Piʻi ʻo Mera Peak

ʻO Tashi Delek mai kekahi o nā kūlanakauhale kaulana loa o ʻAsia o Kathmandu. Ma hope o kahi papahana hui-a-aloha ma TIA, e alakaʻi kā mākou mea kākau i koho ʻia iā ʻoe ma nā alanui hoihoi o ke kapikala i kāu hōkele i hoʻopaʻa mua ʻia.

E ʻoluʻolu e hōʻiliʻili i kou ikaika a lawe i kekahi mau manawa e hoʻomaha iā ʻoe iho mai ka jet lag. E hoʻomaka ana kā mākou papahana piʻi ʻo Mera Peak ma hope o ka hōʻea ʻana o kā mākou poʻe piʻi āpau i ka hōkele.

Hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻohana i kēia manawa e hoʻomaʻamaʻa i ka ea hou o Kathmandu a hele a puni ka hōkele e ʻike i kona kamaʻāina kupaianaha.

I ke ahiahi, e kipa ko mākou alakaʻi i kou hōkele, e hoʻolauna i nā lālā a pau o ka hui, a hōʻike i kahi hōʻuluʻulu maikaʻi e pili ana i kā mākou huakaʻi huakaʻi.

Hiki iā ʻoe ke hele i waho e hoʻolulu iā ʻoe iho i ka honua ʻono o Kathmandu.

I ke kakahiaka, e hoʻokele ʻoe me kā mākou alakaʻi huakaʻi e ʻike i nā ʻano hoʻomana o Kathmandu. ʻO ka luakini ʻo Pashupatinath, ka Swayambhunath, a me Boudhanath e hoʻolulu iā ʻoe i ko lākou lewa haipule. A laila, e hoʻokele ʻoe i ka ʻāpana kahiko o Kathmandu i kāna Durbar Square a ʻike i kāna hoʻoilina waiwai.

I kēia manawa e hoʻolaʻa ʻia ka ʻauinalā no ka hoʻomākaukau huakaʻi. Na ko mākou alakaʻi e nānā i kāu mau mea hana e hōʻoia i loaʻa iā ʻoe nā mea āpau āu e pono ai, a e kōkua pū iā ʻoe i ke kūʻai ʻana a hoʻolimalima paha i nā mea i nele.

*** E ʻoluʻolu e hoʻomaha koke a loaʻa ka hiamoe nui e like me kou hiki ke hoʻomaka i kā mākou huakaʻi i ke aumoe. No ka mea, i ka wā o ka huakaʻi kiʻekiʻe a me ka wā piʻi mauna, ua hoʻoneʻe pinepine ʻia nā mokulele i Lukla mai Kathmandu Airport a Ramechhap Airport e hōʻoluʻolu i ka paʻa ʻana o ke kaʻa ma TIA.

Inā pēlā, pono mākou e huakaʻi no kahi o 4 mau hola ma ke ala mauna o Nepal e hōʻea i ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Ramechhap o Sun Koshi Valley mai kahi e holo ai mākou i kahi mokulele 20-minute i Lukla.

E mākaukau e ʻike i kekahi o nā huakaʻi mauna maikaʻi loa a hauʻoli hoʻi ma waena o Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, a me Everest a hiki i ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Sherpa o Lukla.

ʻO ke kahua mokulele ʻo Lukla kaulana, i kapa ʻia ʻo Tenzing-Hillary Airport e hāʻawi i kahi ʻike pae ʻāina e hoʻomaha ai i kou hoʻomanaʻo no ka manawa lōʻihi.

Ke haʻalele ʻoe i ka mokulele, ʻo Kongde Ri nui 6187 m kiʻekiʻe a me nā helehelena aloha o kā mākou hui Sherpa e aloha mai iā ʻoe. Ma hope o ka hoʻonohonoho ʻana i kāu mau ukana, e holo mākou i ko mākou hale hoʻomalu mauna mua ma Paiya.

ʻO ko mākou ala ma mua e hāʻule i lalo no kahi o ʻelua hola e lawe iā mākou i Surke. I kēia manawa, e neʻe mākou i luna me ka pali no 2 mau hola a hiki i Pake.

Aia i mua ou ka ʻāina ākea e like me ke kāwele ʻōmaʻomaʻo i uhi ʻia me nā kumulāʻau mānoanoa o ka pine, fir, a me nā rhododendron. ʻO ka hele wāwae ʻana i kēlā ʻano kiʻi kiʻi he mea maʻamau maoli.

E hōʻea koke ʻo Chutak i kēlā hoʻomaha maluhia ma lalo o ke kua o Kalo Himal. E hoʻomau mākou i ka holomua a ʻoi aku ma mua o ko mākou ala mauna mua o Chutak La e piʻi ana i 2945 m kiʻekiʻe.

ʻO ke ala i lalo e lawe mālie iā mākou i Paiya kahi e ʻike ai mākou iā mākou iho i waena o nā hiʻohiʻona kupaianaha o Tengi Ragu Tau (6,938 m), Khatang (6,582 m), a me Kongde Ri.

E hoʻomaka mākou i kā mākou huakaʻi i ke ao a neʻe mālie mai Paiya aku i ka wai mālie a maʻemaʻe o Paiya Khola. Ma ʻaneʻi e hālāwai ai mākou me ko mākou alahaka metala mua i hoʻokuʻu ʻia i ka lewa e hele iā mākou ma luna o ke khola a alakaʻi iā mākou i ke ala e piʻi mau ana i ke 3081 m kiʻekiʻe Khari la Pass.

Hiki ke mahalo ʻia ka moʻolelo nani o Khumbila Himal (5761 m), Gyanchung Kang (7952 m), a me Tham Danda (2344 m). E hahai ana ke alahele i ke ala zigzagging e piʻi ana a hiki i Lenjikharka.

E hele mākou i kēia manawa i ke ala nani i piha i nā mea kanu ulu, ʻoi aku ka nui o nā ululāʻau rhododendron, ka pua hōʻailona loa o Nepal ma lalo, ka muliwai o ka wai waiū, e hoʻomau ka Dudh Koshi iā mākou a hiki i Panggom. Mai kēia kauhale, hiki iā mākou ke ʻike maopopo i ke ala ʻo Everest e hoʻomaka ana mai Jiri.

Hoʻomaka ko mākou lā nui o ka huakaʻi me ka piʻi ʻana i Panggom La Pass (3175 m). Ma kahi o 4/5 mau hola o ka huakaʻi (i luna a i lalo i ke ala) i ka manawa e ʻike mua ai mākou iā Mera Peak a me Numbur Peak (6958 m).

E iho ana kakou i keia manawa mai ke alahele a halawai hou me kekahi uwapo kila loihi e kau ana maluna o Hinku Khola maikai. E ʻālohilohi mau ana ka piko o Naulekh (6240 m) ke hele mākou i Sibuje (2770 m).

Mai kēia wahi, e hoʻomau mākou i ke awāwa ulu lāʻau a hiki i Ningsow kahi e moe ai mākou i loko o kahi hale hoʻomaha i hiki ʻole ke loaʻa i nā mea ʻoluʻolu akā e hiki ai iā mākou ke hōʻiliʻili i kahi ʻike kūʻokoʻa i waena o ke ʻano.

E hoʻomaka mākou i ko mākou lā me kahi piʻi kiʻekiʻe i kahi puʻuhonua kupanaha i kapa ʻia ʻo Ramailo Danda e kū ana ma 3120 m kiʻekiʻe. ʻOiaʻiʻo i kona inoa, hāʻawi maoli ia i nā hiʻohiʻona kupaianaha o ka Mera Himal me 6367 m Kusum Kanguru.

E iho ana makou mai ke kualono aku a iho i ke ala wiliwili e pii a haule pinepine, e alakai ana ia makou i Tama Khola malie. E hele hou mākou i ke alahaka a hele mālie no kahi o 30 mau minuke a hiki i 4G Danda, kahi wahi ʻoluʻolu no ke kīʻaha kī.

ʻO nā hiʻohiʻona ʻōmaʻomaʻo ākea, piha i ka ʻohe a me nā rhododendrons a laila e neʻe iā mākou i mua i Chhatra Khola. Mai kēia manawa, aia mākou i loko o ka mālama kūlohelohe o Makalu Barun National Park.

E hoʻomau ʻia kā mākou huakaʻi piʻi ma kahi o hoʻokahi hola me kanahākumamālima mau minuke ma waena o nā ululāʻau rhododendron lush a me nā moss carpets a hiki mākou i ka haʻahaʻa haʻahaʻa.

E hahai ʻia ana no nā hola ʻekolu a ʻehā paha a hiki i Taktor. E kahe mālie ana ʻo Hinku Khola ma ka ʻaoʻao o mākou i ko mākou huakaʻi ʻana i ke kauhale nani o Tashing Dingma.

Ma hope aʻe, e hana ʻia kā mākou huakaʻi ma ke alahaka ākea e piʻo ana i ka Sanu Khola. ʻElua a ʻekolu mau hola o ka hele mālie a hiki mākou i ke aupuni hoʻohiwahiwa o Kothe.

E hele mākou ma ka mākaʻi o ka National Park o Makalu Barun a laila e noho ma kekahi o nā hale hoʻokipa mahana o ke kauhale.

I kēia lā, e ʻike kākou i ka nalo mālie ʻana o ka nahele i ko kākou piʻi ʻana i kahi kiʻekiʻe. E ʻoluʻolu mākou i kēia lā i hiki iā mākou ke hoʻololi i ke kiʻekiʻe 4000 m a mākou e hiki ai i kēia lā ma Thaknak.

E alakaʻi hou ana ko mākou mau hoa ʻoiaʻiʻo ʻo Hinku Khola a hiki i ka mauʻu kiʻekiʻe o Drangka ma ke komohana o Hinku Khola.

Maʻaneʻi, hiki iā mākou ke hālāwai me kekahi mau kahu hipa a me ko lākou mau hale liʻiliʻi i hana ʻia mai nā mea kūlohelohe e like me ka lāʻau a me nā lau. I ko mākou holomua ʻana, e hina mākou i ke kūlanakauhale mehameha o Gondishung. Ma kahi liʻiliʻi aʻe, e ʻike mākou i ka hale kapu Buddhist liʻiliʻi o Lungsumgba i kūkulu ʻia i loko o ke ana.

ʻOiaʻiʻo, ʻaʻohe mea e haʻalele i kona nani. Hiki iā mākou ke ʻike i ke kālai pōhaku kupaianaha o Mera Peak e pili ana i ka monastery. E lawe mākou i kahi manawa ma ʻaneʻi e mahalo i nā kiʻi kupanaha o Mera, Charpate Himal (6770 m), Kusum Kanguru, a me Thamserku.

ʻO kēia hoʻomaha iki e hoʻoikaika iā mākou e hoʻoikaika iā mākou iho no hoʻokahi hola o ka piʻi ʻana i ke kauhale o Thaknak.

He huakaʻi hoʻomaʻamaʻa hou aʻe kā mākou i kēia lā ʻoiai ke kokoke mai nei ka lā o kā mākou hoʻouka kaua kiʻekiʻe Mera. Ma hope o Thaknak, e hele mākou i kahi huakaʻi piʻi ma kahi o ka hapalua hola.

Ua hōʻea mākou i kahakai o ka Sabai Tsho Tal kupaianaha - ke kiʻekiʻe 4463 m kiʻekiʻe ka loko glacial kahi e hoʻopaʻa ʻia i loko o ko mākou noʻonoʻo no ka manawa lōʻihi loa.

I kēia manawa, me ke akahele loa, e hele mākou ma ka ʻaoʻao ʻaoʻao o ka Kharka Glacier e alakaʻi ai i ka piʻi ʻana i kahi kiʻekiʻe o Hinku Nup Glacier.

ʻO ke ala paheʻe o ka hau ma ʻaneʻi a ma ʻaneʻi, akā he mea kupanaha ka nānā ʻana i nā piko o Charpate a me Kangtega (6782 m).

Ke kali nei kekahi pilikia ʻē aʻe ma ke ʻano o Lhotse Shar Glacier ma mua o ko mākou hiki ʻana i Khare - ke kahua hoʻomoana o ka puʻu Mera phenomenal. Ke hoʻomaka nei e ʻike ʻia ka lewa Himalaya ʻoiaʻiʻo i ko mākou hele ʻana e hoʻomaha i ka pō ma lalo o ka Mera kupaianaha.

I kēia lā, loaʻa iā mākou kahi lā hoʻomaha maikaʻi loa ma Khare a mākou e hoʻohana ai ma o ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻana i kā mākou ʻenehana palekana a me ka holomua. E nānā hou ko mākou alakaʻi i nā mea hana, a laila hōʻike iā mākou i ke ʻano kūpono e hele ai ma luna o nā crampons, nā kaula, nā ala hao, a me ke ʻano kūpono o ka hoʻohana ʻana i ke koʻi hau, jumar, a me nā piʻi.

Ma hope o ka hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻana, hiki iā mākou ke hele i kahi hoʻomaʻamaʻa liʻiliʻi o ko mākou akamai ma ka piʻi ʻana i ke kualono ma 5300 m ʻaʻole mamao loa mai kahi hoʻomoana. Mera La Pass a me Mera Peak - ʻo kā mākou mau pilikia ʻelua e hiki mai ana e pili pono ana iā mākou.

E hoʻomaka mākou mai Khare me ka manaʻo e hōʻea i kahi hoʻomoana kiʻekiʻe o Mera Peak ma hope o ʻeono a ʻehiku mau hola o ka huakaʻi. ʻAʻole maʻalahi ke ala i mua, he pali, paʻakikī, paheʻe, a piʻi ʻoi i luna e alakaʻi iā mākou ma luna o Mera La Pass (5415 m).

Ma ke ala, e hoʻomaka mākou e ʻike i nā kiʻi kupaianaha o Lhotse, Makalu, a me Everest. Ke koho pinepine nei kekahi poe pii e kukulu i ko lakou wahi hoomoana ma kahi o 100 m ma lalo o ka Pass akā pono ia i ka po anu hou i loko o ka hale lole anu.

No laila e kāʻalo mākou i kēia koho a holomua i mua ma o ka Mera a me Naule Glaciers a hiki i Mera High Camp. E hoʻonoho koke ko mākou poʻe holo i nā hale lole mahana no mākou, i kēia manawa e nānā mākou i ke kiʻi kupaianaha o Makalu, Everest, Lhotse, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Baruntse, Chamlang, Kusum Kngkaru, a me Cho Oyu e hoʻohuli iā mākou mai ke anuanu.

Eia nō naʻe, e hoʻokaʻawale mākou i ka panorama a hoʻomaka hou i ka hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻana i ko mākou akamai i ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā carabiners, nā koʻi hau, nā mea hao, a me ka jumar.

ʻO ka hope loa, ʻo ka lā i kali lōʻihi ʻia o kā mākou huakaʻi piʻi ʻo Mera Peak. I ke kakahiaka nui ma kahi o ka hola 3, e haʻalele mākou i kā mākou mau ʻeke hiamoe mahana a hoʻokomo i ko mākou mau ʻaʻahu lalo, nā kāmaʻa pumehana, nā puʻupuʻu, nā crampons, a me nā kukui.

Ma hope o ka mākaukau ʻana o nā lālā a pau o kā mākou hui, e kau mākou i ka ʻālohilohi o kā mākou mau kukui. I ka wā mua, aia kahi piʻi kū pololei a mākou e hana ai me ke kaula. E hoʻomanaʻo, pono mākou e mālama i kahi mamao palekana mai kekahi i kekahi.

Inā maopopo ka wā, ʻoiaʻiʻo, pono ka nānā ʻana i ka lani no ka mea hiki iā mākou ke ʻike i nā hōkū ʻālohilohi he nui me he mea lā e hoʻolauleʻa nei i kā mākou holomua. Me ka mālie, hoʻomaka ka lā e puka mai mai ka hikina mai, e kōkua ana iā mākou e hoʻoponopono i ka ʻāina hau hoʻopunipuni e hiki ai i ke kualono.

E ʻoi aku ka ʻoi aʻe o ko kākou piʻi ʻana i ke kumu o Mera. Eia mākou ma ka ʻāpana hope o ka piʻi ʻana o Mera Peak kahi e hoʻohana ai mākou i ke kaula paʻa no ko mākou palekana.

Me ke kōkua ʻana o kēia mau kaula paʻa a me ke ala hao i hoʻokomo mua ʻia (i hele mua ʻia i ka nānā palekana e ko mākou alakaʻi piʻi), e hoʻomau mākou i ko mākou piʻi ʻana i ka piko.

Hoʻomaikaʻi! Aia mākou i ka Mera, ke nānā mai nei iā mākou ka hiʻohiʻona nani o ʻelima o 14 mau piko o ka honua ma mua o 8,000 mika: Everest (8849 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Makalu (8485 m), Cho Oyu (8188 m), a me Kanchenjunga (8586 m) Chamlang (7162 m), a me Ama Dablam (7861 m).

Ma hope o ka paʻa ʻana i kekahi mau kiʻi o ka piko a me nā hiʻohiʻona kamahaʻo, e hoʻomaka mākou e iho i kahi hoʻomoana. Ma laila mākou e ʻai ai me ka inu pumehana, a laila hoʻopaʻa i kā mākou mau mea a iho i lalo i Khare kahi e hoʻomaha ai mākou ma hope o ka hoʻoikaika ʻana o ka lā lōʻihi.

E iho mākou i Thaknak ma muli o ke ala like a mākou i hele ai ma mua a hele i Kothe. E loaʻa ana iā mākou ka ʻike koʻikoʻi o Mera e hahai mau ana iā mākou. ʻOiaʻiʻo, he mea kupaianaha maoli nō ia, i ke ahiahi, e hoʻolauleʻa ai mākou me ka ʻai ʻana i ko mākou piʻi kūleʻa o Mera.

Ma hope o ka lōʻihi o ka hau a me ka hau hau, e hoʻi ana mākou i ka ululāʻau ulu lāʻau i kēia lā a e hanu hou ana mākou i ka ea momona.

Ke hele nei mākou ma ka ʻaoʻao komohana o ke awāwa ʻo Hinku, e hele mākou i ke ala e hele ai ma waena o nā ululāʻau paina. Ma ʻō a ma ʻaneʻi, ʻike mākou i kekahi mau wahi ākea kahi e hiki ai iā mākou ke nānā aku i ka Mera i kēia manawa e piʻi nui aʻe ana.

Ma hope o ka iho ʻana ma kahi o 2000 m, aia mākou i Taktor kahi e noho ai mākou i kahi hale kī maʻamau no ka hoʻomaha ʻaina awakea. I kēia manawa, huli ʻākau, e piʻi hou ko mākou ala ma waena o ka ʻāina mauʻu a pōhaku.

I ke ahiahi, ma hope o ka piʻi nui ʻana, hiki mākou i kahi e kali ai ko mākou mau hale kuʻuna.

ʻO kahi piʻi hope loa o kā mākou huakaʻi piʻi ʻo Mera Peak e kali nei iā mākou i kēia lā. I ke kakahiaka, e hoʻomaka kākou i ka piʻi ʻana i ka puʻu o Naulekh Himal. ʻAʻole e pau ke ala ʻoi aku ka ʻoi aku o ka ʻāina ʻino i ke alakaʻi ʻana iā mākou i ke ala nui 4600 m kiʻekiʻe o Zatrwa La.

ʻO Cho Oyu, Numbur, Kongde, Kusum Kanguru a me nā hiʻohiʻona nani ʻē aʻe Himalayan e hoʻonani i ka lani i ko mākou hele ʻana i ka iho lōʻihi i Chutanga. He ʻekolu hola ka huakaʻi ʻo Lukla i kēia manawa, kahi e kali lōʻihi ai ka ʻauʻau wela a me kahi moena ʻoluʻolu i loko o ka hale hoʻokipa.

I ke ahiahi, e hoʻokaʻawale mākou i nā ala me ko mākou poʻe kiaʻi a hoʻolauleʻa i ka mea a mākou e manaʻo ai he huakaʻi holomua.

E hoʻi mākou i Kathmandu mai Lukla ma o kahi mokulele kūloko. Inā ʻaʻole i loaʻa nā mokulele i Kathmandu, e pae mākou i ke kahua mokulele ʻo Ramechhap a hoʻokele ma kahi o 4 mau hola i ko mākou hōkele ma Kathmandu kahi e hiki ai iā mākou ke hoʻomaha hou i ka hōʻoluʻolu piha.

Hiki iā ʻoe ke leʻaleʻa i ka ʻauinalā leʻaleʻa a i ʻole ke komo ʻana i ke kūʻai ʻana, ka lomilomi ʻoluʻolu, a i ʻole e hoʻomau i ka ʻimi ʻana i ke kūlanakauhale. I ke ahiahi, e ʻākoakoa mākou no ka ʻaina ahiahi ma kahi hale ʻaina maikaʻi loa, kahi e noʻonoʻo ai mākou i nā ʻike leʻaleʻa o kā mākou huakaʻi.