“On a Mish” #419 This Time Last Year (Part One). Te Waipounamu / South Island to Ganesh Himal Charity Trek 2023. Aotearoa New Zealand & Nepal. 25.10.2023. This time last year (2023) I was struggling my way through the foothills of the Himalaya on another quest with the Active Hearts Foundation Team. It was close to, if not the hardest hike I had even been on. The terrain was the opposite of what my hip and back would rather be walking on, but thanks to the people around me, and the purpose of the mission, I kept dragging myself along the trail. Even though it was bloody tough I am returning to Wa Kainga (my home away from home) because this time last year (2023) I was on a mish with a positive purpose, and it was so good that I am going back for more…
Nepal is a place where the incredible beauty is matched and surpassed by the warm hearts of the mountainous land’s native people. I first headed over to the home of Sagarmatha Mt Everest after the devastating earthquake in 2015. Along with providing much needed assistance, I was looking forward to visiting one of my three places to see before I die… Alaska, Antarctica, and of course Nepal.
With no idea of what to expect I packed my bags and took the multiple flights needed to get to Kathmandu. We hiked deep into the foothills below Mt Everest to a village where a legendary Nepali guide named Bibek grew up. While the views of the mountains were some of the most glorious I had ever seen, it was the inhabitants of the Himalaya that left the biggest impression on me. Thanks to the friends I made over there I first helped to raise funds in 2016 and then had been back over to Nepal again in 2017, 2018, 2019. But then covid and of course my injury put a stop to my overseas Nepali adventures.
While we were confined to our own countries, I held several fundraising events to help a country that needs tourism so badly. So many of my friends lost their way of life thanks to that nasty virus, and the country was doing it tough for the years that the borders were closed. After the world returned to its normal self, planning was put in place for another mish to the land of big mountains and even bigger hearts.
Training was arduous, but aided by my little friend Ernie, who helped me up the hills when times got tough. Dogs are so much more than excellent companions, they are also personal trainers who get you out and about or pester you until they see you grab the lead and head for the door. So many steps up and down undulating earth was thanks to a ten kg Jack Russel Terroriser.
So, while I gear up for another wander, I think back to this time last year when I was fighting off the many negative thoughts trying to end my trek in Nepal. I was incredibly stoked to be back the old stomping grounds; I was also questioning my life choices as I gritted and grinded my broken bits with the other kind-hearted humans who had joined the Heartspace / Active Hearts Foundation Team…
