Everest-The Hard Way: a Chat with Sir Chris Bonington

It’s every mountaineers dream to be on the World’s highest peak-Mount Everest. Mine too! I was therefore excited when I was invited for a lecture by Sir Chris Bonington in Mumbai. I am late in my posting on Sir Bonington. I met him almost three weeks ago.
He is one of the world’s greatest living and most successful expedition leaders in the history of mountaineering. He has several firsts in his life. In 1970 he led the expedition that climbed the South Face of Annapurna and in 1975 achieved success on Everest - the Hard Way, up its huge South West Face. Four strong expeditions had tried and failed. He reached the summit of Everest in 1985 at the age of fifty but the challenges that now attract him are the few exciting unclimbed peaks that are left in the World's further ranges he says.
He has established himself as an outstanding motivational speaker. More recently, he was invited by the Himalayan Club of India and High Places Management to deliver a lecture on his experiences. Listening to Sir Chris Bonington talk about his long career as a climber was encouraging and delightful. At 73 he still is so fit and gets as excited as any of us mountaineers get with the idea of climbing. He now spends part of his time passing on many of the lessons he's learned on the world's highest and hardest climbs and the rest half is spent climbing.
According to him the climbing principles and business principles are all identical. What's interesting about his lectures is that he largely uses his own expeditions as examples to talk about motivation, leadership, decision making, obstacle tackling etc. For most he prefers using the his 1975 Everest expedition as a case study and a model as according to him that's the expedition where he was the expedition team leader had to overcome several challenges to be successful. While using the 1975 expedition as a n example he actually takes the audience through the expedition. Setting clear objectives, risk management, delegation and a democratic style of leadership are all elements of the approach, which he presents to audiences of climbers or business people alike.
Considering the fact that today increasingly Indian companies are looking at outbound management as an important learning technique for their employees. Most companies callot two of three days in a year wherein they take them on a offsite and through adventure activities try and achieve team building and leadership motives. That explains why there were quite a few corporate executives apart from ofcourse mountaineers at this gathering.
A successful; climber does not fight his environment. He or she must become attuned to it, interpreting the signs and taking appropriate action. He needs to adapt his strategies to the changing realities of the elements, the terrain and the capabilities of the other team members. Indeed climbing provides a strong metaphor for many, at times traumatic changes that today are taking place throughout work place. Bonington through his talks underlines the lessons to be learnt and to help build a strategy for life-not just to survive-but to succeed and prosper.
When I asked Bonington how did it all start for him he said that his own objectives were set at the age of 16, when mountains first excited his imagination. “The pattern of lichen on rock, a few blades of grass, the dark, still shape of a lake below, the form of the hills and clouds above might be the same view seen by the passenger on a mountain railway, but transported to his viewpoint among a crowd, he cannot see what I, the climber, can. This is not an elitist ethic, but rather the deeper sensuous involvement that the climber has with mountains around him, a feeling heightened by the stimulus of risk.” I could quite relate to what he was saying as most of my friends who are not mountaineers or even remotely would not think of walking even 15 minutes think that I am crazy when they see that at a drop of a hat I could drop everything and just go climbing.
But is it really worth all the hardship, pain and grief? Some ask. Bonington says: “ I myself ask this question to myself sometimes. And I realize I've got to be realistic. An awful lot of my friends have died in the mountains and I've had lots of narrow escapes myself, but at the end of it all I'm prepared to take that risk for the sheer quality of the life I lead. Maybe it's a very selfish approach, but I think it's probably the one of most extreme adventurers.” I truly agree.
Having said that, Bonington is quick to point out that risk management is extremely important. “It's not a matter of doing something dangerous dangerously, it's a matter of going into a potential high-risk situation and using all your skill, your knowledge, your experience to neutralize the danger element and come through it. Climbing is an evolutionary process. The wise put in their apprenticeship.” Bonington's apprenticeship was served first on the hills of Britain, but within a few years he was earning a reputation for difficult ascents in the Alps, the traditional training ground for the world's best.
With regard to leadership one valid point that he made and which I felt is true to all professions is the fact that being a leader does not mean authoritative or dominating on your peers but that person is a true leader who consults his team gets their opinions on issues. He says: “When you are a leader you are dependent on the respect that your team has for you. And this is true of all jobs. Simultaneously the team members also need to feel consulted and feel their opinions are respected”.
According to him leadership is about caring for every individual member of your team and not about only achieving your final goal. Infact in the 1975 expedition Sir Bonington towards the end decided to pull his name out of the summit. Although he was the expedition leader he did not summit the Everest in that expedition. He says: “When I chose to pull my name out of the summit. It was very easy for me to do it because for me at that point in time it was important to have a harmonious achievement rather than fulfill my personal ambition.”
Sir Bonington’s style of presentation is very good. He says” describing and telling a story has all lessons and experience within it.” “Leadership is all about working as a team to achieve a common goal. This is precisely what he did as a leader of the group in the 1975 expedition.”
He actually took us on his ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975. He mentioned that it was the largest and most complex expedition ever to leave Britain, tackling what is arguably the most daunting challenge in the history of climbing – ‘Everest the Hard Way’. Five strong expeditions had already tried and failed.
He first took us through the planning process and then on to the climb itself, setting the scene, giving all the relevant information but then asking the participants for their solutions to the problems involved. Later he would explain how he solved the problem. The questions examined are ones of leadership and dealing with people rather than climbing tactics. He used many of the powerful images of his expedition that were interesting.
During the course of the discussion he brought the participants back to their own work day challenges and encouraged them to compare these with the issues that we explore on the mountain. This approach I found got all the participants in the hall excited and involved. I realized that for all of us it seemed like we were also part of the expedition and that were climbing as well, exploring different ways to deal with issues as they occur in the course of the expedition.
Exploration of the unknown is a theme he returns to again and again in Quest for Adventure. This expression of personal exploration is also a theme that carries weight in a business setting. Bonington aims to inspire others to tap their hidden potential in other walks of life. It's not just motivating for the audience: “The best stories are not just for telling the world, they're also stories you savour yourself as a bit of your own personal life's experience.”
Despite the risks, and the high price he has paid though the loss of dear friends, Bonington's appetite for climbing remains. There's certainly no shortage of challenges left. Bonington's best guess is that "there's enough pioneering climbing to last another 50, 60, 100 years.

Wheeling Charms: A Cycling Travelogue

Cycling along Madh Island-Manori-Gorai-Uttan

This Sunday I had an awesome time cycling along Northern Mumbai coast line Madh-Manori-Gorai-Uttan. I can still re-live the thrill, excitement and the exhaustion of the trip.
Cycling is a blissful activity. I recently read in some newspaper that cycling should become mandatory and people should use more of cycles thereby help keep the environment and the traffic congestion at bay. I completely endorse this view. I wish all of us could use cycles for short distance rather than just hop into our cars and drive down to the market which is just ten minutes away from home.
The cycling trip last Sunday was organized by Odati Adventures. This was the first of the cycling trip that Odati organized in the beginning of this monsoon. Odati is known for its Mumbai Heritage Cycle rides for local history buffs on weekends. Here’s where the story of the city’s evolution unravels though it’s buildings. The ride starts at Eros Cinema, around Oval Maidan, Kala Ghoda, Ballard Estate, CST, Marine Drive and Colaba. These rides are organized in Winter and Summers only.
On this latest cycling trip to Madh Island-Manori-Uttan we were a bunch of 12 enthusiastic men and women. It was a mixed group comprising pf people from all walks of life. There were social activists, bankers, stock market specialist, tech geek etc.
Our first meeting point was Andheri station at 7 am in the morning and from here we headed to Jayesh’s place at Yari Road to pick the bikes. Jayesh owns and runs Odati Adventures.
After having selected our bikes, we tried them out and got all the minor adjustments like raising the seats, lowering the seat etc etc done. We were now ready to set off on our day long cycling expedition. Expedition sounds like a very important assignment right…but it was, as most of them in the group were going to be cycling long distance after a very long time and without any regular exercises. So you can imagine the strain that most of us are going to be putting ourselves through. But luckily nobody was even thinking of things like will I be able to do it? What if I give up half way? etc. Everybody was excited and wanted to chill out and get away for a while from the daily rut.
We started at around 8 am for Versova Jetty which was 3 kms from Jayesh’s place. It was quite an amazing ride passing through the fisherman’s colony at Versova. You could smell the fresh sea breeze as you ride along. At the jetty we got our bikes on to the boat and reached Madh Island. From here we biked across all the way to Marve
By now we were all famished. Many of us had not even had a cup of tea in the morning. So we decided to halt for breakfast at a decent joint called Mantra Hotel before we reached Gorai Jetty. After searching all along the way we were lucky to find one decent joint. As we waited for our breakfast to arrive Jayesh narrated some of his amazing Himalayan trek experiences. We all got talking and were trying to get to know each other better. Finally the breakfast arrived we gorged on some Egg Bhurji, Omlettes and Vegetable Sandwiches and tea and fresh lime juice. After a nice sumptuous breakfast we headed straight to Marve-Gorai Jetty.
The dark black tar road and tall trees on both sides was welcoming. The ride was enjoyable as there wasn’t enough traffic as well. The weather was pleasant. We covered quite a distance (almost 10 kms) before we reached Marve-Gorai Jetty. People on the streets couldn’t get their eyes off us as they saw one after the other cyclists zooming past them. As we passed some fishermen’s village kids were excited to see us and were running alongside waving at us.
Once at Marve-Gorai Jetty we now had to load the bikes once again on to a boat and get to Manori. As we waited for the boat to arrive we spent time relaxing on the sand and enjoying the sea breeze. The boat arrived in about 20 minutes. Getting the cycles up the boat and getting it off was quite an experience. And mind you one had to do it on his/her own. There was no time waiting for the boat men to come and help you load the cycles on to the boat or get it off the boat as there was a huge rush of people wanting to get in and get off the boat.
It was a 10-15 minute boat ride. We alighted at Manori Jetty and decided we would ride upto Uttan Village in Thane District. The drive down the Manori-Gorai-Uttan belt is remarkable. The place was familiar as one is so used to driving down in a car during weekends here. We passed the famous ManoriBel and Dominica Resorts.
Gorai is known for its beaches and East Indian population, though in recent times the beaches have become polluted. Till the 1980s Gorai was known for its clean beaches and palm trees. Gorai has a large East Indian population. As your drive down the road towards Uttan you come across many houses. The one thing I noticed on the gates of most of these houses is ‘We Oppose SEZ’.
This serene Gorai – Uttan belt, the Mumbaikar’s ideal spot for picnics could be the next Nandigram in Maharashtra. The lush green countryside, an abode of over 1.25 lakh Catholic farmers and fishermen, is caught in the net of the SEZ Act and is in the process of being handed over by the State Government to Pan India Paryatan Limited (PIPL), the group that owns Essel World and Water Kingdom, to be developed into a Recreation and Tourism Special Economic Zone. The locals are beginning to realize the impact this development is going to have on their lives and are planning to fight tooth and nail against its implementation. The Bombay East Indian Association is spearheading the opposition to this proposed SEZ.
The weather was pleasant and it was also drizzling. While most of the ride was smooth at one spot there was quite a climb which took a toll on most of us. Nevertheless we all did it without a huff.
We rode almost 27 kms one way upto Uttan. Uttan village is a quaint place and has a lot of resemblance to Old Goa villages. Uttan situated on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea is about about 90 kms from Mumbai.
We reached Uttan at around 1.30 pm. We halted at the end of the beach for a while. As we parked ourselves on the cemented bench each one of us realised how difficult it was to sit down as our backsides were aching terribly and we yet had another 28 kms to get back to where we started from. I almost thought my butt had disowned me. The pain was unbearable as I sat down. But then it was camouflaged with our jokes and talks. After resting for about 20 minutes we decided to head back. By now we were all famished and just wanted to have some good lunch. Luckily we found a small time hotel. We immediately halted here and ordered for our lunch. After a sumptuous meal we headed straight to Manori jetty which was just 20 minutes away.
Our journey back was the same route. The only difference this time around was that we had to be extremely careful while riding as there was tremendous traffic on the road and the roads were wet as well. Nevertheless it was good and thankfully none of us had any injury or accidents. We reached Versova Jetty precisely at 6 and were at Jayesh’s place at about 6.15 pm where we had to drop our cycles and head back home to get back to work the next day….that was certainly a sad feeling. But nevertheless we were all rejuvenated thoroughly after having ridden 57 kms in one day.

Team-mates: Jayesh, Ashok, Aara, Anusha (myself), Gautam, Salil, Farheen, Shweta, Jay and Vikram, Pooja and Uday.

Pictures By Jayesh Morvankar- Odati Adventures

Come along Cycling this weekend

Watch out what you could do this Weekend and the Weekend after that

Hey the monsoon are about to set in and we at Odati Adventures gear ourselves up for some monsoon adventure. This year we are beginning with a Cycling trip. If you have little time to visit Goa and want to experience its relaxed air, cycle in Madh – Manori islands. With great roads, little traffic and the constant companionship of the sea, this ride will make your day’s worth.

Date of Cycling Trip: June 17
Departure from Andheri Station West sharp at 7 am
Confirm by Friday June 15th
Cost: 825 per head (inclusive of food and cycles and transportation)
Level of Difficulty: Easy


First Trek of the Season
Monsoons in India, especially the West is a breath taking phenomenon. To experience this truth there is nothing better than get drenched in the first showers and soak in the spirit of outdoors. With the monsoons knocking at the doors, this is the best time to hit the terrain. The grass has just sprouted and dust cleared of all the foliage. The fresh smell of soil lingers in your head much after going back to the urban life. Welcome to our first trek for this season begins with Ghangad / Dhangad in Lonavala Region.

Date: 23-24 June
Cost: 1425 per head (inclusive of transportation, food and stay)
Confirm before : June 20
Level of Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Scaling the Rocks

It was the end of summer and as usual I ended my summer by hitting the rocks at Manori, a beach site in the far flung western suburbs of Mumbai last Sunday. Wondering what I was doing well I went Rock Climbing with a couple of friends most of whom were going to be climbing for the first time. I was as good as a first timer because I was going climbing after a very long time (almost a year) and I felt I had lost confidence and would have to start all over again.
We couldn't wait to feel the air below us and the sheer rock above. We started at 7 am in the morning from Malad station and headed straight to Malad jetty from where we had to take a ferry to Manori. Not a tough task on a Sunday morning to get to Manori. Every ten minutes there is a ferry to Manori. From Manori you could take a rickshaw or bus and ask for Ambedkar stop. After you alight here it’s a 20 minute walk to the rocks. It’s an amazingly isolated place with the rocks to us. Jayesh from Odati Adventures was our leader.
A trained mountaineer from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttaranchal, Jayesh is a regular climber although he says he is nit as regular as he would like to be. It was a nice 20 minutes walk to the climbing site which is away from the main beach site.
Just as Jayesh was fixing the ropes for climbing, we settled ourselves comfortably on the rocks watching him and the equipments that are used for climbing.
As a hobby rock climbing first came to Mumbai in 1970s, but not many were interested. It caught on in the 80s with many people sitting up and taking notice of this sport. Now lot many people are coming into this adventure sport. There are accountants, ad-men, corporate executives and students among them, all charmed by the unique thrill and challenges of the sport. It is said that If you do not have enough of mental strength to complement physical fitness, rock climbing may not be your cup of tea. Once the lead climber is on the way up, suspended a few hundred feet above the empty space, he needs to have total concentration to make split second decisions. The decisions made on top of the steep rocks add to the excitement and adventure, since each climb is unique.
One must take care of a few important things before climbing. The best attire for climbing is a T-Shirt tucked into track pants and proper climbing shoes. Most outdoor activities company that conduct rock climbing do provide with climbing shoes.
Jayesh provided us with the gear such as helmet and climbing shoes. He gave us the necessary instructions and also talked to us about a few climbing techniques that are currently prevalent. Well the climbing techniques vary from rock to rock. While rock climbing there has to be a balance and rhythm in ones movements. The first and foremost requirement for a climber is balance. If at any point of time while climbing, the climber has to pull out his climbing equipment on the way up, he should be able to do with ease.
We were told that there is something called Bouldering.
Bouldering is supposed to be the purest form of climbing, since no climbing equipment are used here. Although hands and feet do most of the work, safety equipment like ropes and body harnesses are mandatory in rock climbing. It is physically exhausting, and the climber has to keep this in mind before deciding on the route. The lead climber's calculation about the route and the duration of the climb has to be perfect.
We were to climb a 30 feet rock. Jayesh first demonstrated to us how to climb. He climbed like a lizard. It was absolutely effortless climb and climbing seemed so easy. It’s only when you attempt it yourself that you realize how tough it is. I made three attempts but unfortunately could not go climb right to the top. I missed shot of five feet. But nevertheless an attempt at climbing after a year was an enchanting experience for me and for the entire group.
One thing i must mention here is that while i had climbed rocks earlier but during this climb Narayan Iyer, a banker climbed brilliantly. he was the only one who reached the top point and climbed the complete 30 ft rock. And who says bankers are boring. Well out of our group of six three were bankers and one was a lawyer and it was a fun trip.
Rock climbing has also given rise to artificial wall climbing, otherwise known as sport climbing. This is an attempt to re-create the rock climbing experience in a controlled environment. There is one artificial wall constructed at the Dadaji Kondeo Stadium at Thane (West) to train climbers for competitions.
Climbing walls also provides a year round alternative to ourdoor rock climbing. It also offers a training facility to climbers, introducing beginners to rock climbing in the safest possible environment. These walls offer an excellent way to improve fitness and provide a feel of adventure. Sport climbing is, in a way a better alternative for those who are scared to climb the actual rocks. Climbing walls have moveable holds attached to the climbing surface. These can be adjusted to varying degrees of difficulty of the route. During rock climbing, one has to learn how to avoid accidents. There could be two types of accidents, one, which is natural and unavoidable and two the man made accidents. These can be caused because of over confidence, lack of concentration and wrong decisions, lack of knowledge of equipments lack of experience etc etc. While climbing presence of mind is the most important and a cool temperature are very much essential and the lead climber should have these qualities.
Rock climbing is slowly and steadily gaining prominence in our country. Artificial wall climbing has contributed to increase awareness about it.

Terminology in Rock Climbing:
Anchor Point: The point of protection for the lead climber

Anchor: Protection that secures the team to rock.

Ascenders: Mechanical cramming devices that grip the rope. They slid in one direction and grab in the other.

Belay: To secure the climb with the rope.

Coll: A method of packaging a rope in order to carry it.

Crux: The most difficult move or section of the climb.

Edging: A technique in which, one places the edge of the boot in such a way that allows them to share the load.

Face Climbing: Climbing on face holds

Free Climbing: To make progress without placing any weight on rope systems or artificial protections.

Grade: A rating of the overall difficulty of a climb.

Jam: A camming action performed by climbers, using body parts to gain purchase in the cracks.

Jug: A huge face hold.

Lead Climbers: The person leading or going first, lead climbers climb above the belay.

Rack: A compliment of climbing protection carried by a climber.

Rappel: To slide down on the rope, controlling with friction.

Top Rope: A belay which is above the climber.

Essential Equipments:

The climbers are totally dependent on this to secure them to the rock. All equipments is tested to at least half in strength before it comes to the market. In case of technical equipment, the weakest link is tested at two tonne. The equipment from Indian manufacturers are not tested to any strength.

Climbing rope: Made of nylon fibres, and has a sheath and a core area. It comes in length from 45 m to 60 m. A 50 m length usually suffices of most climbs.

Harness: A belt made of nylon tape which is wrapped around the thighs and the waist of the climber. It is the connection between the climber and the rope. In case of a falt, it distributes the impact over the thighs and the waist.

Shoes: Smooth high friction, rubber soled, skintight shoes. For beginners attempting easy climbs, normal tight fitting P T shoes with flexible rubber soles would do.

Chalk Bag: A small pouch tied to the waist of the climber, contining Magnesium Carbonate. When applied to the hands, it absorbs the sweat, making it comfortable for the climber to grip small holds. Rs 250 each.

Crabiners: Metal safetycatches, they work like large size safety pins, with the gate spring loaded for easy opening and automatic shutting. There are two types: Screw locking and plain.

Descender/Belay Device: A climber has a choice of many kind of descender and belay devices in the market. These are friction devices which absorb the shock of the falling climber. They also impart friction while descending.

Tape slings: Nylon tapes which are either stirched or tied together with a knot, they can be made of various sizes, they are used for jamming in the rock crevices.

Friends: Camming devices, which contract on the pull of the trigger and expand as they go into crack. They come in various sizes.

Helmet: A climbing helmet is an absolute.

Major Climbing Areas around Mumbai:

Mumbai: There are innumerable climbing areas in the western ghats and many exciting climbs on the pinnacles around Mumbai. The following areas provide convenient and safe climbing. Kanheri Caves. Borivili National Park--The boulders in the Borivili National Park offers some interesting in dvariety climbing.

Mumbra Boulders : It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the base of the Mumbra boulders which lie above the town on the right hand end. The nursery boulders have some interesting problems to offer and are ideal for a beginner.

Manori Rocks: Between the Manori beach and Gorai beach. The main stack is called the 'camel'. The rocks are between four and 10 m high. They are of good quality and have something to offer to everyone.