Mattias Westfalk

Friday, December 19, 2008

Mt Everest Trail

"To stay is to be nowhere"

From Kathmandu (1317m) to Kala Patthar (5550m) via Jiri, Namche Bazar to be able see Mt. Everest (8848m) again. I went the same trail in 1997 and had completely erased the hardship of an undertaking like this. Somehow I had managed to just remember the sunny and relaxed moments, moments with hot lemon tea, long rests after a cooked meal. I realized pretty soon from the constant flashbacks that the reality was quite different most of times, the hot leamon tea breaks were still a highlight of the day. Awesome moment in solitude amongst the highest peaks on the planet with a camera bag up front and a NorthFace 30L pack with just the essential (sleeping bag and water) on my back. Took me 11 days to reach the peak of Kala Patthar where the best view of Mt. Everest is at. It's hard to put in word what goes through your mind when you are up here alone with endless trails under your feet, "drifting" would be close. Really uplifting in a way because of the absolutely stunning environment, at the same time terrifying due to the high altitude and lack of almost everything you have got used to down at sea level. Extremes in every shape and form, you come to realize after a whole day climbing dusty trails that you are capable of more that you could ever believe, this both physical and mental. As a photographer you will grow a bigger love / hate to the whole nature of photographing and photography. When I see the images I brought home (around 1000) on a big computer screen back in the safety of my warm and safe office I find it hard to realize that I was actually there just a couple of weeks ago and that it was I who took these photos with the camera resting on the table next to me. Have I already started the process of erasing the moments where the camera was nothing more than a hinderance, a piece of heavy plastic, glass and metal worthless and without value compare to a glass or water or a warm shelter? The moments where turning around suddenly didn't seem a too bad idea, to drop the whole idea of being there? I love the fact that I did it again and the fact that I am home again. And the fact that these images are pure is another proof for my own ideal that it's still the eye and mind that is in charge, not the machine!

Day One....Slaughter Of The Soul

Back in Japan after a pretty extreme month out on the road. Well, I set out to reach the foot of Everest by doing so overland from Kathmandu. The majority of trekkers and mountaineers opt to fly in half the way to the notorious tilted landing strip of Lukla, so I was pretty much the only "tourist" on the bus. The first stretch is done by a local 12 hour bus ride on winding roads to a small trading station called Jiri. Then from there an about 11 day hike (for me) to either the base camp of Mt. Everest or KalaPatar which is the best view point of the tallest peak in the world. It was early hours still at the grim bus station just outside the capital and I just managed to get me a ticket for the ride up North. A general depressive mood was in the air and when the butcher with a couple of strong blows hacked off the head of this goat I was standing beside, I knew it was time to leave urban society for a more solitude environment for a while. I just remembered that I felt everything was pretty fucked up at that moment. Proved to be a hard and testing time in the Himalayas and every moment, every step on the rugged paths was a reminder that life back at sea level is pretty "safe".