“If you love the Rockies, just wait ‘til you see the Himalayas.”
The gateway village to Everest may be four days from the closest road, but there is no shortage of surprises from home. Photo: Meghan J. Ward.
I heard this umpteen times just prior to my departure for Nepal, where I spent nine weeks trekking with my husband this fall. And it’s no wonder: Nepal is home to many of the world’s most impressive 8000-metre peaks. And impressed we were: it’s hard not to be when surrounded by such giants.
But while I have seen the Himalayas in all their glory and watched the sun set on Mt. Everest, I can still say beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no place like my Rocky Mountain home.
Let’s not kid ourselves. We’re not exactly comparing apples to apples here. However, it’s easy to downplay what we have in The Rockies in light of the mountain ranges that tower over them. Time and time again, I was reminded of the glorious blue lakes we have here in The Rockies in summertime (Nepal is seriously lacking in the lake department), the easy access climbers have to our biggest peaks (no need for porters!), the sweet slopes for riding (no comparison in Nepal, really, unless you are game for skiing Everest), and another thing that might surprise you to hear: a vast, peaceful, uninhabited wilderness (ie. the best backyard in the world). Yes, that’s by comparison.
Arriving at our lodge in Dingboche, Nepal. Photo: Meghan J. Ward.
People in Nepal live everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Their ingenuity has allowed them to settle in the most unlikely of places and farm on steep and unfriendly slopes. The longest we went between settlements during the whole nine weeks was on the Dhaulagiri Circuit (five days) and most of those were relatively short hiking days because we were acclimatizing. Otherwise, we were hiking through incredible scenery but hitting a town every hour or so. And in some places we were sharing the trail with a train of trekkers, villagers, porters, yaks, horses and marathon runners (no joke!). Accessing more remote wilderness in Nepal presented numerous challenges that we simply don’t face in The Rockies.
There's no place like home, but boy those mountains are impressive! Photo: Meghan J. Ward.
Many times I reflected on the true wilderness we have here in Canada’s great peaks, which was something I didn’t realize I had taken somewhat for granted until I saw the alternative. Suddenly, the idea of wilderness took on a whole new meaning for me and I finally understood the value in keeping things wild and untamed.
So, as you tighten your touring bindings this winter or lace up your hiking boots in the warm months to come, take some time to be thankful for the chance you have to venture into that big backyard.
Our peaks may not be as big, but their presence is mighty powerful, especially when you have it all to yourself. No yaks, no people.
Just the Earth beneath your feet and a landscape to explore.
What do you love most about The Rockies?
