Kurt Diemberger’s favourite place in Nepal
Posted in: Blog on May 16th, 2010 | Comments: 1
Dhaulagiri
Kurt Diemberger, one of the pioneers in high altitude mountaineering and thus one of its great names, was in Nepal for the last week to celebrate the golden jubilee anniversary of his first ascent of Dhaulagiri. At the end of the 3 day celebrations based in Pokhara, he spent his last hours before flying at a press conference organised by the Mountaineering Association of Nepal at the Yak and Yeti hotel.
Kurt Diemberger describing anecdotes from climbing Dhaulagiri in the 1960s (Ang Tsering Sherpa of Asian Trekking in the background). Click to enlarge.
Billi Bierling relates a few of the anecdotes he told here in her blog post ‘The highest post office in the world‘ and tells more about his career in the mountains. I liked his character. When asked if he would climb Everest to be one of the oldest summiteers, he described the thinking of going after record after record as “a disease of our times. I’m not for speeding!” I liked his character. He was very much a traditionalist favouring the authentic experience over the sometimes fast-forward nature of modern times. “People used to sing in mountain huts [in Europe], but now they have stopped,” he lamented. ”Nepal is a real holiday from Europe.”
Kurt Diemberger and Ang Tsering Sherpa of Asian Trekking. Click to enlarge.
I asked him what his favourite place in Nepal is. “I won’t have just one favourite place, I’m not that kind of person,” he said jokingly, clarifying his position on ‘favourite places’. But went on to mention the valleys around Makalu as a place special to him. “Get people to go into the valleys,” he said. “There there’s a happy spirit wherever you go.” And he advised, “Go to Nepal, take your time – don’t rush. Walk as much as you can. Times have changed since the 1960s, but the adventure still starts at the end of the road.”
RB
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Tags: Ang Tsering Sherpa, billi bierling, Dhaulagiri, favourite places in nepal, Kurt Diemberge, Makalu
“Adventure still starts at the end of the road.”Nice quote
[Reply]
Comment by Vivin — July 16, 2011 @ 7:44 am