Trapped in Himalaya for 43 days- James Scott!

 🏔️ Medical student from Australia- James Scott
🏔️ "There" no one can survive more than 3 days
🏔️ Love of sister Joanne and her massive efforts
🏔️ Karate training, presence of mind, discipline and determination
🏔️ Surviving with memories of dear ones, love and just snow!
🏔️ Extracting strength from little things
🏔️ Rinpoche Tharangu Lama- "He is there"
🏔️ Courage, confidence and stubborn attitude of Australians
🏔️ "You are god, because no human can survive here!"
🏔️ Unexpected circumstances after the rescue

Hello! Recently I read this book- "Lost in the Himalayas- James Scott's 43- day ordeal" ! I had heard one podcast earlier. On today’s "Student day" this book presents great many things to learn! As things are vividly written in present, this book is unputable. James Scott, a 22 year old medical student from Australia comes to Nepal for a study tour! In some off days, he does a small trek. After some days, he goes for another trek and gets lost! Even after many days, his whereabouts are not known! Finally his sister Joanne rushes to Nepal to search him! This book is written by both of them. They both narrate developments of this saga.

 

In brief, James and his friend set out for another trek, slightly over confident after the first easy trek. After meeting German trekkers, they choose a different long route. As they are not aware about realities of high elevations in Himalaya and as they did not need much tools in their first trek, they go with minimum tools. Around 125 kms north of Kathmandu, they go further high in the Himalaya. At one point James feels it is going tough and he tells his friend to turn back. But his friend chooses to continue. James chooses relatively safe option of turning back. Even the trail is covered by snow, I would reach the base village in 2-3 hours, he is confident. But… Due to heavy snowfall, entire the trail and the landscape is obscured. The trail is gone! The trail which was clear an hour ago now becomes invisible. The cues are also hidden by the snow. By judgment he takes the direction of South and downhill route. This day is 22nd December 1991! Just the earlier night, James’ fiancee has a dream that James has died! Here his situation becomes worse. He does not find the trail. He stays the first night near a rock and somehow survives! Of course, tomorrow I will reach the village, he is confident. But the second day also passes and he does not get the trail. Then he realizes that he is badly trapped. One more night in this cold and I am gone, cannot survive it, he knows! He just does not find the way due to snowfall and low visibility. He rather goes in the most wrong direction. Everywhere tall mountains, sound of a river and waterfall at some distance and forest! On the another hand, his friend crosses the high pass with extreme luck and reaches safely!

James tries hard for further two days. But due to wrong direction, sharp downhill, horrifying waterfalls and extreme climbs he gets trapped there. He does not have any tools to continue in such terrain. But with determination he continues for three days. But then he realizes that he is just badly trapped. Somehow continuing in heavy rains or snowfall, he somehow stumbles up on a natural cave made up of large rocks. It is a natural cave with rock walls from three sides. It gives relief from snowfall and rains. Inside the cave, it is not that cold and windy as outside. It also has open clearing just nearby. He just realizes that if a helicopter comes for rescue, people can see him from above. After he has finished his chocklets in first two days, he has no food. This marks the beginning of his unthinkable journey! As a medical student, he is aware that without food, a man has survived 70 days. So he sets the target of 70 days! He knows that in this natural cave, he is safe from the cold and winds! For food, he has just the water that is to be obtained by melting the snow! There are no fruit bearing trees or small animals that can be eaten! 

His Christmas passes in this condition. Initial nights with heavy snowfall are the worst. After some days, the weather improves. He sees blue skies and sunshine. Slowly he stops counting days. He keeps on reading the books he has. With six years of Karate training he looks after himself with a discipline. He dries his clothes. But even after many attempts, he cannot start fire. His lighter and a better map- they are with his friend! Alas! Memories of dear ones, writing letters to them and visualization is all he survives with! He continues to take his attention away from painful things. The pen that he can start again, singing a song in his own voice become little things which give him energy. He is not even sure about his birthday when it occurs on 21st January. Finally he makes up his mind and starts to trek towards the nearest village in the map. But weakness of so many days and five feet snow! In some hours he somehow drags himself to around 200 meters and has to come back again. But then he thinks, enough is enough! Now I will stop drinking the snow so that after some hours I will get a peaceful death!

And on that very day, people searching him start to come closer to him. His sister Joanne comes to Kathmandu. Australian Consulate, other trekkers and local helping people- she tries hard and conducts a search and rescue mission. Everyone has a clear opinion- At such elevation and in this harsh snowfall, no person without any tools can survive for more than 3 days! But she continues the search operation. She gets many persons who are supportive. For initial days, due to a wrong clue by one trekker group, they are misled and they search in a wrong direction. But they scan each possible path and route. Slowly they go on searching all probable places. At such a time, Rinpoche Tharangu Lama tells Joan one different location. His meditation reveals him that James is struck in the mountain at a specific point! They decide to search there also. But it is never easy. People are sent from Kathmandu, they need 2 days to reach, 2 days searching and then they come back. It is much time consuming. They also send helicopter where it is possible. But slowly the time is going to be up! But James has a long life! Two times he waves hands and show orange clothes, puts out his sleeping bag, but none from the helicopter sees him!

His sister- Joanne is badly struck in the dilemma. Many persons suggest her that likely truth is that he is not alive, he must not have survived this long. Many trekkers get lost in Himalayas without any trace. Now you must quit, they tell her. But Joanne’s inner voice is strong. James’ parents and his fiancee are also feeling that he is alive. Description of all these efforts is heartening. The friends and other people come forward. Huge cost of the search operation, many complications and follow up is there and everyone from the friends contribute.

Finally on 2nd February, people from the chopper see him! James also sees that they have seen him. But what a pathetic his condition his! After 36 hours of dehydration, he realizes his mistake and he starts drinking snow melt water again. He also feels guilty that he did this wrongful act. He steadies himself. But the body! It is in tatters. He sees two images of everything. His weight is reduced by one third! Even when he knows that rescuers have seen him, he is not sure whether he would last till they arrive. But finally, two Sherpas do a terrific six hour long trek. One Sherpa even does not have shoes. But still they trek in the dark night and find their way through six- feet snow! All this is worth reading! While reading this, I recalled my night spent in the open near Leh where I had just 4 degree temperature (not even minus) and what was my situation! Then what the hell Jams has survived, we realize! 

His rescuers bow down before him and hug him! They shout in joy! They say, "You are God. Because, no human can survive here for more than three days!" They continuously touch him to check, is he really real! Everyone is in tears. Then he is taken to the first village by dangling below the helicopter with a harness. Then another chopper takes him to Kathmandu where his siter meets him! 

After the rescue, unprecedented things happen! For all these days when he was alone, he had control over his mind. Once he is hospitalized and is among the people, his frustration cuts loose- It was me who did the silly thing, how did I go there without any preparation! I am guilty of my dear ones. Or instead of this hospital syringes, I was better off in there in that cave! Then the media comes to know about this and they arrive like another thunderstorm! Inaccurate news start to emerge in large numbers. Due to near- impossible condition, many do not wish to believe. But many strangers also have tears when they know about this. This news is shown during a cricket match broadcast! Despite of the media trial, he is also interviewed and his story is covered and it gives him money to sort of reimburse his search operation. James is good after a year, but he has problems with his vision and difficulty in walking for his further life. Later on they raise help for his hospital in Nepal and the village of Sherpas who had found him. How the Australian Joanne found Nepal is also worth reading.

This teaches us how a person can endure extreme adversities with determination, courage, discipline and stubbornness and also with love from dear ones. Loving ones, affection, faith on God and friends give so much of energy, he tells us! So this book is worth reading. Related podcasts are also available. The book can be purchased from amazon.

Thanks for reading. You can share with your near ones. -Niranjan Welankar 09422108376. Sky watching, meditation, fun- learn and fitness sessions. Date of writing: 5 September 2025.)