Everybody knows Sherpas are hardy people. After all, they are the ones who serve as porters for most expeditions to climb Himalayan peaks. They can climb with 40 or 50 kilograms on their backs.
I’m in a village, Namche Bazaar, in high Sherpa country in Nepal, somewhere around 11,700 feet in elevation. It is on the footpath to Mount Everest base camp. I’m getting a taste of how tough the Sherpas are.
I’m in an internet café and there is no heat. You can see your breath. Yesterday, after half an hour here, my fingers were blue from using the computer. I couldn’t type with my gloves on. Today, I asked – begged, really – to see if they could put in a small heater near the computer. The manager looked at me like I was Marvin Milquetoast. What a pathetic request!
They finally brought out a little heater. It is burning my left ankle. My right hand is still, well, chilled. But I can write.
Apologies for the lack of postings of late. I’m here on a writing project that is taking some time.
No road connects this region to the rest of Nepal. One has to walk in, or fly in, or do both. I and a companion landed in Lukla, which is lower in a valley and the closest airstrip to this region. You can sense from the photo that the airstrip is anything but flat. It is angled sharply on a hillside, with a wall at one end. Only short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft can arrive.
Nepal just announced last week that the airstrip would be renamed the Sir Edmund Hillary airport, after the late New Zealand mountaineer who was the first to conquer Everest along with his Sherpa companion, Tenzing Norgay.
If Tenzing Norgay were still alive, I’m sure he wouldn’t be requesting a pathetic little heater just because the internet café is a frigid 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heaters? Next you will ask for Oxygen.
Runway No. 24 is almost certainly not a Chinese creation!
Posted by: A B | February 18, 2008 at 07:55 AM
I've spent many a cold night in Namche. I used to lead treks to the Everest Base Camp and also worked with a group of Sherpas to create the first lodge system in Nepal in 1990--the Sherpa Guide Lodges. Appalled at how little recognition they get for their work, I'm the first to dramatize their lives in fiction.
Sherpas are the true hereos of Everest. To learn more about this amazing tribe, read Beyond the Summit by Linda LeBlanc. Details of Sherpa culture and religion are interwoven in a tale of romance and high adventure. The story has something for everyone: a love affair between an American journalist and Sherpa guide, conflict between generations as the modern world challenges centuries of tradition, an expedition from the porter’s point of view.
Below are selections from reviews. To read the complete ones and excerpts go to [www] beyondthesummit-novel.com
Beyond the Summit, is the rare gem that shows us the triumphs and challenges of a major climb from the porter’s point of view. The love of two people from diverse cultures is the fiery centerpiece of a novel that leads its readers through harshly beautiful and highly dangerous territory to the roof of the world. Malcolm Campbell, book reviewer
Conflict and dialog keep this gripping story of destiny, romance and adventure moving from the first page to the last paragraph. LeBlanc has a genius for bonding her readers and her characters. I found I was empathizing in turn with each character as they faced their own personal crisis or trauma.
Richard Blake for Readers Views.
A gripping, gut-twisting expedition through the eyes of a porter reveals the heart and soul of Sherpas living in the shadows of Everest. EverestNews.com
A hard-hitting blend of adventure and romance which deserves a spot in any serious fiction collection. Midwest Book Review
LeBlanc is equally adept at describing complex, elusive emotions and the beautiful, terrifying aspect of the Himalayan Mountains. Boulder Daily Camera
LeBlanc’s vivid description of the Himalayas and the climbing culture makes this a powerful read. Rocky Mt News Pick of the Week
A rich adventure into the heart of the Himalayan Kingdom. Fantastic story-telling from one who has been there. USABookNews.com
This is the book to read before you embark on your pilgrimage to Nepal. The author knows and loves the people and the country, and makes you feel the cold thin air, the hard rocks of the mountains, the tough life of the Sherpa guides, and you learn to love them too. This is a higly literate, but also very readable book. Highly recommended.”
– John (college professor)
Memorable characters and harrowing encounters with the mountains keep the action moving with a vibrant balance of vivid description and dialogue. Literary Cafe Host, Healdsburg, CA
This superbly-crafted novel will land you in a world of unimaginable beauty, adventure, and romance. The love story will keep you awake at night with its vibrant tension and deep rich longing. Wick Downing, author of nine novels
Such vividly depicted images of the Everest region and the Sherpa people are the perfect scenario for the romance and adventure feats narrated. It’s a page-turner, so engrossing you end up wanting to visit Nepal! Not just novel, but perfect for those seeking to get acquainted with the culture of this country.
By Claudia Fournier (América, Bs. As., Argentina)
Available through Barnes and Noble, Borders, amazon.com, Chesslerbooks.com, and the web site
Posted by: Linda LeBlanc | February 18, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Hikary got all the fame and Tenzing was shunned by the his people...what a fairy tale ending.
Posted by: Ash | March 09, 2008 at 09:43 AM