Tiger Hill
-John Eickert
The world has few if any remaining secrets. We have poked and probed to the last niche on earth, first by those with a thirst for adventure and now by those who search for exploitable resources. There is very little new
or unknown, even the ocean floors are mapped. In a sense, the macro world is no longer a mystery, but there in lays a great intrinsic freedom. We can always go and see and feel and now we have endless possibilities for sharing- the new frontier.
Since I was a boy, as long as I remember, mountains have been a source of awe and inspiration. In my time, I have climbed and hiked the Rocky Mountains, then the Andes and Alps until finally the Himalayas. Each range holds
different wonders and excitements. When young, moved by a great thirst to see and challenge, time and mileage accrued then the need to feel something other than sweat or fatigue replaced the thirst and a new opportunity for adventure began.
Near Darjeeling is a short and otherwise unremarkable hill. It is possible to hike to the summit or hire a jeep and ride there. Some even spend the night on or near this elevated place. There are taller hills in the area
and near endless rounded knolls, marching to the horizon, but what lies on the horizon is what makes this one hill so special.
Tiger Hill offers a spectacular view of Kanchenjunga, that third highest summit on earth and peoples from far and near assemble to witness the sun strike, not just that lofty summit, but also the dawn awakening of the Himalayas.
Due to the elevation of Kanchenjunga and the curvature of the earth, the sun touches here before lighting the lower Himal summits to the east. Residents of the area had long held this belief of first light to be true for thousands of years before the first
man stood on the summit of Kanchenjunga and realized it was true.
Therefore, you have a magic place and a magic moment and an experience best shared. The dawn at Tiger Hill takes on a carnival atmosphere. There are men banging drums and those playing pipes. There are Hindu, Muslim, Christian,
Buddhist and Sikh. First, the cold wind stirs chill air and the many prayer flags begin to flutter then the crowd grows almost silent before the moment. The rising sun tips the summit with gold then blushes rose, the day has begun. Manmade music rises again
as those around begin to dance, chant and worship. There are smiles on all the faces and the cold morning long forgotten. I remember tucking myself into my insulated jacket, listening, watching and smiling, delighted by the exhilarating scene. The spectators
moved and jostled then I looked down to see a small, somewhat shy, older woman who glanced up at me, face awash in happiness. I remember that sunrise face now more than the spectacular event, which drew us all there.