Machapuchare

Machhapuchare peak

My most favorite mountain in the world is Machapuchare. I first saw the it from Sarangkot. It was a cloudy evening in late August 2011. When I reached the viewing point, a thick layer of cloud was blocking my view of the peak. After a few minutes an opening formed as the clouds moved away and I could see the Machapuchare peak in it's full glory. Near the peak its too steep - almost vertical - for ice to cling on. The bare rock face was glowing in golden light of the setting sun. There was something amazingly beautiful and captivating about that bare rock face.

I fell in love and realized that I would like to climb mountains someday. Not like some arrogant mountaineers I had met before, who climb mountains to conquer them. My inspiration for climbing a mountain would be to appreciate it.

A little research on the internet afterwards reveals some interesting facts about Machhapuchare. It's almost 7000m high and lies in the Annapurna mountain range. The meaning of the Nepali name is 'Fish tail'. Named so because of its twin peaks. The mountain is revered as sacred by local people. Machapuchare has never been climbed to the summit. Out of respect for local customs, mountaineers have decided not to set foot on its peak. I learned most of these from researching on the internet after coming back home awe stricken by the sheer magnificence of Machapuchare.

Su Cha

The Tibetan butter tea, known as 'Su Cha' (or is it 'Su Ja' ?) in Manang is an excellent beverage for the Himalayan conditions. In absence of central heating or other such provisions to fight the cold, reliance focuses on calorie rich diet. Su Cha serves this purpose well.

Su Cha served with a couple of Tibetan breads and a plate of spicy potatoes makes a good breakfast

The preparation is very simple. Add a tablespoon of tea leaves and about 200gm of butter in 1L of hot water. Add salt according to your taste. Stir to melt all the butter, then enjoy :)

Yak Meat

Click on the picture to see album, WARNING: BLOOD

Although Vajrayana buddhists by religion, Manangis don't consider killing yak for meat as a taboo. Probably for practical reasons, they have resorted to tweak this part of the religious laws.

One fine morning, Tashi invited me to watch the ritualistic slaughtering and butchering of yaks. The event took place in a field on the outskirts of the village, by a little stream.

Four cows and a bull yak were slaughtered. Instead of slitting the throat open, a long narrow knife is driven right into the animals heart. This ensures quick death without spilling much blood. Every part of the animal is consumed or used in one way or another, including the blood.

Use of axe and hammer in butchering is another speciality of their culture. For an animal as thick skinned and heavy boned as the yak is, this is no surprise.

Only men are allowed to go on the butchering field. Perhaps a tradition being carried on since the hunter-gatherer period.

Skin Protection in the Himalayas

Cracked skin on my knuckles

Himalayan air is usually very dry except for the monsoon season. Skin cracks in all kind of strange places of our body. Skin on my knuckles cracked. Another guy had the palm of his hands cracked.

Locals rub fat from yak and other domestic animals on their skin to prevent cracking.

EU Visa Policy

Checking the visa policy of the European Union countries can be worth while before you make your travel plans. This page on wikipedia comes in handy in this regards.