All
Pl don't post / comment on non mobile / tab postings here.
Harish Kotian
----- Original Message -----
From: "Parakh Rajesh" <rajeshparak...@gmail.com>
To: "Dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of
mobilephonesand Tabs. " <mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Mobile.AI] Himalayas are Accessible - The Climb of Mount
StokKangri height 6, 153 meter (20, 182 feet)
hai, i had also climbed djongri peak in himalayas along with vikram dalmia
and atul sahay way back in 1993, but that was only 13221 feet high.
congrajulations for this commendable achievement. this will surely encourage
people.
regards,
rajesh parakh.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Prasad Gurav" <prasadbgu...@gmail.com>
To: "Dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile
deviceslike phones and Tabs set up on November 15 2012."
<mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2013 10:14 AM
Subject: [Mobile.AI] Himalayas are Accessible - The Climb of Mount Stok
Kangri height 6, 153 meter (20, 182 feet)
Dear All,
Last October I did a good amount of trekking in the Himalayas and also
climbed a 20,000ft high mountain. Below is a article about this. A word
copy is also attached. If any one is interested in knowing more about the
subject or wishes to join me in future for such adventures contact me at
prasadbgu...@gmail.com or call me at 0982 13 39241.
Cheers
Prasad Gurav
*Himalayas are Accessible - The Climb of Mount Stok Kangri height **6,153
meter** (20,182 feet)***
It was close to eight in the morning. We had started from the base camp at
1 o’ clock in the night, climbing for almost 7 hours now, all night,
through sub-zero temperatures with hardly any stops for rest. During the
last one and half hour the route went along the edge of a narrow ridge,
with deep slopes rolling down thousands of meters on both sides. Due to
thin air at this height, we would stop from time to time to catch our
breath and trudge on again. Frequently I would ask my guide, how many steps
more. Luckily due to my long stay in Leh, I was well acclimatized and
enjoying the climb at that height. Sharif, a guide from another group was
walking closely behind, encouraging from time to time and singing gazals.
At last I heard the magic words, “The Summit is ten steps away” and as
Psang recorded the final steps, we were atop the summit of Stok Kangri,
which stands at a height of 6153 meter or 20,182 feet, almost two third the
height of Mount Everest. Whatever I could see through my partial hazy
vision was a spectacular and breathtaking sight, a 360 degree view of many
Himalayan snow capped ranges. One can see as far as Tibet on one side,
Karakoram on the other and many Himalayan ranges. It was one of the
happiest moment of my life, a fulfilment of a long cherished dream. All the
fatigue, long marches over uneven rocky terrain, then over the slippery
glacier, nights spent in cold weather were things of past!
What went behind the scenes? Was it worth pursuing the dream of climbing a
Himalayan mountain, in spite of being challenged by Retinitis Pigmentosa,
which had left some useful central vision and a hazy distant vision in one
eye along with legs affected by blood clots due to Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Yes it was! It was not just about climbing a mountain, it was a lesson in
building an attitude to achieve what we dream of. So while sharing this
adventure, I have tried to draw parallels to achieving any goals we decide
upon, say a degree in education, that dream job, etc. I also hope this will
encourage many visually challenged like me to take up more outdoor
activities which we generally shy away from. This adventure definitely
doesn’t deserve any laurels as many disabled people have already climbed
this mountain and other challenging peaks.
*Dreaming and setting goals is important*
It was a dream I had cherished right from my child hood while first reading
the book about climbing Mt Everest, given to me by my uncle, Ramakant,
himself an avid mountaineer. This further lead to trekking and rock
climbing in the Sahyadris in the western Ghats during my college days,
which ultimately I gave up, when the vision loss started becoming severe.
I kept the fire burning with nature walks, easy treks and reading about
the subject. The inspiration to break free of the self-conceived
limitations, I had put for myself, due to my vision loss, came when I
stumbled upon an article about the BlindSight project – which involved the
attempt of Lhakpa Ri peak ( 23000 feet ) by the students of Braille Without
Borders School in Tibet, started by Sabriye Tenberken and Paul
Kronenberg. The expedition was led by Erik Weihenmayer, the famed blind
mountaineer who is the first blind person ever to climb Mount Everest.
Learning: Be passionate about your goals and dreams and keep them alive in
spite of circumstances you are currently in by reading, writing and being
engaged with activities connected to your goal. Our goals and dreams are
like the fuels that keep our life going!
*Blind can enjoy trekking in the mountains.*
Many of us must have dreamt of being up there in the snow capped mountains,
as close to nature as we can get, but our vision issues often hold us back.
Trekking is a sport that can help us to realize this dream. Partially
sighted or no vision, just being amidst the towering mountains, listening
to the gushing streams and rivers, hearing the orchestra of birds, charging
your lungs with super clean air, interacting with the humble mountain
people, experiencing the silence, getting to know the rich flora and fauna
around, you can experience unfathomable serenity and “feel” the beauty. In
my opinion we can enjoy more than a sighted person as we engage all our
senses acutely.
During trekking you tackle many a challenges and that builds up a lot of
confidence and goes up a long way in helping us to face challenges in real
life.
Learning: Your visual challenges need not hold you back from doing things
or walking the path which may seem impossible at first.
*Prepare, Prepare, Prepare*
I put in a lot of preparation to ensure a smooth climb. To test my legs and
breathing, I worked out at the local gym, mostly on an inclined treadmill
besides lifting weights. I did multi-day trekking in the Himalayas – The
Pindari Glacier trek in off season, to really improve co-ordination with my
trekking partner, my wife, Rupa and also to get a feel of trekking in the
snow and staying in sub-zero temperatures. A six day trek to Markha Valley
in Ladakh, which included crossing a pass over 17000 ft, helped to test how
it is to trek and sleep at high altitude. White cane training played a very
important role in the whole trip. The white cane guide posted by Jean
Parker on the Access India List was a good starting point. I can’t ever
forget the efforts put in by my White Cane Guru, Muffi Munshi, to help me
get hands on with the cane. The cane had to be replaced with the trekking
pole during the actual trek as many times I needed to put my whole weight
on it.
Learning: There is no alternative to preparations for making your journey
smooth.
*Learn to Trust*
We started from the base camp at 1 am in the night for the final attempt to
the summit. We were just one hour into the climb and Rupa, my wife, started
feeling dizzy, a sure sign of altitude sickness. She was unable to go on
and the only option for her was to return back to the base camp. It was a
very critical moment. All this time, right from our earlier Pindari and the
Markha Valley Treks, she had been a very reliable trekking partner and we
had developed an excellent coordination. Due to many a techniques we had
developed over time. I used to hold the strap of her bag for orientation
and she constantly used to give instructions. We had our own code language
like single file – to walk exactly behind her as the trail was too narrow,
double file- walk side by side, step up, step down, a walk in the park-
meant I can walk freely using my cane as there is no danger of falling off
in some valley. Additionally it was the first time we were trekking in the
night and though it was full moon and we had head torches, for a night
blind person like me it was walking in total darkness. Rupa climbed down to
the base camp and I was left with Psang, our guide who I was depending on
for the first time to lead me. Hence the thought of climbing ahead with a
totally new trekking guide and that too at the most critical summit attempt
initially put me in a spot. I had no option but to trust him. I explained
to him about the techniques and commands. Psang guided me very nicely, with
very detailed instructions on stepping up and down, keeping close to the
mountain side etc., making the summit attempt a success.
Learning: Many a times we create a comfort zone around us but it is
important to trust people beyond our comfort zone.
*There will be people who will deter you*
After meeting our guide Psang at the Stok village, we started for the first
camp at Mankarmo. We were doing this trek independently- myself, my wife
Rupa and our guide Psang, and were carrying our entire luggage. There
hadn’t been much preparation in the last two weeks and even though the
climb was gentle we were easily tired. The distance which was to be covered
in 3 hours took us 5 hours. Though it was normal for me to take more time
than a sighted trekker, due to my visual problem, the fact that we were
carrying heavy sleeping bags made it worse. Seeing my visual problems and
the sloppy speed, Psang was very sceptical about whether we could do the
summit. It was the first time he was guiding a visually challenged person
in the mountains and his scepticism was obvious. That night during our
dinner he told us that reaching the summit won’t be possible, considering
our pace and my visual limitations and that he would try to take us as far
as he could. I was a bit shattered by his discouragement. Luckily, Dawa, a
guide from another trekking group was around and he told Psang that he had
led an expedition of blind people last year to the summit. The other guides
and staff in the tent also tried to pep up Psang. Ultimately Psang made up
his mind to do a serious attempt.
Learning: There will be people who will deter based on their assumptions of
our limitations, but we should be confident and win them over by
demonstrating our abilities. But then there will also be people around who
will encourage us.
*Partial sight can be a disadvantage sometimes:*
This is an important fact, as you tend to trust the little sight rather
than trusting your cane or other senses. This had landed me in trouble a
couple of times. Once I switched to the other side of my guide thinking
that the path was too wide but to my surprise my cane was probing thin air.
On another occasion I became too careless with my cane, on an easy trail
and suddenly it got very narrow and I was almost thrown off the path, with
both my feet dangling down the slope.
Also during the summit attempt at night, where I am totally blind due to my
night blindness, I remember being fully aware with 100 percent
concentration for a very long time because I had to completely focus on my
other senses, instructions of my guide and the information provided by the
tapping of my trekking pole. There were no visual distractions or false
information from my partial sight.
Learning: Don’t overly depend on one sense, but use all your senses and
move on.
*Be ready for challenges and hard work*
The whole climb was challenging. Overall the progress was slow due to
uneven terrain and a six hour trek took eight hours. Going down the
mountain was even more difficult and time consuming due to lack of
perception of depth. Crossing rivers over stones was challenging as it was
difficult to maintain balance and many a times I would end up wetting my
shoes in the icy cold waters. Jumping across many small gorges and
crevasses in the glacier in darkness was treacherous and required lot of
instructions about how far and how high to jump. The night before at the
Base camp, inspite of being put up in double tents and tucked away in
double layered sleeping bags, it had been difficult to keep the cold out.
The night attempt of the summit with six layers of clothing, in the
chilling winds was not easy. Meanwhile crossing the moraine near the
glacier involved walking over a long stretch of sharp rocks of all sizes
and shapes and was knee shattering.
Learning: Challenges and difficulties are part and parcel of any journey
and we need to face them to reach our destination. And perseverance does
pay off.
*Know your limitations*
Though one should not be bogged down by one’s limitations, it’s very
important to be aware of the limitations. Many a times due to bad weather
conditions or lack of physical fitness you may have to return, in spite of
being very close to the summit, only to try again at a better time and with
better preparation. Also each one’s capacity may be different so decide the
trek or the mountain that suits your capacity and build your capacity
slowly.
Learning: Decide your own Mount Everest, your own goals without getting
carried away with what others are doing and live your life fully by making
the best of your circumstances.
*Its all about Sharing*
Though it was a personal dream, on many occasions people I met on the
way came forward to help me move closer to the summit. Guides and
individuals from other expedition teams would chip in with their
encouragement from time to time. The token of appreciation shown by Norbu,
the tea tent owner at the base camp, by climbing 2 kilo meter to offer us
hot tea during our return from the summit, was a wonderful gesture. It
is hard to forget how trekkers from different countries came forward to
offer congratulations and shared the happy moments on our return at the
base camp from the summit. I am grateful to the mountain for blessing us
with favourable weather conditions. Happiness is realized by sharing and
thats the most important take away of this whole expedition.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL:
<http://mail.accessindia.org.in/pipermail/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in/attachments/20130512/947fb47d/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Himalayas are Accessible - The Climb of Mount Stok Kangri height
6,153 meter (20,182 feet).doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 116224 bytes
Desc: not available
URL:
<http://mail.accessindia.org.in/pipermail/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in/attachments/20130512/947fb47d/attachment.doc>
Search for previous postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
_______________________________________________
Mobile.accessindia mailing list
Mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
to post send mail to: mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails
sent through this mailing list..
Search for previous postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
_______________________________________________
Mobile.accessindia mailing list
Mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
to post send mail to: mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails
sent through this mailing list..
Search for previous postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
_______________________________________________
Mobile.accessindia mailing list
Mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in
to post send mail to: mobile.accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Disclaimer:
1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the
person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity;
2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent
through this mailing list..
