At 9am on January 30th two young mountaineers embarked on a harrowing adventure on which their path would lead them to the tallest point in all of Vietnam. This path would also bring them face to face with many perils and dangers that would attempt to deter them from achieving their goal. However these two young lads were not merely your average men, as Seabeard and Hal Johnson had spent the last four months covering the globe. They were also joined by a quick-footed Sherpa who did not speak a word of english, wore a basket on his back and sandals on his feet.
The climb started with the quick-footed Sherpa leading the way up the mountain. It was a premium day and they reached their camp at 2800m before the sun lowered behind the towering mountain top. The beautiful weather and breath-taking scenery would be no indicator of what was to come though once they crawled into their bed, as danger was lurking closer then expected.
Hal Johnson was awaken from his sleep by an extremely loud, almost deafening noise, also he was unable to move and didn't know where he was. As he came to his senses he remembered he was 3/4 of the way up Vietnam's largest mountain sleeping in a bamboo shack. He realized the noise came from the powerful mountain winds blowing right thru the porous bamboo walls and his lack of mobility was due to the three sleeping bags he was cocooned inside to try and with hold the elements. However, they did not do a sufficient job as he battled the wind and cold just to get a few hours of sleep.
Later on in the night Seabeard was also aroused out of his sleep by the feeling of a greatly feared, but rarely heard of Mountain Rat crawling up his leg. He howled out of terror and as the rat was crouching to spring the quick-footed Sherpa was already at his side plunging his dagger into the rats throat. This saved Seabeard from a scar so deep that it would have lasted until the grave.
As dawn broke on the second day they awoke from their restless sleep and were instructed that it was time to begin the summit attempt. The conditions were anything but premium as they were the day before. A light rain was falling, turning the steep path into a muddy waterslide, and the wind had blown in a fog so thick that if one stumbled off the trail, they would never find it again. But as the fog grew thicker and the air grew thinner, they climbed on. The quick-footed Sherpa lead them to the top over the toughest 4kms of the trail yet without a single break, and despite all the obstacles and hinderences they faced along the way the two young men reigned supreme, standing heroic on the roof of Vietnam. The clouds robbed them of any view they could have had, but it couldn't take away the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment as they had completed the arduous journey to the peak. At 3140m above sea level Hal Johnson let out a rebel yell so loud that it was heard from every corner of the earth.
But the journey was not yet complete as they still had 18kms to descend in order to return to the security and warmth of their $6 guesthouse. They eventually made it down with only a few falls each. With the mountain conquered they only had one thing left to do: celebrate! They did this the best way they knew how putting an exclamation point on two of the best days in the mountaineers lives. A feast of Indian food and a bottle of wine.
*Authors note - this is mostly true.
The climb started with the quick-footed Sherpa leading the way up the mountain. It was a premium day and they reached their camp at 2800m before the sun lowered behind the towering mountain top. The beautiful weather and breath-taking scenery would be no indicator of what was to come though once they crawled into their bed, as danger was lurking closer then expected.
Hal Johnson was awaken from his sleep by an extremely loud, almost deafening noise, also he was unable to move and didn't know where he was. As he came to his senses he remembered he was 3/4 of the way up Vietnam's largest mountain sleeping in a bamboo shack. He realized the noise came from the powerful mountain winds blowing right thru the porous bamboo walls and his lack of mobility was due to the three sleeping bags he was cocooned inside to try and with hold the elements. However, they did not do a sufficient job as he battled the wind and cold just to get a few hours of sleep.
Later on in the night Seabeard was also aroused out of his sleep by the feeling of a greatly feared, but rarely heard of Mountain Rat crawling up his leg. He howled out of terror and as the rat was crouching to spring the quick-footed Sherpa was already at his side plunging his dagger into the rats throat. This saved Seabeard from a scar so deep that it would have lasted until the grave.
As dawn broke on the second day they awoke from their restless sleep and were instructed that it was time to begin the summit attempt. The conditions were anything but premium as they were the day before. A light rain was falling, turning the steep path into a muddy waterslide, and the wind had blown in a fog so thick that if one stumbled off the trail, they would never find it again. But as the fog grew thicker and the air grew thinner, they climbed on. The quick-footed Sherpa lead them to the top over the toughest 4kms of the trail yet without a single break, and despite all the obstacles and hinderences they faced along the way the two young men reigned supreme, standing heroic on the roof of Vietnam. The clouds robbed them of any view they could have had, but it couldn't take away the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment as they had completed the arduous journey to the peak. At 3140m above sea level Hal Johnson let out a rebel yell so loud that it was heard from every corner of the earth.
But the journey was not yet complete as they still had 18kms to descend in order to return to the security and warmth of their $6 guesthouse. They eventually made it down with only a few falls each. With the mountain conquered they only had one thing left to do: celebrate! They did this the best way they knew how putting an exclamation point on two of the best days in the mountaineers lives. A feast of Indian food and a bottle of wine.
*Authors note - this is mostly true.
Ascending over mountains and through valleys.
The quick-footed Sherpa doing a natural power stance.
Path up along the ridge, with beautiful views to each side.
The heroes at the summit.
Descending through the fog.
