Ain’t no mountain high enough
MORNINGSIDE - Morningside resident Tony Hampson-Tindale feels he only has one shot at life and wants to make the most of it.
He has climbed the seven summits of the highest mountains in the world, run 10 endurance races and does not wish to stop there. His latest summit of Ama Dablam in Nepal in November last year motivated him to share his technical training tips and experiences.
Hampson-Tindale wants to share this mentality with people of his age group, men over the age of 50.
“We all age, but we must use our life to the maximum for our friends, family, colleagues and most importantly, ourselves,” said Hampson-Tindale.
“The most immoral thing to do to yourself is waste your life.”
He is away for a few months each year to climb a different summit and trains 21 hours a week to achieve a strong level of fitness. Hampson-Tindale runs up stairs, increases his strength by dragging a truck tyre while running and wakes up at 4am daily to work out with weights. When asked about the risks of climbing he said, “Danger is something you package and so are our perceptions of danger. Climbing a mountain has its moments of danger and makes me “so aware of the finite nature of life”.
“To have the whole world below your heels is a fantastic feeling,” he described.
Hampson-Tindale has started writing a book about his escapades and hopes to spread his story in the next few years.
Hampson-Tindale shared an excerpt from his latest climb to the Ama Dablam summit:
“As a prerequisite to any climb in the Himalayas, the Sherpas arrange for the conduct of a Puja, whereby a lama will seek permission from the Goddess of the particular mountain, to climb and to afford safe passage. Central to the event is the burning of juniper branches and the reciting of Buddhist chants by the lama. Part of the ceremony involves having one’s climbing gear blessed, the ceremonial throwing of rice and the facial dabbing of flour on anyone within reach. The process, which takes about one hour, culminates in the drinking of tea and the consumption of vast quantities of chocolate and biscuits. Overhead, strings of multi-coloured Buddhist prayer flags are flown.”
