Mountains. Looking back on journeys to these wild places and looking ahead to those to come, I wonder why I'm drawn to their rocky, snowy slopes and why I consciously succumb into their folds. Is it the unharnessed, unpredictable wildness of these places in a world that feels increasingly 'pre-meditated, staged and controlled'? Is it the people I meet along the way – their hardy, weather-beaten faces etched with signs of a life lived raw and rugged, welcoming me into their private sanctuaries and personal narratives? Or is it the ego that pulls me higher and higher? Would I still climb if there was not that 'lure' to share the triumphs and tribulations - for whatever reason or purpose?
I’ve realized there’s no simple answer - yet this hasn’t stopped the search for an altruistic justification between ‘purpose’, ‘passion’ and ‘ego’. For me, these questions are the kindling to self-awareness and reflection – the physical mountains providing the spark for the fire.
It’s the entirety of the journey to these wild places that fuel me. The lure of the unknown, of possibility, of growth, adventure, the intimacy of experience, the connection to nature and the people I meet along the way. These journeys provide me with perspective. I’m reminded that I’m small, insignificant and vulnerable. My ego crumbles, and my perspective expands. Living completely in the moment, the borders between myself and my surroundings appear to dissolve; I feel sunsets instead of simply seeing them. On these journeys, an unexplainable peace fills me - elusive, indefinable. And I recognize how I fit into the world.
I look forward to returning to the Himalayas this spring. An alignment of passion, purpose and circumstance has helped shape the bones of journey that brings together those elements that drive me to pursue a life that challenges and rewards in equal measure.
Namaste Nepal – it’s time for our journey to continue once again…
Chapter I: Ego and Passion
Kyajo Ri…
In the Khumbu Himal, running just north of the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar, is a long line of peaks continuing all the way to Cho Oyu on the Nepalese-Tibetan border. With the Thame valley to the west and the Gokyo valley to the east, Kyajo Ri, at 6186 meters (20,295 feet) is the highest summit on the southern part of this ridge. It’s the highest peak in the immediate vicinity and doesn’t take a broad stretch of the imagination to recognize the potential for unparalleled views of the Himalayan panorama from its snowy triangular summit.
Kyajo Ri was opened to climbing by the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism, in 2002 and the first (official) ascent was made that year by a French/British team. They approached from the village of Machermo, traversed the Kyajo Glacier and climbed via the Southwest Ridge. Whilst the mountain is now climbed regularly both commercially and in alpine style via several different routes, it remains a relatively quiet objective with only a few teams found on its flanks each season. It remains overshadowed by the more popular commercial peaks of Ama Dablam and Island Peak.
Not an unfamiliar face…
I was on Kyajo Ri in the Autumn of 2011 climbing in alpine style with American-Italian alpinist Fabrizio Zangrelli. It was a training expedition focused on honing my mountaineering skills and building confidence and agility in the mountains. Kyajo Ri was an excellent peak to help meet these objectives. It’s a technical mountain without being extreme – the route free of fixed rope and anchors and retains its pristine wild condition. Fabrizio and I climbed from the ‘Machermo side’ via the southwest ridge but did not summit, turning back at Camp 2 due to unstable “sugar snow” conditions. The decision was prudent. We woke the following morning to the ominous beat of rescue-helicopter blades cutting the air and learned that the small Russian team ahead of us had tragically fallen from the ridge and lost their lives. Our descent and retreat to the comforts of Machermo was inevitable and we trekked across the Khumbu for a quick ascent of Island Peak to make the most of our acclimated bodies, soak-up the beautiful views, burn-off calories from bottomless plates of momos and the enjoy company of the local people and trekkers passing through the region.
This April I return to Kyajo Ri, climbing alpine style from the ‘Mende side’ and in the company of New Zealand based IFMGA / NZMGA mountain and ski guide, Mal Haskins. I met Mal in the dust of the relief efforts of the 2015 earthquake and we’ve since kept in touch sharing climbing projects and objectives. Earlier this year I mentioned my desire to return to Nepal to climb a ‘non-8000er and non-uber commercial’ mountain with the caveat that it had to be ‘interesting and fun’. His suggestion of Kyajo Ri ticked all the boxes.
Background and context…
My most recent journey to Nepal and into the mountains of the Khumbu was in the Spring of 2017 – a trip driven largely by a desire to overcome ‘mental barriers’ which had emerged following my experiences in the 2015 earthquake. Balanced between moving from the UK to Canada, working with several not-for-profit organizations, climbing Lobuche Peak, and spending time with the High Altitude Worker Teams as they prepared Everest Base Camp for the climbing season, it was one of the most personally fulfilling trips I’ve ever had. I returned to sea level revived, humbled and fully in-tune with a sense of purpose. Whilst my love for Nepal had never subsided in the aftermath of the earthquake, my confidence certainly had and I was overcome with a sense of relief that the mountains and their people that I’d felt such a connection to, again felt like home. With my ego back in check and purpose aligned, I knew that my narrative with the country was far from over.
In the Autumn of 2018 my social media feeds were inundated with the inevitable post-monsoon Himalayan ‘mountain porn’. I found myself looking east once again.
I look forward to returning to Nepal this Spring and have been going through the all-too familiar motions in trying to strike a precarious balance between preparing for an expedition and meeting the professional commitments of a full time job in an industry far removed from the mountains. With discipline, commitment, courage and creativity things are falling into place – and with an early April departure, the countdown is now well and truly on.
Chapter II: Passion and Purpose
The Khumbu Climbing Centre
High in the Himalaya and deep in the heart of the Khumbu valley just off beaten track to Everest, there’s a quiet pastoral village called Phortse perched at 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) among the clouds, overlooked by the iconic west face Ama Dablam, and in the shadow of the holy peak, Khumbilia.
In October 2012 our expedition climbing team spent a few days in Phortse enroute to climb Ama Dablam. Trekking uphill into Phortse in the warm afternoon sunshine from the gaping gorge of the Dud Kosi river, we were treated with our first glimpse of the terraced fields, yak dung drying in the sun, humble stone houses, a rolling birch forest, grazing yak and seemingly endless views of the Khumbu. As someone living in the cacophonic chaos of a modern western city, the gentle and spiritual nature of the village felt surreal and perfectly idyllic.
Walking into Phortse, the characteristic ‘tap-tap-tap’ of masons at work and the faint rumble of a drill broke through the air, mixed with the grunts of the yaks roaming in the terraced fields. The orchestra of the Khumbu. The source of the sound was a group of local and western builders and masons led by Tim Harrington. They were thoroughly absorbed in their trade huddled over a large plank of wood laid on an impressive foundation of a building in early stages of construction. It was my first view of the Khumbu Climbing Centre (KCC).
Given my penchant for outdoor building projects, (thanks Dad!) my imagination was captured and I felt a hankering to roll-up my sleeves and get involved. We spent a thoroughly enjoyable few days at the KCC enjoying the company of the builders and lodge guests, learning about the ups and downs of carrying out an ambitious project in the heart of the Khumbu. A labor of love in all respects.
History: Building and fostering a responsible climbing community in the heart of the Khumbu
On a visit to Phortse in Nepal 2002, Jenni Lowe-Anker and her husband Conrad Anker were struck by how much the Sherpa guiding community craved a chance to develop better technical skills, both for professional advancement and, to put it bluntly, avoid getting killed.
Statistics showed that a staggering one third of all deaths on Everest were Sherpa and few had the skills that would help to keep them and their clients safe in the mountains. Under the vision and leadership of Jennie and Conrad and with the support of a broader community who recognized the importance of keeping people safe in the mountains, The Khumbu Climbing Center was launched in 2003. Its mission: to increase the safety margin of Nepali climbers and high-altitude workers by encouraging responsible climbing practices in a supportive and community-based program. The goal was not only to teach technical hard skills, but also to promote climbing for fun.
Since its inception, it’s become a successful vocational program for indigenous people and has served nearly one-thousand Nepali men and women. Each winter technical climbing skills are taught along with English language, mountain safety, rescue, and wilderness first aid. In its early stages, instructors were qualified western climbers and guides who had experience in the Himalaya. Today, most of the teachers are Nepali but the KCC continue to have a small Western team travel to Centre each season. An inspiring example of how a project has directly empowered a local community with benefits realised by people around the world.
"Bricks and mortar”
The bricks and mortar of the KCC structure has come a long way since my first visit in 2012. Over an eight month work season beginning in March, the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation (ALCF) has paid more than 6,000 person days of local labour in 2016, employed as many as 50 Nepalis at once, more than doubling completion progress. This model of leveraging local labour and building expertise, supported by design and building professionals, has paid off. The building has created good, well-paying jobs for Nepalis and is nearly ready for completion and its Grand Opening in June 2019.
The KCC headquarters will house technical climbing gear, educational materials, indoor and outdoor training walls. Flexible space provides classrooms for training, and a community meeting place for the local people of Phortse and nearby villages. A new medical clinic, library, and caretaker's quarters will support both the KCC and the village. All aspects of the KCC building will provide the capacity to generate income for the KCC programs – and associated opportunities – to continue to thrive and expand.
When passion and purpose collide
Beyond the enjoyable few days spent watching the painstaking foundations being laid for the KCC back in 2012, I’ve directly benefited from the teachings of the Khumbu Climbing Centre. As a non-independent commercial climber who’s come to Nepal on expedition for over 15 years, I’ve consistently relied on the support (technical climbing skills, mountain safety and rescue) and provided by many High Altitude workers for expeditions including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Shishapangma and Ama Dablam – to name a few. Without the support and leadership of these people, the expeditions would not have been as successful – and in some cases, impossible. I’ve also seen the rescue-skills deployed firsthand as High Altitude Workers and Sherpa have selflessly risked their lives to help others. Similarly, and perhaps most poignantly, I have a number of Sherpa friends who have participated in the programme offered by the KCC and have benefited from a steady income for themselves and their families by safely leading individuals and teams on expeditions both in the Himalaya and beyond.
With the KCC nearing completion in advance of its Grand Opening in early June, I have the opportunity to contribute to the finishing touches on this tremendously worthwhile project. It’s absolutely humbling to be part of and I’m so grateful to Jenni, Conrad, Bud and the KCC Team for the opportunity to ‘give back’ and in a small way be of service to a community that has, for so long, selflessly and humbly been of service to me.
Ego, Passion, Purpose… & Gratitude:
Mountains have been a major theme throughout my life and in venturing onto their slopes and deep into their valleys, I’ve learned that these mountain journeys are as much about climbing as they are about leaning into the unknown, being comfortably uncomfortable, about growth and moving toward people and moments you can’t predict the outcome of. My goal isn’t to climb the highest mountains, scale the most difficult routes or climb in the purest form. I’m not changing the world on a grand scale with my actions. I’m not climbing for the ‘epic’.
What I am doing however is following a passion for learning, listening and in a small way giving back. Staying true to this purpose has been ambitious and challenging and has stretched me more than any adventure I’ve ever been on. I’m grateful for those who help me on this journey. Some of these people have dazzled with their genius and art; others have shared insights on how to live. Others have devoted their life to helping others. Some have conquered mountains while others have built business empires. Some are great artists while others have entertained with their brilliant musical talents.
One thing that all of these people have in common is that they've gently shaped the moments that make up the journey – both on and off the trail. Without the tremendous support of these people life would not be nearly as fascinating and mountains would be significantly higher.
One thing that all of these people have in common is that they've gently shaped the moments that make up the journey – both on and off the trail. Without the tremendous support of these people life would not be nearly as fascinating and mountains would be significantly higher.
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