Mountains, you are in my heart

Somehow it didn’t work out, I thought... The idea to fly to the mountains came very spontaneously. As a child, I certainly imagined myself as a mountain conqueror, but that was a very long time ago, but since there was a similar point in my goals for the year, I decided to fly after all. I found the direction, and immediately the universe helped with the person - a wonderful and experienced guide was found Kirill Yasko. He talked about Nepal and its mountains and I already fell in love with this idea.

But I don’t know why, there were “road checks”, tests and signs. The first point was the difficulty of obtaining insurance with confirmation of evacuation by helicopter from an altitude of more than 5000, since mountains are serious things. It turns out that insurers have limited this height to 3,500, saying it is expensive and not profitable (for a minute, evacuation costs from 6 to 10,000 dollars). A month of my searching, fiddling around, connecting with all the performers, even the rescuers of Nepal, and now I have insurance in my pocket. 3 days before departure.

The second moment was the episode when, returning from the sea, I discovered that my faithful Lucy had chewed off my shoes. Yes, you can buy new ones, but how can you wear them out in a day?! And then the news arrives with this avalanche that destroyed Annapurna Base Camp...

It would seem that there are quite a few signals, but after thinking a little I tell myself, if you stopped halfway through life, would you be that crazy Budyonny and have what you have? Of course not! And here I am flying.

Flight to Nepal

New people, new country, new challenges, but most importantly, the eyes light up. The flight, of course, turns out to be long, almost 6 hours to Dubai, plus 5 to Kathmandu. The first point is luggage, I didn’t think about it. Well, I only have a backpack:) I find out in Boryspil the price for additional kilograms - it’s a shock. Each kilogram is 500 UAH. Thanks to the state, people, universe. A nice airport employee said, “Dude, we all make mistakes, go... at your own peril and risk.” A good lesson for the future...

Fly Dubai has everything civilized - a beautiful and well-maintained plane, cool staff, in short, I liked everything!

By the way, I don’t know if this is related to the airline and the plane, but it was a magical landing in Dubai, we just drove smoothly at high speed and slowed down. The start was great! It was already dark in the Emirates, the airport was huge to the point of unreality. I immediately wanted to know if it wasn’t the largest in the world, since when we sit down we go, we go, terminal, terminal, terminal...planes, by the way, sometimes have double-decker sides?! Well, their windows are exactly two levels...

The inside of the airport is beautiful and cozy, although there are a lot of Asians, Arabs, and Afghans. It's very colorful. And since I had 4 hours for a transfer (like with a reserve), I went to look for a way out. By the way, who doesn’t know, you don’t need a visa in the UAE. After the rain it’s comfortable, beautiful, thousands of fashionable taxis, on the way back I have a 6-hour connection and I’ll have more time, maybe I’ll go for a walk.

In the direction of Kathmandu there was an older and slightly worse board, and the landing was not very soft. The airport in Kathmandu is very small, there is only one runway for takeoff and landing, you can hang over the airport for a long time waiting in line. The inside of the airport terminal is very cozy, everywhere there is a beautiful red carpet on the floor and in the style of the 60s, everything is made of wood, in general, just like in the movies, it doesn’t look like an airport.

We were a little tired from the road, but we didn’t want to miss anything. The traffic is on the left and the cars are right-hand drive, it looks ridiculous when you sit in the driver’s seat out of habit in a taxi.

Upon arrival, I immediately set off with a group that arrived a day earlier... Kathmandu is very dusty, hundreds or thousands of mopeds, micro taxis and crazy traffic. Everyone is honking and flying, but nevertheless carefully. If you are walking along the sidewalk between houses, this absolutely does not mean that there is not a scooter or car coming from behind. But by the end of the day you get used to it.

We arrived at the New Year 2076, and in Nepal it is celebrated from April 13 to 14 and they have their own calculation, but it is very unusual to understand that you have jumped 55 years ahead)) they also have a unique time that is 2 hours 45 minutes longer than ours.

The food, if you just try it, is not just spicy, but kind of fiery, so you can’t understand the taste, your tongue goes numb, your stomach becomes hot)) But in principle, there is food that is not spicy.

Most Nepalese live very poorly. A dwelling can consist of four pillars, pieces of a fence and a conventional covering. Seeing such a home for a large family with small children, you clearly understand that your happiness has no limits and you have everything in this life.

After dinner we go shopping, I need trekking poles, a raincoat and shoe covers. Rugged mountains in Nepal this spring.

Walking around Kathmandu

Today, after having breakfast (quite tolerable and tasty), we went to explore Kathmandu and its surroundings. Everything is also dusty and there is a huge amount of traffic. Crowded minivans, mopeds and just pedestrians moving only according to the rules they understand. By the way, Kathmandu suffered greatly in 2015 from two strong earthquakes that occurred literally in a row within 15 days. The consequences are still visible...

Our first stop was the Monkey Temple, like from a fairy tale about Mowgli. The palace is located high and from its terraces and platforms you can see the entire city and the surrounding mountain peaks. We were warned that monkeys can be aggressive and are not afraid of us at all. However, the latter, if you don’t eat anything, you’re simply not interesting. The monkeys are mostly busy with their own business, but if you start to approach (for a better shot), they warn you with a grin and that’s enough.

There are a lot of steps up. Climbing up them, I got the impression that I was quickly starting to feel short of breath and all my jogging and swimming weren’t helping much here. Okay, the mountains will show everything...

We drink a lot of water, probably because we are already at altitude, and the humidity also takes its toll.

The next stop is the crematorium... In Nepal, they do not bury, but burn bodies, right on the day of death on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River or simply in a specialized place. The spectacle is so-so, the whole family sits and waits until there are no ashes left, which are immediately swept into the impossibly dirty and shallow river. But these are the customs.

There is also a nursing home on the territory and, by the way, many people strive to go there in order to better prepare for care... The guide also told the tragic story of the death of the royal family of Nepal (like Romeo and Juliet, only with automatic weapons).

We devoted the rest of the day to visiting Hindu and Buddhist temples, palaces and squares; the impressions are indelible, the grandeur, culture and the buildings themselves are incredible. Tomorrow we are moving to Pokhara - we will ride boats and watch the sunset...

Lake in Pokhara

The Nepalese are very friendly and smiling, pleasant to talk to; in general, I got the feeling that they are a very happy people.

The food is... tasty and varied, it usually has a lot of spices, but just ask for “no spice” (not spicy). You can have a bite of Nepalese snacks and try delicious lassi yoghurt right on the street. Momo and dal baht dumplings are the national dishes of Nepal.

By the way, about local time, which differs from Greenwich by 5 hours and 45 minutes. And everything is explained very simply: a long time ago, this small country tried to show its independence from its big neighbor India and for this purpose moved the time forward 10 minutes. But at the end of the twentieth century, the monarchs thought and decided to move away for another 5 minutes))

Another oddity in the design of many homes is the absence of glass; instead, there are only bars in the windows, and at the same time, there is no heating in the houses, it is not provided at all. Local residents wear jackets, warm pants and hats at home in winter, and even go to bed, still covered with a blanket. And then there’s the contrast of the residents who live in slums and don’t even have electricity... If the weather is cloudy, then the Nepalese have gatherings around the fires, which they light wherever they want - near the house, near the store, near their work... a really strange sight))

Well, how did our day go? We left very early, so we managed to avoid traffic jams on the way out. The distance between Kathmandu and Pokhara is 110 km along serpentine roads, and the drive takes at least 4-6 hours. The roads are narrow and busy, the drivers are real aces and milimitrons.

So we arrived in Pokhara - a warmer and more comfortable place, with a huge lake Phewa. How beautiful it is there. Taking two boats, we went to the island where tourists feed almost tame fish, as I once saw in Sofievka. Next, we were waiting for an exit on the other side directly into the local jungle with a climb to a Japanese Buddhist temple at an altitude of up to 300 meters, such a warm-up before tomorrow's exit to the mountains.

In general, I must say that the days fly by instantly, there are a lot of emotions, cool and cheerful guys, we joke and laugh a lot, while supporting each other. I noticed a trend: before lunch the sun is bright and hot, and almost every evening it rains, today with hail and lightning.

That's it, the resort is over...

In the morning we have breakfast in a wonderful place, next to an incredibly beautiful lake and mountains. And then we get into the jeeps and head out into the mountains.

Along the way I see how the roads are being repaired - a Nepalese is widening a hole with a hoe. Adding to the flavor, a walking cow is a sacred animal. No matter how busy the traffic is, they will go around it and wait. Car horns do not cause any reaction in her at all.

Arriving at a gas station, we are shown a mountain peak in the distance. This is Machapuchare - powerful, snow-covered, unrealistically tall, beautiful, majestic. I realized that she was calling me, a child woke up in me, that boy who conquered the mountains.

In the car I'm driving in, there are two porters (sherpas) in the back. These are people who carry huge trunks with things, sometimes up to 40 kg, this is slave labor. I saw with my own eyes how people are willing to risk their health while earning very little money. They are heroes in my eyes and even more so for their family. I’m attaching a photo with them, but let’s just say that the guys were used to heights and were probably very uncomfortable below, one of them didn’t care at all (sickness), but when we drove onto the mountain road, I forgot about what was happening behind me in the third row. The road is narrow, how two cars warm up is unimaginable to me, and the mountain road is not an obstacle to driving a car in the style of Schumacher or Raikonnen, overtaking buses and trucks. Extreme, scary, but at some point you start to like it.

I photograph our lake with every turn of the serpentine road. Then the lake became very small, the color changed, villages, mountain rivers, rice fields, well, like fields - a smooth cascade carved into the rock, which from below looks like beautiful natural steps

We disembark from the jeeps quite high. After listening to the instructions on walking with poles, by the way, it really makes it easier to go up and even when descending, we go up. Our first segment is called "1000 steps". Of course, it feels like there are many times more of them)))

The entire path is laid out with smooth, relatively regular steps made of flat stones. The whole trail! Nepalese people are incredibly hardworking. I was surprised that many villages live at different altitudes, even if there are several houses, but they live, everywhere there is a house with beds, a dining room or a cafe, some even provide Wi-Fi, a hot shower ($2), boiling water ($1.5) per liter. Suspension bridges made of iron or even concrete, a cliff or a waterfall beneath you, just a mountain river, I understand why people fall in love with mountains. We take a relatively high tempo. The instructor is surprised at our speed, which is pleasant, because it rains in the evenings, and we have a chance to walk on dry ground...

Damn, I wrote and wrote, I wrote so much, and still write and write. Then I reduced it to a minimum, and now I regret it. A new emotion erases the old one, about eagles circling above us, children asking for candy... Even they know English! God, I swear to learn it perfectly.

First night in the mountains

Let's go, cloudy weather, the sun is not shining, you are with a backpack, someone is wearing boots, there is a feeling of the proximity of rain. And so it happened, everyone got out and wrapped themselves in raincoats. You can walk, but it quickly gets hot, but your backpack and clothes remained dry, but you were less lucky with your shoes.

Our first overnight stay looked like a building similar to the houses of a pioneer camp and, by the way, the same colors. The room consists of 2 beds separated by a narrow passage, a window and thin plywood partitions. Very good for an overnight stay.

It’s raining outside, in this “cottage” it’s no more than 10-12 degrees, a little cold. Downstairs in the dining room there is a potbelly stove - the only way to dry your shoes. The sleeping bag is wet, the porter backpack is leaking moisture, the sneakers are wet... I turn on, look for firewood, and now it’s warm and even hot, nothing more is needed to be happy at the moment.

Nearby is a group of grateful aunties and rather frozen aunties over 60. A little later I find out that women from Norway, on the track, albeit shorter than ours, are celebrating a friend’s birthday today. She is 69 years old! Since I was the main stoker, I got a piece of the birthday cake. But I refused beer; there is no need for such risks in the mountains.

There was also a company from Austria and Japan, and everyone spoke and understood English well. I was steamed by the stove and I was so happy. The rest of the evening was spent in intimate conversations with their group, all very cool guys, three of them are IT specialists: Artyom is a former nuclear engineer, Zhenya is an ardent fan of Liverpool, Alexandra is an analyst for an international company (after Nepal she flies to Myanmar to visit friends for a week), Nadya is a top manager of a large liquor factory, has been to all the CIS republics, and a dozen different countries, Alexey from Sevastopol, who risked creating his own business seven years ago, Frequent hiker. Everyone is well-read, cheerful, lively - I was very lucky with the company. There is a kaleidoscope of events in my head and the first experience of sleeping in a sleeping bag lies ahead)

I understood the meaning of the phrase: only mountains are better than mountains.

We are in paradise, if it exists, then it probably looks exactly like this... In the morning the sky is very clear, as per schedule, intermediate peaks are visible, where we should be today, it immediately sounds incredible and unthinkable... having had breakfast, wishing good luck to yesterday's aunties, Sherpas, hospitable hosts and this wonderful place.

We set out, wear light clothes, the sun is on the horizon, today we are walking mainly through the forest, while I had no idea what awaits me... After yesterday, my calves hurt and my knees ached a little, my shoulders ached from the backpack, but with the first steps the symptoms of sore throat and fatigue went away.

There is beauty all around. Yes, it is clear that we are still at an altitude of 2500 and these are just mountainous hills, but how beautiful, how much greenery, unrealistically futuristic stone blocks, roots, vines or something similar. And the same path to the Emerald City made of “golden” brick. And of course, steps, steps, steps, bridges, waterfalls, lakes, I want to capture everything at the beginning, I fall behind, then I stop taking photos, then I just go enjoying myself, so I’ll convey the beauty in words.

The group is not slowing down, but things went a little wrong for our Sasha. She is an experienced hiker, but her ears are starting to get blocked and she is quickly losing strength. We stop with understanding, joke around, and the road doesn’t seem so difficult anymore. We are not alone at the distance, people and the majority are walking with a smile and greetings of all nationalities: namaste, hai, hello, halo, konichua.. Emotions are overflowing...

I can’t restrain my emotions, I scream, the experienced guys kindly envy my emotions, seeing for the first time, albeit from afar, a snow-covered cascade of eight-thousanders. The group arrives at the real mountain village of Ghorepani, with a market, a coffee shop and even a bookstore. We leave the path and go up again, Kirill is mysteriously silent, we go out onto the terrace, and there... although in the clouds, there is an unreal peak in the snow, one, two...

The first reaction is lack of air and I can’t say anything, shock... Then I scream, rejoice, hug, I’m still a child. We check into a panoramic room. Tomorrow morning there will be no clouds and clouds... and I can’t even imagine this sight...

We quickly have a snack and go on a radial hike 500 meters up (climbing without things to some point and returning to the base). Again there are a lot of steps, and we are above the mountains, higher and higher, how can I convey this?!

We come out onto a plateau, in the middle there is a giant metal structure - an observation deck, and mountains in the clouds are visible everywhere. Severe clouds are approaching us gloomily and frighteningly, soon it’s 17:00, and it’s either rain, downpour or even hail with lightning and strong wind. For the first time we dressed for winter, the piercing wind and low temperature. It’s a pity we won’t see the sunset, but the spectacle is incredible. How majestic the mountains are!

We see a new peak tomorrow, not yet snowy, but already over 3600, walking on almost bare stones and grass, without trees or shade. Tomorrow at 4:30 we return here to greet the sunrise, just for an hour. Many people come here just for this moment, so there will be a lot of people.

In the evening, according to the schedule, there is a squall, a blackening sky, rain, but we have a HOT shower in the hotel. After dinner we play Alias. How long has it been since I spent such a soulful time! Thank you, you are the best travel companions and just guys.

In the room, Dubar, without undressing, I dive into a bag, a blanket on top, a hat on my head, someone recently wrote about the life of the Nepalese, now I’m like that myself...

I'm all excited

The sleep is not restful, no matter how you oversleep. It’s cold, but I don’t unroll my sleeping bag, I keep warm under two blankets. I look back, in the window I see the unimaginable...darkness, and the mountains are illuminated with a bluish tint. The photo doesn’t come out, it still doesn’t convey anything... I’ll probably dream about it often, a picture of a different reality.

I don’t remember how I fell asleep, in my sleep I hear Lekha’s voice - “Dimon, I think everyone is already getting ready...”. It’s pitch dark outside and only the mountains are illuminated. It’s already five o’clock, I quickly get dressed and go out, a whole snake of people with headlamps. Firefly path. Reminded me of the Easter movement.

We climb the already familiar (but this does not make it any easier) climb. This time we are not at full strength - Lyokha complains of pain in her knees, and Sasha has not recovered from yesterday.

It gets light very quickly, but you can’t walk faster, you lose your breath and start sweating more, and at the top there is a decent wind and it’s fresh... It’s just a gathering of incredibly happy people here! Tripods are set up, the areas for the best shot are relatively occupied... It’s already quite light, but the sun is not yet visible, and then gradually the peaks are illuminated by sunlight, at some point a radiance appeared in the form of rays. I try unsuccessfully to photograph it, and then I just watch and enjoy it.

There are Norwegians nearby again - a family, two children, an older girl and a boy. Exactly the same age as mine. And how I wanted them to see it. I understand that dragging them to the mountains is pointless. For that family, it’s probably just a way of life... The children are smiling, laughing, happy.

I see a woman with binoculars, I throw away my shyness and rush towards her. She is very friendly - a Polish woman living in Germany. Phewhh, it took my breath away, I can’t breathe while I’m watching. I look at the peaks as if I were already there. This is an incredible sight, the universe is powerful, the huge sun and no less majestic mountains.

I can’t convey my emotions, but I feel a crazy uplift and a state of absolute happiness; a long-forgotten feeling of total childhood joy, fullness and love flows inside, when you can’t breathe enough. It’s so simple - just take responsibility for everything that happens in your life. Stop blaming anyone for anything you lack and realize that there is no reason why your life cannot be wonderful right now, because everything is perfect and the world has always smiled on you and was waiting for you to get it.

Avalanche. It became truly scary.

We are getting closer and closer, today there are a lot of suspended metal bridges on the way, nature is becoming more beautiful and unusual. A difficult and long climb to the top, the group was divided into those who wanted to go faster and those for whom it was a little difficult, and I was with some, then with others. There are a lot of people, 90% of them are foreigners, who smile from ear to ear and always say hello. I notice a lot of older people, very rarely, but there are children...

Often, when entering some mini-village, we meet domestic animals, such as lambs or sheep, puppies and adult dogs, by the way, the latter all look the same. And it’s so cool, they are completely tame... And there are a lot of children.

Our last pass for today. The path leads to a semi-destroyed bridge near a waterfall or, shorter, along stones through a stream of water. Everyone takes the shortcut across the river, and I go take a photo of the bridge. I’m going up, it’s beautiful, but I understand that it will be very difficult to get down with a loaded backpack. But I don’t want to go back, I don’t have much strength, so I try to go down. The brain screams - “Dude, you're crazy!” My leg slips and I fly down, miraculously falling into the water with my feet, and not my whole body or head. I was partially saved by sticks, my sneakers were completely wet, I twisted my ankle.

The first thought is, well, you’re already a grown guy... Then an understanding comes, but how to move on?! Who will work with me, I still go through the pain, somehow I even manage to catch my own pace, albeit among those lagging behind. But there is beauty all around and I forget about everything. We walk over a cliff, and in the same beautiful forest, stone steps, happy tourists returning back.

We had a break, the sun came out as ordered. While we eat, the shoes dry, and we receive instructions, because... We are approaching an avalanche area. Are we listening to an unexpected noise, or a falling pebble, a harbinger of an avalanche? There is no point in running away, it is useless. If you manage to jump under a large block of stone, there is a chance. You need to cover your face with your hands and curl up, unfastening your backpack and poles. If someone does get caught in an avalanche, the person walking next to them must keep their eyes open to indicate a landmark. Well, in general, everyone understands that there is no chance, the risk lies only with us. After listening to all this, it doesn’t become particularly scary, it’s just like, well, there are avalanches and it’s dangerous)

Let's go, traces of avalanches and remnants of snow, I ask you to take a photo of me. Then it’s just a layer cut off as if by a huge bulldozer... I walk on my own, lagging behind the group, but I’m not limping, which makes me happy.

I meet a girl, she’s from Shanghai, she’s never even heard of Ukraine. Her boyfriend went ahead, we walked together for some time, asking her to take photographs that, in my opinion, were worthy of being captured. I’m catching up with the group, we see on the right side where water is falling from the mountains, a huge amount of snow, the remains of an avalanche, but it’s far away, although it’s already uneasy. And behind the cave we see a picture, our entire path is completely under a huge layer of snow, on the way of which there are no trees or stones, and the edge in width is not visible, probably a hundred meters wide and you have to walk through the snow, on which a kind of path is trampled, your feet fall through and it is very slippery, and from below there is a cliff into the open space. You are truly scared, this is a huge mass and force that is impossible to cope with. According to the instructions, we break up one at a time at a distance of 20-30 meters, try to run through a dangerous area, the pulse is accelerated, really motor-like. Damn, you're so close to the possible end...

Mountain, you can be so ominous, the snow is mixed with stones, mud, it is very dense and heavy, not quite like what we are used to seeing at home in winter. On top of everything else, we are in clouds and clouds, sometimes like a hedgehog in the fog, visibility is not great at all, there is a strong wind. You are trying to run, not seeing much where, only trusting the path of footprints, the adrenaline is going through the roof for everyone. We got through, but everywhere we could see traces of destruction, the remains of trees, slightly smaller slides and volumes of snow mass.

We reach the village, it’s already quite cold and it’s started to rain, we have no strength and probably not even emotions. Everyone is silent, it’s not usual, we usually joke and laugh a lot. We ask a local how long ago this monster disappeared, he says a month ago, probably this is the one that the guide wrote to us about before leaving...

We check into a room with 10 beds, the door and windows are conditional. But even though it’s raining, there are clouds in which we actually find ourselves, the view is beautiful, opposite the mountain in partly snowy places, a huge stream of water falls from the mountain, and outside our windows there is a mountain river with waterfalls. True, above our village everything is in the aftermath of an avalanche, water rushes right from under the thickness of the snow.

We are eating, a guy from Tomsk comes up to us, he says he wanted not to stop here, but to run to the intermediate point in front of the climbers’ camp on Annapurna, but he says the path across the bridge no longer exists, everything is under thick snow, it’s probably the avalanche that took lives and destroyed the camp... we are planning to go around tomorrow at dawn. I just want to lie down and sleep, it’s cold, it’s raining, there are clouds, this snow is dirty and scary all around (now I have a different attitude towards it), emotions, my leg hurts... But you can’t sleep until the evening... because in daytime sleep there is a maximum risk of getting a miner. This is the mountain sickness that causes evacuations, lack of oxygen, when you are slow to think and lose all your strength, the clock is ticking. Kirill told how after 6000 meters (we won’t be there) a simple state of autopilot sets in, for almost everyone. Any unnecessary movement takes away strength and remaining energy, as well as oxygen starvation, and these “crazy” climbers in this state rush to the very top, knowing at the same time that they may not all return...

The mountain still calls me, and I go, but I already know how cruel and menacing it can be...

In the snow

We leave without breakfast, the section is difficult, we need to make it before the rain. The second point is adaptation to the altitude, because we climb almost 1000 meters up. Finally, we take out winter things, crampons, shoe covers... The path along a large and strong waterfall, we move up, not quickly with stops. I can’t imagine how to get there without cats and not slide into a cliff. I meet different people with different equipment, which means it’s possible. The helicopters are no longer flying somewhere high up there, but almost at the level with us. It’s impressive, you’re walking and on the right, such a colossus flies along the gorge.

The path is incredibly beautiful, the snow-capped peaks are very close all around, they are divine and impossibly majestic. We approach our stopping place (Machapuchare base camp) and finally have breakfast. It's 9 am.

The program is as follows: we must go on a radial (without things) to the Annapurna base camp, stay at altitude and go down to adapt, and tomorrow at 4 am go to Annapurna again, meet the most beautiful, main sunrise, which attracts people from all over the world. The ascent is completely on snow and at a good upward angle. We have to gain another 500 meters, there are these magical peaks around, and we are like in a well, getting out into the light.

It’s getting more and more difficult to walk, the snow is loose, your legs are falling through. The eyes are covered with glasses, it is impossible to take them off, the eyes immediately go blind. Clouds are gathering around, 10 o’clock is too late for these altitudes, for a clear sky, but we need to go anyway... We meet a helipad, a helicopter descends right in front of my eyes, I’m filming, I’m ecstatic, fascinated...

I feel a lack of oxygen, my head hurts a little, from constantly falling into the snow, my legs get tired quickly, and I’m also worried about a stupid injury... I’m walking, the sun has risen, it’s very hot, but I can’t undress, after all, there’s wind and sun. Some 500 meters, but we’ve been walking for the second hour and the camp is not visible. I imagine myself as a participant in a polar expedition and it energizes me so much, I don’t understand where the strength comes from. The entire right side is covered in avalanche slides, but somehow they end before our “trail”. Just footprints in the snow and therefore not scary at all.

Now we are completely in the clouds, at a height and we won’t see anything there, but it’s not scary, tomorrow we’ll meet the sunrise here and make up for everything... I’m going strong-willed, my head hurts a little when we see flags, a life-saving sign with a mark of 4180, this means we’re almost at the goal, take pictures with the whole group and get to the camp... or rather, what’s left of it. The Nepalese spring is harsh these days.

We're there

We climb the steps to Base Camp and a sad picture appears before us. Everything was destroyed, in the houses there were remains of an avalanche, roofs and walls were toppled, if the camp had been filled with people, I can’t imagine who could have survived... We ask when and how it happened... A month ago, no one died, because it snowed for two weeks and no one was allowed even to an altitude of 3200.

Everything is in the clouds and we don’t see anything, we walk past the ruins, we approach memorial plaques and monuments to climbers... Surely many have seen the film “Everest”, and so here is one of the most famous plaques and a bust dedicated to Anatoly Boukreev. In 1996, he worked as a guide on Scott Fisher's American Mountain Madness expedition, which climbed Everest with Robert Hall's New Zealand Adventure Consultants expedition. During the descent, part of both groups of amateur climbers got stuck at an altitude of 7,900 m, caught in a severe snowstorm. As a result, five people died, including both leaders. However, there could have been more victims if not for the brave act of Anatoly Bukreev. He alone saved three dying people at night in a snowstorm with zero visibility, he was healthy enough to bring them oxygen cylinders and lower them one by one from the top, but no one went!

But the most difficult thing for him was the choice of whom he would help survive and who he would have to leave behind. I was worried about a Japanese woman from another group who died there. He explained that if he rose again, he would not return himself. I was so tormented by the death of people that I didn’t have enough strength anymore. Then his friend Scott Fisher died. A year later, Tolya found his body, took the ice ax and handed it to his little son.

He said about Western climbers: “They never take risks. They have a credit card, a bank account, a house in California or on the islands somewhere. In the mountains you need to depend only on yourself, on your own strength, so expecting that someone will help at high altitude is immoral.” He died on December 25, 1997 at the top of Annapurna, caught in an avalanche (where we are now). This was his 12th eight-thousander, on which he remained to rest forever. And at the foot of the mountain there is a small monument on which are inscribed the words belonging to the climber: “Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambitions, they are temples where I practice my religion.”

We are shown where the view of all eight-thousanders opens up; we are separated by a cut 200 meters deep, in which a glacier and stones are constantly falling, ice is cracking and breaking off. This is how the mountain talks to us, this is the starting path for a mountain climb, the so-called road of death, on which Bukreev died, but we will see this only tomorrow.

Dawn over Annapurna

I hardly sleep at night, because we leave at 4 am, and I was so looking forward to this moment. Alarm clock, I get up and immediately put on the things I prepared from the evening, bundle up like a cabbage, put on a flashlight, there is already a decent rut of fireflies on the street, everyone is rushing to be in time for dawn, the climax. It’s easy to walk, the snow is frozen, it’s not cold while walking, there’s no wind.

We get there in an incredible 1-20, there are a lot of people, but it’s comfortable, I meet our New Zealand neighbors, a couple from New York, a companion from Shanghai. It is getting light very quickly, before us are incredible giant snow-capped peaks, almost all of those same mercilessly taking lives and giving emotions, forever taking the heart and peace without them. The feeling is that it’s not difficult to climb up, probably climbers starting from here also think so?!

How can one convey beauty, how breathtaking, greatness and some kind of magical attraction, a call to the top?! The mountains say they have a very changeable mood, one second it is open and sparkling with its snow-white outfits, and then clouds roll in and nothing is visible, or it snows or, even worse, it rains... It is here, among the majestic mountains, valleys and rivers, that you can truly listen to your inner world and enjoy unity with the original nature...

The dawn is beautiful, first pink, then yellow, everything spreads in the rays. No camera can ever capture this, it can only be seen and felt. We rose the highest, trusting the guide, we walked along a snowy carpet, we reached a cliff, a destroyed camp, everyone turned into tiny silhouettes. We are alone, although no, with us is the same dog who is the same everywhere. He feels great with us, he willingly poses even in a group photo.

I climb the rock, look at the glaciers, at the peaks. The mountain is telling me something, then a bird flying by to my thought, the second by a shower of stones somewhere in the distance, then I don’t understand where the breeze is coming from, in the sun it becomes good, it’s so calm inside, it’s safe with them. Where to rush and why?! This is what it's like to be in the moment, here and now. I would probably sit like that for an eternity.

Going down

After breakfast, we go out. The snow is melting into porridge again, but we are moving at a good pace. We meet the crazy eyes of the “newcomers”, again I see older people, whole families, greetings in many languages, we are impressed by what we see, walking is both difficult and easy. I am free and this makes me incredibly happy, my whole life is in my imagination, episodes of people, it’s so easy to come to this moment. Or is it their influence? Are they all mountains?

How did I not notice then that with every pass there is a new nature? Weather, air and even the color of a mountain river. The latter is either emerald crystal or thick milky. The fairy-tale forest gives way to the steppe, or solid boulders through which it’s no longer difficult for you to walk, you almost can’t get your camera out.

Behind the snow is the steppe, we undress. Forest, up, down, an avalanche (its remains are huge), but you are already calmly passing through, not running anywhere, not breaking up into groups...

A Nepalese man carrying three huge wooden beams brings us back to reality; he is bent and walking along the edge of the path. One wrong move... just wind or cloudiness, and there is a cliff with no visible bottom. How and most importantly why?! Maybe we are already the happiest, if only because we don’t have to do this. We passed our last night and the night before last, so pleasant and unusual, we felt like a hero to ourselves, returning from some great battle.

Nepalese tapping greens onto salad with a hammer)). We stopped, we ate, we walked, we were each silent about our own things, and no matter how far and how far we walked, behind them were the white powerful peaks. We meet a group of monkeys - unusual, funny and incredibly dexterous... There are many bridges, steps, but it’s not difficult for me, up, down... where does the strength come from? Some kind of magic... I eat a chocolate croissant, in one of the large villages, ten houses, a magical taste...

Schoolchildren from Europe...how cool, they flew to Nepal on a hike, lucky ones.

The last night in the mountains awaits us and as a reward, hot springs, so we go easily and in anticipation... Cool overnight stay in Bambu, surrounded by mountains, a river and green meadow grass. We are in the forest itself, there is a hot shower and an unreal view!

We're in heaven

Radial road down to the hot spring... A beautiful stepped path descends to a mountain milk river, but with a crazy current. There are 3 swimming pools with thermal hot springs right on the shore, we choose the far one, with a convenient entrance to the river... Like a reward, bliss, such a thrill. The first, steamed, I climb into the river. I was almost carried away, and then the slippers. There are rocks at the bottom, but for the second time I climbed barefoot, then Kirill and the rest of the guys... Still, happiness is probably always with us, we just need to leave our comfort zone, acquire goals and forget the words: I won’t succeed, not now, it’s difficult.

See you soon, Nepal

The end of an incredibly exciting journey, getting to know the mountains and myself, people, situations and just moments. All emotions will stay with me forever, I gained experience, friends, communication skills, rethought many life situations and moments, got to know my Facebook and “real” surroundings a little better. Thank you guys for the feedback, who was with me, who was able and shared the joy, I also thank those who did not consider it necessary. To acquire something new, you need to give up something that doesn’t work, something old that simply takes the place of something bright, perhaps not entirely simple, but certainly allowing you to move forward... (my next and new experiment)

Return to Kathmandu, dusty, with crazy traffic, a constant offer to smoke, the color of tourists and locals, thousands of shopping shops, cafes, and just corners for eating. How great it is that you exist, giving you a chance to compare and appreciate what you have.

The final dinner in an atmospheric, cozy place with always live music, and I immediately remember our first evening. It's like it was yesterday. I'm eating steak. After two weeks of mountain cuisine, everything is delicious. Probably everyone has a lot of emotions, impressions, some kind of fatigue, maybe a little sadness about the last day in our wonderful company of completely different people, and the conversation does not immediately come to life. Our guide surprises you with pleasant gifts, including such a memorable and personal certificate about overcoming the route to Annapurna Base Camp. I want to say, you guys are all super cool, the girls are just smart, they passed all the tests with dignity, no worse than the guys.

Special admiration for our guide. Kirill, you are busy with a very useful and wonderful thing, and most importantly, you are in the right place: all the routes, overnight stays, games, new information and simply your participation in the life of the group. Now there are new countries, emotions, people and adventures ahead, as well as a “slightly” new look at the existing reality with all its joys and difficulties. I am happy, which means my family, friends, and just the people around me and communicating with me are happy. The world is incredible and very kind to us. Mountains, you are in my heart. See you soon.

Dmitry Budyonny, Sumy, April 2019.