I read a crime story today. It was about a modern day expedition climbing Mt. Everest, a client determined to reach the top, and someone else in the party looking for revenge against that person. It's a good story in itself―the author's name is William Hall―but it also started me thinking about those who climb big mountains like that.
Some Sherpas do climb Everest without bottled oxygen. Ang Rita Sherpa did so ten times. No sane Western climber would attempt that. It's also true that the the Sherpa culture's religion holds that the Himalayas are sacred.
There's probably a connection between these two things. Sherpas revere the mountains as loci of godly activity. This encourages a certain carefulness.
2 comments:
That sounds not only like an intriguing concept for a modern crime story but also the classic battle at Reichenbach Falls between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. The idea of falling from a great height has always been a phobia of mine, almost as intense as the idea of being trapped in a cave.
The articles you posted about the Sherpas were fascinating to say the least. The part about Ang Rita Sherpa carrying a heavy load to a mountain base camp was impressive, especially the part about wearing no shoes. I don't know if Sherpas can use the technique that highly skilled Buddhist monks use to raise their core body temperature but it sounds like they know something of the practice called Tummo. People can accomplish extraordinary feats.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tummo
There was some excellent information and some great pictures in the holiday in Nepal piece. The Sherpas and Tibetans in general are beautiful people. An interesting fact I read about them years ago is that the low oxygen levels at the elevations where they live has changed their physiology from that of lowland inhabitants. It used to be thought they had more red blood cells but instead Tibetans thrive with 10% less oxygen than most other people.
https://evolution.berkeley.edu/high-altitude-adaptations/the-mysteries-of-tibet/
It is an interesting idea for a story, particularly since scaling a mountain anywhere near the size of Everest takes a lot of planning and resources, and if anything goes wrong it all has to be scrubbed. Doyle knew what a disaster a high fall could be, and since he'd intended to kill Holmes off for good, he really had to scramble when he decided to bring him back. I share your anxiety about falling from a great height. Scenes where people walk out onto narrow ledges put me on edge, ha-ha. Just the opening credits to McCloud pushes my buttons.
Just given what the terrain is like--before you get into the temperature--walking in those parts without shoes is a big task. Tummo is an amazing practice, real "mind over matter" in action. Sherpas do tend to be Buddhist, if from a different school, so I'm guessing certain techniques have traveled over.
Sherpas and Tibetans do have a certain appeal, maybe as a result of embracing life even under extreme conditions. It's interesting that they've grown to thrive with so much less oxygen. Chalk it up to human adaptability, I guess.
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