Khumbu Cough - Mountaineering in Nepal

Everyone who is into climbing has had the desire at one time to want to climb in Nepal, but the reality of mountaineering is that the adventure is not always glamour and prestige. Mountaineering requires a mental discipline like no other sport. The challenge is often not just conquering the mountain but more so overcoming your own fears and limitations. Although I haven’t climbed to the heights of Everest or spent weeks stranded on the side of a mountain fighting for survival, I have experienced the harsh reality of mountaineering and the unforeseen obstacles that present themselves along the way.

Kathmandu, the gateway to the Himalayas, and a place filled with colour, culture and chaos. This is the starting point for the multitude of climbers that come to Nepal in order to summit that elusive peak. During the climbing season the city is abundant with eager climbers and unsuspecting heroes preparing for expeditions and journeys into some of the most unpredictable mountain ranges in the world.

Our first leg of the journey started with a flight from Kathmandu to a mountain township called Lukla, which consisted of a very short airstrip on the side of a mountain and a settlement of hostel type accommodation. The flight was extraordinary to say the least. 16 people squeezed into a small twin propeller death trap with wings. Flying through the mountains was breathtaking, especially because the mountain peaks were often higher than the plane. Then all of a sudden an airstrip not more than 200 metres appears out of nowhere. And as the plane descended over a barrage of wreckage and fuselages, it didn’t instil confidence in the pilots landing capabilities.

Once safely on terra firma, we met with the porters and prepared for our expedition. From Lukla we had a four hour hike to a place called Tok Tok. This was our first taste of the type of accommodation we would stay in along the way. Tea houses were abundant all the way along the roads and a climber could easily go from tea house to tea house quite comfortably all the way to the base of most mountains in the region. It is astounding how the Himalayas are so much more accessible in the twenty first century. These days you don’t even need a tent to climb in Nepal.

Our guide was Brigitte Muir, an amazing woman whose achievements were long and illustrious, including being the first Australian woman to climb the “seven summits”, the highest mountain on each continent. Along with our porters who in their own right were amazing, often carrying twice their body weight, we were in more than capable hands.

My first encounter with modern mountain culture was in a place called Namche. After one hell of a hike up a steep track, we reached a village that stood alone on the top of a mountain. Famous for its market place, the Namche Bazar attracts merchants from as far as Tibet and travellers from around the world. The market place offered a variety of genuine Nepalese and Tibetan arts and crafts, and if you were willing to spend the time haggling, you could pick yourself up a great bargain. 3500 metres above sea level, this place had already started to show remnants of modern civilisation. The luxury of cafes, a barber shop and even an internet connection had found itself creeping into this remote mountain top location.

As we spent more time with our Nepalese companions, we experimented with ways to communicate effectively. I didn’t speak Nepalese and most of our porters didn’t speak English, however I managed to find one porter that had spent a lot of time with Japanese climbing groups and as I had studied Japanese, this is how we were able to communicate. I found this quite bizarre. The more we got comfortable with our porters the more we learnt about their culture, and in return we endeavoured to teach them some Australian slang, but somehow something was lost in the translation.

My travelling companion, and myself would often spout the phrase “cool bananas” to show our approval of an activity, choice in food or any worthwhile event. And wanting to absorb as much culture as possible we decided that we would say it in Nepalese which translated to “Cheesu Kera”. However a literal translation was “cold bananas” which at first seemed innocent, until we realised, towards the end of our expedition, that it was suggestive of us lacking in the ability to keep our manhood “up” for the challenge so to speak. It became very clear that over the 4 week period we were trekking that these porters were laughing at us and not with us.

But despite their amusement at our expense, they looked after us so well. We were never short of food and our tents would always be setup prior to our arrival each day at our campsite. Often we would be sharing our camp with grazing yaks. As cows are sacred in Nepal, yaks do all the hauling and also end up on the dinner plate. Part of our staple diet was always curried rice and onion soup. We often had soup as part of a meal, because dehydration is a problem at high altitudes and it was a way to increase our fluid levels. There was a variety of chicken, vegetable and onion, but it all tasted like onion to me, and to this day I still cannot stomach onion soup.

As we continued along our journey we stopped at various places along the way that epitomised facets of Nepalese culture and belief. In a place called Pangboche we visited a Buddhist monastery where we had our first glimpse of how the monks worked and lived. Their lifestyle is very peaceful and fascinating and the time that goes into crafting the architecture of these rooms and buildings is extraordinary. However the odour inside the monastery is quite pungent, something that I am sure takes a bit of getting use to.

As our journey into the mountains continued I was starting to feel the effects of high altitude. At about 5000 metres the air was starting to get thinner, and the simple task of ascending higher into the mountain ranges was becoming more difficult. Walking 3 steps took my breath away but it was all worth it as the view was spectacular when I finally reached the top of a peak. One memorable quote from my travel partner was “high altitude trekking is like making love to your partner for 8 hours while trying to breath through a straw”. The worse thing was that I had developed a small cough and the higher we got the more debilitated my breathing became.

At this altitude you tend to run into a lot more climbing parties, especially around the base camps on the route to different peaks. One of the groups we ran into on a regular basis was a group led by Simon Yates, the author of “Touching the Void” and a well known mountaineer, often remembered as the “man who cut the rope”. I remember one night he was forced to bring one of his climbers down from a higher altitude because she had a severe case of pulmonary adema, and as our group carried a hyperbaric chamber, he was in need of our assistance. The presence of accomplished climbers and authors was common in the mountains of Nepal and often a topic of conversation. The dangers in the mountains don’t always hit hard and fast and can creep up on you but it is part of the adventure and what draws these like minded people to take such risks.

We were about to summit our first peak and I had only had about 1 hour of sleep the night before. I was told that lack of sleep at altitude was a common occurrence. Coupled with a number of strange dreams that bordered on surreal, my mind was probably not at its optimal functioning capacity. Our summit goal was for a mountain peak called Pokalde. Standing at 5808 metres this would be a successful first attempt for the group.

Coughing and spluttering all the way to the top my ascent was slow and exhausting, but as I saw the summit in sight I had a last burst of energy that inspired me to reach the top of this peak. I sat at the top and just took in the view. When you are sitting on a space about 2 metres wide looking at the majestic mountains around you, your mind is clear and only the simple things matter.

Coming down the mountain would prove to be more difficult than expected. I was feeling weak and the cough was consuming my every breath. My mental composure was starting to fade. A strong constitution is the most important asset to have when mountain climbing. Nonetheless, with the help of our porters and the support of my travel companion I managed to press on. And the next few days would give me time to rest and recuperate before our ultimate goal, Island Peak.

The Nepalese people are very fascinating. Every few nights the porters after dinner would entertain us by singing and dancing. And on rest days they would often have a few drinks the night before. The local brew was called “Chan” and was definitely an acquired taste and quite potent, so it was a good idea to consume in small doses. We sometimes take for granted the tradition and practices of different cultures. The majority of the males have a best friend, who they hold hands with hug and are openly affectionate with, but this is by no means a homosexual relationship. This is a symbol of the bond between each individual. I remember asking one of the porters why they do this type of work, the reply was “because it is easy”. It is amazing how lifestyle can dictate the way we perceive what is difficult and what is easy.

After a few days rest we continued along the road to Island Peak base camp, at about 5500 metres. Base camp was like a train station, there were so many groups preparing to summit, that you couldn’t walk anywhere without tripping over a tent. My cough had worsened and I was continually coughing through the night, which was not appreciated by the many people trying to get some sleep for their ascent the next day. Morning couldn’t come too soon for me. As the rest of my group prepared for their ascent of Island Peak, our Nepalese guide suggested that I go down to a lower altitude as my health was starting to deteriorate. So with two porters I started to head for the Himalaya Rescue outpost in Pheriche. (I heard from my travelling companions that there were cheers once I left base camp.) Here I would be able to see a doctor. The doctor said I had a minor case of pulmonary adema and it would be best if I continue to a lower altitude.

My dreams of one day conquering Everest were laid to rest after witnessing the reality of mountaineering. I had experienced a small part of what the Himalayas had in store for any climber, and was content to admire the beauty of these mountains from a lower altitude. Well, at least for now. Climbing is not about reaching the summit of a mountain, it’s about how you deal with the journey and the success and failure that comes with it.

The most memorable part of any trip is the people you share the experience with. I would say farewell to this group over drinks at a little place called the Rum Doodle, named after a book which parodies mountaineering. The bar was also known for its famous wall that anyone who had climbed Everest had signed. It was inspiring to see our guide go behind the bar and sign this wall. Followed by a round of applause from the entire bar it was amazing to see the culmination of her achievements admired by her piers. This was the last image I remember before saying goodbye to Nepal.

World Expeditions run trips to Nepal from April to May and October to November. For further information contact World Expeditions on +61 2 9279 0188 or enquiries@worldexpeditions.com.au. Their office is located at Level 5, 71 York St, Sydney, NSW, 2000 Australia.