I almost got killed by Rolling Stone
The day that I almost got killed by Rolling Stone
I saw my entire life
in a split second, I saw a mother crying upon the dead corpse of the only son,
I saw all the goods that I had done in my entire lifetime, most important I
recalled all the sins that I had committed knowingly and unknowingly, my
childhood, my close friends, my sister and my deceased father. There was
nothing that I didn’t remember on the day that I almost got killed by Rolling
Stone.
It was November of 2014; I had a phone call early in the
morning, around 6 am from one of my partners at Wonderful Everest view treks
and expeditions, who wanted me to assist our guests with the trekking in
Manaslu Tsum valley. Without a second thought I agreed to chip in as it had
been long since I said hello to my mountains. It was 23rd of
November and I was rushing to make all the permits ready, as the process was
very manual and I was unaware of it, it was 24th until we made all
the required permits.
Bags packed, documents ready, we were all ready and moving
on 25th , at 6:30 in the morning. I along with 3 other friends from
Norway and Kancha Dai our porter, loaded our luggage on a cab and headed towards a local bus park, to
board a bus, which was suppose to take us to our destination where we were
supposed to begin our trek on foot within the next 8 hours. Immediately after
we boarded our bus, which was a mini bus, we had to cancel our tickets. The
cancellation of the tickets was for the reason that one of our friend Richard
was 7’0 had problem adjusting legs on a congested seats. We boarded another bus
which was scheduled to leave the station an hour later than the previous one.
Later on we realized whatever happens, happens for a reason because the
previous bus we boarded and un-boarded fell off the cliff some 200 meters,
leaving 10 dead and almost all injured.
Somewhere deep down I had a negative vibe although I did not
show it out as if I panic, the entire team would be in chaos. The things that I
remembered when I heard of the bus that got into the accident, the bus that
could have left us dead, the bus that could have broken our hands, limbs or
torso was that I should have never been the guide for this tour as this was the
first time I myself was trekking in Manaslu Tsum valley region. What is done is
done and we were already on our way, so I got a grip of myself and thought of
making the trip as good as I can.
We started walking from Arughat, as usual the first day is
always difficult and at least I cannot manage to walk for more than 4-6 hours,
which is a standard walking time. Most of the time it was quiet, 4 people
walking on their own with no exchange of words. Not talking while on the trails
is normal as we are always loaded with 10-12 kg backpack and walking uphill
which would leave us tired already. Evenings were fun we exchanged talks about
Norwegian and Nepalese culture, people, likes and dislikes. It was until 5th
day before we became familiar and started talking personal stuff. We spoke
about our family, friends, girlfriends, school, life and all.
Thanks to Sudoku as it brought all of us together. We ate
two course meal of staple Nepalese food Dal Bhat (rice and lentils), I ate dal
bhat with chicken, mutton, or Yak meat at all times where as my friends
Richard, Peter and Elizabeth never tried a piece of meat as they got worried of
food poisoning. Days passed by, the mountains started to get closer, the sky
was clearer, the climate was colder and over all we all were happier. We saw
Yaks, Yaks skin, Yaks meat, Yaks milk, we saw local inhabitants with rugged
clothes, red cheeks. We met people from different parts of the world, which is
the best part of travel.
All in all it was a good trek, Tsum valley was awesome and
we completed it with pinch of laughter of fun. My biggest worry was Larke
La. Larke La is a pass, a pass which
connects two areas in the Manaslu region and in between the mountains, the
highest point on Manaslu circuit. The pass is famous amongst trekkers and
trekking guides as one of the most technical passes, the pass that’s covered
with snow at all times, the pass which needs crampons and the pass which took
us almost 8 hours to cross. Luckily except for exhaustion, nothing wrong
happened while on the pass, my fear remained just as fear and I thanked god for
not turning my fear into nightmare.
The trails of Manaslu are known as one of the most
treacherous trails in Nepal. Larke La was fine but what came after that was a
life altering moment for me and the entire team of mine. We took a narrow,
steep, one way and the only available trail down from Larke. The trail was as
such that it was carved on a slope of a mountain, so there was literally no
space towards the left and on the right was a cliff, straight down, that
measured down to some 1000 meters in depth. I was leading the trail so I was
the one walking down first, to make sure nothing went wrong. Some 100 meters
ahead of the trail I turned back to see where my team members are and to give
them a green signal if they were waiting for one. The moment I turned my head
back I head Elizabeth screaming “Get out of the way” that is when I saw a
“Rolling stone”. Rolling stone, size of almost 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide at a
speed approximately, a guess around 30-40 kilometers an hour an increasing. I
tried to do what I could in best possible way I couldn’t run down as the trail
was not meant for running, I couldn’t dodge it by gluing myself towards the
wall of the trail, I couldn’t jump off the cliff as that was the last thing I
would do and I know there was no way out. At that moment I saw my entire life
in a split second, I saw a mother crying upon the dead corpse of the only son,
I saw all the goods that I had done in my entire lifetime, most important I
recalled all the sins that I had committed knowingly and unknowingly, my
childhood, my close friends, my sister and my deceased father.
First time in life I had a strong feeling that I should pray
god, one for the life he has granted as I was convinced I am not going to make
it out of this alive, 2nd to save my life if there is a chance. The
stone or rock whatever, was almost 10-12 feet away and I had pictured myself
with broken skulls, my brains falling out and someone dragging my corpse to the
lower ground. It was a miracle, when my eyes were both shut, almost 5-7 feet
away from me the bloody stone decided to suicide and jump off the cliff. I
still had my eyes shut and was waiting for impact when I realized I should have
already been dead but I was alive. I opened my eyes, I didn’t see anything
coming towards me, I dropped myself and sat on my butt with palm on my face, a
moment of sinister silence. Elizabeth, Peter and Richard came as quickly as
they could, I was still in trauma, with a heavy head I looked at my friends and
they all seemed happy, Elizabeth was sorry but still happy that I made out
alive.
I had Staggering legs, questions hovering on my mind and
still moment of sinister silence until Bhimthang. Finally after Bhimtang we the
team members started exchange of words, we laughed, we walked, we snapped
pictures and finally we boarded a bus to Kathmandu. All in all it was a life
altering trek, I thought I would never be able to trek again in life but that’s
what adventure is, I felt a different kind of adrenaline pump with the fear of
my death. Somehow that adrenaline rather than holding me back pushed me further
for my treks.
Every trek is special, towards the end you tend to remember
all the places and face, everything you’ve been to and every thing you’ve done.
Manaslu circuit along with Tsum valley or this trek was also somewhat the same.
I miss those mountains, those kids who acted like tourists at a point, Kanch
dai a porter who walked all way long with us and his bawdy jokes, the beautiful
Sherpa girls that I flirted all way long, the incident above all which still
gives me nightmares at times, the rolling stone which still chases me in my
dream and every time I come out of it alive and my passion and love for travel
to the mountain which deepens every time I travel to the mountain. Thank you
Richard, Elizabeth and Peter for being there with me on the trails, at good
times and bad. Thank you!
Travel Partner
Wonderful Everest View Treks and Expedition
Travel Date: 11/25/2013
Team members: 5
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