Sky Camping Central Nepal Jan 6th-9th

Sky Camping Central Nepal Jan 6th - 9th

January 6th
I woke up to another beautiful day in Pokhara, Nepal.  Before work I talked with Ivan Ripoll, and we agreed to meet in the evening and discuss plans for a Vol Biv adventure starting the following day.  I went to work (tandem flying) and did one tandem, based on decent early thermals it felt like it would be a good xc day.  After the tandem I saw Lisa Dickinson who was preparing for a sky camping mission to the green wall, with Maciej Zietara.  I declined the invitation but was intrigued enough to trade my harness's protections, Supair Delight, for my sleeping bag (a Nepal special -20C).

After take-off it wasn't long before we were all on glide for Dicky Dande.  After some Dicking around we transitioned to the Green Wall.  The top landing spot we had in mind is on the top of the West side. It seemed to early in the day to end the flight so we worked toward the East side of the wall.  From the East peak I made the transition back to the west side, and climbed up again to the top landing spot.  At this point I still thought that I would spend the night in my warm bed at lakeside, but it seemed like the right thing to do to help my friends with top landing etc.  I started to explore the air around the spot, it was mostly moving up.  I remembered advise Honza Rejmanek gave me about top landing a lifty top.  He stressed that you should come in below the point and 45 degrees from downwind, then dive your glider and during the upswing face into the wind on your sport and stall it just above the ground.  It worked, thanks Honza.  Soon after landing a man appeared caring foliage and we exchanged greetings in my limited Nepali.  I then went about making wind indicators for Lisa and Mac, still thinking that I would take-off again and sleep at in a warm, cozy, comfortable bed.

Just when Lisa came into view Ivan came on the radio saying that he was just arriving at the Green Wall.  We agreed to call each other that evening and discuss the sky camping trip, and I decided to spend the night on top of the Green Wall.  Lisa and Mac landed in great style, and as we were packing gliders three men came out of the Jungle and started helping us gather wood and start a fire.  During this trip it was a real pleasure to experience the generosity and helpfulness of the local people.  With a raging fire we shared smiles, gestures, chocolate and a limited vocabulary with the buffalo herders who called that place home.

Mac went about setting up his Tent, and I laid out my small tarp.  Soon we were cooking pasta on a fire watching an amazing sunset.  The Pasta with Yak cheese was delicious, thanks Mac and Lisa, rarely does food taste better then outside, next to a fire, with good friends.  After dinner one of the buffalo herders brought us fresh popcorn and hot buff milk, WOW.  The buff milk was silky, creamy, warm and delicious.  A true delicacy.  These were not city buffalo eating trash, these were high jungle buffalo eating from the fruit basket of nature, great milk.  Soon I was fast asleep in my sleeping bag, at cloudbase.

January 7th, 2013

I woke well before dawn, partly due to a buff milk filled gut, and partly in excitement for the day.  I marveled at the stars until dawn arrived.  It was one of those night skies that you can look deeper and deeper into and see more and more stars.  I spent time contemplating how extraordinary it is that I am here doing this in such a huge and mysterious universe.  Existence is an amazing, improbable and exciting thing, there is nothing like looking into a star filled sky to encourage gratitude for this life and this place.

As dawn approached I put a pot of water on the still hot coals and enjoyed the early alpin-glow on the Annapurna range.

There was more than 1cm of frost on everything , and getting out of the sleeping bag was aided by the energy boost one gets with views like the one above.  Lisa's chai mix was delicious, spicy and invigorating.  After packing up camp, we made some porridge for breakfast, then started working on the take-off.  With a sickle borrowed from the buff herders we cleared unwanted shrubbery and with rags found in the grass we made wind indicators.  The take-off ended up looking pretty decent.  By the time we were ready to launch (11am) cycles were strong enough to encourage an A/C inflation technique.

After take-off the flight over to the east peak required riding punchy morning thermals up to cloudbase. Here is a shot of Lisa tucked into the green wall.

The east peak was completely shaded, and getting up required a low save out front.  Thermaling up into the clouds was a pleasure.  We then glided back to Sarangkot, arriving well higher then the tandem gaggle, and top-landed.  I ordered a black tea and noodle soup, and waited for Ivan Ripoll.

Once Ivan arrived we distributed the food he had bought and agreed that we would try to push East of the Green wall.  The going was quick and we stayed together.  We made 2400m asl over the East peak of the Green wall, and made the first crossing to the ENE.  During this crossing Nando Silla Martinez came on the Radio and said he was crossing to Dicky Danda to catch us.   The conditions were unstable and working well, we were pushing into an east wind so each transition was into wind and the thermals were a little rowdy down low in the lee.

Flying with huge birds marking the thermals.

At about 3pm it seemed like the thermals were mellowing out so we agreed on a hill in the middle of a river convergence, which looked to have a good SE launch.  When we arrived at the hill there was no wind and no lift.  I stalled my glider a little higher then I would have liked trying to make the one chance landing (careful Mitch).  Ivan made a flawless landing, of course.  After untangling my glider from a small tree we packed up.  As usual in Nepal we were joined by curious kids.  These kids did not ask for money or chocolate or anything they just watched and helped up when they could, a relief to be out of the tourist areas.  Hanging out with the kids and communicating with very little shared language was fun, and refreshing.

Away from the city, away from the tourist areas, it seems that there exists less otherness.  I don't mean economic status or ability to buy material goods.  I mean that there is more of an understanding that we are all from the same Divine origins.  These people are intrigued and interested in the white guys who flew in on pieces of cloth, but they treat us like humans, with respect and integrity.  The people of Nepal, the people away from the cities and tourists routes are amazingly generous, exceptionally intelligent, and undeniably Divine.

Camp with kids helping keep the fire.  Photo Ivan Ripoll

With the kids help we soon had a large pile of wood and a fire.  Nando, to our amazement and delight, was still flying towards us.  He landed just 5km from where he were, and spent a sleepless night hearing gun fire very close to him, possibly hunters shooting for a man-killing leopard.  We had good conversation, tea and noodles.  I slept great, and once again woke up pre dawn, the nights are long this time of year.  Contemplating the stars and the space between the stars I am reminded of Eckhart Tolle; "When you are aware of space, you are not really aware of anything except awareness itself, the inner space of conciseness."  Being in a new place, away from job, commitments and worries allows the mind to clear and to find space.

Tea, noodles, packing our bags, kids hanging out.  The kids wanted to know when were were going to fly.  Without a shared language it was hard to communicate that we needed to wait for the sun to heat the ground and the ground to heat the air around it and that warm air to rise through any inversions that probably built during the night.  So we just asked them to help us find water, panni.  Our little friends showed us to the water, and to the store to buy more noodles etc.  How perfect can it get, great top landing, friendly people, and water and food ten minuets away from take-off.  We had tea and a boiled egg at a small tea hut and meet the only english speaker around.  She said that they had never seen paragliders before, and only rarely saw foreigners.

Ivan standing on take-off, still some valley fog.  Stupa in the background.

Photo Ivan Ripoll

Up at take off we checked in with Nando, who was feasting on Dal Bhat (the local dish of Nepal, rice and lentils with whatever else is available, its different every time) and buff milk with a local family after his harrowing night.  Back at take off we began clearing brush and waiting for the valley fog to clear.  Our take off required very little clearing so we went to the small temple/stupa, meditated and napped in the sun.  These little stupas are abundant around Nepal, usually in high beautiful places.  There exists a real power to them, these are places where spiritual people have come for thousands of years to meditate, pray, and connect with the divine.  After our meditation session we noticed that the fog was clearing and the thermal cycles were coming in nicely, prompting us to walk up to take off.

Finding Nando.  Photo Ivan Ripoll

The cycles were getting quite strong at take off; immediately above a South East facing cliff.  Just before take off our little friends turned up and watched us launch and climb over their heads.  After a while Ivan and I were over 2000 meters and decided to glide to Nando, who was scratching near his take off, and help him find a climb.  It was really cool to find Nando and soar with him over the mass of villagers who were watching.  Soon we were high again and on our way east, gliding over villages on steep hillsides with all adobe buildings and no roads.  These villages probably look as they have for thousands of years.  As modern people it is easy to think that people without access to roads, electricity and modern medicine are missing something.  After deeper thought I think those of us with computers, TV, and all the modern conviences are the ones missing something.  Humans living like humans have lived for thousands of years is natural, and joyous.  Who craves more the American surrounded by things or the mountain person of the Himalaya who has very little?

We found ourselves soaring a bowl to the West of Besisahar.  The bowl was just not working, enough lift to get to the top, but not over.  After spending an hour searching and trying to get out we decided to land on school field on the top of the bowl.  The school children flooded out to greet us.  

Nando landing among some excited children.

  After packing up a few teachers came out to greet us and told us that they had seen a paraglider land here about six years ago.  The children were just getting out of school and with their help we found the nearest village and asked about a place to sleep for the night.  Our Nepali is non-exsistant and no one spoke english, so we had a fun time practicing unspoken communication.  They started cooking some Dal Bhat and making the sleeping room up.  We negotiated 100 Rps each for the meal and bed.  Thats equal to about $1.20, a excellent value.  

Nando and Mitch enjoying the village life.  Photo: Ivan Ripoll

Nando shared some delicious spanish sausage, cheese and crackers.  Which we washed down with some rum and tea.  We were the main attraction in the village.  Many people sat or stood nearby watching us.  Eventually an english speaker appeared and asked us the usual questions.  The Dal Bhat was delicious and the room provided a nice warm bed for each of us to sleep in, a welcomed treat after two nights out in the cold.

Day 4 January 9th 2013.

I awoke early, as usual, and went for a walk up to a stupa near by.  It was a wonderful place to do some stretching and meditation.  On the way back to the village I was invigorated by the view of Manaslu in alpine glow.  Mountains never cease to empower the spirit.  These huge peaks make you feel small, yet alive.  Ansel Adams puts it quite well "No matter how sophisticated we may be nothing speaks to the core of our existence like the shear face of a granite mountain."

The signs clearly stating wear the boundary is.  

After Ivan and Nando got out of the nice warm beds, we decided to hike up to Galli Gone for a chance to launch higher, and hopefully out of any inversions.  The villagers assured us that there were restaurants and we could get some breakfast up there.  The hike was nice along a rough jeep road, and some steep single track.  There was a water station near the top where we refilled and took a break.  When we got to Galli Gone we started walking through town asking about breakfast and restaurants, it seemed like all the tourist places were shut down due to off-season.  When we walked out the other side of town a man came out of the Annapurna conservation area office and asked us about permits.  We explained that we did not want to go into the area and we just wanted some food and then we would be on out way.  He said that we were already 2km into the area and had to pay 4,000 rupies a piece for permits.  We were standing right next to a sing that read "you are entering the Annapurna conservation area....."  This man said the sign was wrong and he was right.  We explained that we did not have the cash and that we would be leaving shortly.  He followed us to a perfect launch, well outside of the sign.  He insisted on not allowing us to fly, and calling the police if we did not walk down the road immediatly.  Ivan had a clear enough head to stop me from insisting that the man listen to reason, and read the sign, and we agreed to walk down.  Ivan was right, the man would not see reason, and allowing ourselves to get all worked up about it was not going to help us, thanks Ivan.  My ego wanted this man to see the world through my perspective, but insisting on that was just making the situation worse, and tempers flare.  Letting go of the ego in confrontations, surrender, is usually the best way to move forward.

Ivan gliding to Besi

We walked down the road then decided to walk up to near the take-off from the non-village side.  Get our gear ready and walk the last 100 meters to take off with everything on and our gliders mushroomed.  After the sweaty walk Nando and Ivan launched and I was left without any wind, worrying that the Bureaucrat would see them flying and rush up to take off to hold down my wing and get me in trouble. That take-off was one of the most interesting ever, not only was I hyper aware of the thermal cycles, and indicators but I was buzzing on adrenaline, worried about getting caught.  A cycle came through and I was flying, thermaling up in no time to join Ivan and Nando at 2,500m.  We decided to glide down to Besisahar because we had work the next day.   The glide was butter smooth, without any hint of lift.  Once again we were surrounded by school children at landing.  After 5 hours of riding in busses we were back in lakeside, and talking about the next adventure.  Thanks for the great flying, camping, and company Ivan, Nando, Lisa, and Mac.