The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step

I am not getting any younger. I’d always wanted to do some climbing in Nepal. I’m not thinking of the peaks, some of which are among the highest in the world. My ambition is more modest.

At first, I thought I would try for Everest Base Camp but after hearing about altitude sickness and how that could sometimes be dangerous, I decided to climb Poon Hill.

Poon Hill is a hill station overlooking the Annapurna Massif range and Dhaulagiri mountain range. It is a key lookout located in Nepal’s Gandaki District.

Poon Hill stands at a height of 3210 metres above sea level, while Everest Base Camp is at 5600 metres. Now despite its name, Everest Base Camp is not the summit of the Himalayans but it’s not the base either. Wiser to take baby steps with Poon Hill, I thought.

I broached the idea with two men from church - Peter Goh, and later, Low Tock Heng. We have been friends for many years. Peter is a very good planner. He did the leg work in putting the trip together over four months, and got us the best deals for costs and quality.

None of us have done serious climbing before. But we weren’t too worried as our departure in April got closer because we “trained” in February and March hiking along Singapore’s Rail Corridor, climbing Bukit Timah Hill (164 metres) and Gunung Pulai in Johor Bahru (600 metres).

Needless to say, Poon Hill outclasses Bukit Timah Hill and Gunung Pulai. Still, fitness wasn’t a huge concern because we all exercised regularly. Tock Heng was worried his knees wouldn’t hold up, but we knew, from our reading, that our main apprehension should be over altitude sickness.

We flew to Nepal in the fourth week of April. We knew we were going to a country of plains, forests and hills. Nepal has eight of the world’s ten tallest peaks, including Mt Everest, Earth’s highest point.

Though climbing Poon Hill was a 4-day-3-night expedition, we settled on spending one week. There were several firsts for me – first time in Nepal, first time climbing with friends, first time riding a propeller plane with air stewardesses onboard!

First we flew to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. Then we flew to Pokhara in the central area of Nepal. Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna Range where several of the famous Himalayan peaks were located. After resting overnight in Pokhara, our hike began.

We saw diverse landscapes. Amidst the dirt paths, mud tracks and stone steps, we saw teahouses in all shapes and sizes, hanging bridges, baby waterfalls, terraced farmlands, villages and lush forests.

Rhododendron, the national flower of Nepal, was in full bloom. They came in various colours – pink, white, and mostly crimson red. We were told that this was the perfect time to visit Nepal if we wanted to catch the flowers in all their glory, somewhat like going to Japan in April to see sakura.

We met diverse people – fellow trekkers from different nations, enthusiastic guides who were proud of their country, strong porters who used their heads to support the loads they carried.

We hired a guide and a porter for our trek. Being experienced locals, guides are experienced trekkers, and know the trails. Porters, on the other hand, carry your bags. Porters may not speak English fluently. As they go up and down the trails, they aim at becoming full-fledged guides themselves. Guides and porters make climbs safer, especially if emergencies arise.

Each of us carried his own backpack. This was light – just snacks, water and a towel. The rest of our belongings were carried by our porter, a young man in his 20s, but even that did not exceed 20kg.

From Pokhara, we trekked many trails. These weren’t rocky, and most of the time, there were good, sturdy steps for our feet. On any given day, we walked 6 to 7 hours but took rest breaks along the way. There were many guest houses that offered drinks, meals, lavatories and board for the night.

We spoke to many fellow hikers, some of whom were Singaporeans. It was a very friendly environment.

On our third day, we were ready to take Poon Hill. We woke very early, so that we could set out at 4am. The plan was to see sunrise.

Outside in the dark, the pre-dawn air was a cold 4 degrees Celsius. We felt excited, soon forgot the cold, the last few days had mentally prepared us for the final ascent.

The final trudge up Poon Hill was an ascent of 460 metres. Even with proper steps, it was steep and took around 45 minutes. We didn’t experience altitude sickness but we were tired when we finally reached the top.

To our disappointment, we didn’t see the glorious, snow-capped peaks that define Poon Hill’s vista. Instead, we saw silhouettes as if through a soft focus lens. The sun rose, but the view did not get clearer.

This was because Nepal, in recent years, has increasingly struggled with pollution and haze from local wildfires and transnational pollution from India. Environmental authorities have drafted action plans to tackle pollution in Nepal, but the situation has not improved.

It was all rather disappointing, but we had made it to the top of Poon Hill!

On our way down, I reflected on many spiritual lessons gleaned along the way, which more than compensated for the lack of a stunning climax.

Firstly, it was good that we trekked in a group where we were able to look out for each other. Companionship is more than sharing snacks and jokes, but, of course, these things lift your spirits. On the first day, when we were nearing the teahouse where we would retire for the day, my leg started to cramp up and I shouted, “Ahh!” The pain grew in intensity so that I had to lie down on my back. Thank God for Peter who came to help flex my left foot and stretch my calf muscle. After a long time, the pain eased.

I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

As Christians, our road of faith cannot be traversed alone. We need each other if we want to complete our race. On our pilgrimage, there is no shame for us to call out for help, we don’t need to suffer in silence. We may need someone’s help today, but we will render help to another tomorrow.

There were many times in Nepal when the road was rather discouraging. It often felt like there was no end. When I thought that I had reached the top of a flight of steps, I only needed to turn the corner to see another climb.

The discouragement was hardest when I was very tired. “When will this end?” I found myself wondering. When I wanted to give up, what helped was the realisation that all I needed to do was take one step, at a time. Don’t think of the end point which I can’t see, just the step ahead that I can see. You just have to focus on that.

At one point on the day before we climbed Poon Hill, we were shown a prominent landmark, a satellite dish that was in the far distance. Our guide said that the following day, we would be climbing up there. It really looked very daunting – far and high up!

After the sunrise, while we were making our way down Poon Hill, we found ourselves at the satellite dish. By now, it was bright day and we saw where we had stood the day before, gazing at the dish. The perspective touched my heart as my eyes saw the distance we had come.

Something I thought was quite impossible had become a reality, all because we took one step at a time.

As a church pastor, I journey with people who have cancer. I am there soon after they receive their diagnosis. I often find myself encouraging them to take one step at a time, one day at a time. At the beginning of a six-month course of treatment, often chemotherapy, the road looks very daunting. Persons with cancer wonder, “How will I ever get through the whole ordeal?”

But after the treatment course, on hindsight, they marvel at how far they have come. The Lord is with us, one step at a time, every step of the way.

I started the climb with one walking stick. It helped that I could put my weight on it, whether I was going uphill or downhill. After my leg cramp, our guide gave me a second stick, a broken-off branch, but a very sturdy one. To my surprise, having two walking sticks brought a world of difference. By spreading my weight between two sticks, my path became surer.

I am reminded of the important roles that the Holy Word and the Holy Spirit play in helping us through our ups and downs in life. They’re like my two walking sticks, giving me strength and stability in the unevenness and uncertainties of life’s terrain.

We turn to God’s Word to seek guidance, we claim His promises, knowing He is faithful; we seek to obey Him because He always has our welfare at heart. We know we cannot do anything by our own strength, so we pray earnestly, trusting in the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to reach our end, perfected in Christ.

Our trek required effort and endurance. If not for the grace of God, the successful completion of the climb would not have been possible. We were worried about altitude sickness because that could keep us from our goal. It wasn’t something we could control so we had to trust the Lord to sustain us. He did. God also brought Tock Heng to the top despite his knees. All praise be to God for his glorious grace.

As Christian disciples, we need to work out our salvation which means putting in effort on our part, while God does the heavy lifting. The apostle Paul says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12b-13). The grace of God shall prevail. I shall complete my trek to the celestial city, yet not I, but through Christ in me.

In our lives, we choose between focussing on blessings, big and small, that come our way or on inconveniences, discouragement, and things that fall beneath our expectations. Often, we see there is no real good dwelling too long on our failures and setbacks. Having a grateful heart frees us, and goes a long way in making our journey more pleasant and joyful.

I remember the rhododendron that brought colour to our way, the beautiful sights that we soaked in, the cool weather we enjoyed, and the wonderful people we met.

What’s next for me? Now that I have conquered Poon Hill, I’m setting my sights a little higher – Annapurna Base Camp (4130 metres). Perhaps that would happen in October 2025, when the rains would wash away the haze.

Rev Lee Kien Seng is senior minister and moderator of True Way Presbyterian Church English Congregation. He is married and has three children and two grandchildren. He contributed all photos, except the ones otherwise attributed.

TOGETHER is published online twice a year. Opinions expressed are those of the authors. All rights reserved. Current and previous issues of TOGETHER are available at trueway.org.sg/newsletters.