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Show The Salt I at1 Tribune S'lndn r! priJ The Siren Call of Mount Everest Turns New Yorker Into Trekkie Because it's there" Editor's Notesurely doesn't always explain why people climb mountains, especially Himalayan mountains Here s a report by Associated Press Writer Joan Cirillo on her vacation tre to Nepal, in which she describes how a New York urban climber wound up beating the path to Mount Everest By Joan Cinllo Associated Press Writer Freddie KATMANDU, Nepal tha self proclaimed Bowles, ' Bartender Bard of Katmandu," stood behind the Malla Hotel har mixing a rum potion He has served Queen Elizabeth, Tito and Chou En lai in his 50 years as barkeep This day, he was mixing a brew for two Americans embarking on an expedition in the nearby Himalayan Mountains "This is my gift to mankind, he says with a reassuring wink as he meticulously pours rum, spices, honey and lemon into an empty bottle "I developed it after many months of meditation in the mountains," Twenty minutes later, he hands over the mixture with the promise that it would cure any cold, soothe any muscle ache, and remedy any ill that could befall novice mountain climbers the likes of myself and Roger, my husband Nepalese Punch ( owles, the first Englishman to be named a Nepalese citizen, had bid farewell to many a Himalayan wanderer, so when he guaranteed his Nepalese Punch would serve us well, 1 tucked the bottle under and my arm believed him. J wanted all the help I could get Only a month earlier, presented with an unexpected vacation, we had decided to join the ranks of those vacationers who strain muscles and stretch themselves to! unknown limits in search of the unusual. Seasoned backpackers and campers, we were not. But we couldn't resist wfren we opened a travel brochure cdllecting dust in our Manhattan apart-mieand found a y trip to the kingdom of Nepal that coincided with oir winter vacation. jAn Albany, Calif., "adventure trek travel" agency offered a y (essentially backpacking) in the Khum-bi- i Valley, the region south of Mount Ei'erest, to explore the villages, monasteries and homes of the Sherpas Tibetans who long ago migrated south to the region, j Hippie Mecca The days before and after the trek Malla would be spent in the first-clas- s Hotel for tours of the shrines and narrow streets of the Nepalese capital, hippie mecca of the 50s and 60s for its once available and now illegal marijuana and hashish. In Katmandu, we were met by trek leader Scot Macbeth, a feisty San Franciscan and geologist, and spent our first few days exploring the city, discussing our route and meeting the 11 others in the group. bur biggest fear keeping pace with hdrd-cor- e dissolmountain climbers ved when we learned that ho one was oijt to scale Everest. All Americans but for one Canadian, the three other women and seven men ranged in age from their mid 20s to late 50s, and included three scientists, two businessmen, a publisher, artist, interior designer, political consultant, and, much to everyones relief, a doctor The plan was to fly to Lukla, 35 minutes east of Katmandu, and take the narrow mountain trails leading to Everest Base Camp, a route attracting trekkcrs ever since Nopal opened its dixirs in 1950 We would head north along the Dudh Kosi River to Namche Bazar, the chief administrative village of the region, west to Thami to visit a monastery, east to a typical Sherpa village, Khumjung, and northeast to Thyangboche Monastery, among the Khumbus oldest and most ornate Form there, we would continue north for two days toward "the roof of the Mount Everest, before retracW'orld, ing our steps to Lukla Off to Everest We arrived in Lukla via a plane to find temperatures and clear skies, typical of Norbu, the the days ahead Sherpa sirdar, or leader, and the Sherpas greeted us in the village of terraced farmland, loaded up our gear, and we were off We soon realized that the Khumbu was Scot's second home. A short, solidly built fellow who was fond of partying, he was on his 14th trip to the valley and often stopped to dnnk chang, the local beer of fermented nee, with old fnends along the way. Between Scot and the Sherpa guides, all of whom spoke English, we quickly learned the ways of this agrarian, cattle-raisinsociety where electricity, running water and transport by anything other than foot or yak was foreign. Our guides became our protectors in camp and on the trail, proving why Sherpas had excelled on the Everest expeditions and subsequently cornered the market on trekkers Our Alarm Clocks our alarm clocks, daily were They appearing at our tents at 6 a m. with a "Good Morning sahib, and a cup of heavy on the milk and "Sherpa tea" sugar. They brought us our wash water, made and broke camp m the clearings and fields along our way and served our 11am. brunches of eggs, cheese, bread and fruit; afternoon tea and crackers; and our Western-styl- e dinners of fresh vegetables, buffalo meat or poultry the local crop. and, always, potatoes In camp, they kept to themselves but on the rocky and vertical trails, we often joked about Sherpa time (half of what it would take Americans to trek) and my post at the back of the pack. We learned to accept the December morning frost on the tent and overnight weather readings from Ellie and Bob, scientists from Connecticut. And, we were forced to develop a sense of humor, laughing at unforeseen accidents, like the time Ellie fell into the latrine hole. The nighttime trips to the latrine and r hi V A g by this Buddhist shrine on the trail beneath Am a Dablam. Mountain is consid The blend of religion and natural beauty in the Himalayan countryside exemplified sleeping on frozen ground for 10 hours They easily ran up hills, the weight of our kitchen gear piled, Sherpa style, in at a stretch were our biggest hurdles. wicker baskets on their backs. I found the only advantage to leaving the tent at night was seeing the We grew accustomed to passing these d Himalayan sky, with friendly people with high cheekbones d shadows and mountains and red cheeks and returing their looming over the campsite. I rarely greeting of hello (namaste) or pulling lingered, though, hurried by the frigid out the Nepali word lists Scot had given air and the thought of the legendary us for some conversation. We were creature often trailed by Sherpa merchants Yeti, the mysterious ape-lik- e also known as the Abominable Snowselling praryer wheels, turquoise and man, said to dwell in the remote regions coral, chang bottles and other local of the Himalayas. goods and sought after by children Hardships Worthwhile asking for, what else, but candy. And despite the influx of westerners But exploring a countryside unmarwho had left their jeans, sneakers red by utility poles and modem civilizaand cardigan sweaters for the Sherpas tion, seeing the world's highest mounwe tains and spectacular glacial boulders, to mix with traditional dress and experiencing a new culture made found the Sherpas intense devotion to Buddhism and its daily rituals unthe hardships worthwhile. By now, we all understood Scot's changed. respect for the Sherpas and their Prayer flags and mani (prayer) walls stones or glacial boulders inscribed difficult way of life. Our Sherpani with prayer words decorated the (female) porters, dressed in the traditional long black robes with colorful seemingly endless chain of forested mountams and valleys on the route, striped aprons and ornate silver buckeven in the bleaker and more isolated les, heavy necklaces and earrings, typified the hearty mountain spirit. terrain near Everest. star-studde- snow-covere- ered sacred by Sherpas. Hikers can travel two days from here to Mount Everest. Lhakpa, when at home, followed the Sherpa custom of worshipping in his own shrine room and, when on the trail, never failed to kneel before the golden statues of Buddha at monasteries. The Sherpas often chanted prayers as they took down tents or guided us along the trails. Home Cooking And yet, despite Lhakpas traditional ways, he always knew when and how to encourage his Western charges. Once, when we were at our lowest, he pitched our tents in the potato field beside his home in Khumjumg and invited us to take our meals in his home. His was typical of the Sherpa two-stor- y house with its narrow stairway manger to leading from a ground-floo- r the second-floo- r living quarters. There we ate in the open loftlike main room, its walls lined with enormous brass and copper pots, its kitchen an open hearth. Much to Scots delight, Lhakpas family served us chang, insisting we down the traditional three glasses, and even then, continuing to provide generous refills. Chang was also in abundance when, on the way back to Lukla, we stopped again at Lhakpas home for a farewell party. Sixty men, women and children, including the village elders, joined in the festivities as we ate local foods and linked including raw yak meat arms with Sherpas for Nepali dancing. It was with mixed feelings that we finally said our goodbyes and headed back for what now seemed the extravagant (but admittedly welcomed) Malla Hotel. We had trekked 50 miles to within two days of Everest Base Camp; climbed from 9,250 feet to 13,567 feet and one day picked our way up a trailless 17,000-foo- t mountain for views of Everest and adjoining peaks. We also had developed colds and various digestive and skin disorders including flea bites when we stopped in at a Sherpa teahouse. But with each day, Roger and I found I ourselves getting more conditioned and were dropped eight pounds amazed at the ease with which we did without the basic conveniences we westerners take for granted. Save 30 to 40 on our Distinguished Solid Brass Collection OapoCosti-Q- S dDoapaoiiG Classic Designs by Imperial Now at Savings of $60-$80 Our Factory Low Prices are Now Lower! Prices are slashed to Sell All Cancelled Orders, Repossessions, Discontinued Fabrics, Floor Models, Odds and Ends. 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