The Meaning of Mountains
登山就是我的生命
访谈EMILY BRENNAN2013年11月17日
Pemba Gyalje Sherpa was part of the group of climbers who, in early August 2008, began the last leg of their summit of K2, a mountain in the heart of the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan. At 28,251 feet, K2 is second in height only to Everest, but its peak is even steeper, colder and more desolate than its Himalayan sister.
On that journey, 11 climbers died, 9 of them after an ice pillar broke the fixed ropes they needed to retreat down an icy chute called the Bottleneck. Mr. Sherpa rescued two of the climbers who were trapped above 26,000 feet, where oxygen is scarce. “The Summit,” a documentary released this month in the United States, retells the story of the disaster and the rescue effort.
When Mr. Sherpa returned to his home in Katmandu, Nepal, following the climb, he said his family and friends pleaded with him to stop mountaineering. “But climbing and guiding is my life,” he said, “and I will never stop.” The next season, he was back leading expeditions of the Himalayas. Below are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Sherpa.
Q. What’s the Sherpa people’s cultural connection to climbing?
A. Today, the term Sherpa is often used for any guide hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, regardless of ethnicity. But the meaning of Sherpa is “eastern people,” and they are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. My ancestors played the important role to early Western explorers, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region, particularly Mount Everest.
Sherpa are highly regarded as mountaineers, but before Western explorers, we didn’t climb mountains as sport. We trekked and herded cattle, but didn’t climb. As a child, I hiked 300 meters up every day from my village to school, and yes, for some parts of the path I had to scramble up a mountain. But I climbed my first mountain, 6,100 meters, when I was 16 years old.
Mountains, to us, are holy. Before climbing I always perform puja, a spiritual and religious ceremony when the monk makes an offering of food. It brings good fortune and a safe journey on the mountains.
What’s in your bag on a climb?
Equipment such as an ice ax, harness, rope, helmet, ice screw, rock pitons, snow pickets, crampon, carabiners, belay device, tap sling, quick draws, map, compass, G.P.S., headlamp, water bottle, first-aid kit, bivouac sack and extra layers. My best equipment brands are Black Diamond, Petzl and Beal. For jackets, undergarments and sleeping bags, I use Feathered Friends, Sherpa Adventure Gear, North Face and Mountain Hardwear.
What advice would you give to someone audacious enough to climb, say, Mount Everest?
Keep hiking, trekking and climbing in a high-altitude environment. It is the most important way to gain high-altitude experience. Climb on 6,000-meter, 7,000-meter peaks or one of the 8,000-meter peaks before attempting Mount Everest. Himalayas and Andes Mountains are the best places for this kind of high-altitude training. Some technical training on snow, ice, rock and mixed terrain also is important. This is possible on any mountain and permanent glacier in the world. To have a really safe climb, it’s three years of high-altitude and technical training. That’s what I suggest: three years.
What about experiencing the Himalayas without climbing?
There are so many beautiful mountain valleys in Himalayas for the alpine trekking and hiking: Annapurna, Langtang, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, many others. My company, High Country, in Katmandu, does alpine trekking in Khumbu. I also recommend two super alpine trekking guides: Pasang Temba Sherpa and Dawa Tenji Sherpa. Trekking, it’s a face-to-face view with the high mountains of Himalaya.
彭巴·吉亚杰·夏尔巴(Pemba Gyalje Sherpa)曾是一个登山队的成员，2008年8月，这支登山队最后一次攀登乔戈里峰，它位于巴基斯坦北部喀喇昆仑山脉的核心地带，高28251英尺（8611米——译注），仅次于喜马拉雅山脉的珠穆朗玛峰，但相比之下，乔戈里峰更加陡峭、寒冷，也更加荒凉。
11名登山者在那次登山中罹难，其中9人在沿着名叫“瓶颈”的冰槽下山时，因冰峰割断固定登山索而死。夏尔巴救了两名被困在26000英尺（7925米）以上氧气稀薄地带的登山者。纪录片《顶峰》(The Summit)本月将在美国发行，重述了那场山难及救援工作。
那次登山之后，夏尔巴回到了尼泊尔加德满都家中，他说家人和朋友都劝他停止登山。“但登山和做向导就是我的生命，”他说，“我永远不会停下来。”第二年，他就回到喜马拉雅带领登山队。下面是同夏尔巴先生的对话摘录：
问：夏尔巴人的文化与登山有什么关系？
答：如今，登山队在喜马拉雅雇来的向导通常都被称为“夏尔巴”，不管他是来自哪个民族。但“夏尔巴”其实是“东方人”的意思，他们是一个民族，居住在尼泊尔最为多山的地区，是喜马拉雅山脉很高的地带。我的祖先在早期西方探险家的活动中扮演了重要角色，在这一带海拔极高的山峰和山路中为他们担任向导，特别是珠穆朗玛峰。
夏尔巴人是受到高度赞誉的登山者，但在西方探险家来到之前，我们从没把登山当做一项运动。我们赶着牛群在山间跋涉，但从来不爬山。小时候，我每天从村子去上学都要爬300米的山，是的，中间有一段得费力地攀登。但我到16岁才第一次爬了一座6100米的山。
对于我们来说，山是圣洁的。爬山之前我都要行一种叫“puja”的仪式，这是一种精神和宗教仪式，会有僧侣献上供品。它会为你带来好运，保佑你登山时一路平安。
你的登山包里都有什么东西？
我的装备包括冰斧、安全带、绳索、头盔、冰锥、岩钉、雪锥、登山钉鞋、登山扣、固定保护绳设备、扁带、强力环扣、地图、指南针、GPS设备、头灯、水瓶、急救包、露营袋和其他东西。我最喜欢的装备品牌有Black Diamond、Petzl和Beal。登山服、内衣和睡袋方面，我用的是Feathered Friends、Sherpa Adventure Gear、North Face和Mountain Hardwear。
你对有勇气攀登，比方说，珠穆朗玛峰的人们，有什么建议？
要坚持在高海拔环境徒步和攀登。这是积累高海拔经验最重要的方式。在尝试攀登珠穆朗玛峰之前，要先爬6000米、7000米，甚至爬一座8000米的山峰。喜马拉雅山脉和安第斯山脉是进行高海拔练习最好的场所。应付积雪、结冰、岩石和混合地形的技巧训练也非常重要。在世界上任何山脉和永久冰川上都可以练习。需要有三年的高海拔练习与技术培训，才能保证安全登山。我的建议就是：先练三年。
除了爬山，还有什么方法可以体验喜马拉雅山脉吗？
喜马拉雅山中有很多美丽的山谷，适合高山徒步和旅行：比如安娜普娜、朗塘、干城章嘉、马纳斯鲁，还有好多。我在加德满都的公司“高原之国”(High Country)提供在坤布的旅行路线。我还推荐另外两位优秀的高山旅行向导：帕宋·坦巴·夏尔巴(Pasang Temba Sherpa)和达瓦·坦吉·夏尔巴(Dawa Tenji Sherpa)。徒步旅行可以同喜马拉雅的高山亲密接触。
本文最初发表于2013年10月13日。
翻译：董楠
文章来自纽约时报
访谈EMILY BRENNAN2013年11月17日
Pemba Gyalje Sherpa was part of the group of climbers who, in early August 2008, began the last leg of their summit of K2, a mountain in the heart of the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan. At 28,251 feet, K2 is second in height only to Everest, but its peak is even steeper, colder and more desolate than its Himalayan sister.
On that journey, 11 climbers died, 9 of them after an ice pillar broke the fixed ropes they needed to retreat down an icy chute called the Bottleneck. Mr. Sherpa rescued two of the climbers who were trapped above 26,000 feet, where oxygen is scarce. “The Summit,” a documentary released this month in the United States, retells the story of the disaster and the rescue effort.
When Mr. Sherpa returned to his home in Katmandu, Nepal, following the climb, he said his family and friends pleaded with him to stop mountaineering. “But climbing and guiding is my life,” he said, “and I will never stop.” The next season, he was back leading expeditions of the Himalayas. Below are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Sherpa.
Q. What’s the Sherpa people’s cultural connection to climbing?
A. Today, the term Sherpa is often used for any guide hired for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, regardless of ethnicity. But the meaning of Sherpa is “eastern people,” and they are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. My ancestors played the important role to early Western explorers, serving as guides at the extreme altitudes of the peaks and passes in the region, particularly Mount Everest.
Sherpa are highly regarded as mountaineers, but before Western explorers, we didn’t climb mountains as sport. We trekked and herded cattle, but didn’t climb. As a child, I hiked 300 meters up every day from my village to school, and yes, for some parts of the path I had to scramble up a mountain. But I climbed my first mountain, 6,100 meters, when I was 16 years old.
Mountains, to us, are holy. Before climbing I always perform puja, a spiritual and religious ceremony when the monk makes an offering of food. It brings good fortune and a safe journey on the mountains.
What’s in your bag on a climb?
Equipment such as an ice ax, harness, rope, helmet, ice screw, rock pitons, snow pickets, crampon, carabiners, belay device, tap sling, quick draws, map, compass, G.P.S., headlamp, water bottle, first-aid kit, bivouac sack and extra layers. My best equipment brands are Black Diamond, Petzl and Beal. For jackets, undergarments and sleeping bags, I use Feathered Friends, Sherpa Adventure Gear, North Face and Mountain Hardwear.
What advice would you give to someone audacious enough to climb, say, Mount Everest?
Keep hiking, trekking and climbing in a high-altitude environment. It is the most important way to gain high-altitude experience. Climb on 6,000-meter, 7,000-meter peaks or one of the 8,000-meter peaks before attempting Mount Everest. Himalayas and Andes Mountains are the best places for this kind of high-altitude training. Some technical training on snow, ice, rock and mixed terrain also is important. This is possible on any mountain and permanent glacier in the world. To have a really safe climb, it’s three years of high-altitude and technical training. That’s what I suggest: three years.
What about experiencing the Himalayas without climbing?
There are so many beautiful mountain valleys in Himalayas for the alpine trekking and hiking: Annapurna, Langtang, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, many others. My company, High Country, in Katmandu, does alpine trekking in Khumbu. I also recommend two super alpine trekking guides: Pasang Temba Sherpa and Dawa Tenji Sherpa. Trekking, it’s a face-to-face view with the high mountains of Himalaya.
彭巴·吉亚杰·夏尔巴(Pemba Gyalje Sherpa)曾是一个登山队的成员，2008年8月，这支登山队最后一次攀登乔戈里峰，它位于巴基斯坦北部喀喇昆仑山脉的核心地带，高28251英尺（8611米——译注），仅次于喜马拉雅山脉的珠穆朗玛峰，但相比之下，乔戈里峰更加陡峭、寒冷，也更加荒凉。
11名登山者在那次登山中罹难，其中9人在沿着名叫“瓶颈”的冰槽下山时，因冰峰割断固定登山索而死。夏尔巴救了两名被困在26000英尺（7925米）以上氧气稀薄地带的登山者。纪录片《顶峰》(The Summit)本月将在美国发行，重述了那场山难及救援工作。
那次登山之后，夏尔巴回到了尼泊尔加德满都家中，他说家人和朋友都劝他停止登山。“但登山和做向导就是我的生命，”他说，“我永远不会停下来。”第二年，他就回到喜马拉雅带领登山队。下面是同夏尔巴先生的对话摘录：
问：夏尔巴人的文化与登山有什么关系？
答：如今，登山队在喜马拉雅雇来的向导通常都被称为“夏尔巴”，不管他是来自哪个民族。但“夏尔巴”其实是“东方人”的意思，他们是一个民族，居住在尼泊尔最为多山的地区，是喜马拉雅山脉很高的地带。我的祖先在早期西方探险家的活动中扮演了重要角色，在这一带海拔极高的山峰和山路中为他们担任向导，特别是珠穆朗玛峰。
夏尔巴人是受到高度赞誉的登山者，但在西方探险家来到之前，我们从没把登山当做一项运动。我们赶着牛群在山间跋涉，但从来不爬山。小时候，我每天从村子去上学都要爬300米的山，是的，中间有一段得费力地攀登。但我到16岁才第一次爬了一座6100米的山。
对于我们来说，山是圣洁的。爬山之前我都要行一种叫“puja”的仪式，这是一种精神和宗教仪式，会有僧侣献上供品。它会为你带来好运，保佑你登山时一路平安。
你的登山包里都有什么东西？
我的装备包括冰斧、安全带、绳索、头盔、冰锥、岩钉、雪锥、登山钉鞋、登山扣、固定保护绳设备、扁带、强力环扣、地图、指南针、GPS设备、头灯、水瓶、急救包、露营袋和其他东西。我最喜欢的装备品牌有Black Diamond、Petzl和Beal。登山服、内衣和睡袋方面，我用的是Feathered Friends、Sherpa Adventure Gear、North Face和Mountain Hardwear。
你对有勇气攀登，比方说，珠穆朗玛峰的人们，有什么建议？
要坚持在高海拔环境徒步和攀登。这是积累高海拔经验最重要的方式。在尝试攀登珠穆朗玛峰之前，要先爬6000米、7000米，甚至爬一座8000米的山峰。喜马拉雅山脉和安第斯山脉是进行高海拔练习最好的场所。应付积雪、结冰、岩石和混合地形的技巧训练也非常重要。在世界上任何山脉和永久冰川上都可以练习。需要有三年的高海拔练习与技术培训，才能保证安全登山。我的建议就是：先练三年。
除了爬山，还有什么方法可以体验喜马拉雅山脉吗？
喜马拉雅山中有很多美丽的山谷，适合高山徒步和旅行：比如安娜普娜、朗塘、干城章嘉、马纳斯鲁，还有好多。我在加德满都的公司“高原之国”(High Country)提供在坤布的旅行路线。我还推荐另外两位优秀的高山旅行向导：帕宋·坦巴·夏尔巴(Pasang Temba Sherpa)和达瓦·坦吉·夏尔巴(Dawa Tenji Sherpa)。徒步旅行可以同喜马拉雅的高山亲密接触。
本文最初发表于2013年10月13日。
翻译：董楠
文章来自纽约时报
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