Life of Wry

What’s not to love about the American Himalayan Foundation’s mission statement:

The Himalaya is a magic place where the magnificence of the world’s highest mountains is mirrored in the rugged beauty and unique culture of the people who live in their shadow. But these people often live without basic health care and education. Economic pressures have forced environmental degradation. And traditional ways of life are disappearing.

AHF was founded to respond to these pressing problems. What we do is basic: we make change – positive, tangible change – happen. We build and support schools and students; train doctors and fund hospitals; care for children and elders; plant trees and restore sacred sites. We help Tibetans rebuild and sustain their culture both in exile and in Tibet.

AHF supports projects that are on a human scale and directly benefit people. We deeply respect our local partners. Our work responds to their priorities and concerns, and AHF projects always involve local commitment and community participation. 

I admit to becoming consumed with all things Himalayan, Nepalese since returning from my trek last April.  Why I love travel. Passion, curiosity and interest for the places you go and the people you meet is the only response to being in different places.  Of course.

AHF’s annual dinner was tonight and it was thrilling to be there–to hear about the organization, and to be among other people who had experienced the Himalaya in some way and care about its people, the culture, and environment.  Plus it was cool because the program included a heavy dose of Everest mountaineering history, traditions and superstars.  Both aspects of the night gave me a huge rush.

The dinner was good, the wine was surprisingly good and flowed freely, I was with two amazing, inspiring friends..

..and we got neato and useful-in-a-backpacking-way thank you gifts.

Most of the program was about the good work of AHF–highlighted this year was its work with the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children in Kathmandu.  And another too-short part of the program was a conversation with eight guys who’d climbed Everest at one time or another… or multiple times.  Or first, or the most, or with the least, or whatever.  A pretty impressive bunch.

It was moderated by Jon Krakauer, who wrote Into Thin Air, Into the Wild (and others), and recently Three Cups of Deceit..

and featured these guys:

From left to right, top to bottom: Apa Sherpa, Ed Viesters, Jimmy Chin, Conrad Anker, Pete Athans, Tom Hornbein and Jim Whittaker.

There is just too, too much to say about each one of these guys; they’re amazingly accomplished, each and every one of them, with harrowing and fascinating stories to tell of a life time of experiences at ridiculous altitudes.  Go here to get short bios and links to longer bios, or just Google them.

The pictures are all pretty horrible because I’m taking them from the back of a huge, cavernous room in low light on full zoom with no tripod.  The one of Krakauer that looks like he’s a wax figure is actually a shot of the screen on which his image was projected.  So.. don’t give me a hard time about these. ‘k thanks.

Top of the thrill list was meeting Apa Sherpa:

He is a Nepalese man, a sherpa, who’s climbed Mt. Everest 21 times, to date, the world record.  He was actually in Nepal, on the trail at the same time we were last April.  In fact, we passed him on the trail and our guide Homnath introduced him to Karen.  I, and I think the others, were scattered about the trail at that particular moment, and missed the meeting… unfortunately.  He went on to base camp, acclimated and summited a month later.  I think he goes pretty much annually.  Kind of amazing.  The wiki page on him says he’s around 40 years old and ascended Everest the first time in 1990 with Peter Hillary (son of Edmond, who was the world’s first successful summiter).  I read somewhere else that he is related to Tenzing Norgay, who was with Hillary on the first ascent back in 1953. Apa lives now in Utah.

Anyway, ’twas a fun and worthwhile way to spend an evening, a good organization to support, and I’m sure I’ll go again.