UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => shootin' the shit => Topic started by: dobbin on October 30, 2002, 08:16:32 pm
-
Stevie Haston (Britain's best climber according to the BBC) was trapped by armed Maoist Rebels whilst descending from the summit of the 6,750-metre (22,000ft) Ramtang Chang peak in the Himalayas near the border with Tibet.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38395000/jpg/_38395719_himalayas300.jpg)
"The exact sequence of events is unclear, but it appears that a number of the group were stopped on the way up to the mountain by suspected Maoist rebels demanding $4,000 (£2,567) in cash.
They were locked up and warned they would be killed if they attempted to summon police or soldiers."
-
I was talking to a mate who's just been trekking out that way and apparantly it's quite commonplace but the kidnappers on the whole are very civilised, as they want to make money without damaging the tourist trade to much! Having said this, there have been some gnarly deaths, not to mention the people who only escaped by pushing their captors off the side of a fuck-off cliff - nice.
I think the general consensus is that the rebels were in for a hard time, as he's got the reputation of being a bit of a hard-cunt himself. Last I heard, he'd escaped but his poor wife was still up on the hill - that's chivalry for ya!
Here he is after his ordeal:
(http://www.orange-today.co.uk/images/web/33826.jpg)