Pasang Dawa Sherpa: Quest to conquer the world’s summits
Mountaineer Pasang Dawa Sherpa has summited several peaks in Nepal including Mount Everest. He has conquered the world’s highest peak multiple times, performed high-altitude rescues, and built a sterling reputation for bravery.
A native of Lukla in Khumbu region of Nepal, Sherpa started his career in mountaineering by working in the trekking sector. He was just 15 when he began working as a kitchen help and later as a porter.
He says after the death of his father, it was upon him to look after this family. It was Sherpa’s uncle who saw that he would make a great mountain guide and offered him a month-long training.
Soon, Sherpa began working as a mountain guide and in 2008, he attained his first success by summiting Ama Dablam (6,812 meters). His determination was fueled by this first taste of accomplishment, leading him to join the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) team from the United States in 2009 to summit Mount Everest.
“Over the years, I’ve climbed Everest nine times,” says Sherpa.
He is still young but exceptionally talented in his field. Besides conquering some of the world’s highest mountain peaks several times over, Sherpa has also made his name for his mountain rescue works.
During one of the mountain expeditions in 2010, he had famously offered his oxygen unit to a fellow climber.
But it is not always the tales of derring-do when you are on a mountain expedition. As a mountain guide, says Sherpa, sometimes you must take tough calls for the safety of the team.
He recalls one incident where he had to call off the mission in order to save the life of a climber who had a medical emergency at an altitude of 8,500 meters.
“A mountain guide requires a quick wit and a strong heart,” says Sherpa, for whom the wellbeing of climbers is important.
Sherpa has embarked in numerous operations to save lives, and the mountaineering world respects him for his leadership.
His humble beginnings from a simple village boy to scaling the world's highest peaks and becoming a renowned climbing guide has inspired many.
But Sherpa has not grown tired of scaling mountains. His dream is to climb every mountain peak in the world and this month, he is planning to conquer Mount Baker in the US.
Rara: The molten sapphire of Karnali
Born to a father whose profession required traveling to different places, my journey as an internal tourist started quite early—two months after birth, to be exact. Since then, I, driven more by my father’s profession than my genuine interest, have been traveling. During these journeys, I’ve basked in the excruciatingly hot sun of Jhapa, learned how panipuri held its name as ‘puckha’ in Biratnagar, gotten the chance to smell the tea leaves of Ilam, imagined with utter bewilderment the life that my mother lived as a student in Dhankuta, deeply felt the people’s faith in deities in Saptari, and smelled the cosmopolitan air of Dharan.
After making it to almost every district of the Tarai region, I recently got a rare opportunity to travel to the mountainous region of the country. Often referred to as ‘Mahendra Lake’, the mid-western region of Nepal (Karnali Province) is home to a 167-meter-deep lake popularly known as the Rara. Turning the pages of history, we find that King Mahendra happened to discover the lake while traveling around the country on his helicopter. Spellbound by the beauty of the water body, he is said to have described the lake as ‘Swarga ki Apsara’ (a divine beauty).
Brimming with youthful vigor, I, along with four of my friends, recently hatched a 5-day trip to western Nepal. The itinerary first landed us in Nepalgunj. Fighting the scorching heat, we felt invigorated after tasting the trendy ‘Dhamboji Sekuwa’ there. The straight road, guarded by the vegetation of the Bardiya National Park on either side, escorted us to Surkhet, from where we kicked off our 8-hour-long Bolero trip to Jumla. While Padam Rai’s super hit ‘Gurasai Fulyo’ blasted through the sound system, our eyes were blessed by the sight of the scarlet rhododendron growing alongside the road to Dailekh. The Karnali River flowing through the hills of Accham and Dailekh reminded me of the crystal-clear water of the Teesta River gliding through West Bengal. On reaching Jumla, we were welcomed by the warm hospitality of the owner of the Kanjirowa Hotel, accompanied with the Marsi Chaamal (brown rice), which acted as an ointment to relieve us from the burnout of our tiring voyage.
The following morning, all five of us were awakened by the bubbling sound of the serene Tila River. The echoes of the early morning briefing made by my father to his junior police forces were witnessed by the twin hills, namely, Dewal and Garel Daada, of the Jumla valley. Humming in the playlist of western Nepal, the un-gravelled road led us to the birthplace of the Khas-Arya language, the Sinja Valley. The valley, in a nutshell, was inhabited by roads waiting to be constructed, assemblies that demanded an assemblage of people sharing similar political ideologies, students who talked of their modest dreams, and kids who blocked the road and made the travelers listen to their melodies song in hopes of earning some money.
After handing us two punctured tires, the road opened to accommodate the ‘dhupi salla’ trees, which stand to be one of the hallmarks of the Rara National Park. In an attempt to bridge the gap of unfamiliarity with our destination, the driver started narrating stories that were startling for the privileged ears to listen to. The road leading up to the hiking trail of the park was in poor shape, its existence marked by one or two houses wrecked by landslides.
The picturesque starting point of the hiking trail to the lake was no different than the wallpaper on the Windows desktop. Equipping ourselves with all the hiking essentials, we tied our shoelaces for the 2-hour hike to the soul of the lake. The road awaiting us was built with sloppy stairs where horses were seen running up and down on their master's command. Rich in natural resources, Mugu district of Karnali relies on horses as its means of transport. After climbing down the stairs, the scene before us opened to a heaven-like abode with glitters of water sparkling even in the dusk. At this moment, I was convinced by the King’s decision to name the lake ‘Swarga ki Apsara’.
Away from the everyday chaos of Kathmandu and walking shoulder to shoulder along the magnificent lake, I was reminded of the factual reality of traveling being a therapy for the mind. Alone with my thoughts, I was able to experience the heartbeat of nature at its full length. The nature of the lake was astounding. It kept changing its color, accustoming itself to the indecipherable riddle of the environment. The tiredness that had to be felt after having hiked for two hours evaporated on reaching the hotel overlooking Rara Lake where we were to lodge for the night with arrangements to let us spend the night in the tent. And it was in the tent where we exchanged laughter in the bargain of memories to be cherished for a lifetime. While we were cocooned in the warmth provided by our friendship and blankets, the rest of the world outside the tent kept themselves warm by consuming ‘tin paaney’ (a local drink).
The following morning, we were awakened by the howling of wolves at five in the morning. If not for the wolves, we would have missed the morning sunset! After clicking on Instagram-able posts, we bid farewell to Rara by boating across the lake. As I immersed my hand in the sparkling water, I was reminded of one of the lines from ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’: ‘Pighle Neelam Sa Behta Hua Yeh Samaan, Neeli Neeli Si Khamosiyan, Na Kahin Hai Zameen Na Kahin Aasman’. On recalling this line, I was hit by a sudden epiphany where the surroundings around me whispered to me the confluence of nature and my soul.
To bring us back into the regular humdrum of our lives, the horses were waiting for us across the lake. Leaving pieces of our hearts at the lake, we mounted the horses while communicating gratitude and appreciation to the equestrians.
Good reads
Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present
Nick Trenton
Self Help | Nonfiction | Psychology
Stop Overthinking is a book that understands what you’ve been through, the exhausting situation you’ve put yourself into, and how you lose your mind in the trap of anxiety and stress. Acclaimed author Nick Trenton will walk you through the obstacles with detailed and proven techniques to help you rewire your brain, control your thoughts, and change your mental habits. What’s more, the book will provide scientific approaches to completely change the way you think and feel about yourself by ending vicious thought patterns.
Too Late
Colleen Hoover
Romance | New Adult | Dark | Thriller
This is a psychological suspense novel of obsession and dangerous love. Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves. And she does just that, every single day. Caught up with the alluring Asa Jackson, a notorious drug trafficker, Sloan has finally found a lifeline to cling to, even if it means compromising her morals. But as Sloan becomes emotionally and economically reliant on him, he in turn develops a disturbing obsession with her—one that becomes increasingly dangerous with each passing day.
War of Lanka (Book 4: Ram Chandra Series)
Amish Tripathi
Mythology | Fantasy | Historical Fiction
The first three books of the second-fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history—the Ram Chandra Series—explore the individual journeys of Ram, Sita, and Raavan. In the epic fourth book of the series, their narrative strands crash into one another and explode in a slaughterous war. Will Ram defeat the ruthless and fiendish Raavan, constrained as he is by the laws of Dharma? Will Lanka burn to a cinder or fight back like a cornered tiger? And will the terrible costs of war be worth the victory?
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies
Tsering Yangzom Lama
Historical Fiction | Asian Literature
In the wake of China’s invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents didn’t. As Lhamo tries to rebuild her life, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle. Breathtaking in its scope and powerful in its intimacy, the book is a gorgeously written meditation on colonization, displacement, and the lengths we will go to remain connected to our families and ancestral lands.
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What do you do when you are stressed?
In today’s competitive world, all of us are pushing ourselves beyond our limits, be it at work or in our personal lives. It can be stressful. And we often look for ways to put our minds at ease. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to three artists to find out about what they do when they are stressed.
Sushant Ghimire, Singer
There are usually two types of stress that I usually go through. One is just being stressed out after a hectic day or some personal issue. In that case, I just sleep. I like to give myself some rest, take a long nap, and then I feel better. Another one is when I get burnt out from work and need a long break. When that happens, I visit my hometown in Sunsari. I don’t do anything else but spend time with my family. I find that quite rejuvenating.
Bipin Maharjan, Tattoo artist
Being around nature helps me feel better. I try taking a day or two off from work and plan bike rides or hiking—anything that will help me experience nature. The distance depends on my mood though. I might plan a short or a long trip depending on what I want to do that day. Since I might only have a day for myself, I don’t usually go trekking. I choose destinations for which I can head out in the morning and be back by the evening. Besides that, I love to paint.
Samaira Shrestha, Model and theater artist
I like to start my day with some positive affirmations. Every morning, I read some statements out loud. It helps me feel good about myself. But when I’m extremely stressed, just affirmations aren’t enough. So I go to the gym. Working out is one of my coping mechanisms. I try to surround myself with people who create a positive and jolly environment around me. I spend time with my family and that helps too. They’re quite a funny bunch and make me laugh more than anyone else I know. Besides that, I meditate. That helps me put my mind at ease.
