THE REUNION

“Oh my GOD!! RIJAN?!”

My eyes rolled and an involuntary groan undoubtedly slipped out. Young Bull was up to his old tricks. It had taken almost two years of attempts—all crushed by the ‘spicy cough’—but finally we were here. Scotty, Rijan (pronounced Ryan) and myself had managed to line up a trip to Tassie, and were moments away from striking out. Slowly mind you; our spines were soon to be crushed under 30-something kilo packs. Our stepping-off point was the Lake St Clair Visitor’s Center, more commonly known as the finish line of one of Australia’s most iconic multi-day hikes, the Overland Track. Presently, a rucksack-wearing young lady who had just completed that very journey was now excitedly engaging in conversation with Rijan. Following what Scotty later described as “an awkward two steps in and out for an attempted hug, possible handshake, no, now it’s a hug kind of dance …”, we later learned they knew each other from work back in Victoria. Fortunately for us, Young Bull was no longer a single man … our imminent departure may have otherwise been in jeopardy.

Before we get too far, I should probably explain the nickname Young Bull. The year was 2016, and the setting was a bustling teahouse in the Khumbu (Mount Everest) region of Nepal. Scotty, Rijan, myself and several others were making the iconic pilgrimage up-valley towards some of the world’s tallest mountain peaks. Our objective was to climb Ama Dablam, an