The Two Year Mountain (Bradt Travel Guides

by Phil Deutschle

With his life literally hanging from a slender rope over a crevasse near the top of a Himalayan mountain, a young man relives in his mind a relentless two-year physical and spiritual test as a Peace Corps volunteer in a remote mountain village of Nepal.Combining the elements of adventure story, travel log, and personal confession, this absorbing account describes a wrenching experience that belies the idealistic expectations of many Peace Corps volunteers.Following a two-year stint as a science and mathematics teacher in a Nepalese village, Phil Deutschle sets off alone on a three-month expedition to conquer Pharchamo, 20,580 feet high, which has claimed several lives and is his final goal in the Himalayas.This trek forms the framework of the book, and into it Deutschle weaves the story of his experiences over the previous two years in a series of sharply etched, swiftly moving, often humorous anecdotes.Deutschle is not starry-eyed about Nepal and its people or, least of all, about the mission of the Peace Corps. He vividly describes events that are both horrible and poignant: being charged by a rhinoceros, the awful fascination of watching a corpse burn on a funeral pyre, the struggle to save a child's life, scaling a Himalayan peak higher than Mount McKinley (the highest mountain in North America). Despite his difficulties, he steels himself to stay one year, then the full two years, and, imperceptibly, grows so attached to the village that he leaves it in tears.Mourning the "small death" of his departure, confused about his identity as an American, and feeling more alienated than before, he sets off on a final, reckless, solo climb of Mount Pharchamo, hardly caring whether he survives. Apathetic from lack of oxygen and from his own malaise and only when his life literally hangs on a slender rope, does he overcome despair and make a gigantic effort to save himself.The two parts of the book - the emotional challenge of the village and physical challenge of the climb - come together in a triumphant affirmation of life.A native Californian, Phil Deutschle is currently teaching handicapped children in Denmark.The Two Year Mountain was originally published by Bradt in 1986 and remains as relevant to the spirit of exploration and real, raw travel writing today as it was then.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1986

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent enough account of time in Nepal on peace Corp duties teaching and the growth and experiences of the protagonist there.
I'm not wholly sure how I came by this book it's a charity shop purchase plus a later reprint which has a last section whereby the author revisits the place he called home for two years..had it improved?..did he make a difference?..I won't say as the joy of the read is the journey spiritual and emotional as well as actual.
It's been a while since I read a 'travel' type book but this like others introduces you to places and cultures which you can visit in your mind if not in actuality..a well crafted travelogue which (as these things usually are) is actually much more than a postcard from a tourist.

[Ricardo Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book with all my heart. Bought it in Kathmandu and started reading it immediately. I was not so interested in the more technical aspects of climbing and in the detailed descriptions of the authors explorations in the mountain. But, oh boy, this man knows how to write! And everything else in the book is just wonderful. I was looking for somethinhg which could connect me with Nepal, as a traveller, and couldn't be any luckier, this was the book.

[Deevena Jemima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phil Deutschle is an excellent author who knows to combine mystery, travel, horror and almost every emotion known to man in his writing. The two year mountain transports you to the ragged hill sides of rural nepal, where Philipsir worked for two years. He potrays his feelings and experience very honestly which makes the reader sympathize or empathize with him. Its wonderful to see how he adapted and even came to love the very place he felt so apprehensive about. His efforts to improve the school, planting trees are few of the many things he managed to accomplish in his time in Nepal as a peace corps volunteer. As a whole, this book has a very interesting way of presentation.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a young man who joins the Peace Corps and teaches in Nepal. Thirty years later he returns to his small village and sees many of his students again. The village has electricity and clean water. He finds that many of his students are very successful with kids who became teachers, engineers, and gov. officials. This experience is overwhelming emotionally to him. he also tells of the Maoists invasion of the school and taking 200 students. Eventually 20 were taken as soldiers.

[George Kinnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes a while to adjust to the changing timelines - Phil's travels and ascent on Pharchamo after his volunteering, and then flicking back to stories and anecdotes of his time in Aiselukharka in the preceding 2 years, but it's well worth pushing on.

An honest and emotional account of his travels and the loneliness he experienced as an outsider learning the culture and language, and grappling with whether his work was really making a difference.

The epilogue, returning to the village after 3 decades provides a great close to the book - although 10 years on, I almost want a further update!

[Divya U · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an inspiring story of a man who strives to make a difference in the world while living an eccentric life. The detailed description of each and every climb and every Nepal experience was very interesting.

[Robyn Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. There are a lot of aspects of the Peace Corps volunteer experience that are universal. The mountain climbing descriptions are an added attraction.