'Climbing is more boring than it is dangerous

The 11th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival kick-started on a sunny Thursday despite the sudden rain a day prior.

The first day of JLF 2018, where words are celebrated and where words offer ravenous hankering, witnessed the session 'Of Men and Mountains' was about Hugh Thomson and Odd Harald Hauge. Both authors shared a common of fascination for mountain ranges. While Hugh Thomson has the enthralling novel 'Nanda Devi: A journey to the last sanctuary,' to his name, Odd Harald Hauge is the proud writer of 'Everest.' The session 'Of Men and Mountains'. During the session, the duo narrated their journey and experiences in the foothills of Himalayas.

Speaking about 'Nanda Devi, Thomson said, "The novel is about an expedition that aims not only to climb the beautiful mountain but also to reach the bottom of it." He also narrated how mythology, spirituality, its sadhus and sages and its ferocious peaks have stimulated and annihilated the minds of adventurers.

On the other hand, Odd Harald Hauge's 'Everest' is a thrilling story of five individualists who are forced to trust each other beyond the point of ease. He refers to Everest as a Dead Zone as it was difficult for him and other members to trek the highest peak which is more than 8000 meters. "It is an altitude where no human being can survive for long. The body automatically shuts down functions, one by one, eventually critical functions will shut off and death occurs."

But what truly captured the audience's heart when he went on talk about the real pain and difficulties he faced while climbing the highest peak and how climbing is more of a mental game more than a physical task. “There were times when we felt grateful because all us were alive and safe but there were times when we would just smile at each other. Climbing a mountain is dangerous but more than that its boring as hell,” is how a smiling Hauge concluded talking about his journey in the Himalayas.