Townsman, 1991-07, Page 10A walk in the abode
of the gods
Two local men discover the thrill of trekking to Mount Everest
By Dean Robinson
Ed. Note: In March of this year Sean
Lane, a native of St. Columban who
now lives and works in Markham, and
Dean Robinson, of Stratford, went
trekking in the mountains of Nepal.
Their aim was to get to the top of the
rocky outcrop called Kala Pattar, at
an altitude of 18,450 feet (5,624
metres) for a breath -taking view of
Mount Everest. This is Robinson's
overview of that trip.
BY DEAN ROBINSON
With no warning the bus came to a
stop, causing all inside and everything
on the roof to shunt forward. A rock
slide had closed the road and an unof-
ficial -looking work party was trying
to re -open it.
The wait was not long nor, in the
warm March sunshine, was it uncom-
fortable. It was simply part of a dusty
eight-hour ride from Kathmandu to
the village of Jiri — the first day in a
pilgrimage to the Khumbu district of
Nepal.
The road is one of only a fcw in this
kingdom of 18 million people,
squeezed between India and Tibet
(China). A seeming continuum of
switchbacks, the single lane snakes its
way from an altitude of about 4,364
feet (1,330 metres) at the capital city
up to 6,250 feet (1,905 metres) at Jiri.
It is an adventure that combines the
thrills of similar travel on the Greek
island of Santorini with the scenic
grandeur of route 95 from Mexico
City to Acapulco.
Atop this straining, swaying, belch-
ing and aged - though brightly -painted
— mode of transport were two Canadi-
ans, two Australians, and one Ameri-
can, the only paying passengers. They
were joined on the roof by a handful
of cheerful Nepalese and an assort-
ment of gear ranging from a black-
ened two -burner kerosene stove the
size of a large television set to wicker
8 TOWNSMAN/JULY-AUGUST 1991
41,
i- "AL
, ► ' ,
Photo by Sean Lane
Dean Robinson atop Kala Pattar peak. The altitude is actually 5,624 metres, not
5,545. The sign was made for one of the rounded hills at Kala Pattar but was
placed on the peak in error. Robinson trekked to the top of the peak in March.
baskets of cabbages. Sprawled out, This is not a route Icss travelled. In
half sleeping, in the hotter and even fact, it is how many visitors choose to
dustier confines below were more begin a walk to the region of Mount
Nepalese and more gear. Everest, a trek that can take from 10