MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 MLCM 71 The Crew There were five of us, united by a common desire to push our limits. Chris was the most experienced alpinist of our crew, while filmmaker Justin used to be a pro backcountry skier. Ben, just 18 years old, was Chris’s little brother and a rookie on all fronts, and this would be by far the biggest adventure of his young life. Saman is one of Nepal’s top rock climbers and a local legend – he brought valuable experience and local knowledge to the team. And then there was me, the only woman on the trip. As a Vancouver-based photographer, ultra runner and rock climber, I’ve done my share of summiting epic peaks, but this trip would add a healthy dose of altitude and a new level, I would learn, of humility. The Route After spending a week in Kathmandu acclimatizing and sorting out gear – which we had lots of – our loose plan was to spend four weeks following the Three Passes trek, the highest elevation trek in the Khumbu Valley. As we followed the route, we’d be looking for peaks to explore, then doing out-and-backs from villages or our campsites to the summit (with the added bonus of being able to leave most of our gear at base camp). As part of our “fast and light” mantra, we didn’t bring ropes or climbing gear, opting instead to stick to third and moderate fourth class scrambling terrain that didn’t require roping up. If we hit technical terrain, we would either find another route or turn back. We were climbing in the same lightweight approach shoes we were hiking in, and it boggled my mind slightly that we would be able to climb to almost 6,000 metres (19,685 feet) more or less snow-free. The scale of what is considered high is on a different playing field in the Himalaya. Summit hugs are the best kind. Saman Shrestha and Chris Brinlee Jr. top out on Chukhung-Ri. Choose your own adventure. On the final 200m to the summit of Nangke-Tshang, Saman and Chris select their own route to the top.