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Pushing the Limit in the Himalayas: A Romantic Story

When have you met someone who made world news -- good news no less?  Meet Pem Dorjee Sherpa and Moni Mulepati Sherpa, the first couple to wed on the summit of Mt. Everest at 29,028 feet.  Pem and Moni visit Ann Arbor September 5-10.

Imagine going against the social norms, climbing the world's highest mountain and getting married to someone your family would not accept under normal circumstances.  It was a Romeo and Juliet scenario.  In May 2005 there was a wedding made in Heaven (or close) on the summit of Mt. Everest.  Obviously this was not a traditional marriage for many reasons.  The couple became instant celebrities.  Their news went around the world.  Articles on the BBC, ABC, CNN, and in USA Today hit the wire.  The two families rejoiced at the stardom and the marriage was accepted.

Pem grew up in a small village in the mountains about a two week's walk from the nearest bus, paved road, or car.  He led a simple life with his family, subsistence farmers.  School was expensive and a long walk from home.  Even so, Pem completed an eighth grade education.  During the trekking season, he took time off to earn extra money as a porter, carrying the bags for tourists who trekked in the Everest region.  Over the years Pem learned to ice climb and soon became a mountain guide, working on expeditions and with foreign trekking companies.

Moni led a very different life.  She grew up in the capital city of Kathmandu where cars, paved roads, and busses were the norm.  After finishing high school, she went on to college in Thailand.  She cared mostly about fashion, her friends, and going out on the weekends. During her travels Moni realized she didn't know much about the one thing her country was most famous for - the incredible Himalayan Mountains and of course Mt. Everest.  The people she met overseas would ask her what the mountains were like.  She would have to tell them she had never been among the white Himalayan peaks.  When she returned to Nepal, she signed up for mountaineering training and decided she would learn more about her country.

This was when she met Pem, her classmate in a mountaineering course.  He was so helpful, attentive, patient, and giving of his time and energy.  Soon he had won her heart and the two fell in love.  There was one big problem.  Even though both Pem and Moni were Nepali, Moni's traditional Hindu family and Pem's traditional Buddhist family would never allow either to marry someone of another caste, someone of another ethnic group, or a believer in another religion.

When they returned to Kathmandu after their Everest climb, they were met at the airport by news reporters from all over the world and cameras that surrounded and followed them for weeks.  From the airport to the town there was a celebratory horse drawn procession with cheering crowds all around them.  Today both families are accepting of one another, and the young couple is touring in America.  These are changing times in Nepal.

Come hear them tell their story in Ann Arbor.  Learn how this couple pushed the limits of their social situation and the limits of their physical abilities in order to be together.  In the process they reached the summit of Mt. Everest and were invited to Chicago as a result.  Their lives have changed in many ways in the last year.



The public is invited to the following events:

9/5  Tuesday, September 5, 7-8pm
UM Outdoor Adventures and Moosejaw Mountaineering present: "Pushing the Limit in the Himalayas, A Romantic Story" at the Moosejaw Store, 327 S. Main Street, Ann Arbor.

9/7  Thursday, September 7, 7-8:30pm
Mallets Creek Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library:  Pem and Moni will speak about their climb and their unusual wedding, 3090 East Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor.

9/8  Friday, September 8, 5-8pm
Himalayan Bazaar in My Garage & Trekkers' Lodge B&B Open House and Momo Party, trekking & climbing videos, light snacks and drinks.  Meet the first couple to wed on the summit of Mt. Everest. 120 Eighth Street, Ann Arbor.

9/9  Saturday, September 9, 10am-4pm
Himalayan Bazaar in My Garage will be open for High Altitude Shopping.  Meet the first couple to wed on the summit of Mt. Everest.  120 Eighth Street, Ann Arbor.

9/10  Sunday, September 10, 11am-5pm
Kerrytown BookFest, look for Of Global Interest LLC Adventure Travel at booth #37.  Meet the first couple to wed on the summit of Mt. Everest.  Hear "The Adventures of a Nepali Frog", storytelling in the children's tent.  Farmers Market, Kerrytown District, Fifth Ave and Detroit Street in Ann Arbor.

They made world news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4605711.stm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8084432


For more information contact:
Heather O'Neal
Of Global Interest LLC Adventure Travel
120 Eighth Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
(734) 369-3107
ofglobal@aol.com
http://www.ofglobalinterest.com