What is that attracts, what is it that leads a person into undergoing such torture. He is not lurking any rewards or medals that are associated with the other supports. What’s there that makes a person undergo unnerving pain and be prepared for one of the most painful deaths where in you freeze to death starting from the extremities hands legs and slowly spreading eyes freeze cold chill air makes millions pricks inside your lungs, the air might ultimately freeze as the core temperature drops and the body goes into seizures and shivers vibrantly to keep the hopes alive. Temperature rises just a bit only to plunge lower and the painful cycle is repeated many a times. The heart beats slowly and now the blood goes only to vital organs, the brain is numb eyes almost shut. Icicles cover that covered the nostrils grows inside the nose all the way till the lungs. Brain looses all ability and the heart now pumps faintly to brain and the life is soon going to plunge into the new world of darkness. The irony of the situation is on a mountain you people die in front of your eyes, it’s not like a road accident or a bullet hit, here you actually see how death tightens its claws around a person. Despite all your humanity you leave them behind to die a slow death else you will have the same fate. There are Sherpa’s who refused to leave their masters and go down to the safe zone such is the courage of these high altitude potters they choose to embrace death with their fellows. I equate them no less than the ones who should be awarded the highest battle honors. To give an account for every 7 summiteers on Everest 1 dies on mountain, 3 dies to 1 on K2 and only 50% survive in Annapurna. Annapurna North Face is the coldest place is Himalayas. Famous mountaineer ED Viesturs says Getting on top is optional getting down is mandatory. Annapurna Summit getting down was never more mandatory.
Everest is the most fatal mountain and that’s attributed mainly to the glory mountain attaches to itself. It’s an established fact that Everest is not the most difficult mountain. It has claimed more life’s than any other mountain as most attempts are made on Everest. There are mountains at lower altitude that are much more treacherous and many peaks are still virgin some due to the inaccessible approach and the virtually vertical walls laced with the ever roaring glaciers guarding like the ever vigilant presidential guards.
The attraction to such places arises of various interests’ adventure fame photography serenity tranquility and spiritually. It’s only in the mountains that you get all these elements together. It is believed that mountains are Gods adobe. Nanda Devi is the most worshipped and spiritual place along with Kailas the home of lord Shiva. Every place has few peaks that are considered to be the adobe of God and is generally not climbed else you bear the fury of disturbing the all mighty.
To me mountains are the source of inspiration and determination. I recollect the lines of an old hindi poem --- khada Himalaya bata raha hai daro na andhi pani se it means the Himalayas are telling you not to fear storm and rains. These lines carry an inspirational message to stand your ground even in the worst possible circumstances. Such is the power of mountains they attract you and if you show slight neglect or disrespect the result is fatal.
The idea is not to discourage but to leave a message of iron determination as has been displayed by Himalayas who stood test of time. The motto of HMI is May You Climb Peak To Peak. With these words I wish may u scale the un forbidden heights and see the breathtaking view from the top, for putting those feeling into words even Shakespeare would have shied.
