An Everest of a Man

Thomas Francis O’Neil Sr. passed away peacefully this past Tuesday morning at the remarkable age of 97. A remarkable feat for a remarkable man.

My time in Nepal, like its people and culture, was to be quiet, slow, and peaceful. With the magical yet tiring rollercoaster of India successfully under my belt I wanted nothing more out of Nepal than to rest, regroup, and perhaps undertake some light trekking. It had been four full days since I’d been in front of a computer when I ducked into a rickety internet shop in the Himalayan foothill town of Tansen last Thursday. I had to do no more than read the email subject line (“Grandpa”) to know in my heart my grandfather had died. Reading my father’s email through tears I learned that his father (the original TFO) had died quietly in his sleep at 5am the morning of Tuesday March 2^nd. By some strange twist of fate I’ll always know where and what I was doing at that moment. Nepal is 13.5 hours ahead of California so when I pulled into Lumbini a little after 6:30pm to conclude a great day’s journey my grandfather was, at that same time, concluding his greatest journey of all.

For the hours that followed I walked the narrow streets of Tansen in a daze, but quickly the tears turned to feelings of warmth and celebration. As my grandfather’s son, two daughters, and eight grandchildren have reiterated on countless occasions, when the day finally comes it will not be a day of sadness and grief but a day of celebration. Celebration of a great life lived…all 97 years worth.

My grandfather embodied the spirit of travel and adventure. In the early 1930s he and three companions set off on a legendary cross country road trip from Buffalo, NY to California. They slept by the side of the road next to their vehicle: a Model T Ford. It would become the stuff of O’Neil family legend. In his later years he traveled the globe from Europe to Hawaii to the Panama Canal and did it in style on everything from the QE2 to the Concorde. His appetite and zest to see the world continued till the very end.

In November of last year my grandfather lost his third wife. Never divorced, his giant heart simply outlasted theirs. Three months later that heart finally crossed the marathon finish line and gave out. So with great joy and happiness the O’Neil, Hoch, and Flink families will gather on Hilton Head Island in two weeks time to celebrate the life of a great man.

My father was correct when he said my grandfather would have insisted I continue on my journey rather than return home for his service. I will not be coming home to celebrate his life with my family so instead I’m going to celebrate his life here, in Nepal, in the most meaningful way I can imagine.

…

When I get an idea in my head I feel strongly and passionate about and dedicate myself fully to its outcome I usually achieve the end result I’m searching for. It took me till dinner time that evening in Tansen to commit my mind fully to honoring my grandfather by placing a picture of him at the base of Mt. Everest. It was as simple as that, and with that my original plan for Nepal was scrapped.

I had previously done enough research on trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC) to completely abandon the idea. The trek to EBC is one-way-in and one-way-out, the time commitment is substantial at 12-15 days, and the aesthetic diversity of the trek sounds inferior when compared to others in Nepal. On those facts alone I wrote off EBC before even stepping foot into Nepal. A switch was thrown that night in Tansen however and I immediately shifted gears and refocused. I had much work ahead and little time…

The 125km road from Tansen to Pokhara is reputed to be one of the two epic drives in Nepal. I didn’t know it at the time but after pulling away from Tansen into a breathtaking morning and telling my grandfather I was riding the day for him, I began what would be my final day on the bike. The six hours to follow were incredible. Hundreds upon hundreds of twists and turns led me north and deeper into the mighty Himalayas. I arrived into Pokhara a little after noon, found a room with a view, and went to work. Step 1, the Tuna…

My first stop in town was the Enfield shop (Hearts & Tears) which had provided guidance on my border-crossing questions. I learned they facilitate the sale of Enfields on behalf of sellers for a modest commission. After speaking with the owner at length of the challenges of selling a bike in Kathmandu, and after having his story corroborated by various other traveling Enfield riders, I rightfully recognized the opportunity before me.

So yesterday afternoon I loaded up on cleaning supplies and scrubbed that dirty bastard until the shine practically came off. Cleaning my bike of the dirt, grease, and grime amassed over the last 3,500km in my guest house’s driveway was bliss. There was one mechanical issue the bike needed fixed before I could hand over the keys. The mechanics shop was to open at 8:00am this morning, so at 6:30am with the sun just starting to creep over the mountains I headed out for one final spin on the great Silver Tuna.

Back in Jaipur some thirty-four long days ago I sat on the back of my bike with my hands wrapped around the waist of an old mechanic friend of the seller. As he gunned the engine and accelerated us through the streets of Jaipur he cocked his head back and said in an accent that sounded more Mexican than Indian: Listen to that sooound. So have a listen (and excuse the standard def quality)…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmL93_tFPBE

Several hours ago I handed the fine owner of Hearts & Tears absolutely everything I own. Registration, insurance, importation documents, foot pump, spare tire tubes, wrench set, screw drivers, helmet, and keys. They have my advertised price, my reserve price, and wiring instructions for my bank account. Couldn’t have been easier. Time will tell who kick starts the engine next…

Step 2, knock off Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek in preparation for Everest. The Annapurna Range of the Himalayas is just north of Pokhara and hosts one of the world’s great treks: the Annapurna Circuit. A giant loop the Circuit takes between 3-4 weeks to complete. That’s a time commitment I simply can’t make. The other option is to trek the Annapurna Sanctuary Trail which leads to the heart of the range and culminates at Annapurna Base Camp. This one-way-in and one-way-out trek takes between 7-10 days and tops out at an elevation of 13,549ft at ABC. Although this elevation is nearly a mile lower than what I’ll be attempting at Everest Base Camp, ABC couldn’t be a better and more convenient introduction to Himalayan trekking.

The logistics of trekking in Nepal are pleasantly straight forward. Positioned at various logical stopping points along the trail of every major trek in Nepal (i.e. ABC & EBC) are lodging facilities, meaning no tent and no camping gear is required. You can walk all day and enjoy a coke, apple pie, and a bed every evening. Teahouse trekking, as it is affectionately known. With lodging taken care of all I needed to do was secure the necessary gear. Shoes? Check. Socks? Check. Pants? Check. Thermals? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. All I was lacking was a weather proof coat, gloves, and sunblock. The umpteen trekking shops in town were more than happy to lend a hand.

So here I am at 6:15pm Himalayan local time on Sunday March 7^th. Tonight I’ll pack, stow my excess gear at this guest house, and hope for a good night’s sleep. But first I’ll continue carbo-loading at dinner with my two trekking partners, Clay from New Zealand and Reggie from Nebraska. Tomorrow the three of us head off like A. Supertramp…into the wild. I have a pretty good idea of what I might encounter along the way. I don’t, however, have the slightest clue how the physical toll will play on my unprepared body. Time will tell. Needless to say I’ll be taking a walkabout from Walkabout for the next week and change. If you get bored I’ll be pinging my nightly location for my Old Man…

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0BYIXuqoZzMudqFzK2iJv4nS6av2qrLTS

Destination: ABC

To honor and celebrate my grandfather the way I intend will require many steps, tens of thousands in fact. No single step less important or less essential to success than the previous or the next. Tomorrow morning I’ll take that first step towards reaching Everest and celebrating a true Everest of a man.