Call of the mountains

Snow-capped peaks, picturesque lakes, a steady stream of tourists keen to trek to the Mt Everest base camp... ace mountain guide and trekker, Mekh Paija grew up in these surroundings in Nepal. Though now in Dubai and away from it all, he tells Geeta Somkumar why he still takes off for the mountains in Nepal whenever his job permits. He also has plenty of tips for trekkers to the Himalayas.

Some of the earliest childhood memories Mekh Paija has are of the majestic snow-capped peaks of Mount Annapurna in Nepal, north of Pokhara, his birthplace. "It is probably the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes after my birth," reminisces Paija, who is now based in Dubai.

As a little boy, he grew up in the shadow of the mountains, listening to the elders talking about the peaks and their exploits when accompanying teams of trekkers up the treacherous slopes of the Himalayan ranges. Few things gave him more joy than listening to the exploits of those who had scaled the nearby peaks and of the adventures they had had during the climb.

It did not take long for Paija to fall in love with the mountains. "As a little boy, I believed that the Himalayan range was the end of the world... that nothing existed beyond that. But one day, a porter who had accompanied an expedition to Mt. Annapurna returned to tell me several fantastic stories about what lay behind the mountains. This made me curious to know more about the world beyond my birthplace," he says.

As he grew up, Paija began to hear more and more stories about the mountains from porters, climbers and trekking guides, the Sherpas of the Khumbu region who had climbed Mt. Everest several times. His young mind absorbed it all, including the pleasures and dangers involved in mountain climbing. The breathtaking tales of adventure and excitement instilled in him the passion to replicate their acts.

While studying in university, Paija, during the holidays, would travel all the way to the foothills of Mt Everest to interact with seasoned trekkers in the area to gain a foothold, so to speak, in their world.

"Every cook (one of the most important members in a mountaineering expedition) in a famous expedition starts off as a dishwasher, progressing to washing and cutting vegetables, before becoming an expedition cook. Such professionals are much in demand by expedition teams," explains Paija. "Similarly, every climbing and trekking guide begins his career at the very bottom of the rung - as a porter," he reveals.

Starting off

It was in 1983 that Paija got his first break - as a porter. He came to know that some hotels were looking for porters to accompany a trekking team and Paija promptly applied. His excitement knew no bounds when he heard that he had been recruited. Now he could put all the knowledge that he had gained from all the stories he had heard during his childhood to good use.

But the first assignment was no cakewalk.

"It wasn't easy," remembers Paija. Not used to carrying heavy loads, the experience was, in a word, backbreaking. However, young Paija was not one to complain or give up. He knew this was what he had always dreamed of, this is what he enjoyed doing... and he wanted to make a mark in his chosen field.

So, he began to gather more information about trekking and picked up tips from seasoned veterans.

All this paid off and Paija soon got his first big break.

"On every trekking expedition, foreign trekkers, no matter how experienced they are, always take along a local guide, someone who is familiar with the terrain, culture, language, etc. So, when a couple of seasoned foreign trekkers asked me if I could take them to Langtang Valley, north of Kathmandu, I knew this was my break," he recalls.

After consulting seasoned guides in the region, Paija, armed with all relevant information that a guide would need for the trek, set off with the team. "But, as it turned out, my wards knew a lot more than I did, and they finally ended up being my guide," he laughs.

This experience stood Paija in good stead. The next season, when a trekking company looking for a guide familiar with the terrain of Langtang, Paija qualified. "At the interview, (local trekking agents) quizzed me on the area, and I passed with flying colours," he says. That was his first experience as a full-fledged trekking guide.

"Since then, I have been a guide on various trekking expeditions. I have been an extreme trekking guide on an 84-day trek to the Makalu region, Mt. Makalu base camp and advance camp, Arun Valley, Mt. Everest base camp, Mt. Pumori base camp, Amadablum base camp, Mt. Cho O U base camp, Mt. Annapurna Base camp...'' the list continues.

Keen to hone his skills, Paija decided to specialise in a particular area of the Himalayalan range and, because he loved high mountains, the choice was clear - it had to be the Mt. Everest region. Today, Paija, who has over a decade's experience in guiding trekkers, has many an exciting tale to tell of the times he was trekking in the mountains.

One incident in particular stays in his memory - the gruelling, but exciting, 84-day trip to Mt Makalu which threw up quite a few surprises. "The most dangerous section was on a day trip to Mt. Makalu advance camp,'' he recalls.

"A few teams had occupied the Russian camp (camps are named after the expedition teams which camped there for the first time). So we continued further on to find another spot. There was the Hillary camp, which was right on the Barun glacier.

But we were advised not to use it because it was dangerous and the ice could give way. So, we camped near the huge Barun lake, the source of the river Arun. The night was very noisy and scary, thanks to ice blocks on Mt Makalu which kept breaking and falling into the lake.

"The next day we headed towards the advance camp. The route was filled with danger at every step. Boulders kept rolling down the mountain intermittently and one had to be nimble footed to avoid the falling rocks. It was risky but also exciting.

"In fact, one of my friends was very nearly hit by a falling rock. To make matters worse, there was a strong wind. But we overcame all these natural hurdles and made it to the camp. Arriving at the camp was truly exhilarating. The joy of having made it was sufficient reward for all the hardship that we faced.''

Though far away from snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys, Paija still hears the call of the mountains and, every vacation, does not fail to take off for the Mount Everest region in Nepal, particularly Gokyo Valley, an ideal place for trekkers that is becoming increasingly popular, he says.

He offers plenty of tips on trekking and also suggests a few routes in Nepal which are very popular with trekkers and climbers. But first, the basics:

To be a good trekker...
So, what do you need to be a good trekker?
All you need is to be physically and mentally prepared to trek, says Paija. Naturally, he explains, it appeals mostly to adventurers in good health. The main quality that you need to have is the mindset and the willingness to conform.

"Trekking is mostly a group activity. It could be a big or small team. But whatever size you choose, you must be able to think as a group and follow the guide's instructions," advises Paija.

During a trek, a bond develops between the guide and his party of trekkers. As the trek progresses, the whole unit begins to think as one. The lives of these trekkers are in the hands of the guide, and the guide takes that responsibility very seriously.