"Be careful what you wish for!"
This well-known saying could not be more appropriate in summing up David Schachne's experience in November, 2004, when he went on a trek, attempting to summit Kala Patthar, a mountain which towers above Mount Everest Base Camp (17,598 feet) in the Himalayas. At 18,192 feet above sea level, the summit of Kala Patthar offers successful climbers one of the most amazing views of Mount Everest (29,035 feet) without having to put your life at risk by entering the Khumbu Icefall toward Everest's South Col route, or by climbing Mount Lhotse (27,940 feet) or Mount Nuptse (25,791 feet), two high peaks very close to Everest.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Schachne loved visiting the great outdoors as a teenager, going camping and hiking in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. Throughout his early adult life, he had a burning desire to go trekking in the beautiful, magical and magnificent Himalayas. This wasn't just due to his love of the mountains and trekking. He believed going there would somehow make his life more fulfilled.
An avid hiker, Schachne certainly did not expect the trek to be a “walk in the park”, but he was ill-prepared for what was in store for him. Continuously dodging bull-dozing yaks to prevent from being gored was the least of his worries. Climbing for hours and hours each day while mentally and physically exhausted; confronting constant sub-freezing temperatures; dealing with illness, high altitude sickness, piercing headaches, wretched odors, utter filth, bacterial infections, dysentery and more, he endured two weeks of pure, nightmarish misery.
In this riveting account of his gut-wrenching trek over fourteen mostly sleepless days and nights, while basically malnourished, Schachne takes you along on each and every step of his journey so you can witness both the "glory" of the Himalayas and the "gory", chilling details of his daily despair. You’ll experience the ups and downs of the hills and valleys, along with the highs and lows of both his personal triumphs and chaotic travails. You’ll hear about the most spectacular scenery on the planet, along with the most horrific, unsanitary outhouses ever imaginable - as you venture out with him on the long and winding road to the summit. For better and worse, you’ll feel like you were there.
Schachne reveals what originally led him to fall in love with nature, why he was so determined to go to the Himalayas, and why he persevered despite the brutal bodily punishment he experienced on the trek.
If you don't ever plan on visiting the Himalayas, The Trek will take you there without leaving the comfort of your home. Even if you are not a climber, or even a day hiker, you will get a fascinating inside-view of a sport and a world you have never seen before and hear a story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. For the very few of you, however, who are even possibly considering going to visit the Himalayas, or thinking about trekking to Everest Base Camp or attempting to summit Kala Patthar, then this book is an absolute must-read.
Join Schachne on "the trek" for the most entertaining adventure of your life, as he takes you along on this thrilling, harrowing and laugh and cry-out-loud journey. Are you ready to take a hike?
This well-known saying could not be more appropriate in summing up David Schachne's experience in November, 2004, when he went on a trek, attempting to summit Kala Patthar, a mountain which towers above Mount Everest Base Camp (17,598 feet) in the Himalayas. At 18,192 feet above sea level, the summit of Kala Patthar offers successful climbers one of the most amazing views of Mount Everest (29,035 feet) without having to put your life at risk by entering the Khumbu Icefall toward Everest's South Col route, or by climbing Mount Lhotse (27,940 feet) or Mount Nuptse (25,791 feet), two high peaks very close to Everest.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Schachne loved visiting the great outdoors as a teenager, going camping and hiking in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. Throughout his early adult life, he had a burning desire to go trekking in the beautiful, magical and magnificent Himalayas. This wasn't just due to his love of the mountains and trekking. He believed going there would somehow make his life more fulfilled.
An avid hiker, Schachne certainly did not expect the trek to be a “walk in the park”, but he was ill-prepared for what was in store for him. Continuously dodging bull-dozing yaks to prevent from being gored was the least of his worries. Climbing for hours and hours each day while mentally and physically exhausted; confronting constant sub-freezing temperatures; dealing with illness, high altitude sickness, piercing headaches, wretched odors, utter filth, bacterial infections, dysentery and more, he endured two weeks of pure, nightmarish misery.
In this riveting account of his gut-wrenching trek over fourteen mostly sleepless days and nights, while basically malnourished, Schachne takes you along on each and every step of his journey so you can witness both the "glory" of the Himalayas and the "gory", chilling details of his daily despair. You’ll experience the ups and downs of the hills and valleys, along with the highs and lows of both his personal triumphs and chaotic travails. You’ll hear about the most spectacular scenery on the planet, along with the most horrific, unsanitary outhouses ever imaginable - as you venture out with him on the long and winding road to the summit. For better and worse, you’ll feel like you were there.
Schachne reveals what originally led him to fall in love with nature, why he was so determined to go to the Himalayas, and why he persevered despite the brutal bodily punishment he experienced on the trek.
If you don't ever plan on visiting the Himalayas, The Trek will take you there without leaving the comfort of your home. Even if you are not a climber, or even a day hiker, you will get a fascinating inside-view of a sport and a world you have never seen before and hear a story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. For the very few of you, however, who are even possibly considering going to visit the Himalayas, or thinking about trekking to Everest Base Camp or attempting to summit Kala Patthar, then this book is an absolute must-read.
Join Schachne on "the trek" for the most entertaining adventure of your life, as he takes you along on this thrilling, harrowing and laugh and cry-out-loud journey. Are you ready to take a hike?
About the author:
David Schachne fell in love with the great outdoors at an early age, while growing up in Brooklyn. An avid hiker and fitness enthusiast, he began writing in his mid-twenties, while earning his Masters degree at Harvard Business School. He always had a strong desire to write - about anything - but instead focused on his business career for over twenty years, spending most of his time writing business proposals instead of manuscripts. After 9/11, he decided to pursue his passion and started writing more extensively, combining it with his passion for hiking. He has hiked in many places around the world and has reached the summits of some of the tallest mountains in the U.S. and elsewhere. He has served on the boards of two successful businesses, as well as Make-a-Wish of CT. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and three daughters.
David Schachne fell in love with the great outdoors at an early age, while growing up in Brooklyn. An avid hiker and fitness enthusiast, he began writing in his mid-twenties, while earning his Masters degree at Harvard Business School. He always had a strong desire to write - about anything - but instead focused on his business career for over twenty years, spending most of his time writing business proposals instead of manuscripts. After 9/11, he decided to pursue his passion and started writing more extensively, combining it with his passion for hiking. He has hiked in many places around the world and has reached the summits of some of the tallest mountains in the U.S. and elsewhere. He has served on the boards of two successful businesses, as well as Make-a-Wish of CT. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and three daughters.