Lapho eneminyaka engu-16, uShivangi Pathak waba intombazane encane yaseNdiya ukugibela i-Mt Everest. Ngosuku athola ngalo ukuthi ukuqwala izintaba empeleni kwakuwumdlalo hhayi nje into eyenziwa izihambi, wayekwazi okwakumelwe akwenze. Isiqongo sokuqala engangifuna ukusikhuphuka kwakuyiMt Everest, emamatheka uPathak, futhi wakhuphuka.
Ngo-2016, uPathak waqala ukwenza izifundo zokuqwala izintaba, futhi lapho esekwazi ukuthi usekulungele ukuqwala isiqongo esiphakeme kunazo zonke emhlabeni, akabange esachitha sikhathi futhi ngokushesha waqala uhambo lwakhe. UPathak ulinganise i-Everest ngezinsuku ezingama-41, ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka. Ngiyaziqhenya ngokuthi ngingakwenza. Umama wayehlale engikhuthaza ukuthi ngifeze amaphupho ami. Ngizizwa sengathi ngizuze okuthile okumangalisayo, usho kanje.
Ngakho waziqeqeshela kanjani lo mqansa onzima? Ngangikhuluphele kancane, ngakho into yokuqala okwakumelwe ngiyenze kwakuwukuncipha. Ngaqala ukuzivocavoca, okusaqhubeka nanamuhla; Ngigijima cishe amakhilomitha ayi-10 nsuku zonke. Ngiphakamisa izinsimbi futhi ngenze ama-reps angu-5,000 entanjeni yokweqa, kusho uPathak.
Cabanga, lapho uneminyaka engu-16 ubudala, uyeka ukudla okungenamsoco neziphuzo ezibandayo ukuze uthole ukudla okuhlanganisa ikakhulukazi ama-pulses nama-paneer. Nokho, uPathak wenza lokho nokunye okwengeziwe. Njengoba ngingadli imifino, kufanele ngifake ama-pulses amaningi, i-paneer, namakhowe ekudleni kwami. Angiwadli ama-rotis, futhi anginaso isidlo sakusihlwa. Ekuseni ngidla isitsha esinamahlumela, kusho yena, ngimangala kakhulu.
Ukwengeza isiqongo esifana ne-Mt Everest akuyona yonke into ejabulisayo nemidlalo, imayelana nokudlula ebunzimeni obuningi ukuze ufinyelele esiqongweni. Kimina, inkinga enkulu kwakuwukuthatha izinqumo ngokushesha. I-sherpa yami ayizange yenze lutho ngaphandle kokungibuza. Ngokwesibonelo, wayengibuza ukuthi kufanele sime usuku noma siqhubeke. Ngezinye izikhathi, ngangingazi ngempela ukuthi yisiphi isinqumo esifanele. Ngokomzwelo, futhi, kwakunzima, ngoba sasihamba izinsuku eziningi ngaphandle kokuthintana nomhlaba, uPathak uyakhumbula.
KuPathak, njengoba ekhuphuke iMt Kilimanjaro kanye neMt Elbrus ezikhathini zamuva nje, i-Everest isewuhambo olusabisa kakhulu. Ngokuvamile, wayebhajwa emifantwini futhi kudingeke atakulwe. Ngesinye isikhathi, ngenkathi sizama ukuphihliza iqhwa ukuze sithole amanzi, sembula isandla… Ngathola ukuthi kwakuyini ukwesaba kweqiniso lapho ngikubona. Ngesinye isikhathi, phakathi nokusunduza esiqongweni, ngalahlekelwa i-walkie-talkie yami futhi angikwazanga ukuxhumana nanoma ubani. Kukhona owasakaza amahlebezi okuthi ngifele endleleni; lezi zindaba zaze zafinyelela nakubazali bami, kusho le nsizwa yasentabeni.
Konke okushiwo futhi kwenziwa, uPathak uthi ukugibela i-Everest kwakuyi-surreal. Lapho sengiphezulu lapho, engangifuna ukukwenza kwakuwukugona umama. Lapho ngehla, ngabona isibalo sezintatheli ezilinde ukuzokhuluma nami enkanjini, futhi konke kwangishaya, esho. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngemuva kokukala i-Everest, uPathak weqa iKilimanjaro ngamahora angama-34, ephula irekhodi lomunye umqwali wezintaba owathatha amahora angama-54 ukufinyelela esicongweni. Uqhubeke nokukala iMt Elbrus ngoSepthemba nonyaka. Iphupho lakhe manje wukuphakamisa ifulegi laseNdiya kuzo zonke izingqungquthela eziyisiKhombisa zomhlaba. Futhi ngothando lwakhe, isifiso sokuvelela, nokwesekwa abazali bakhe, ayikho intaba ephakeme ngokwanele ukumvimba.
