The Snow Leopard

by Peter Matthiessen

In days to come, they will bring in the remaining loads, one trip a day, and for all of this period, from the Cave Camp onward, they will be paid as porters as well as sherpas. No matter that they are wasteful and careless, and neglect to bring goggles into the snow mountains, or even good winter clothes—their spirit is wonderful. These three, at least, have decent boots, but Gyaltsen, who was given money to buy boots in Kathmandu, spent it on something less crucial, and Tukten, as is the sherpa habit, sold his boots after his last expedition and started this one barefoot; they will cross the Kang Pass in the cheap Oriental gym shoes that were issued to the porters to get them across the ice crusts of Jang La. We cross the bridge to the island in the river, then jump stones across the shallows to the farther side.