Sri Lankan Clark Kent revealing his super powers. 

Following an unexpected invitation to join a rigorous trek to Everest Base Camp in Khumjung, Nepal, Arjun Krishnapillai, a dear friend of LOVI, showed us the reward of momentarily swapping ordinary life for an extraordinary endeavour. Although he wasn’t entirely prepared, it was a golden opportunity he simply had to take. After walking for eight hours a day for eleven consecutive days, facing the challenges the altitude brings, Arjun made it on sheer determination. Along the way, he discovered that the human body is capable of much more than he ever imagined.

 

We had a chat with Arjun about the highlights of his journey, the challenges he encountered and the unexpected life lessons that crossed his path. 

Some days were harder than others, depending on the elevation. We had our guide with us, and he knew where and when to stop. It was not just about the climbing; it was also the altitude. The higher the altitude, the oxygen level in the air thins. It got harder to breathe as we got to 5000 meters in altitude at the end, where the oxygen level was about 65% compared to sea level. At that point, even tying a shoelace is exhausting. 

 Arjun at the Tengboche Monastery situated at 3,867 metres. The monastery is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

There were no cars or buses on the mountain. Everything had to be taken up and down by people or animals. There were porters carrying huge wooden poles, huge mattresses and huge tables on their backs through the mountains. They were moving faster than we were. Sometimes, they’re looking at the ground while carrying this weight on their back. It seemed almost dehumanising because you can’t see their faces. It’s as if they were operating like machines. It is quite a situation but there is no alternative.

 

When you look at a guy carrying 100 kg on his back, at that altitude, the things we complain about back home seem petty. You only realise this when you see it for yourself.

There were a lot of climbers who had to be taken down in a helicopter towards the end because their blood oxygen levels had gotten too low. Had they not been taken down, they would have risked getting Acute Mountain Sickness. Some had to get airlifted out, some had to descend on foot.

Unexpected snow on the last day. Arjun is fatigued, breathing 65% oxygen of what he is used to at sea level. 

I was never in a bad mood on the mountain like I might normally be when something isn’t going my way. It’s funny. We get used to the comforts of our everyday lives and we think the hard things are annoying, but in a new place like this, we find we actually can push ourselves. 

Arjun at Gorekshep (5,164 metres), last inhabited town before Everest.

You need a basic level of fitness to even try, like a person who has good cardiovascular fitness or someone who has done sports for a long time. In terms of altitude, there is really no way you can train for it. The only way you can mitigate that is by taking the climb slower. Getting a porter to carry your bag also helps. That would make the journey much easier. Despite these challenges, the journey is not impossible. 

One thing I learnt is how incredible it is to see how hard we can push ourselves. The limits we encounter in our daily lives are often not truly our limits. When you’re halfway through a day of hiking, feeling exhausted with no shelter in sight, you realise that the human body and mind are capable of pushing through much more than you initially thought. What we perceive as our limit can often be surpassed. 

Arjun's guide, Samdu Sherpa, who has climbed Mera Peak (6476 metres) 123 times. The journey would have been impossible without him. 

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