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That anyone should want to climb a high mountain solely for pleasure, is, at the present time, simply not understood by these mountain peasants. The exceptions are a few Sherpas who have developed a feeling for the beauty of the mountains and have discovered the pleasure of conquering peaks, owing to repeated participation in expeditions. This is especially true in the case of my own Sherpa, Aila, who was my companion for seven years. Often when we were sitting on a summit with a magnificent panorama spread out before us, he would say very dryly, “Very much country, sir.” This was his way of expressing his pleasure at the wonderful view. Latterly he went so far as to say, “Very beautiful country, sir.” There was a wealth of enthusiasm behind these terse remarks.

—TONI HAGEN