Humanity at 16kft in Mitra Cafe

"One man from each of the groups or I am sending the group down"
These are the words I heard from Jayo of Mitra cafe, high up at 16.5kft of the Stok Kangri base camp, while I sipped on a hot cup of black tea.

A bit confused I soon realized that this was an ad hoc rescue mission being put together. And getting a man from each of the groups was the only way a sizeable team could be formed. As he hurriedly packed in some boiled eggs and potatoes the story started unfolding - There was a foreigner who had fallen off and had broken his ribs and shoulder bone high up in the Stok ridge. As more people trickled down the mountain the stories got grimmer and the atmosphere a lot more sombre. The line between hearsay and reality had evaporated. 

An hour later, nearly 2-3+ hrs after the incident, there were 3 IAF choppers sent in for rescue but they found it difficult to land anywhere close to the injured lad. It was only after another hour that they were able to load him and carry him back to base.

As I sit back and recollect this incident I cant help but thank people like Jayo for their selflessness. He and locals like him are the Indian version of emergency mountain rescue paramedics. They run out at a moment's notice to help complete strangers, many a times risking their own lives. And they don't do this for any monetary gain but with genuine concern to help a fellow human being. We have seen them carry sick people on stretchers on trails where I could hardly imagine one person walking through. Sometimes walking through the night with headlamps. And then they come back with smiling faces to continue at their work.

So if you have lost your faith in humanity do visit Jayo at his infamous Mitra Cafe at the Stok Kangri base camp. And whether you require his services or not do thank him and his clan for...  just being around!

Jhuley



Few quick points from reliable sources
1. We got an update the next day that the person who fell was and Indian and was OK and luckily had not a single bone broken.
2. The IAF choppers, or any choppers, sent in for rescue are a rarity. 
3. Acc to locals such accidents are rarer than the choppers :) However there are more AMS related incidents, with a small % leading to death due to negligence by the subject themselves.