The Himalayas: A Mystery in Themselves
Until I saw the entire naked Himalayas within spitting distance, what I used to think was 'the Himalayas' were also some sorts of hills towering high and their crowns capped with snow throughout the year. Until I stepped into the Himalayan region myself, what I used to think was a ‘glacier’ might be the same snow in half melted and half frozen form on the verge of turning into a river. In the book ‘Himalaya pari pugepachhi’ and its English version ‘Beyond the Himalayas’, which I wrote after the arduous trekking of upper Dolpa for 26 days, I published a rare photograph with the caption ‘yesari janmane rehechhan shishu nadiharu’ i.e. ‘Infant Rivers Taking Their Motion’. ‘Rare’ in the sense, the opportunity of taking such a photograph is rarely available or only when we reach such rare topography. Even though I have gained so much experience, I say in all honesty– I had not understood what a ‘glacier’ was till then. The photograph published in the book is real. Its sight is rarer, though my perception and understanding both were yet to mature– even till then. I came to the point to say that I knew about the Himalayas a bit only when I got an opportunity to visit the Everest base camp in the autumn of 2063 B.S. My previous journeys were confined to stepping on the land traversing the Himalayas via the ‘mountain passes’. These journeys hardly helped me understand the Himalayas. I also came to a realization that I had been expending most of my ‘energy’ only to cover the distance as far as possible. Also true, my body ‘parts’, including my ligaments, were deteriorating from expeditions like those. Despite my disbursing of physical and mental energy both, the ‘pinnacle’ of my knowledge about the Himalayas was not escalating.
But, the month of Kartik in 2063 B.S. brought a great change within me. It shook me to the core. Now I had the feeling as if I knew the Himalayas in a real sense. In search of the pride of the world Sagarmatha, Mt Everest, there I was at its own base camp. I was climbing Kala Pathar. Standing on the tops of Chola, Reyjola and Khongmala mountain passes, my eyes were frantically searching for every part of the Everest. During the night at the base camp, I came to a realisation I was already an explorer of the Himalayas from Lobuche itself. In fact, I was climbing Mt Everest after leaving Gorkshe behind. But I mistook that for a common path, and where I was stepping I mistook that for ‘land’. Having reached the base camp, I found myself standing on the Himalayas equalling the size of the Earth and just looking at the crests, with my eyes wide open. Nupche stretched immensely in front of my eyes while I stood staring at it from a mountain peak larger and higher that. In fact, once we cross the snow line above 5000 meters– the boulder, the soil, and the trail, whatsoever we step on, are all the parts of the Himalayas, just the Himalayas. The hidden enormous Himalayas were shouldering the Himalayas, we witness outwardly. This reminded me of an iceberg, of which the whole body is submerged under water and what is seen is only its crest.
Large boulders equivalent to a two-storied building stood on our way. We climbed some, while simply walked past, avoiding some of them. In the blazing sun these boulders shift risking our lives as we walked past them. The guides keep alerting us– ‘Be careful, okay? The glaciers move during the day’. What we call land here is snow and when it melts, the huge boulders we were traversing on could be in motion. This could be a recipe for disaster. After walking on the plain for a while, we arrive upon a vantage point which reveals the entire land ahead sunken with large crevices. Large, deep crevasses, where we can see snow
immaculately blue, not melted for thousands of years. The blue snow, harder than rock, accepts ‘knots and bolts’. The tough route in the mountains is prepared by fitting the bolts and tying ropes onto them. Can you imagine finding the Himalayas in the twenty to thirty feet deep wells? In each and every step in Khumbu we come across these sorts of amazing truth and awesome sights. Sure enough, the Himalayas ‘exist’ even in the wells.
We come across many snow poles standing in caps of flat stones. Only the snow in the shade of boulders is protected from melting. The rest of the surface melts and slides down. They look like statues of snow adorned with stony-caps as if soldiers standing sentinel in the Army Stadium. If there is no sun for two or so days, we cannot imagine entering our tents. There lies the bed of snow never imagined before. We sight large tunnels like the ones seen in China, Japan, America or Europe through which the trains pass. Interestingly, snow itself happens to make such tunnels in this miraculously divine land. Not only this; down in the lap of Nupche we can witness the peaks of snows like the saplings growing in the woods. Really, there lies the nursery of enchanting saplings of the Himalayas. I wish I could uproot these tender snowy plants and plant them in some other places. Have you ever imagined such a mystery in your life?
It takes me by surprise. Who is behind such art? It is really astonishing. Why does nature itself shift these boulders, stones, pebbles, grit and sand? Though simply known as a glacier, we can sense its phenomenon and destructive power only when we reach close to it. Though we say Himnadi, i.e. the snow river or glacier, we can see no water flowing in this river itself. All we can see are small blue patches in between the big mountains of the same rock, pebbles, grit and sand. Yes, it is the snow river i.e. the glacier. These huge masses of stones, pebbles and sand are piled up by the glacier. Such huge piles could not have been made even by the most highly run crusher factories of Nepal. In fact, the snow has left the entire land replete with potholes. The land massively eroded by the glacier resembles the termite colonies. I can just make a guess about it. It may be because of this we can see an unwritten prohibition for the climbers, guides and porters not to assemble in a large number, to walk with heavy loads and even to talk loudly around the Khumbu Icefall area. The climbers walk quietly as if suppressing their breaths–before the sun rises lest they fall into crevices, the ground tear apart in front of their very eyes or avalanches sweep them away unawares. Here we come across the 'ice doctors' who help the climbers by setting the ladders. These doctors prepare the routes for other climbers risking their own lives. Though poor, these are the people who help the summiteers earn name and fame. They are just like ferrymen who are in charge of helping the others ascending and descending the mountains. They remain there through the season. ‘Khumbu Icefall!’ It is the most treacherous route in the world. Since they are familiar with every nook and cranny of the areas, we call them ‘Icefall Doctors’. But for these ice doctors and their help to cross the crevasses, it is next to impossible for anyone to summit Everest. It is a sad thing that these heroes behind the curtains have in fact remained censored forever. Another mysterious characteristic of the Himalayan peaks is that they are awash with the colours of the sun. The entire Himalayan peaks turn ‘gold’ in the morning– there can hardly be any other magnificent view in the world to compete this sight. They turn silvery in the afternoon and coppery during sunset. We should be awake earlier than the birds to savour the sight of the mountains bathing in gold in the morning sun. Such sights are rare and those who wake up late miss this opportunity. ‘Time and tide waits for none.’
While lying asleep in the tents at the base camp, we hear thunders at midnight like cannon firing or a bombardment nearby. Such explosions are not because of a clash between two groups of rebels but because of the avalanches. In the avalanche, big masses of snow fall, emitting thunderous sound and wisps of smoke. It may be a matter of surprise for newcomers. But the frequent explosion, piling of snow onto the tents and tremors due to the ‘glacier’ below the bed are the commonplace things that one experiences at the base camp’. The form of the Everest base camp is not permanent either. It keeps changing. Sometime the whole surface rises up or goes down upto 10 to 20 meters. The formation of ‘snow pillars’ as mentioned earlier and sliding of tents can attest this fact. It is because of this the height of the base camp is not exact–it is often mentioned as from 5300 to 5400 meters. Another problem in the mountains is the blazing sun. It is so hot that if exposed to its rays, we feel as if our skin has come in contact with simmering water. The snow and the sun both burn. That is why the people coming from the mountains look ‘burnt’.
In the hot months of Chaitra and Baishakh, there is a commotion at the base camp. Hundreds of colourful tents are pitched here and there, dozens of mountaineering teams, dozens of kitchens, many small tents prepared as toilets, and clusters of trekkers who come to visit only the base camp, frequent coming and going of helicopters, piles of climbing gears, including oxygen cylinders, dozens of shops, guides, porters, contact officers, team leaders, mountaineers, cooks and the presence of other locals busy worshipping make the whole area a Mela. Who could have imagined– such a commotion in this sort of a place? Who could have guessed– it is so crowded that one can hardly find a place to pitch one’s tent? Who can foretell that the entire foot of the mountain could be decorated like a bride with the rich colourful fabrics? Sure enough, the Himalaya is a mystery in the real sense of the word. It is the unsolved mystery that has its connection with the origin of the Earth and evolution of the human civilization. The depiction of the outstanding beauty of the Himalayas is found in all of the scriptures ranging from our Vedas to Puranas, from Sanskrit literature to contemporary Nepalese literature, from Eastern literature to Western literature and from geography to philosophy. From time
immemorial the Himalayas have been depicted in the world literature as an emblem of courage, power, beauty, permanency, wonder, inaccessibility, charm, mystery, wrath, patience, adventure, greatness, calmness, firmness. Ironically, most of the mountain peaks are in Nepal and most of them who have written about these mountains are western scholars. Apart from the western poets and writers who have depicted in their creations the beauty of the Himalayas, many film producers, social scientists, mountaineers, university researchers and so on have explored the multiple dimensions of this mysterious land. But we are unaware of our own treasure. People from all continents have visited every nook and cranny of this abode of gods– but we Nepalese are still indifferent to it. What a pity! How ignorant are we? No doubt, the Himalayas are the bundle of mysteries for the world. If not, how could the same Himalayas be the symbol of the success and failure, union and tragedy, victory and defeat, and pain and pleasure, simultaneously? The Himalayas, the source of water for the world.–How could they be of trivial value as we tend to think? It is the land where ‘every single step costs so dearly– and where every single foot step sets a record, makes a history. How come we remain indifferent to such places?
On the cover page of the book entitled ‘Srastako Aakhama Nepali Parbatiya sahitya’ (Mountain Literature in the Eyes of Writers), the writer, Khem Raj Koirala Bandhu mentions that– the Westerners have written their literature making the sea their subject matter. They even won the Noble Prize and caught the attention of the entire world. The Arabians have depicted the desert in their literature and earned the honour of the world. Those who have islands write about the islands and earn name and fame both. But we could not write, did not write, did not start to write, or did not know what to write about our precious treasure– the hills and the Himalayas. The Himalayas that have allured the entire world and have made us proud that they are with us. But why aren’t we writing about this vast and glorious resource? Moreover, we must learn from the concern expressed by Dr. Bandhu. The Himalayas gave us identity and recognition. Now it is high time that we repaid the honour. Dear youths!
Now it is only from you young people I can expect something to happen. You should go see these golden peaks; you should step onto their bodies and write about them. Yes, now we should offer khada 1to the crests of our Himalayas and teach the lesson of courage to the entire world. Being ever grateful to nature that has gifted us with these majestic Himalayan peaks, now we all should sing the song for ever: O Almighty! Grateful we are to you for gifting us with so many peaks, I wish no more to be richer than this...... -Pratik Dhakal Translated by Bal Ram Adhikari & Kumar Narayan Shrestha
1 The cotton scarf used as religious offerings
or welcoming and felicitating special persons