Crab Research
After resting for 6 days, I'm still tired. So I'll just get this post over with.
I went off for a 28 day course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarakashi. I was part of Basic Course 195, 96 strong, training in the Gharwal Himalayas, Uttaranchal. It's an army institute, very demanding - but immensely rewarding.
I wanted to authenticate Z's Act 2 monologues and make his whole emotional-physical journey as rich as possible. I gained height upto 16000 feet, went to temperatures of -5.6 degrees celcius without wind chill. Research findings were amazing, which you will see in the play.
Two points where the research got nasty - when I went to wash my mess tin in the river I slipped on verglass and my hand went straight into the water. The fingers curled up and stopped working for a few hours. It was sick not having any control over my fingers, I couldn't tie knots, rope up, or even straighten my thumb inside the gloves. Once the sun came out and thanks to new gloves, my hand slowly began working again. Do NOT want that to happen again.
The other point was when I fell off a snow slope, mostly out of my stupidity. I was busy taking photographs and turned to give my camera to another climber who was jummaring up and pulled out my self-anchor from the snow. I went straight down - no injuries, but do NOT want to do that again either.
Other than that I know what it feels like to not be able to breathe if you're not acclimatised correctly. And what it feels like to keep walking till you're just a head bobbing around 176 cms off the ground. And how helpless you are when facing down a mountain.
Fact is though we were completely safe for 99% of the time. (1% allowance for stupidity, which I displayed in large measures.) We were mostly in training environments, and I can only imagine the real thing - out on a new route, with a full expedition. Gulp.
But it's great to be back. Post-research draft 6 reading today! Hoping for the best.
Photos here if you're interested.
Love all!
I went off for a 28 day course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarakashi. I was part of Basic Course 195, 96 strong, training in the Gharwal Himalayas, Uttaranchal. It's an army institute, very demanding - but immensely rewarding.
I wanted to authenticate Z's Act 2 monologues and make his whole emotional-physical journey as rich as possible. I gained height upto 16000 feet, went to temperatures of -5.6 degrees celcius without wind chill. Research findings were amazing, which you will see in the play.
Two points where the research got nasty - when I went to wash my mess tin in the river I slipped on verglass and my hand went straight into the water. The fingers curled up and stopped working for a few hours. It was sick not having any control over my fingers, I couldn't tie knots, rope up, or even straighten my thumb inside the gloves. Once the sun came out and thanks to new gloves, my hand slowly began working again. Do NOT want that to happen again.
The other point was when I fell off a snow slope, mostly out of my stupidity. I was busy taking photographs and turned to give my camera to another climber who was jummaring up and pulled out my self-anchor from the snow. I went straight down - no injuries, but do NOT want to do that again either.
Other than that I know what it feels like to not be able to breathe if you're not acclimatised correctly. And what it feels like to keep walking till you're just a head bobbing around 176 cms off the ground. And how helpless you are when facing down a mountain.
Fact is though we were completely safe for 99% of the time. (1% allowance for stupidity, which I displayed in large measures.) We were mostly in training environments, and I can only imagine the real thing - out on a new route, with a full expedition. Gulp.
But it's great to be back. Post-research draft 6 reading today! Hoping for the best.
Photos here if you're interested.
Love all!
posted by ramganeshk at 11:50 am
4 Comments:
gorgeous pics, macha!
if i follow your trailblazing path, i should be waiting on tables soon.
why don't you and vijay go together for the mountains? i see much dramatic potential there. no?
Wow! what an amazing adventure. Great photos, too. I was very taken with Nag Baba (121). Who he?
V - Ah, they told us about that lake though, but we couldn't see it. Army guys were waxing poetic about those trout. We were on climbing routes south west of the Gangotri glacier most of the time. At some point however, I'm going to try and get my ass back there in pleasant summer and do a nice peaceful trek - MINUS any technical climbing!
Swar - He he. You have to know how to lean into and cut corners. I did this whole thing well under 5 figures. Bare bones baby, bare bones...
Hrm - your play idea does sound like it might have something...
Two writers head up into the Himalayas to research a new play. But things go awry when one writer is actually an axe murderer and the other has no understanding of grammar. He he...
Harriet - The Baba lives in a shack on that mountain we walked up. He tends to the temple. Friendly mountain hermit.
PS - Hemmingway also put a shotgun into his mouth and blew his head off.
Yes, I like the theme. Smacks of high art. But change the title to "Trouts and Toilet Papers" - then at least the crap grammar gets set up as a device.
Hehehehe. It's good to be back.
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