Book Review : A Short Walk In The Hindu Kush

Title : A Short Walk in the Hindukush

Author : Eric Newby

Publisher : Picador India

ISBN : 978-0-330-46267-9

Travel writings are slowly climbing their way up in my preference list these days. Perhaps they have discovered the fact that I will never venture into some of the places that are being written about - the wilderness of Alaska, remote places in Afghanistan, scaling Mount Everest and the likes. So they entice me even more and to their delight I am letting them to.  In keeping with the urge to read more of these, I requested MySmartPrice for 'A Short Walk in the Hindukush' by Eric Newby. It was a good choice.

In his frank and humorous way, Eric Newby has managed to compile a writing piece guiding potential climbers on what not to do in order to be a successful mountaineer. A wonderful and exciting book, interestingly written, 'A Short Walk in the Hindukush' is also recommended by Lonely Planet.

Giving in to his discontent while being in high-profile haute-couture industry, Eric Newby embarks on an amusing journey to one of the remotest places on Earth. He has his old friend, Hugh Carless, as a companion on this expedition. Though completely inexperienced and ill prepared, they both are brave and determined enough. They decide to set out to climb Mir Samir in the Nuristan Mountains of Afghanistan. In 1956, they decided to begin their trip with a crash course in basic climbing at Snowdonia in Wales so as to get a feel of the rigours that await them ahead.

They trekked through Nuristan, a region in the North-East of Afghanistan and then 'almost climbed' the challenging Mir Samir(6,059 m). They had to turn back just 700 feet from the summit because of their continual dysentery and altitude sickness. However, three years later in 1959, Mir Samir was successfully scaled by a German mountaineering team.

As expected in such wanderings, Eric Newby and Carless had a brush with wide range of adventures and experiences which range from nerve-wrecking, bone-chilling to thrilling. They passed through various big and small villages, met many people, peeked into the lives of some locals, came to know about peculiar lifestyles of many and had many (un)pleasant encounters. Along with reporting about these things, the author has beautifully sprinkled his narrative with light humour and wit. As they progress on their expedition, we also get to read a lot more about their loose stomachs and about the hostile natives of those regions. The overall picture that gets created after reading about his sojourn in the most beautiful wilderness on Earth does not speak very high about the locals. The description of natives often slips into being derogatory and author's conceitedness comes through in the open. To be fair to the author, this could also be just his honest portrayal of what he felt and experienced. And we must not forget that this book was written in 1958, when how the book would be received was less of author's worry. So I feel what he felt is what he has reported without trying to smooth-en the edginess of his comments. 

Towards the end of their trek, the author writes, "I had the sensation of emerging from a country that would continue to exist more or less unchanged whatever disasters overtook the rest of mankind." I wonder what the author would have said about the country now. 

Travelogues and Travel-blogs

"Travel brings power and love back into your life" - Rumi

And travelogues instigate and lure some to Plan, Pack and Plunge into yet another adventurous travel while they offer glimpses of the world out there for the ones who don’t want to forego the  comfortable confines of their homes.

Nine Lives by William Dalrymple - Published in 2009, this book brings out the essence of 25 years of long and far travels that the author undertook in India - a mystic land for many. The unique nine lives chronicled in this book betoken the diverse belief systems that are prevalent in some parts of the country ranging from Rajasthan to Calcutta and from Bihar to Kerala. These are the stories of faith, conviction and reliance in response to their individual  spiritual calling.

Along the Ganges by Ilija Trojanow - Here the author recounts the journey of river Ganga from its inception in pristine snowcapped peaks of Himalayas till its maturity when it rushes to meet the ocean. From vivacity of youth in the mountains, poise of a young woman in plains to a veteran near the mouth of the ocean, the author witnessed all. Ganga is much more than a river for millions of believers and the author is mesmerised how amidst extremes of archaic traditions and miraculous modernity Ganga zigzags her way for hundreds of miles.

Hot Tea Across India by Rishad Saam Mehta - A travel enthusiast and writer Rishad Mehta follows the trail of that single beverage - TEA, which brings security of known in unknown and a bit of solace amidst commotion. He narrates his experience of traversing length and breadth of India from Leh to Munnar and from Rann of Kutch to Khajuraho. In his words, "If there is one certainty about roads in India, it is that - no matter where you are or what the hour is - if you want a cup of team you'll find a chai ki dukaan within a few kilometres."

One Life to Ride by Ajit Harsinghani - A travel diary of sorts, Ajit's motorcycling adventure through the mountain range of Himalayas is a wonderful write up on his experiences through various villages, across meandering rivers and through sloping steep mountains. The narrative is simplistic yet it beautifully brings out the signature earthiness of the mountainous terrain.

Into The Wild is a story of a recluse who renounced everything including his name (Christopher McCandless) to reinvent himself as Alexander Supertramp.  Wearing the armor of solitude, the vagabond found solace in being akin to nature in the wilderness of Alaska. The author Jon KraKauer tries to retrace the path taken by Chris in an attempt to unravel the mystery and intrigue that wilderness creates in some and the temptations of an unknown world which some find hard to resist.

Bill Bryson is one of the most acclaimed names in the field of travel writings. Whether it is - an adventure trek on Appalachian
Trail (Walk in the Woods),his report on a country which doubles up as a continent (In a Sunburned Country), retracing a youthful European backpacking trip from Scandinavia to Istanbul (Neither Here Nor There) or his report on his adopted country Britain - the land of Shakespeare (Notes from Small Island), Bill Bryson packs right proportion of information, facts, humour, wit and his hallmark panache in his writings.

A Short Walk in the HinduKush by Jack Kerouac was originally typed (in 1951) as one long, single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper which were later taped as 120 foot scroll and eventually was published in a book form. It now enjoys the status of being one of the most distinguished and compelling artifacts of American history written post World War II. It is highly regarded as a bible of road trips.

China Road by Rob Gifford - National Highway 312, length 4,967 km(3086 miles), from Shanghai to Khorgas, runs across the complete breadth of China from east to west. Rob Gifford journeyed route 312 for six weeks, passed through the old Silk Road which runs through the Gobi desert to Central Asia to Persia and to Europe.  He met competitive entrepreneurs, rural people, frustrated and angry citizens and witnessed depleting morality, weakening cultural values, modernity and excitement galore. China Road brilliantly brings out the heterogeneity of modern China as it marches forward to become the next global superpower.

Paul Theroux’s Great Railway Bazaar is a wonderful accompaniment for those solitary train travels. Resplendent with detailed observations of people and surroundings, Great Railway Bazar captures the essence of train travels. The route begins from Victoria Station, London to Asia and through Trans-Siberian express. You never know, you might just see some interesting character portrayed so comically in the book pop out in front of you.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

While travelogues books have enjoyed a sincere fan following ever since, travel blogs have managed to create their own niche readership too. Well chronicled and updated blogs have a clear edge over the rest of the resources in a very significant aspect that the information is almost live on them.  Blogs are the individual creative spaces and the creators get the liberty of recording and showcasing  their jaunts to various places in the ways it catches their fancy. Food, lodging, transport, shopping, sightseeing, events, treks, hiking, sports, activities and much more, you name it and you are almost sure to find a blog where you'd be able to find relevant and updated information about any place on the same.

Homestay or regular hotel stay, lazing over a hammock or shopping for souvenirs on a crowded street, local food or same comfort food, nature appreciation or meeting new people, sitting by a gurgling river in solitude or enjoying the daring rides in a fun park, bird-watching or book reading, meeting locals or solitary confinement - whatever may be your preference you are sure to find someone like you who must have blogged about the best option to (not)engage in exactly the same activity.

In fact blogging is a boon for many in a sense that those who earlier used to capture the beauty of various places that they travel to in their eyes or in the shutterbugs now have an option to share it with the world and their ardent followers are not complaining either. They are the ones who stand to benefit from these travelers' records.

Sankara's - Be On the Road
Lakshmi's - Backpakker
ItchyFeet's -Traveholic

Poorna and Brinda's - Journey2Remember
Mridula's - TravelTalesFromIndia
Ekta and Puru's - MyYatraDiary
Arun Bhat's - PaintedStork
Anuradha Goyal's - AnuradhaGoyal
Bhushavali's - TravelBhushavali
Anita Bora's - AnitaBoraBlog
Anil's - WindySkies
Anil Yadav's - ClimberExplorer
Kiran's - AceGuide

are just a few from a long list of extremely interesting and worth following Indian travel blogs. The descriptions of their travels are fascinating and the photographs that accompany almost lyrical descriptions of a place are breathtaking. These blogs are true celebration of the wandering and vagabond spirits and we wish their tribe grows with each passing day and year. 

Beckoning Mount Everest

Many people succumb to the charm of beckoning wilderness, challenging mountain cliffs, enticing treacherous trails and coaxing unknown paths. The reasons, objectives and experiences may vary from individual to individual but it is amazing to notice that even the fatal incidents and near death experiences do not mitigate their passion to walk the razor sharp edges (sometime literally).Perhaps the excitement to be at the top of the world or exploring the un-traversed paths is difficult to replicate anywhere else and  even more harder is to derive the same joy and contentment from any other pursuit. But thanks to the chronicled words of these mountaineers and trekkers, their armchair counterparts can virtually share at least some part of the thrill.

'Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?', was the question asked to George Millory (an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s). To this question, he retorted : 'Because it is there' and these three words have become the most famous words in the world of mountaineering.

Mt. Everest  8,850m (29,035 feet) high lays in Himalayas, along the border of Nepal, Tibet and China. New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay were the first people to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since that year, the roof of the Earth - the Sagarmath (the mother Goddess), the Everest keeps beckoning many people year after year.

 

'Into Thin Air' is the first person account of Jon Karuker who was part of the Mt. Everest expedition of 1996.  He was in a team led by a seasoned climber Rob Hall heading the Adventure Consultants. But despite being well equipped with all required paraphernalia, expert guidance, meticulously planned program, well researched tracks, deftly organised training camps and human assistance in the form of Nepali Sherpas, this expedition completely fell apart.

Closer home, Arjun Vajpai relates his experience vividly in 'On Top of the World'. He became the youngest Indian to scale Mt. Everest in the summer of 2010. For him the fascination of mountains began at the tender age of 10 and his parents nurtured his passion in tandem with the support of his teachers and friends. The hunger and thirst for adventure drew Arjun to the mountains. His is a story of inspiration, grit, determination and indefatigable spirit to fulfill the dreams and his was clearly an expedition where almost everything went right from the fitness, weather conditions to the support system.

'The Top of the World : Climbing Mount Everest' written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins is a picture book for very young readers - Ages 5 and up. The book briefly explores the history, natural geography, culture, climate of Mount Everest along with the mention of people like Mallory and Irvine, Tenzing and Hillary. The formation of Himalayas, the weather conditions and brief introduction to various aspects of scaling Mt. Everest including the gear and training required and the impending threats on the way find the mention in this book. Besides being an informative book, the beautiful cut paper illustrations make it a visual treat for young adventurers.

 

'Legs on Everest' is written by Mark Inglis, the double amputee who fulfilled his childhood ambition to stand on the summit of the highest mountain of the world. He achieved this feat on 15th May, 2006 braving all odds in the wake of his peculiar condition. The frostbite from one of his previous expeditions costed him both his legs from below the knees but it could not rob him off his dreams rather it made him even more focused and driven to accelerate his efforts towards the goal. In Mark Inglis words, 'Whenever you have pushed yourself to the limit, you know you can achieve things that were once only a dream. The more times you undertake the extreme journey, the greater your confidence that you will attain your dreams, and the bigger your dreams become. And if you want a bigger dream then why not go for the biggest - imagine standing on the summit of Everest!'.

These are not all, there are umpteen books written on the experiences of mountaineers who have dared to climb the crowning glory of the Earth. There are some common strings worth appreciating in all these adventurous stories which tower taller than the uniqueness and differences of the same. Such individuals dare to let their dream soar high, they make their passion fuel their efforts and eventually their determination leads them to achieve the set goals. After having accomplished the designated objective, they find themselves having gained maturity and education from none other than the supreme teacher - the Nature itself. Being in the lap of nature in its purest form, they get to witness its true soul - its nurturing quality and its tempestuous side, its fury and its vulnerability, its unpredictability against human planning. The individuals come out with heightened respect for the supremacy of nature and understanding of the humble position that we share in this precarious balance that has been so beautifully maintained.

Whether it is the - love of wild flora and fauna, desire to redeem oneself, test of self limitations, need to push oneself harder and further, this trend would continue, the epitome of grace Mt Everest would keep seducing mortals year after year. 

Book Review : Into Thin Air

Title : Into Thin Air

Author : Jon Krakauer

Publisher : PAN Books

ISBN : 978-0-330-35397-7

This book has been very high on my TBR list ever since I read Abinav's review at Zealot Readers. I enjoy reading travelogues and adventure books.

Since the time the first person set foot on the roof of the Earth - the Sagarmath (the mother Goddess), the Mount Everest - the lofty peak has beckoned many people over these years. This book is a first person account of Jon Krakauer who was part of the Mt. Everest expedition of 1996. He was in a team led by well-seasoned climber Rob Hall heading the Adventure Consultants. Another group also planned to reach the top at the same time led by Scott Fischer running Mountain Madness company.

Despite being well equipped with all required paraphernalia, expert guidance, meticulously planned program, well researched tracks, deftly organized trainings camps and human assistance in the form of Nepali Sherpas, these two expeditions mentored by two well known organizers completely fell apart. Everest killed 12 men and women in the spring of 1996, the worst single-season death toll since climbers first set foot on the peak seventy five years ago.

Jon introduces the readers to the main characters who were part of these expeditions which began in the spring of 1996, each one of them having different reasons to 'just to get to the top' where the frailty of human body is evident at every step of the trek and the hurdles of unthinkable magnitude stare mockingly at the human faces - freezing, injuries, blindness, breathlessness due to depletion of oxygen in the air, and dying team mates on the way.

In Jon's words - "With so many marginally qualified climbers flocking to Everest these days, a lot of people believe that a tragedy of this magnitude was over-due. But nobody imagined that an expedition led by Rob Hall would be at the center of it. Hall ran the tightest, safest operation on the mountain, bar none. A compulsively methodical man, he had elaborate systems in place that were supposed to prevent such a catastrophe. So what happened? How can it be explained?"

Who was responsible - wrong judgment of even the so called champions of climbing, ill luck, sudden change of weather, rivalry between two businessmen Fisher and Hall, Everest's vengeance, Nature's fury or its way of displaying its supremacy? These are the unanswered questions which do not fade away easily from the minds of the ones who survived the fate. As Jon reminisces, "As I write these words, half a year has passed since I returned from Nepal, and on any given day during those six months, no more than two or three hours have gone by in which Everest hasn't monopolized my thoughts. Not even in sleep is there respite; imagery from the climb and its aftermath continues to permeate my dreams. "

I really appreciated the way Jon has recounted and almost relived the moments while writing this book, that he spent during those couple of months chasing his childhood dream on the terrain which can be as treacherous and killer as it could get. In the preface, he mentions that through this book he wanted to get the expedition and the guilt feeling of 'what if' out of his system. I do not know whether he accomplished this objective or not but the way he has reported almost moment to moment details of those crucial days, it sounds very honest, authentic and unbiased reporting and he truly deserves compliments for the same.

Book Review : The Age of Kali

Title : The Age of Kali

Author : William Dalrymple

Publisher : Penguin India

ISBN : 978-0-143-03109-3

Kaliyug or the Period of Kali is the last of the four Hindu periods contained in mahayuga - the great age of the world. The age of Kali is when the imperfections are so overpowering that the doomsday is not far behind and a new cycle begins.

After having read 'The Age of Kali' by William Dalrymple, I just wondered, perhaps defining India means, getting the feeling of 'Neti Neti' (its neither this, nor that). Such unbelievable diversity in every aspect of human existence - from religion, culture, dressing habits, eating habits, faiths, beliefs, notions, values, to of course financial levels. As is said about Mahabharata, if it is not in this big epic, it is nowhere in the world. I think the same can be said about India to a certain extent.

William Dalrymple brings to us the glimpses of such huge multifariousness in the Indian subcontinent through the essays which chronicle a nation's struggle to rise above the ancient and modern forces which are trying to pull it in opposite directions.

He has brought out the coexistence of stark contrast by introducing the readers to the land of kamasutra, the land where shivalinga is one of the most sacred symbols in the temples, the land celebrating the beauty in the form of Khajuraho figurines and the same land where 'Sati mata' is still revered in some parts, where a woman (Sathin) is severely penalized for having attempted to stop a child marriage and where widows are left to begging in the streets of Vrindavan. But this is not all. He also opens a small window to peek inside the glitterati of Bollywood - the film industry of India and where women like Shobha De cater to the needs of people looking for spicy gossips and erotic writings.

Then there are some essays on the places like Lucknow, which bloomed culturally under the reigns of Mughal emperors and Nawabs who were 'liberal and civilized figures' - the great connoisseurs of poetry, dances, books and plethora of art forms. But such places are now completely bankrupt after having endured the plunder by Britishers, and by corrupt politicians, government officials and drug tycoons, post independence. In states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh anarchy is rampant, especially in political arenas where elections are won by power, money and force rather than fair play. On the other hand there is Bangalore which has been unofficially christened as 'Silicon Valley of India' and offers hope of a better tomorrow for the whole country.

The author then talks about the financial and economic revolution by reporting about how the middle class families struggled in the seventies to buy their first fridge or a black and white television but quite suddenly there seemed to be a lot of money post 1989 economic deregulations and free market reforms. And subsequent deluge of TV channels brought the cultural invasion in the country.

There are some observations that he has very rightly made - India is struggling to shake away from the age old beliefs and caste system which seem to hold their fangs tight on the people very rigidly and refuse to die down. The unfortunate nexus between the religion and politics pushes the nation many times at the brink of volatile situations. The sluggish public sector is one major impediment in the growth of the nation, if not the sole one.

While reading the first half of the book, I was wondering - do such books sensationalize the events and issues more than they actually are but then the counter argument is, can anything non-existent be sensationalized?

But these essays do suffer from a few pitfalls - William Dalrymple has reported the actual events after interviewing many people but the actual flavor of India is lost somewhere especially of modern India which is committed to march ahead despite innumerable hurdles and push-pull forces from all conceivable quarters. The chapters are dedicated to the most depressing incidents in the life of the country in the last two to three decades which offer just one side of the picture. Moreover, I feel the analysis part got overshadowed by verbatim reporting of the people on many incidents and cases. From an author of William Dalrymple stature, I was expecting more deeper and broader scrutiny of the same which unfortunately came only in bits and pieces.

Found this quote from the book worth mentioning here "The eye of faith can often see much that is hidden from the vision of the non-believer". How true and sums up the belief system in one simple sentence.

I like William Dalrymple's writing style but would like to add 'India is not just this'.

Book Review : A Walk in the Woods

Title : A Walk in the Woods

Author : Bill Bryson

Publisher : Black Swan

ISBN : 978-0-552-99702-7

Happened to read another book (after Hiking Through by Paul V.Stutzman)dedicated to the longest trail in the world - the Appalachian Trail . The famous AT spans 14 states on the eastern coast of United States of American, from Georgia in the South to Maine in the North. The adventures of the trail beckon many hikers every year inviting them to experience the breathtaking vistas, unforeseen vegetation, diverse array of animals and not to forget the brutal weather, harsh conditions of the terrain and sometimes even threat to the life.

Bill Bryson decides to set off to hike through this 2100 miles long terrain accompanied by his old friend Stephen Katz. In the initial few chapters, the author vividly explains his preparation for the unique experience of life - from buying the right guide books and manuals, right gear, needful items to be carried, to acclimatizing the body for the trail.

Within just a few days of their trail, they realize how ill-equipped and out of shape they are for this big task but they do manage to survive the initial hurdles and continue on the trail at their own convenient pace. They keep walking on, counting the days, night, miles and sometimes the footsteps. Bryson and Katz take a break in between for a few weeks but during that time, Bryson undertakes a series of day hikes by car so as to stay close to the trail. During one such hikes he happens to be in a town of Centralia, which was once inhabited by people but owing to the underground coal fire which continues to burn for decades now, the town has been abandoned and now wears a deserted look. Bryson's description of this town is simply surreal.

They do return to complete the last leg of the trail together but I leave it for the readers to find out how they take the hardest part of the AT - the heat and wilderness of Maine.

Among many things that I liked about this book, one is the way Bryson introduces the readers to so many other co-hikers they meet while on the trail from the ones like Mary Ellen belonging to the category 'know-it-all' , to 'full of themselves and oblivious to others' like one group of hikers and many others who fall in between these two categories. The author comments about the passions and obsessions of many and one common obsession which is noticeable among many hikers is their interest to indulge in the discussion on comparing and often condemning the prices and qualities of trail gears of other hikers.

Also, throughout the book, Bryson talks about the flora and fauna of the places they cover during their journey and brings to the readers the actual scenario and plight of the same in the hands of the humans. He has very objectively written about the number of species which have and still continue to become extinct in these regions and how drastically inadequate the efforts have been to arrest this plunder.

'A Walk in the Woods' as the name suggests is a travelogue and not a reference book or guide book for the trail. Bill Bryson has reported his experiences in an interesting manner with right proportion of humor to keep the readers engaged.

Stutzman of 'Hiking Through' was on a spiritual journey seeking peace and eternal happiness while physically he was on the AT . He was completely focused on covering mile after mile mostly alone and occasionally in the company of some co-hikers. Bill Bryson's book has a more relaxed approach to the hike that is evident from the way the author undertakes the hike in the company of a friend whose probability of continuing with this task is drastically meager. He talks about nature, geology, politics, history, human psychology, and also hiking.

I must mention the way he summarized his experience on the trail through this paragraph -

"I had come to realize that I didn't have any feelings towards the AT that weren't thoroughly contradictory. I was weary of the trail, but captivated by it; found the endless slog increasingly exhausting but ever invigorating; grew tired of the boundless woods but admired their boundlessness; enjoyed the escape from civilization and ached for its comforts. All of this together, all at once, every moment, on the trail or off."