Father and son on the summit of Mount Everest overcoming death

Kathmandu. Sonam Sherpa, who lives in Kapan, Kathmandu, has just turned 17. This is the age of her becoming a fan of virtual game pubs, playing cricket or a movie full of adventure stories. Or the age of pulsars or bullet bikes shaking the city. But Sonam was dreaming far beyond the ordinary. That dream hung beyond his personal happiness to the interests of the whole earth and mankind. He was dreaming of kissing the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. He used to tell his dreams and plans in class. He used to plan to climb the highest mountains of all the continents including Mt. Everest. He said that one can die while climbing a mountain. Friends used to make fun of him. The same Sonam set foot on Mt. Everest and arrived in Kathmandu on Jun 3.

He has climbed Mt. Everest to spread the message of saving the life of the mountains, the earth and the entire universe from climate change. Her father is Mount Everest climber and ‘Prakriti Jogaun Maha Abhiyan’ activist Purna Kumar (PK) Sherpa. Inspired by his father, he successfully climbed the highest peak on May 23 at such a young age.

An urban boy growing up in Kathmandu has to run from street to street with his friends holding a cricket bat. Mom has to snatch her father’s mobile and get drunk on animated cartoons. Though her ancestral home is Taplejung, Sonam Sherpa, who was born in the city, reached the Everest base camp on foot in 11 years. He got to see the mountains and many natural life associated with them up close. Everest climber and climate change and environmental protection engineer father PK Sherpa got the opportunity. With busy urban parents, it is difficult to give time to children even on weekends. Sonam, who grew up in such an environment, was able to go on an adventurous trek with her father at such a young age. Along the way, they talked about the snow and the destruction of nature. In the days that followed, he always heard from his father the worries about the destruction of nature and the need to protect it. The snow is melting and the mountain is emptying. Where will the floods inundate the settlements this time? As the water source dried up, the villagers left the village! Drought destroys agriculture! At the age of listening to the story of Danya, he used to hear similar stories of nature destruction from his father’s mouth.

When I was a child, the mountains looked green. Gradually the black stone became visible. He remembers, the mountain gods are angry, it is ominous, old people used to tell him. Why does snow melt? Interest in him has been growing since his youth. After coming to Kathmandu and becoming a trekking guide, he gradually became interested in this subject. We found out that it is because of human beings that there is dirt from the mountains to the sea. Did he understand if he could tell people about it? It seemed so. The dream she has had for three and a half decades has made her son an engineer today. With the ‘Father and Son Climate Change Campaign Everest Expedition 2021’ campaign, these fathers and sons have come to the world with the message ‘Let’s save nature and reduce climate change’. During the trek to the base camp, they planned to climb the highest mountains of the seven continents of the world, including Mount Everest. For that, they had to wait for Sonam to complete 16 years of age.

It took Sonam 17 years to complete that age on February 27. The father and son planned to do the ascent now, which was stopped due to age. Here the world is being attacked by the epidemic of corona virus. Meanwhile, Sonam and Pike were busy preparing for the ascent. But the easier it was to weave the dream, the more complicated the preparation.

PK started joho and campaigning for expenses, in Sonam Arohan practice. He did ‘Wall Climbing’, ‘Hanging on a Rope’ and other trainings in Kathmandu. Is it impossible for the father to meet the expenses? I was worried about whether I would be able to return safely from the ascent. Curiosity and fear of climbing Mt. Everest only to my son. Sonam flew to Lukla in a helicopter with a ‘climbing sherpa’ on April 20. Sankhuwasabha’s guide Sherpa is also 23 years old. Sonam was happy to have a friend of the same age. From Lukla, they reached the base camp in 10 days.

Near the base camp is the Khumbu Ice Fruit, below the Khumbu Glacier. Sonam found these unique natural shades as beautiful as they were scary. He trained with Sherpas in the same area for two days. He felt as if his weight was being dragged by the earth after he put a crampon (an iron thorn under his shoes in the snow) on his knee, which was being pulled by Vansport (a thick shoe for climbing). He practiced hanging on a high wall made of snow with the help of a rope.

Meanwhile, her father Pike was under stress as he could not raise the required amount for the ascent. Their purpose was not just to climb the peak and keep records. Uncontrolled human activity, extreme exploitation of nature was linked to climate change on Earth and in its seropositivity.

He repeatedly briefed the representatives of the Government of Nepal on the campaign. He had climbed Mt. Everest twice in 2010 and 2011. On his own initiative, 1,800 kilograms of garbage and five bodies were brought from Mt. Everest. As much as individuals have a role to play in conserving nature, the government should be comparatively more responsible. It is in this hope that the Ministry of Tourism reached out to the government for cooperation and collaboration in the purposeful ascent. ‘Does the government want to climb?’ He was shocked by the irresponsible response of the government representative. But his goal was wide-ranging, and his enthusiasm did not diminish. He pledged his land. He extended his hand of cooperation to various other reluctant friends and organizations. Joho was very sad about the money and went out on a climb. Pique met Sonam at the base camp. When her father arrived, Sonam felt warm even in the snow.

Now they had to climb the peak quickly. On the one hand, there is a risk of snow blinding in the afternoon sun, on the other hand, there is a risk of melting snow and walking, so the mountain is climbed at night. They left the base camp at around 2 pm on May 18. Due to inclement weather, I had to stay in Camp Two for 4 days. Passed ‘Camp Three’ on the 21st and reached ‘Camp Four’ on the 22nd. Now they were on the verge of collapse.

Sonam’s ambition

As a child, he had heard that there are so many humans and snow leopards in the high mountains. However, as we climbed higher, we saw no other creatures in the snowy world except the climber’s caravan. Are there so many human footprints? But nothing like that was found. His curiosity remained in his mind. Instead of climbing the mountain with the help of flashlight all night, is it not a encounter with a snow leopard or so many human beings, is it a deep snowfall or a ditch (cravas)? Is it covered by avalanches? To be afraid.At Camp Two, a Sherpa went to defecate at night and when he returned, the snow fell on him and he got stuck in a deep hole and disappeared forever. A few days ago, Sonam’s chest was full of fear due to the sad news told by ‘Cook Uncle’ about the accident.

Her mind was in a hurry to reach the peak. But the weather did not help. Snowstorms and landslides were looming. Although for practice, his team wanted to reach Crampon Point. But when they reached the middle of the road, a heavy snowfall turned them away. “It was snowing so hard that our footsteps could have been wiped out in less than 10 seconds,” he said.

The wind was blowing hard, like people were blowing. Father Pike used to walk in front of him and behind him. “Careful is careful,” Pike kept alerting his son. Before reaching Camp Four, you have to dig through a scary rock. While climbing, he would look back from time to time. If the foot slips due to a momentary mistake, the chipper will reach Camp Tus. ‘How am I walking down the steep cliff? Why are these people riding like ants on the path of this age? His mind was also a month. But where is the time to get emotional thinking? As he was getting tired, he would think, ‘I am carrying a heavy load of iron thorns instead of knees.’

At nine o’clock on the night of the 22nd, with a large group of climbers from South Cole, they set out on their final journey to the summit.

Arriving at the Death Zone

Nine o’clock at night, usually Nepali bedtime. He had to kiss the height of his goal. Tighten the harness at the waist, put the cryrampon on the shoes. Carry a backpack. Sherpa checked the oxygen mask, and took it off. Pique advised his son to be more careful now. On a June night, they ascended from the fourth camp. At an altitude of about 8,000 meters, the wind was blowing hard, but not enough oxygen. When he reached the very top of South Cole, he looked back again. It was dark, and from the second camp, a wave of torchlight made a bright garland on the mountain.

The journey of the night, the white snow of June seemed to be a world other than the earth. It was as if Sonam was staring at the sky from time to time while walking. Sonam used to look back from time to time while hanging on the rope. The higher you go, the closer you feel to the moon. He thought, Oh! Is Mount Everest and the Moon the same line? Is the moon still lower than the peak? A happy mood arose in his mind. He didn’t even get to ask his father, he had reached a little further. He was then in the ‘Death Zone’ (the route above 8,000 meters is called the Death Zone). It was not long before a small weakness reached the brink of death.His attention was diverted to the road ahead. When he came to Kathmandu, he saw June again, but he was hanging in the sky far away. At that time, he did not have time to think much. He says, “The most interesting scene and memory of climbing Mt. Everest is for me.”

31 seconds of death

After entering the death zone, it is difficult for a climber to cover a distance of 1000 meters from there. As much as Sonam had heard about Arohan, the direct experience was not only a terrible adventure, but also a daring act done by people. He dared to look at it. How could Angrita Sherpa have climbed Mt. Everest 10 times without oxygen? Thinking, he opened the oxygen max and tried to connect it to the new cinder. They say, ‘Is there really no oxygen here? It was time to change the oxygen cylinder. The regulator of the new cylinder started fixing itself, but could not. ‘I call Sherpa Dai, he was also depositing oxygen in other cylinders some distance away, I didn’t listen. I really couldn’t breathe there, it was as if I died with oxygen in my hand. There was no sound for a moment, the whole body was shaking. I finally managed. 31 seconds is enough to die without wind. As soon as life became comfortable, it immediately came to my mind, the day the plants are gone from the world, the day when the oxygen is gone, the existence of human beings will come to an end. ‘

While walking on the corpse

It was already light when Hillary reached the steps. June had not yet died. How dazzling and bright is the large mass of sun rising from the mountains. Did my mother ever tell me stories about Gham Mama and June Mama? Could not remember It has been many years since he left his childhood and has not met his foreign mother. “Now it’s Hillary’s turn, Edmund Hillary’s first step.” The sighing father’s voice broke the wave of his memory. Hillary Step Sonam felt like a very rocky cliff. How many ropes hung, no old no new. Won’t the old rope be broken? He was walking thinking, he suddenly bumped into something. That was not a rock. Suddenly his heart felt cold. He says, ‘I had heard that there is an encounter with Dead Buddy. I was really curious to see that the dead bodies of those who died long ago are still fighting for years. How is it I already had a curiosity in my mind.’

But he was very upset and scared when he found out that only a few days earlier this season, four others had died. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. Leaning over the overturned corpse as if resting, he felt dizzy. ‘There was no stopping and thinking. Her legs were moving, but for a while her mind kept on thinking – ‘Who were they? Where are you from Did the family know about him? Or are you unaware?’

There was only black rock on one side from the Hillary steppe, a lot of fear of slipping crampons. How many slippery doves were on the rocks. Sonam had heard how semi-conscious she could be when she reached the summit, not to eat a plate of rice or a burger or a mum in that eternal world. Two fists are all boiling over the hot liquid. The snowy path, the overnight walk, the life was exhausted. I had to reach the summit anyway. Reaching that dangerous but exciting height, Sonam’s mind was fluttering like a flurry of snow.

It’s like holding your breath when you reach the top

It was 7:30 in the morning when Sonam and Pike set foot on Mt. Everest. When he reached the top of Mt. Everest, he felt as if he could hold his breath even though he had oxygen for a while. Says, ‘How to describe that grandeur! The sea of ​​snow or the sky! Maybe that’s what Buddhism calls heaven! Looking around, my chimpanzee eyes may have widened a little. By the way, I was seeing such beauty for the first time. Small mountains all around, if I were a hawk, I would fly and kill once.’

He was looking at the mountains on both sides of China and Nepal. Climbers were being added to the peak. Muskil had to stand for a while on the highest peak of 30-40 people to enjoy, take photos and videos and return. Sonam and Pike had a special purpose of climbing. He vowed to never tire of campaigning globally on climate change, recording short video lectures on the subject. Some other climbers were giving them ‘thumbs up’. They made videos and took photos in two different languages.

An hour after they reached Mt. Everest, the American climber reached the summit of Madison Mountaineering. The Madison and Pique climbs were managed by the same company, Himalayan Guide. Madison’s climbers told the company that they had reached the summit and that the PK Sherpas had arrived. At last Sherpa’s father and son were shocked. “We were both very happy to be at the top,” says Pike. The son is even happier. We even forgot to report as soon as we arrived. Although we set foot on the summit at 7:30 a.m., our record was set at 8.50 a.m. when Madison Mountaineering reported. That is our weakness.’

Standing on the brink of death

While returning from the ascent, Sonam did not lose her life. Half an hour below the summit, they reached the balcony. Sonam was very hungry. Standing on the awkward sloping road, he took chocolate out of his bag and started eating. But when he put the chocolate in his mouth, he found it difficult to breathe. Mask, regulator checked, was fine. Sonam asked the other Sherpas who were returning, how many ignored her. A Sherpa knows the pressure check of the oxygen cylinder – the oxygen has run out. “You have run out of oxygen, brother,” he said and left.

Pike looks back at his son at the bottom point, his eyes wide open. Sonam went on to say that she must reach her father anyway. His whole body was trembling, he seemed to be falling uncontrollably. He reached his father with great difficulty, passing a steep slope of about 70 degrees. Pike was shocked to see his son’s condition.

Sonam gestured with her hand- ‘Oxygen is over’. The father hurriedly took off his oxygen mask and put it in his son’s mouth. At last he was able to breathe well. But at that time, it was found out that Pike’s cylinder was also starting to become empty. Dad also needed oxygen. The father and son took turns taking oxygen. How to save son How to survive and return? Pike’s mind couldn’t think.Despite the plea, the other climbers rushed forward saying that there was no waste cylinder. Apparently, the pressure of the cylinder I had also started to decrease. Pike’s heart sank. He thought that the message of Everest was the last word. He says, ‘I felt like I couldn’t save my son. I thought that I could not forgive myself if his life was ruined without seeing the world due to his useless stubbornness. If I can’t save my son in any way, I will embrace him and fall off the cliff and get lost in the pass of Everest forever. When such a thought came to my mind, my eyes filled with tears. That was the last moment of his life. ‘But a happy coincidence, at some point, a Sherpa from the Seven Summit Club came to his senses. He gave the spare cylinder he had to Pike. And the surviving father and son. After receiving oxygen, Sonam felt that she had found a new life. At that time, he realized that he was too young to climb Mt. Everest.

After that, they grabbed each other and reached the fourth camp and settled down. They both slept soundly that they were alive. But after nightfall, Sonam’s mask is jammed again due to steam. He has increased the level of oxygen in his sleep. I found out in the morning that the cylinder was empty. He says, ‘I thought I was alive and I slept happily. My father woke up early in the morning and started walking. I didn’t even get a chance to tell Baba. Some climbers have died in this way. Thankfully I lived again. I thought, I lived all night, now I can walk without oxygen, so I hung the mask behind my bag and walked. But, no, his life was very weak. ‘The wind was blowing him around. While trying to strike a balance, the wind blew him to the mouth of the cliff, and he stumbled upon a rock. Otherwise, he would have been stuck in the snow. He escaped again with a hand injury. And kept walking, fighting. I finally found my father who was wandering around. Pike deeply regretted that he had rushed his son to run out of oxygen. They were about to reach the third camp. Again, oxygen betrays. It seemed that the cylinder with PK could not be used for more than an hour. Again they were in a panic. Sonam thought, ‘Now it’s the last thing, I feel like I’ve given up on myself.’ Sonam’s thumb on her left hand has also been eaten by the snow. Sonam cried as she ran out of oxygen. My father also cried inside. Sonam rubbed her finger on the stone for about ten minutes. After warming up a bit, my finger started hurting badly. But seeing that her father was terrified, Sonam got up and walked away. If not, the rest of the oxygen would be gone. They often felt as if they were approaching death. Pike says, ‘There will be a long chapter of struggle left. After coming down a little, the legendary climber Pemba Sherpa gave oxygen. Not to mention that my cylinder ran out of oxygen within five minutes of receiving another oxygen supply. Everest saved us, our dreams saved us, even though death came close and teased us many times. We survived.’

But there was still time for Sonam to take the exam. On the steep slope of the third camp, the required ‘figret’ (the iron harness attached to the harness attached to the rider’s waist on the sloping path to balance the path) slipped and fell into the cliff. Attes again! Pique took out his fig and gave it to his son. He fell dangerously on the rope by hand. They arrived at the base camp in a single day, carrying many hunders. They had returned victorious over death. The cooks at the camp welcomed them with food. Hot soup and lunch were served. Sonam says, ‘Cook was convinced that the hospitality and love of the uncles really came back alive. The hot soup made my life miserable. The finger of the hand is not damaged. And my life came to be so light. ‘He says that the tips of all ten fingers of his hand are still asleep.

Looking for a government?

For many, climbing Mt. Everest is a personal hobby. Among them is the livelihood of Sherpas in the Himalayas. However, for PK Sherpa, who used to walk in the highlands two decades ago looking for the same basis, now climbing Mt. Everest is associated with a very different goal.

Born into a poor family in the remote village of Sankhuwasabha, Pike began to search for the cause of the mountain’s snowfall every year as he trekked to the highlands carrying a heavy load of tourists. He realized that the negative effects of human activities were causing climate change in the world and its effects were being felt in the mountains. Man’s life is connected with water, water’s life is connected with mountains. But in recent times, as the earth’s temperature has risen, the snow on the mountains has begun to melt and the white mountains have turned to black stone. Whether the nation, which dreams of prosperity through tourism, hurts or not hurts after climbing the mountain, Pike wondered. He then abandoned his dream of personal prosperity and embarked on a nature conservation campaign. With the slogan ‘Snow is water, water is life’, he is committed to spread awareness in the world about the impact of climate change by climbing the highest mountains of the continent.

He also linked his growing son Sonam to his dream. He had a dream even though he did not have any property. He is requesting for assistance and cooperation for climbing with different countries. Positive messages have also been received from many countries. But he repeatedly requested the government of his own country to explain his intentions. But only despair prevailed. He says, ‘Arohan costs a lot, it costs Rs 3 lakh for one person. If possible, the nation should have carried this message and sent us on a world tour. Not only that, at least the cost of climbing Mt. Everest had to be borne. Not only that, even though the revenue of Rs. 1.5 lakh was waived, we considered it as love and respect given to us by the state. We have worked to increase the pride of Nepal. Here, on the contrary, irresponsible statements were made by responsible people of the country.’

He was surprised rather than upset or angry with the government. This also happens and the treatment of citizens? He climbed Mt. Everest and returned, but he is still surprised to remember. He thinks it’s not just a matter of one country, it’s a question of the lives of the world’s 7 billion people and other creatures, of the existence of the earth as a whole. Their slogan is, ‘Snow is water, water is life’. “Nothing can stop us now on this great journey,” he says.