repeat visitors to the area. The puja begins with Lama Geshi quietly praying – a soft chant born hundreds of years earlier high on the Tibetan Steps. He uses a bird feather to wave at the smoke rising from a single piece of incense. He will spread water droplets from time to time and ring a bell. All of this has meanings deeply rooted in the Buddhist culture. As guests, we sit quietly. Some will go deep into their own mind, others hang on each sound and movement both entertaining and perplexed by what the old Lama is doing. The Sherpas sit quietly, hands in lap. But pictures are allowed and the quiet is often interrupted by the sound of a shutter. Lama Geshi often looks over and just smiles, understanding the modern world. One by one the guests are called up to sit in a chair before the Lama. First he takes a thin yellow or red string (a sungdi) and places it around your neck. Then you give the silk scarf (a kata) to his daughter with an offering in it. He says a brief prayer and the scarf is placed back around your neck. For many, he offers a gentle head bump to “seal the deal” while holding your hands, palms up. You move back to the bench and sit quietly while he does the same ceremony with all the other climbers and Sherpa. The Lama continues to chant prayers for safety and permission to climb the mountain while tossing rice into the air. The entire ceremony last about 20 minutes. It is common for him to bless over 500, maybe 1,000 climbers, trekkers and Sherpa during April and May and again in September and October Throughout this entire blessing, he would look you straight in the eye. The meaning is clear. I was always touched by this ceremony. In the quiet moments, I reflected on why I was there and what this moment and experience meant to me. Some people walk away with tears in their eyes, others with huge smiles and some with no expression at all, struggling to understand. Life Lessons I enjoyed this report from climber Scott Willimas with a 2014 Explordus team. Saturday, 12 April 2014 Today was a rest day in Pangboche. The highlight of the day was a visit to see the Lama Geshe … He wrapped katas around each of us, tied a colored string around our necks and blessed rice for each of us to carry with us. In the event of danger, we are to cast the rice towards the hazzard. Shane asked for an extra portion. The Lama Geshe then
Update: Lama Geshe back in Pangaboche
I am very pleased to pass on this note from Lama Geshe’s son, Jigme, on the condition of his father, Lama Geshe. As I have previously reported, Lama Geshe suffered a stroke around September 20, 2010. He was flown to Kathmandu, paralyzed and in poor condition. He had surgery and spent many months recovering in Kathmandu. If you do not know Lama Geshe, he lives in the Nepalese village of Pangboche with his wife and family. He is the highest ranking Buddhist Lama in the area. Almost every climber to the Everest region visits him to receive a blessing before their climb. For many climbers and trekkers, this is one of the highlights and life long memory of their visit to Nepal. This is the update from Jigme: Hello Alan, I am very joyous and delighted to share that my father is recovering very well and is in Pangboche these days. He left Kathmandu on Monday, February 28th and so far he is doing very well. He is full of happiness to be able to do what he has done through out his life: Practice meditation and dharma on the foothills of mighty Everest and Amadabalam breathing fresh air scented with juniper. I am also very excited for all the climbers who wish to visit him for blessing on the way to EBC. I and my family would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to everyone for all the support, care, and prayers for my father during his difficult time. Could you please post this on your blog. Thank you and good luck with the expedition. Thank you so much for your concern about my father and all the Alzheimer s. Jigme I hope to visit hm on my way to Base Camp next month. Climb On! Alan
In Search of the Yeti’s Hand, Lama Geshe Update
For all the allure and mystery of the Himalaya, perhaps the mystery of the Yeti stands out. And one man, mind Mike Allsop is doing his to keep the mystery alive. Mike, a pilot for Air New Zealand, has visited Nepal many times and summited Everest in 2007. Similar to many visitors, he made friends and especially with Lama Geshe, more on The Lama later. In fact Mike and his wife, Wendy, named their third child Dylan Michael Dalha Allsop. While staying at the Lama’s home, he asked Lama Geshe about the Yeti and listened carefully as he was told of sightings and visits of the Yeti by the people of Khumbu over the years. Well Mike became intrigued. But the mystery took on new levels when what was considered the Yeti’s hand and skull shown at the Upper Pangbouche monastery had been stolen in 1999. He tells the story and history on his website: In the 1950’s a Yeti tracker/scientist called Peter Byrne went on an expedition to Nepal. The story goes that on this expedition he found Yeti tracks and dung. He took moulds of the tracks, analysed the dung, but his biggest find was a hand and skull located in a monastery in Pangbouche. Peter examined the hand and skull but was unable to take samples. However he returned a few years later with a cunning plan that involved a bottle of scotch and a friendly monk. While the monk was passed out with a tummy full of scotch, Peter cut a finger off from the original Yeti hand and replaced it with a human bone. The monks were non the wiser. Peter then crossed over to India where he gave the finger to Jimmy Stewart, the famous Hollywood actor, who smuggled it into England where it was analysed by a scientist. Unfortunately the 1950s pre-dated DNA testing and thus opinion was divided as to whether or not it was a human bone or one from an unknown species. In the late 1960s Sir Edmond Hillary and a team went to Nepal and concluded the hand in the monastery was a hoax. It is not known whether the team knew that the finger had been switched. With the ‘real’ hand missing and the mystery debunked, visits to the monastery dropped off causing the monks to lose a source of income. I know I visited it in the late 1990’s, paid my 100 rupees (about USD$1) and stared at the hand for a while. Today, Mike has a plan – create a replica of the hand to draw back the visitors. He enlisted the help of Weta Workshop, the folks who did all the magic for Lord of the Rings. Mike says he is offering 100% immunity for the persons or person responsible for taking the original hand and skull – no questions asked! Mike offers: I can provide a service to collect or personally pick up the artifacts anywhere in the world with absolutely no questions asked. In fact, I’ll the beers. Mike , with replicas in hand, so to speak, will visit the monastery in April 2011 to place them but with hopes the publicity will encourage the real hand to appear. If you are in the area, stop by pay your dollar and see for yourself! Lama Geshe Update Jigme Sherpa, Lama Geshe’s son, told me on November 15 that his father is improving after his stroke. He is discharged from hospital and is recovering slowly but very well. He seems to be much stronger and has good appetite. I was very happy to learn that he is able to walk for few seconds, for around 10 steps. He is also not taking any medicine right now. The doctors have called him for a follow up in two weeks. He is living in Bouddha. My sister (Tashi) is taking of him. This is good news and my hopes are that he will be up for a few visitors as the spring 2001 Everest season begins. The family has established a fund to help Lama Geshe. Please use the secure “Donate” button below to make a one time donation that is fast and secure. This will take you to PayPal’s safe and secure web site to enter your personal information. Your donation will be sent directly to Lama Geshe’s son Jigme Sherpa who will serve as Director of the fund. 100% of donations will be utilized to benefit Lama Geshe and his family. Climb On! Alan
Fall 2010 Himalayan Update
We are most of the way through the Fall 2010 climbing season in the Himalaya. So far, not so good with one exception. Arguably Cho Oyu at 26907′ is the most climbed Himalayan mountain in the Fall. It is the 6th highest mountain and climbed from Tibet. Poor weather and dangerous snow conditions thwarted almost every team this year. Multiple avalanches prevented the fixed lines from reaching much higher than Camp 3 and one slide hurt multiple Tibetans from the Chinese Tibetan Mountaineering Association (CTMA), including two severely. As a result, the entire CTMA support team left the mountain early leaving it up to the remaining teams to fix the ropes. more However, another avalanche soon hit the standard route and veteran guides said this was not the year and pulled their teams from the mountain. A few remained hoping for an improved forecast and better snow conditions and in fact there were three summits as of today: Austrian Rupert Hauer, German Alix Von Melle and Danish climber Jakob Urt. more Sadly there was a death when respected Italian Alpinist Walter Nones reportedly fell on a new route from the Southwest Face. more It is very rare for Cho Oyu to see so few summits as it had become the norm to have several hundred a season. Meanwhile over on Manaslu, 26758′, located in Nepal, we saw a rare season of success. Manaslu has emerged as an alternative to Cho Oyu given the simpler logistics of climbing in Nepal. However, it has a reputation for difficult weather and many climbers reaching the false summit, not the true top. Leading off this season’s success was Spanish climber Carlos Soria at 71, who became the oldest climber to summit Manaslu. He climbed without supplemental O’s along with Carlos Pauner. The Himalayan Experience (Russell Brice) team put 17 climbers and Sherpa on top including Brice himself. Also 5 summited from an Asian Trekking expedition. Briton Kenton Cool summited and skied off the top. And Brazilian Cleo Weidlich was also amongst the summiters this season. Over on Shishapangma at 26289′, the only 8000m mountain located entirely in Tibet; the commercial team lead by Henry Todd called it quits due to poor weather. Other teams were also stopped. I am not aware of any summits this season. Sadly there was large tragedy on Dhaulagiri, 26794′, where an avalanche apparently killed a Nepalese Guide and three Japanese climbers including Osamu Tanabe, one Japan’s top climbers with new routes and summits in off-season periods. The search continues for them today after the incident occurred on September 28th. more On Everest, ambitious plans for north side summits via the Hornbein Couloir were stopped way short due to dangerous snow conditions. On the south several teams put strong efforts and reached the Yellow Band but all have turned back except for Eric Larsen who is now at Base Camp still considering a summit push. He has reached Camp 3 in his acclimatization process. more While we monitor Eric, the second half of the Fall season gets underway with Ama Dablam climbs and the inspiring expedition led by Erik Weihenmayer, Soldiers to the Summit – where 11 injured soldiers and 10 Everest climbers to inspire others through climbing Lobuche Peak or Kala Patar. Congratulations to all the climbers and my condolences to the friends and family of the fallen. A quick update on Lam Geshe. As I previously reported, he suffered a stroke around September 20 and required brain surgery in Kathmandu. While he is still in a difficult condition requiring him to stay hospitalized for four to five months, his son Jigme reports his father is doing well and insisted Jigme return to the US to finish his schooling. Donations are still being accepted to help the family. Please see the original report for the link. Climb On! Alan
Update 2: Lama Geshe Suffers a Stroke: A Call to Climbers for Help
If you have ever climbed in the Himalaya, you probably are as shocked by this headline as I was to receive the news. Lama Geshe suffered a stroke around September 20, 2010. He was flown to Kathmandu, paralyzed and in poor condition. He has since undergone an initial surgery and seems to have improved some. He is now responsive and resting.