Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day (34 page)

radio, 40, 132–35, 151, 187, 188

   Big Pasang’s use of, 197, 198, 255
n

   garbled information and, 123, 185

   lead team and, 122, 123, 146

   Marco’s use of, 193

   Nadir’s use of, 135, 139

   Shaheen’s use of, 132, 133, 134

Raghunath Aryal, 52

Rana, Devyani, 49, 242
n

Rana, Gorakh, 50, 243
n

rappelling, 2, 3, 139, 152, 168–71, 173

Ratna, Queen Mother of Nepal, 243
n

Rawalpindi, 107–23

Raza, Muhammad, 225, 249
n

Raza, Syed Amir, 100

Red Army, Chinese, 76

red blood-cell count, 65, 116–17, 244
n

refugees:

   Buddhists, 14, 22

   in civil war, 53, 54, 58, 60, 243
n

   partition of India and, 36

   in Rolwaling Valley, 14, 16

   Sherpa as, 66

Regency Hotel, 216

Reichert, Joe, 109

Reichssportführer,
19

reincarnation, 174

relief organizations, 55

religious experience, 201

religious persecution, 36

REM sleep, 201

rescues, rescue system:

   Ger’s rigging of, 196, 255
n

   as slow-paced, 195

   
see also
specific people

rest steps, 130

rice, 100, 104, 155

Rice, Nick, 96, 99, 111, 115, 126, 136, 146

   in Los Angeles, 222

rinderpest disease, 71

rings, 125, 126

Rinpoche, Guru, 14–16, 237
n

roads, 86

   Karakorum Highway,
78,
94,
95, 214

rock salt, 86, 124

rock slides, 95, 113, 125

Rolwaling Excursions, 26, 27

Rolwaling River,
10,
13, 15

   longevity and, 16

Rolwaling Valley, 11–27, 68, 230, 245
n

   apocalyptic legend of, 15

   as
beyul,
14, 16, 237
n

   Chhiring as monastery patron in, 27

   founding myth of, 15–16

   Hillary’s trek in, 17

   on maps,
10

   mortality rate in, 238
n

   population in, 16

   village rotation in, 13–14

   war against demons in, 14–15

   written history of, 14

Rongbuk Monastery, 67

Roosevelt, Theodore, 6

rope, rope lines, 112, 122, 128–29, 131, 132, 135, 148, 155, 198, 250
n,
251
n

   anchor point of, 196

   in Bottleneck, 78, 132, 148, 149–50, 151

   Dren’s body and, 152, 153

   emergency, 172, 252
n

   Endura, 148, 190, 250
n

   on Everest, 251
n

   Figure-8-on-a-bight and, 164, 165, 170, 171

   fixed lines, 145,
162,
164, 165, 170–73, 180, 181, 186, 188, 189, 190, 195, 251
n

   Ger’s rigging of rescue system with, 196, 255
n

   Jumik and Koreans tangled in,
162,
167–68, 189–90, 195, 252
n,
254
n

   left behind, 143

   in Nadir’s descent with Shaheen, 139–40

   Pasang and Jumik’s creation of descent system of,
162,
164–65

   severed by avalanche,
162,
190

   shortage of, 145–46,
147,
148

   in Shoulder, 144, 145–46

   on Traverse, 164, 165, 170, 180

rosary, 125–26

Roskelley, John, 20, 238
n

Royal Geographical Society, 28

Royal Nepalese Army, 58

Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, 138, 250
n

Russia, Czarist, 81, 83

Ruttledge, Hugh, 71

Ryan, Nick, 254
n

Sabir, Nazir, 85–86, 108, 146, 225–27, 257
n

   at tea party, 218, 219, 257
n

Sacherer, Janice, 14, 237
n,
238
n

Safdar Ali, Mir, 82–84, 247
n
–48
n

safety, 121

   of descents, 2, 155

   expedition-style climbing and, 129

   ignorance about, 130–31

   of mountain camps, 101, 131

safety harness, 190

salat,
97, 115

Saleem, Kamal, 107

Salisbury, Richard, 240
n

salt, 71, 86, 124

Sar, 72

sardines, 133

satellite phones, 97, 125, 160, 216

   of Chhiring, 104, 105

   of Hugues, 5, 119, 137, 159

   of Marco, 181

   in Shimshal, 87, 214

   of Wilco, 126, 138, 191–92, 206–7, 254
n

satellites, GPS, 206

Savoia Glacier, 33, 102

Schoening, Pete, 37

Schomberg, R. C. F., 247
n
–48
n

screaming, 150, 151, 154

September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 109

seracs, 121, 149, 150, 155, 173

   defined, 146

   emergency rope and, 252
n

   fall of, 167, 168, 169, 174, 177–78, 190, 196, 217

   Karim on, 164, 165, 182–83

   on maps,
147,
162

Serbia, 152

Serbian K2 Expedition, 86, 90, 107–9, 114, 119, 144

   on Askole departure, 97

   Mandic’s fall and death and,
147,
149–55, 251
n

   porters for, 100, 109, 122

   Shaheen’s illness and rescue and,
120,
131–36, 138–40, 144–45, 207, 213, 218

   
see also
K2, 2008 disaster on

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
(album), 31

Shah dynasty, 48–53, 74

   legend about, 51–52

   murder of, 48–52, 58, 242
n,
243
n

Shahi, Rajiv Raj, 243
n

Shams, 80

Shangri-la, 84, 182

Shar Khombo,
66

Sharp, David, 43, 241
n

sharpa
(people from the east), 66, 68

shaving, 87

Sher, 80–81

Sherpa, 17, 64–76, 218, 246
n

   adaptation to oxygen deprivation by, 64–65

   amateur climbers and, 42

   animal slaughter and, 245
n

   anthropological studies of, 14

   Bhote compared with, 57, 68–70, 106

   clans of, 66–70, 103, 244
n,
245
n

   cremation and, 103

   defining of, 68

   as ethnicity, 13, 64–70, 75–76, 237
n,
245
n

   on Everest, 23–25, 43, 105

   fame of, 70, 75–76

   foreigner description of, 70

   K2 and, 43, 98, 103–4, 106,
147,
171, 257
n

   killed on German expedition to Nanga Parbat, 19, 238
n

   naming system of, 66–68, 245
n

   origins of, 66

   quartz rock scuffle and, 105

   stereotype of, 64

   Tenzing’s Everest climb and, 75–76

   village rotation of, 13–14

   Wiessner and, 33–36

   Wolfe rescue attempt of, 35

   
see also
specific people

sherpa (job description), 45, 63, 68, 144–45, 210, 227

   bonus for, 160

   use of term, 13, 64, 70, 237
n,
241
n

Sherpa, Ang Lhamu, 73

Sherpa, Ang Tenzing Sherpa, 19

Sherpa, Chhiring Dorje,
10,
11–14, 17–27, 55, 223–25, 227–30

   ambition of, 12, 25, 43

   appearance of, 43, 44

   becomes head of household, 18–19

   Buddhist
lama
of, 2, 26, 27, 104, 124, 172

   at Camp 4, 144, 183–84

   cheerful determination of, 11

   childhood of, 12, 17–18

   clan of, 68

   in Colorado, 45–47

   deaths experienced by, 17–18

   on definition of Sherpa, 68

   Everest accident of, 24

   Everest climbed by, 2, 23–26, 42, 44, 45

   Gilkey Memorial as viewed by, 102–3

   gravest transgression of, 17

   as interpreter, 23

   K2 Base Camp and, 102–6, 112–14, 124–25, 129, 210

   at K2 summit, 159, 160

   Kathmandu home of, 27, 220, 227–28

   on Lhotse, 229–30

   Makalu and, 228–29

   marriage of, 27

   name of, 11, 67

   offerings made by, 104, 124, 155

   Pasang rescued by,
162,
173–78, 223, 257
n

   people dependent on, 2, 12, 23, 25, 27

   portering considered by, 19, 20

   portering jobs of, 22–26

   provisions of, 124–25

   in return to Kathmandu, 219–20

   
sherpa
used by, 45, 241
n

   on solar eclipse, 154

   speed of, 11, 44

   strength of, 44

   in U.S. K2 expedition, 1–7, 45–47, 102–6, 112–14,
120,
122, 144, 148–51, 155,
162,
187

   visions of, 172

   wages and income of, 22–25

Sherpa, Dawa Phuti (Tenzing’s wife), 71, 72–73

Sherpa, Hrita, 17

Sherpa, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, 73, 75

Sherpa, Mingma, 256
n

Sherpa, Ngawang (Chhiring’s brother), 12, 25, 172, 220, 227

Sherpa, Ngawang Oser, 24, 104, 124, 172, 238
n

Sherpa, Ngawang Thundu, 2, 14, 25, 26, 172, 230, 237
n,
238
n

   on Chhiring, 11–12

   clothing of, 17

   debts of, 19

   wife’s death and, 18

Sherpa, Nima, 18

Sherpa, Pasang Lahmu, 24–25

Sherpa, Pemba Gyalje, 68, 103–4, 122, 141, 144, 183–84

   Big Pasang and Jumik’s deaths and, 200, 205

   descent of, 171–72, 173

   Marco found and rescued by,
162,
204–6, 223, 255
n

   media and, 224

   medicine given to, 184

   photos taken by, 200, 205, 253
n,
254
n,
255
n

   at tea party, 218

   Tsering’s consulting with, 187

   Wilco’s location and, 256
n

Sherpa, Pem Phutar, 19, 238
n

Sherpa, Rinjing, 212, 256
n

Sherpa, Sonam Tsering, 20, 21, 24–25

Sherpa, Tensing Futi, 2, 27, 44, 47, 150, 172, 227

Sherpa, Tensing Norbu, 240
n

Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, 70–76, 245
n

   autobiography of, 76

   in Darjeeling, 71, 72, 76

   death of, 246
n

   discrimination experienced by, 71–72

   ethnicity dispute over, 75–76

   Everest climbed by, 17, 38, 73–76, 245
n,
246
n

   Everest obsession of, 72–73

   flags held up by, 74, 246
n

   as indentured servant, 71

   marriages of, 71, 73, 75

   name of, 67

   as porter, 72, 73

   as
sirdar,
73

   sudden stardom of, 74–75

Sherpa, Tshering Namdu, 2, 27, 44, 47, 150, 172, 227

Sherpa-climber, 70

Sherpani, Dawa (Chhiring’s wife), 2, 26–27, 114, 150, 172

   Chhiring’s return and, 220, 227–28

   childbirths of, 27

   in Colorado, 45–47

   K2 climb as viewed by, 43, 46–47, 105, 227

   name of, 67

Shigar River,
78,
96

Shigri, Shujaat, 99

Shimshal, 78–81,
78,
108, 154, 210

   founding of, 79–81

   glaciers and, 90–91

   inviolate feeling in, 86–87

   jeep track to, 86

   to K2 (map),
94

   K2 deaths and, 213–14

   Nazir’s visit to, 225–27

   population of, 81, 86

   satellite phone in, 87, 214

Shimshalis, 79,
147,
226

   
see also
specific people

Shimshal Pass,
78,
81, 82, 84,
94

Shimshal River,
78,
80

Shimshal Valley, 77–91,
78

   legends about, 79–81

   mountaineers in, 85–86

   partition of India and, 85

   as vacation destination, 84–85

   Younghusband’s espionage in, 81–84

Shipton, Eric, 72

Shishapangma, 16

Shiva (Shankar), 238
n

shoes, 100, 223

Shoulder, 137, 138, 151, 152, 154, 185, 186, 190, 250
n

   Camp 4 in, 121, 142–46,
147,
169, 206

   descent to, 169, 178, 194

Shruti, Princess of Nepal, 243
n

Siachen glacier,
78,
211

signing bonuses, 99–100

Silk Road, 79, 81

Singapore team, 90, 109

sirdar
(chief of the mountain workers), 73

Sjogren, Tom, 206

Skardu, 99, 213, 214

   Combined Military Hospital in, 113, 215

   Fearless Five in, 95–96, 211

   on maps,
xiv,
78

ski poles, 165, 194

Skog, Cecilie, 5, 114, 115, 126, 149–51, 159, 166, 210

   in Antarctica, 222, 257
n

   and Rolf’s disappearance and death, 168–69, 222, 252
n

   scream of, 150, 151

sky burial, 103, 249
n

sleep, REM, 201

sleeping bags, 34, 35, 187, 208, 240
n

   of dead climbers, 183, 209, 224