Meru

Mt. Meru - Vertical Climb With The Aptly Named "Shark's Fin"

Hello Fellow Travelers!

A few nights ago my Patient Spouse downloaded a film on Netflix that was supposed to be "Inspirational".  "Meru" has everything!  Vertical Mountain Climbing, Vertical Camping, camaraderie, grievous brain injury, death, love, ramen noodles and granite walls, non-stop, vertical, granite walls.  And that's just the first 15 minutes.

"Meru" is the story of three good friends who happened to be world class mountain climbers.  As individuals, they were formidable.  As a team they were unstoppable.  By the time Conrad set up their tent midair, 400 feet up, I was all in.

Did I mention Jon Krackauer?  The dude who wrote "Into Thin Air"?  He's in the movie too.  Meru is reportedly a mountain climber's mountain.  There is nothing to rely upon but yourself and your team.  There are no oxygen tanks, no Sherpa to carry the tanks or anything else.  The mountaineers only can rely on each other and themselves and whatever they can carry on their backs!

These three dudes take that mountain with determination and focus.  It isn't their first try either.  Spoiler Alert:  The climbers reach the summit.  It would have been disappointing if they didn't I suppose ("Aw, s%$#t!  What now?") humorous but disappointing nonetheless!

I'll never climb Meru.  I barely know what country it's in (India) but I'll take inspiration wherever I can find it.  Those mountain climbers are very inspiring.  "I beat cancer?  So?  What have you done lately?"  (Inspirational conversation I have internally)  I don't complain too much about my health (I can't speak) but after "Meru" I don't even think the thought!

Hunger?  Those guys camped midair!

Pain?  Those dudes scaled a huge granite vertical rock and then the "Shark Fin".

See what I mean?  Even my mind is too impressed to complain.

This beautifully shot (Nat Geo) documentary says many things on many levels.  The overwhelming message I took away?  "Buck Up, Little Camper!"

"Meru" inspires this challenged traveler to pedal a few more miles to nowhere and do a few more repetitions than I think I can do.

I can find some kind of inspiration in everything (almost).  On "Meru" I found a mountain of it.  A vertical, granite mountain!