Body found on Chinese mountain ID'd
That body belonged to my old climbing friend and mentor, Charlie Fowler.
I could tell you a number of heart thumping and heart warming about Charlie, as could any number of Colorado climbers that tied into a rope with Charlie. The man, now a snow-covered body on a remote mountain in China, was a singular climbing tour de force. His first ascents, his photography, his travel diaries across the world on both rock and ice will continued to be enjoyed by hundreds and thousands of future generation climbers.
I suppose what i am saying is,
"Charlie, your Mountain Spirit will live on, my friend."
I'm going up to the nordic area.
CD, i'll ski a few kilometers on this day of days for you.
it's gonna be okay for you in the Bardo, my friend;
you got this Lead, no worries mate.
for you have trained and performed your entire life to summit that which is often UnSeen.
CD, thank you for living and sharing so fully that which you love to do.
Om Mani Padme Hung,
your ol' bro from back in the day
Links:
Mountain Madness
Charlie Fowler
***
footnote: throughout the late seventies and eighties, i was a sponsored rock,ice, and high mountain athlete. having lived to age 30 when, at 16 i never even imagined i would survive that long, i kept a promise to myself to stop high level climbing and work on other sports, disciplines, and internal arts if i did mange to live to 30. i did. and i kept that promise to myself. that is why i am sure i am still alive to help others through Wholistic Fitness. Sport specificity - the imbalanced Nature of it - inevitably catches up with you.
Especially if you are a world class mountaineer.
