Everest/Lhotse 2016: Living in the Moment

Sometimes you have to look behind you to appreciate where you have come from before you go on in order to live in the moment.

As we left the Rivendale Lodge at Deboche, we walked thru the last vestiges of the pine forests knowing it would be weeks until, as Anatoli Broukreev said, “touch grass again.” As usual, I walked along in my own world, lost in thought thinking of the day ahead. I would soon see Kami Sherpa, my climbing companion and Sherpa on Everest, K2 and last year in the Western Cwm during the earthquake, for the first time after his accident on K2 last summer. I would also see his wife, mother and sister again. Along with five members of my team, we would visit Lama Geshi.

All of a sudden, for some reason I came to a full stop and looked behind me. I could clearly see the Tengboche Monastery that we visited yesterday. It was surround by pine trees with a beautiful backdrop of snow capped mountains. I simply stood still for quite a while letting the scene sink into my memory. I could still hear the monks chanting in my mind.

The corner of my mouth formed a small smile. I was using the present to have gratitude for the past while eager for the future to come.

We walked into the tiny Sherpa village of Pangboche. I was pleased that there was little visible damage to the stone homes, but upon closer inspection large cracks were visible along the joints. I wondered what the next large quake would do to this beautiful village.

In a sign of changing times, I called Kami’s cell phone from my cell phone. “Hello Alan, I will meet you outside my home.” Soon I almost ran to embrace by dear friend. I held him tight, then eased fearing I might hurt his shoulder. But he was fine. He looked like Kami I know – small, fit, dark hair, his eyes revealed a spirit that many their entire life. And a smile of contentment few have in this world.

We followed him along the tree lined dirt path, passing a very old Sherpa woman holding onto the brick wall as she used a cane to keep her balance. As we passed her, she smiled and gave us the greeting of ‘I see the light in you’ or “Namaste.”

We entered the lower level of Kami’s home, somewhat fixed from the earthquake damage but with more needed. The lower level is home to the calf – a key element in this Sherpa circle of life. We climbed the well worn wooden stairs to the kitchen – a small iron wood stove, surrounded by benches. The adjacent room, the only other room, served as the living room, bedroom and prayer room; oh and also the storage room.

We sat on cushions on the sleeping benches and Lhapka Diti served us black tea. For the next hour we sat and talked. We laughed and smiled. Diti kept us entertained as she called me her father and insisted on everyone writing their name on a piece of paper and then sounded out the letters with her limited english. But words were unnecessary. Communication was conducted thru smiles, laughs hugs and holding her’s and Kami amazingly warm hands.

Next Kami led us up more dirt paths to Lama Geshi’s small stone home. The 84 year-old Lama looked wonderful. He was full of life, his smile big as ever and that laugh – a deep gravely chuckle that make it impossible for you not to join in. This was my ninth visit with him.

We took our seats and a quiet reverence took over the room. With Kami as host, he translated Lama Geshi’s Tibetan into Kami’s form of English – but we understood.

The blessing took about an hour starting with blessing the prayer flags that will fly over our tents at base camp and camp 2. Then one by one we accepted a personal blessing from the Lama compete with a personalized card that we are instructed to take to the summit, a sting tied around our neck aka a sundi and most importantly his blessing to climb the mountain.

During my turn, my eyes closed between looks into the Lama’s eyes. The moment was simple. The moment was real. There was no past, no future only the moment.

He competed the blessing with throwing rice into the air then a sprinkle of water finally touching our shoulders, knees and wrists with a brass ornament. At the last moment, he instructed Kami to help and created an individualized sachet that held a tiny sliver of an eagle’s feather. It is said an eagle flew to the South Col or 8000 meters on Everest and died. A Sherpa brought his wing down and gave it to Lama Geshi. It is said the eagle’s spirit still flys around Everest.

We touched foreheads, held hands, shared smiles and a few more laughs before saying goodbye. H made us promise t visit him after our climb something I did after my 2011 Everest summit. Kami and my summit teammate Mirjam, visited the old Lama that year and he was delighted as few people complete the cycle after the climb.

We returned to Kami’s home where Diti now served us milk tea. More visiting and talking about their five children. She was very proud of her daughters who are in boarding school in Katmandu, her son who will soon get his Electrical Engineering degree, her oldest son who is a mountain guide and her other son who is a monk at the Tengboche Monastery – all made possible by Kami’s income through climbing. But soon we had to go.

As we left the last tree that defined the village of Pangboche, I turned back around to look. I could see the Monastery, the potato fields, the stone houses with the green roofs, Kami’s home.

Another moment in time marked between the past and the future.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything