Sherpa Musings

upon reaching the frozen summit, the mountaineers jump in jubilation, then proudly unfurl and firmly plant the damp flag of their faraway nation; oh, how they noisily whoop it up, strutting in chest-thumping elation, slapping each other's shoulders in riotous joy and celebration; ecstatic over what seems to them is a real monumental conquest, a sense of having personally tamed the awesome, looming Mt. Everest! nearby, squatting, huddling close, handling the baggage of each climber, seven sturdy, veteran Sherpa guides, through the years, still quietly wonder: what really is the big, big deal these batches of city folks make out of just standing on this peak, a slow, boring trek for its own sake? what is there fit to brag about in climbing slowly and leisurely, unburdened by loads of provisions the silent Sherpas carry for a fee? why, with modern climbing gears, an alert chopper hovering above, food supplies, gadgets, equipment, they're luckier than a winter dove! but really, what they can do in days Sherpa lads hunting in the wilderness, with less preparation, on short notice, can easily do in just a day or even less !