Khopra Ridge and Beyond

Oops! this post was accidentally published before it was ready! So as to not break the link, but whet your appetite, here is the beginning of our descent from Khopra Ridge. To be finished soon! I hope you are all well and safe during this COVID-19 time!

December 10-12, 2018

Is it unamerican to write about past adventures in the Himalaya during this bizarre covid-19 pandemic that has most people riveted to the News 24/7…to the point of obsession? For all the good advice we are receiving, daily, to lift our spirits and paint our future in an optimistic light—get our lives in order, sort through our accumulation of unnecessary “stuff,“ decide what the real meaning of life is and how we can make our contribution before it’s too late, love everyone around us, even those who have wronged us (especially those!), appreciate our present good health, glory in the selflessness of our doctors and medical workers and all the others who have stepped up to the plate, obey strict laws of social distancing, help our neighbors—we are beginning to yearn for a respite from the wise and necessary advice, the depressing numbers, the suffering, and the almost science fiction atmosphere surrounding us. Yes, I think we’re ready to move ahead. People are singing from balconies, dancing on the lawn, resurrecting that most wonderful experience in life, walking, and using their imaginations to create and communicate in unique ways…all while keeping at least six feet apart.

So, I think you will welcome a blast from the blast. That said, I am about to take you on what seems now to be unreal…an adventure in the mountains of Nepal, those most glorious mountains that have no connection with our current troubles and will be there long after our travails are over. Come along with me as I finish up my December, 2018, journey. Remember 2018? Back in the day….

I last left you on December 9 as my daughter, Cary, and I were preparing to depart from glorious Khopra Ridge, 12,000 ft. in the Annapurna area of Nepal. We watched the sun come up over the range, socialized with our new friends over breakfast, and at 10 A.M. headed off for a day of steep and intense downhill.

Stay tuned for the rest of the descent and beyond!