I had just been revisiting photos from my time with him in Khumbu in 2012 when I heard the news that Jim Whittaker sadly passed away on April 7 at age 97.
I'd been going through photos, looking for a specific one, of a specific peak, when I went down a rabbit hole. Photos of trekking through the Khumbu led to shots of Jim, Kancha, Gombu, of Tom and Willi, memories of Mallory and Irvine, Bonington and Scott, climbers known and unknown, peaks notorious and obscure. A rabbit hole from the highest heights into the deepest histories..
One of the things I've always loved about the Himalaya - far more so than summits - is its infinite complexity. Each ridge climbed leads to a new vista, a horizon pocked by foreign, unknown peaks, landscapes inhabited by different people speaking different languages with different beliefs from the valley just behind. Tromp another drainage, climb another ridge, and repeat, ad infinitum. A tapestry of exquisite intricacy, each view answering one question - and asking a thousand more.
When I look through my photos, those questions come thundering forth, demanding a deeper look. I may be a bit obsessive. I'll admit that. But there's a joy - at least for me - in researching, learning, elucidating, sharing, as much as I can about subjects I'm passionate about.
So, I went down a rabbit hole, researching peaks and valleys, summits and climbs, known and obscure, trying to translate the realm of high mountains and ancient cultures, rivers and lakes and valleys, peaks and passes, and put it into a format that would be digestible, approachable, comprehensible, to the armchair trekker and the seasoned alpinist.
The result has been a long project, and it's far yet from finished. What started as the Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Tour has now progressed further, to the upper reaches of the Hunku Valley, up the Amphu Laptsa Pass and into the Chhukung Valley. In the weeks to come, it'll go further, up the Khumbu to Everest Basecamp, and then on skyward, bringing in an updated version of my old Virtual Mount Everest, which will allow you to climb - virtually - up the Southeast Ridge, the Northeast Ridge, on parts of the West Ridge, and some bits and bobs of the Kangshung Valley as well.
But, it's not just pretty views - although there's lots of those. In addition to pretty, I wanted to satisfy curiosity - mine, and maybe yours, too:
- What is that distant, poky peak on the horizon? Has it been climbed? And, if so, by whom?
- Where does this valley lead, and that valley go?
- Who lives here, and who lives there?
- What is a Chula Dhunga, and what's it for? What about a Suptulung?
- Who the hell climbed the Central Pillar on Lhotse's South Face? How? Why? When?
It's a fun, ongoing project, and one that I hope you'll enjoy diving into as much as I enjoyed creating it.
If you've not seen any of the project, or only seen part of the first section, I recommend you start there, in Kathmandu, at Bodhanath Stupa.
If you've already "trekked" with me up to the Amphu Laptsa, then continue the journey from the north base of the Amphu down to Chhukung.
Enjoy, and happy exploring!
