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Kogler!





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I'm Back!!!

Hey everyone I'm finally back from some traveling and things are finally starting to settle down for me. I have many stories and interesting things to show everyone in the next couple of days, but for now I just want to share one of my favorite moments of the last few weeks...
A few weeks ago I was coming back from a trip to Maine, and took a bus from Massachusetts to New York(those that know me well know that I live for traveling especially if I can do it by land).
And it is when you have so much time that you take the time to meet people, even if you don't really set out to do so. I just wanted to watch a movie on my Macbook but my seatmate kept staring at me and my computer. I figured he just wanted to watch it as well... so I put the captions on. He stopped looking... Strange.
So I decided to tell him that it was cool, but it turns out he wasn't interested in the movie after all... he just wanted to talk. And at first I could not believe what I was hearing:
he was a Sherpa(!!!!!!!),
and one that had climbed Everest 5 times.
5 times!!!!!!!!!!!

Migma Gelu Sherpa, my new friend!

"Well, it's good" he says "but my older sister has done it 6 times. 6 times!!!! Oh yeah, did I mention that my youngest sister became the youngest girl to climb Everest at...

15!" he says with a smile. 15!!!!!!

Ever since I had read John Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air" (short magazine story here) I had admired any all Sherpa's and for a brief nanosecond I wanted to climb Everest (a bit more dangerous apparently than your standard hike). I never thought I would ever meet one much less be sitting next to one. So I was not about to pass this opportunity up.
Some fun stuff he shared with me (basically I became like a little kid and didn't stop with the questions):
-his company only charges $24,000 to guide you up there. Krakauer did mention how some companies charge over 60K.
-He was caught in an avalanche with two other people... only he survived. And that was because he landed near the top. He went on to climb the next year.
-He tried to climb all the way to the top without an oxygen mask one year... said it's too crazy and almost impossible.
-His favorite climb was when he went with one of his sisters and a brother.
-He was learning how to read and write for the first time.
-Has friends all over the world which he sometimes visits.
-Rescued a very famous Mexican climber who has yet to write to him after arriving back in Mexico.
-Plans on going up a few more times but does not think he will ever be close to climbing as much as the current record holder (15 times) who is a short stocky superman that plans on climbing this year as well.


-Said he will keep in touch!

Oh the places you'll see...
the people you'll meet.

Let's dance for joy.