Thank you for sharing your adventure, I went to Nepal (ordinary Annapurna circuit) some years ago and I can try to imagine a little bit of your suffering up there. I agree with your final considerations, it must have been a rather awful feeling while on the trail but the happy ending brings another light to it. You will be able to tell your grandchildren that people still care about one another in a small country known as Nepal.
Yes, it was a relief to escape this ordeal relatively unscathed. For the first time in all my years in the mountains, I thought there was a finite chance that I could have been a "goner" here. One decent dump of snow would have done it....
and nicely written with plenty of interesting detail. This is a front page TR waiting to happen. Observation: there had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted. I'm wondering what more people want out of a TR. Great job.
Many thanks MI - also for the very accurate observation re TR's.
As a community, we've had much previous discussion on SP re the importance of TR's versus Mountain versus Route pages etc and the Elves have done their level best to address this issue.
Bottom line; if a TR doesn't make TR of the week, it probably doesn't get the attention it deserves - and a lot of excellent pages are overlooked because of it. This, I guess, is the price we all have to accept as the consequence of the huge volume of outstanding work on the site.
The system ain't perfect but it's still a damned good one. SP is still the best mountaineering web community around.
there had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted.
Not to get off topic, but hits aren't all they are cracked up to be. For example, everytime you want to view a photo page (by clicking) as you read the report, and then push the back button, it logs another hit. Reading the report plus clicking on the photos as you go along is going to log multiple hits for the trip report. It's a sure bet that 113 hits didn't come from 113 different people. It's easy to log 10 hits a person just by browsing through some of the photos and then going back to the report.
"there had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted."
I'll do some advertisement for this rare (considering the route) and thrilling article ;-)
Another point: It would be very interesting if you also mark the route on this picture:
http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=362707&context_id=362627
...as the dotted lines on the map and esp. the map itself are not too accurate about the crucial, final Meters of the pass.
Thanks for the nice words and the offer to help with exposure of my TR. It seems to be doing OK by itself at the moment - but by all means tell your buddies that you think might enjoy it.
Regarding the map. Yes, it's not a very good one. It was the best I could get in KTM given the limited distance I could hobble from my hotel. Nevertheless it gives the reader a good idea of the overall route taken which was my sole intention. Fine details regarding the route probably belong on a route page rather than a TR.
The paths we took are not all on the map - nor, for that matter, on the so-called "accurate" map published in Germany, which doesn't even give the local declination that enables the user to convert magnetic to true bearings. Probably no published data would allow the trekker to make this journey alone, without the knowledge of someone like Krishna or Chandra.
Regarding the final route up to the pass; I think this is also within the aegis of a route page rather than a TR. I don't want to annotate the photo but can describe the route as follows.
Looking at this photo you can see the key ramp as a line beginning just below the lowest snow on the lhs and heading to the right directly towards the prominent gendarme on the skyline. The pass is to the right of this feature but the exact route to it I can't describe because we didn't get that far. The injury site was approximately half way up the ramp almost exactly in the centre of the shot.
Thanks Ivona. The bridges were certainly interesting. I didn't have room in the TR to include some close-ups I took. Some planks completely missing and others replaced by bamboo poles. But the porters didn't seem worried - so we just followed them across.
Great report, it stirred up all sorts of thoughts for me. On my trips to Nepal I often wondered what would happen if someone suddenly got really ill or had an accident. We get very complacent in the West about unlimited support services at the end of a phone. The other thing is the selflessness of the Nepali crews, something also often sadly lacking in the "West". Wonderful report anyway, and I'm glad it has made its way to the front page.
Thanks John. Accurate comment re western complacency. I will never, ever, go into an area like this again without a sat. phone. If the group chooses not to take one, I will take one nevetheless.
Also pays to make sure that one's insurance is up to date and valid for this kind of extraction - remote and in difficult - visual rules only - flying territory. My insurance company were absolutely superb in the way they handled this situation. If any Canadian readers want details, PM me, I'll be happy to supply them.
is not lost in the "west." Great trip report, and excellent photos. My wife and I read it aloud this morning. Thanks for posting! Good luck with the knee injury.
Thanks fossana - and also for the good wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm getting there - already walking on flat ground for over an hour just 2 weeks post surgery.
this very well written and gripping story. Puts my current knee problems in perspective. Glad that it turned out as well as it did and hope that you fare better on your next trip.
Thanks for taking the time to share it!
Many thanks Bill - and hope you can put your own knee problems behind you. Tricky business knees. I had a trick knee for years that eventually required surgery - my first (right) medial meniscus tear. But this one came out of the blue - no symptoms, no warning not even a fall or slip. So you just never know. Always be ready for the worst is what I learned on this trip.
eza - Dec 5, 2007 9:37 am - Voted 10/10
What an experience!Thank you for sharing your adventure, I went to Nepal (ordinary Annapurna circuit) some years ago and I can try to imagine a little bit of your suffering up there. I agree with your final considerations, it must have been a rather awful feeling while on the trail but the happy ending brings another light to it. You will be able to tell your grandchildren that people still care about one another in a small country known as Nepal.
vancouver islander - Dec 5, 2007 2:53 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: What an experience!Sincere thanks eza.
Yes, it was a relief to escape this ordeal relatively unscathed. For the first time in all my years in the mountains, I thought there was a finite chance that I could have been a "goner" here. One decent dump of snow would have done it....
Augie Medina - Dec 5, 2007 1:34 pm - Voted 10/10
Fantastic Storyand nicely written with plenty of interesting detail. This is a front page TR waiting to happen. Observation: there had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted. I'm wondering what more people want out of a TR. Great job.
vancouver islander - Dec 5, 2007 2:34 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Fantastic StoryMany thanks MI - also for the very accurate observation re TR's.
As a community, we've had much previous discussion on SP re the importance of TR's versus Mountain versus Route pages etc and the Elves have done their level best to address this issue.
Bottom line; if a TR doesn't make TR of the week, it probably doesn't get the attention it deserves - and a lot of excellent pages are overlooked because of it. This, I guess, is the price we all have to accept as the consequence of the huge volume of outstanding work on the site.
The system ain't perfect but it's still a damned good one. SP is still the best mountaineering web community around.
Cheers,
Martin
Augie Medina - Dec 5, 2007 2:51 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Fantastic StoryI'm in total agreement with everything you said about SP. The high volume of outstanding work certainly defines it.
Augie
Scott - Dec 6, 2007 5:42 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Fantastic Storythere had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted.
Not to get off topic, but hits aren't all they are cracked up to be. For example, everytime you want to view a photo page (by clicking) as you read the report, and then push the back button, it logs another hit. Reading the report plus clicking on the photos as you go along is going to log multiple hits for the trip report. It's a sure bet that 113 hits didn't come from 113 different people. It's easy to log 10 hits a person just by browsing through some of the photos and then going back to the report.
Augie Medina - Dec 6, 2007 5:49 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Fantastic StoryScott,
Thanks for that reminder/clarification. That puts things in more perspective.
Augie
Flachlandtiroler - Dec 6, 2007 10:34 am - Voted 10/10
Great!"there had been 113 hits and only 12 votes at the time I voted."
I'll do some advertisement for this rare (considering the route) and thrilling article ;-)
Another point: It would be very interesting if you also mark the route on this picture:
http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=362707&context_id=362627
...as the dotted lines on the map and esp. the map itself are not too accurate about the crucial, final Meters of the pass.
Another Martin
vancouver islander - Dec 6, 2007 3:23 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great!Thanks for the nice words and the offer to help with exposure of my TR. It seems to be doing OK by itself at the moment - but by all means tell your buddies that you think might enjoy it.
Regarding the map. Yes, it's not a very good one. It was the best I could get in KTM given the limited distance I could hobble from my hotel. Nevertheless it gives the reader a good idea of the overall route taken which was my sole intention. Fine details regarding the route probably belong on a route page rather than a TR.
The paths we took are not all on the map - nor, for that matter, on the so-called "accurate" map published in Germany, which doesn't even give the local declination that enables the user to convert magnetic to true bearings. Probably no published data would allow the trekker to make this journey alone, without the knowledge of someone like Krishna or Chandra.
Regarding the final route up to the pass; I think this is also within the aegis of a route page rather than a TR. I don't want to annotate the photo but can describe the route as follows.
Looking at this photo you can see the key ramp as a line beginning just below the lowest snow on the lhs and heading to the right directly towards the prominent gendarme on the skyline. The pass is to the right of this feature but the exact route to it I can't describe because we didn't get that far. The injury site was approximately half way up the ramp almost exactly in the centre of the shot.
Hope this helps.
Martin
Ivona - Dec 8, 2007 6:29 am - Voted 10/10
thanks for interestingTR..beautiful area..Besides all those awesome views I like these river's bridges:))) crossing them must be very exciting!!
vancouver islander - Dec 8, 2007 3:25 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: thanks for interestingThanks Ivona. The bridges were certainly interesting. I didn't have room in the TR to include some close-ups I took. Some planks completely missing and others replaced by bamboo poles. But the porters didn't seem worried - so we just followed them across.
johnloguk - Dec 9, 2007 5:55 am - Voted 10/10
A Salutory ReminderGreat report, it stirred up all sorts of thoughts for me. On my trips to Nepal I often wondered what would happen if someone suddenly got really ill or had an accident. We get very complacent in the West about unlimited support services at the end of a phone. The other thing is the selflessness of the Nepali crews, something also often sadly lacking in the "West". Wonderful report anyway, and I'm glad it has made its way to the front page.
vancouver islander - Dec 9, 2007 2:43 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: A Salutory Reminder - and a lessonThanks John. Accurate comment re western complacency. I will never, ever, go into an area like this again without a sat. phone. If the group chooses not to take one, I will take one nevetheless.
Also pays to make sure that one's insurance is up to date and valid for this kind of extraction - remote and in difficult - visual rules only - flying territory. My insurance company were absolutely superb in the way they handled this situation. If any Canadian readers want details, PM me, I'll be happy to supply them.
mattnoland - Dec 9, 2007 7:53 am - Voted 10/10
selflessnessis not lost in the "west." Great trip report, and excellent photos. My wife and I read it aloud this morning. Thanks for posting! Good luck with the knee injury.
vancouver islander - Dec 9, 2007 2:47 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: selflessnessNot exactly lost in the west Matt - but considerably diluted compared to what I saw during this experience.
Many thanks for the nice words about my TR and for the good thoughts about my knee. I'll be back "out there" in no time, I'm sure.
Cheers,
Martin
fossana - Dec 9, 2007 11:30 am - Voted 10/10
wowamazing story and pics, thanks for sharing. speedy recovery
vancouver islander - Dec 9, 2007 2:49 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: wowThanks fossana - and also for the good wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm getting there - already walking on flat ground for over an hour just 2 weeks post surgery.
fossana - Dec 10, 2007 8:58 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: wowI feel your pain (7 weeks post-op for me). You'll be back in no time.
Bill Reed - Dec 9, 2007 3:49 pm - Voted 10/10
Thanks for postingthis very well written and gripping story. Puts my current knee problems in perspective. Glad that it turned out as well as it did and hope that you fare better on your next trip.
Thanks for taking the time to share it!
vancouver islander - Dec 10, 2007 12:18 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Thanks for postingMany thanks Bill - and hope you can put your own knee problems behind you. Tricky business knees. I had a trick knee for years that eventually required surgery - my first (right) medial meniscus tear. But this one came out of the blue - no symptoms, no warning not even a fall or slip. So you just never know. Always be ready for the worst is what I learned on this trip.
Cheers,
Martin