Pristine, untouched by foreigners, no accommodation available, no soft drinks or street cooking available. Annapurna in the mid seventies were something spectacular. One had to purchase their limited supplies locally, imports didn’t arrived in Nepal until much later.
Landed there on my birthday to start my big adventure while back home my friends were becoming parents and sacrificing their life for a mortgage. I was following my dream to explore the world on my terms … it was safe then!
Plenty of drugs around then, mostly hash and heroin but no alcohol as it was a ‘dry’ country. Was determined to celebrate my birthday but that didn’t eventuate until my twenty-sixth.
Word amongst the ‘freaks’ was to hang around the bakeries to meet with other intrepid trekkers then find a local to guide and carry. But we were so intrepid we decided to go it alone. Carry our own packs with a map and compass. Really what could go wrong … we were young fit and infallible.
So off we set an American, Canadian and two Aussies and what a trek. The locals were as excited as us as they fought over who would erect our tents and blow up our air mats. Food was scarce so it was a diet of spuds over our camp cookers and anything the locals shared.
We trekked marvelling at the majestic views, barely able to stay awake to prepare our food. There were no T-shirts or badges to boast that we had done it but I wore the real scars from climbing. A broken heart when my local friend had to be left behind as I continued the overland route to London. More adventures without my soul mate who had no passport or English.
They’d said it wouldn’t work …
Written for Carrot Ranch: You must use the revealed prompt: “scars from climbing”
You must write your story in 297 words (exactly]
aroused 
Lovely write up Kate. ☺️
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Who needs alcohol or drugs when you can be in this place?
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Great write, Kate! I felt so many emotions while reading it! It was like I was THERE! 🙂 You got my senses involved! And you left me wanting more! Is there more? (Hope, hope, hope) 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
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lol I’m hoping so as they are having four similar prompts so I’m hoping to follow this up, then the final five will have a writing marathon … doubt I will be there but ready to try 🙂
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Oh wow
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Hmm, I pingbacked it to your prompt ‘lullaby.’ Or do you mean my blog site in general?
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http://Www.nicolasheartmann.com
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lol did just now … maybe it was for an hour or so last night 🙂
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What an exciting trip. Any more than the 297 words may have spoiled the read. I imagine each word you used was well crafted. Great and thanks for posting. Btw, Canadian travellers are always interesting. Just sayin’ – since I’m Canadian.
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On the other hand, it makes an excellent teaser for a longer piece that I hope someday to read. 🙂
And your statement is good news for me. Our family was granted Canadian citizenship last month. So now we’re more interesting! 😉
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I hope to read something longer as well. And welcome to Canadian citizenship.
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thanks Glen!
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thanks Todd, congrats on the change of citizenship, smart move!
This is an ongoing writing competition so I decided to choose something I could expand on for each prompt with any luck to get a bit of an ongoing story happening 🙂
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I hope you do. I really enjoyed this piece.
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thanks Todd that means a lot … have a few more entries before they focus in on the top five writers so may use their prompts to continue 🙂
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lol bit of national pride creeping in there 🙂
I have two very dear Canadian friends .. got them married to Aussies to keep them close 😉
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Excellent. And just a bit of pride. Lol
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Wow …must have been exhilarating but towards the end it’s heart breaking
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great summation thanks Sakshi, fortunately it’s fiction 🙂
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I am glad it’s just fiction
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lol part is true but the romance not 🙂
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And no Instagram or twitter posts to worry about.
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lol you made me do my research … email was still twenty years away!
And if it’s a worry why do it, we need time off our devices also 🙂
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No I imagine you were the family n mortgage person then .. we are all different and it makes the world go round 🙂
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