Nepal - Aubrey Sacco, 23, Langtang, 20 April 2010 *Arrest*

[kemo]

I have been to Nepal and am somewhat familiar with the situation.

National Parks in Nepal are different from National Parks in the States. There are villages in the park where local people live, have farms, graze animals and rent rooms to trekkers. The "trail" that Aubrey was trekking on is also used by local people to travel and transport products between villages on the backs of Yaks. (There are no vehicles permitted on the trail). The trail is perhaps 6 ft wide and well marked. It can be steep in places but it is not likely that someone would suffer a serious accident on it or get lost if they stuck to the trail. Trekkers usually start at the Village of Syabru Besi (which can reached by bus) and then pass through a seris of villages as the trail climbs into the village of Kyanjin Gompahigh in the high Himalayas perhaps 15 miles away. These villages provide food and lodging for the trekkers. In Langtang National Park, few trekkers would carry camping gear.

Apparently Aubrey spent the night of April 21 at the Namaste Hotel in the village of Pahiro, first village along the route. The next day she apparently had a meal in the village of Hotel Lama, about 3 miles away and there have been no verified sighting since. Two miles down the trail, there is an Army checkpoint where all trekkers must register. Aubrey did not register. It is very likely that something happened in the two mile stretch beyond Hotel Lama.

On June 26 of this year, Belgian trekker Debbie Maveau was found near the trail somewhere between Syabru Besi and the Army check point. She was apparently not robbed (her camera and quite a bit of money was in her procession) or sexually assaulted but she was violently attacked and decapitated. This sort of murder raises all kinds of questions including the possibility that Aubrey met the same fate. I suspect the search efforts for Aubrey would now focus in the area just off the trail past Hotel Lama.

Nepal is definitely not "crime free" but it does not have a particularly bad reputation. It’s a poor undeveloped country but it has a very important tourist industry and trekkers in the National Park are vital to the local economy. Any crime against a trekker would threaten the livelihood of the other villagers. My guess is that people would not "cover-up" such a crime but they would probably fear that the police would be pressured to fine "somebody" to blame it on. As this area has relatively few people and they speak a dialect that is different from other areas, villagers would be very aware of any Nepalis who weren't from there. My guess is that these crimes were committed by one or more locals who have carefully concealed their activities.

 

[Walker]

I disagree. If her worries were as cited (who to talk to and what to do, etc), then that doesn't sound like intuition to me, that sounds like social anxiety. Which, in turn, leads me to think she may have been in over her head.

If she was having a lot of social anxiety, that may have de-sensitised her to true intuition of danger.

Jon Krakauer talks about this in his book Into Thin Air when he mentions experienced climbers who have avoided disaster when their inner voice told them not to go for the summit on a particular day, even though conditions seemed right. He noted that his own inner voice was never of any use because it always screamed "we're all gonna diiiieeeeeee!!!"

If Aubrey was used to experiencing such worries (as she implies by saying she was having such thoughts before she left), then she may have been so used to it that when she did meet danger, she didn't recognise the difference.

I will look up the Krakauer book. In my own backpacking experience, an inner voice saved me on a few occasions, for which I thank God.

Thank you for bringing up AS's state of mind.

One aspect of these disappearances that mystifies me is how even a person who has been misinformed about the risks could not get the message from the mountain itself.

I reread AS's first blog entry, and you are right that she seems to be afflicted with intense social anxiety. De Becker ("The Gift of Fear") warns that we should never ignore actual fear, but he specifies that he does not mean the sort of nervousness that one might feel before a job interview or a public speaking engagement.

AS seems to be desperately trying to push an extreme case of "jitters" out of her head. Since everyone has felt intense self-consciousness in a strange place, readers can easily relate to her blog. Self-consciousness however can block self-awareness.

But we need to also consider that anxiety can "float;" that is, the afflicted individual cannot cope with the true source of his anxiety, so his mind suggests alternate sources, none of which satisfy the painful nagging sensation that "something isn't right."

Was AS nervous because the English lady might not think she is using her fork properly (British vs. Continental style) or was she really just afraid of being alone in picture-perfect paradise surrounded by strangers whom she didn’t quite trust?

The thought processes reflected in AS's blog are our only evidence in this case.

The philosophy associated with her yoga practice may have led her to try desperately to be "in the moment," but did this concept cause her to repress her awareness of important warning signals that she was in a risky situation?

Now I know that yoga enthusiasts will immediately feel defensive, and argue that yoga is supposed to increase your self-knowledge and self-awareness, and does not advocate ignoring dangers. For the moment, let's just consider the possibility that the yoga, like every other belief system, is sometimes misunderstood.

AS joined the Art of Living yoga organization (AOL) in the fall of 2009 in Colorado.

AS's blog describes stages of her trip (Note: dates are estimates based on blog entries, and not necessarily exact):

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/aubrey/

1. Starts in an extremely expensive ultra-luxury resort in Sri Lanka, where AS is a temporary yoga instructor (December 2009 - January 12, 2010);
2. Bangalore "couch surfing" (January 12 - 14) which means staying with families in their homes for a small room and board fee;
3. AOL Ashram in Bangalore (January 15 - 23), including a small group meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a guru with celebrity status in India and an international following, who founded AOL;
4. Auroville, where she went sight-seeing with new-found Western friends; attends small group sessions regarding spirituality taught by Mooji, who also has celebrity status in India and a world-wide following (January 24 - February 11);
5. Mysore, where she studied yoga at a famous shala founded by Sri. K Pattabhi Jois (February 12 - April 4);
6. Trip northward, which took four days (April 4 - April 8);
blog ends with description the train trip northward dated April 15, 2010; but we know that she visited Dharjeeling in India, before visiting Katmandu in Nepal where she stayed in a hotel; and then took the bus to Syabrubesi in Nepal to begin her Langtang trek.


Blogger Beth-aime LaBonte visited the same shala in Mysore, during roughly the same period as AS. BLB left the shala within several days after AS arrived.

Yoga teacher BLB’s description of the shala’s yoga program:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bethaimelabonte/1/1263886026/tpod.html

BLB entry February 7, 2010:

In Jayashree's class, Narasimhan talked of positive logic. To practice ignoring negative emotions and thoughts and to not let others negativity effect you. He said to observe it, but don't let it bring you down. You must think positive, negativity spreads if you dive into it. You can't fight it. You have to ignore it. If you can't ignore it do pranayama. If that still doesn't work do asana. It can't be just the mind doing all of the work.

Again, to the yoga community, I am not trying to blame yoga itself. I am just asking, Can a useful idea sometimes be taken too far in the wrong direction or in the wrong context?

Also, this consideration is only a beginning, and certainly not a complete answer to the question of what may have happened in this case, and in other similar cases.

 

[Walker]

:waitasec:

Is SM the fairhaired guy in the photo they found on Aubrey's laptop???

No, these are two different people. SM was located very shortly after AS disappeared.

AS’s site:
http://aubreysacco.com/
Then select:

Search Effort Update Page.

 

[Walker]

Copied from AS facebook page:

• Aubrey's first post December 18, 2009 to her "Glitter the World" blog: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/aubrey/aybowan.html

Protected: Ayubowan!

Ayubowan! This is the Sinhalese greeting for “we wish you a long life!”

After a 23 hour plane ride (which I wont bore you with the details of) I was greeted by a nice man with kind eyes, wearing a white top and white sarong holding the “Aman Resorts”sign. I was kindly escorted to the car which would take me down the one road on the West side of Sri Lanka, to meet the spa Manager, Natalie.

Worrying: robbing us of the present moment

I had felt a little numb up to this point because I was trying not to have any expectations or worries about my trip. But now, as I drove 3 hours to Fort Galle, an old Colonial town in which one of the Aman resorts, Amangalla, was located, I was feeling a little unsure. I wasn’t at all bothered by the large population of people or poverty, I’m used to it and have seen it often while traveling, but in my car I was simply an observer. I started to create small worries in my head such as, “who will I talk to” or “what will I do all day?” These were exactly the thoughts I was avoiding having before my trip. This happens when you are not fully present and in the moment, your mind starts to wander, creating endless stories. Worrying comes from thinking of the future. I was imagining myself on the street with these people, trying to think of what I would do all day with my time. Truth was though, I wouldn’t even be on these road sides, I wouldn’t even be with these people, and all of my small worries were a waste of my precious time. I quickly snapped out of it. Realizing that I had my first opportunity for some Sri Lankan cultural immersion, I chatted up my driver. Rahn, is his name. He is from Tangalle, 5 hours from Colombo. He lives with his mother and siblings, even though he is 29. He told me stories of the Tsunami, which just 4 days later I have come to know is a frequent topic of conversation, he fortunately lived far enough away that his home wasn’t effected. He pointed out places along the road that unfortunately were.

We entered Fort Galle which is located in Galle on the West coast of Sri Lanka. Fort Galle was on the water surrounded by tall mossy stone walls. A large white colonial building at the fort’s entrance, which had once been quarters for soldiers, was Amangalla. I was greeted by several handsome butlers who brought me water and a cold lemon smelling towellete for my sweaty face, and instructed to wait in the enormous lobby to meet Natalie, the woman who invited me to stay at Amanwella. I had only emailed with Nalatie and imagined her to be a sweet lovely Sri Lankan woman, and for some reason I pictured that she would be shorter than me. Oh how our mind creates false images, right? She is a serious English woman with a strong accent. Very conservative in her appearance and attitude, I wonder what she thought of my sweaty scrubs and perma-fried affro.

Handstands during the “hydrotherapy” session

Natalie “arranged” a room for the night so I could rest and have a swim. Natalie insisted I have a hydrotherapy session, and I mean insisted. I kindly said that having a swim in the pool would be enough, but she said I “looked like I need it especially after such a long flight” as if sitting in a hot tub, sauna, and steam room combonation would perhaps make me look a little more presentable in such a high end establishment

So I finally accepted the offer, but got walked in on by one of the spa employees doing a handstand underwater in the hot tub. She must had heard all of the splashing from outside of the room and came in to make sure I was okay and seeing only my feet peeking out of the water, was starteled and thought I was drowning! I couldn’t stand the heat too long so I went to the pool for a swim. It was only 17:30 and it was starting to get dark. As I lay on my back floating in the water and watching the sunset, I caught a glimpse of the bats! The bats of course, only come out after dark. I then went to my lovely room for the night. I felt like a bull in a china shop! Everything was just so nice and perfect. While walking around the room and peeking at everything, I stubbed my toe on a foot rest and went flying into the desk and knocked over a large steel calendar!

Don’t look up from your plate!

Eating at Amangalla is quite the adventure. I have already learned how to cut food with my left hand, instead of cutting with my right hand then clumsily switching the fork and knife. It’s just because that's what Natalie does. It must be proper. I don’t know, I’ve never really been anywhere that I have needed to know such manners. Natalie is not rude to me, but I can sometimes see her watching me and I can only imagine what she is thinking. I just like to think that maybe she isn’t looking at me in disapproval, but perhaps she thinks I’m interesting. She has repeatedly told other workers how although I denied being tired, I was exhausted after my flight and the hydrotherapy was good for me. She was gazing at my earrings the other night, hopefully out of curiosity, but hasn’t said anything. However she was appalled by my half blue fingernails. She insists on arranging a manicure for me.

Anyways, back to the food. The butlers watch your every move and almost after every sip of water, the glass is refilled. My chair is pulled out for me, and and my napkin placed on my lap. If I even look up from eating my delicous food someone is at my side asking if I need anything. I can’t possibly need anything else! I have more than I need. I ordered traditional Sri Lankan Rice and Curry my first night at Amangalla and was surprised to see two servers carrying out a large tray, one on each side, which consisted of 13 plates of food!! I can’t even believe that they think I can eat all of that!

I wont be ripped off, not even on my first tuk-tuk ride!

Before leaving the fort to go to Amanwella, I needed to buy some clothes. I had only brought 3 pairs of yoga pants and 3 tops in my backpack. I needed to be respectful around town, wearing a long skirt and a top that covers my shoulders and chest. Natalie “arranged” for a tuk-tuk (Sri Lankan term for Rikshaw) to take me around the town shopping. She gave him a list of shops to take me to, then we were off. Only about 2 minutes outside of the Fort was the town center. I could have walked here! Apparantly though no one who stays at Amangalla would walk to the town, maybe they wouldn’t even go to town. Rahashan took me to a few small department stores, most skirts and tops were around 300 – 500 Sri Lankan Rupees. One American Dollar = 111 Sri Lankan Rupees. I knew that the department stores would be more expensive so I asked him to take me to the street market. He was taken aback by my request, not understanding why I would want to shop at the market. I guess I’m not a typical Amangalla guest !

Once Rahashan understood that I wanted to really see the town and buy some things from the locals, he took me to all of the great places. He introduced me to his cousins who worked at the shoe store where I bought my sandals (300 SLRs), took me to see the vibrant colors of the vegetable market, and even brought me to see the fire station where he worked when he wasn’t driving the Tuk-tuk. I really enjoyed Rahashan’s company especially since he helped me decide what color sandals to get, but upon my return to the fort, he asked me fo 1,000 SLRs. I quickly had a flashback of what people have told me about riding the tuk-tuks and how much they should cost. The drivers will generally try to rip you off. So he wanted around 10 American dollars for a driving me a few blocks. I handed him 600 rupees, which was MORE than enough, and thanked him. He was dissappointed, but I wasn’t going to be disprespected and taken advantage of just because I’m American, and I wont stand for that, not even on my first tuk-tuk ride. It wasn’t out of character for him to do that, its quite normal actually. I still enjoyed my time with Rahashan.

And I wont cry over spilled afternoon tea either

Soon after returning from the city I was notified that Natalie “arranged” for a car to take us to Amanwella and that I must eat lunch and pack up. I did as I was told, then thought it might be posh for me to have some afternoon tea delivered to my room while I gathered my things. Well of course like a little girl, I spilled my tea all over the nice Amangalla furniture.

Not sorry about wanting a Sari

Amanwella is between two towns called Matara and Tangalla. The southern area of Sri Lanka is more rural and the cities aren’t as big. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive from Galle. Natalie and I discussed various topics, ranging from our family and holiday traditions, to the history along the roadside and her thoughts on Saris, a traditional Indian dress that many woman still wear. Natalie has never worn a sari and if she gets married, she might just wear one. She thinks that Sri Lankans “giggle” at western woman in saris because they “don’t know how to wear them”. On the other hand I have heard that the people like it when foreigners wear saris because it shows respect for their culture and traditions. I don’t care what Natalie thinks, I will probably be wearing one very soon, they are incredibly beautiful and graceful, and come in every vibrant color imaginable. I think I would like to buy an orange one and a turquoise one!

Sharing my room with some small but noisy friends

There is a dirt road turnoff from the main road (the same one that goes all the way down the west side from colombo) to go to Amanwella. I arrived there around 8:30 at night and was greeted by a beautiful Sri Lankan woman named Anusha. I was given a short and quick tour of the main area, which is separate from the rooms. The library, courtyard, lounge/tea room, and dinner area. There is a 40 meter pool in the main area as well. I think I will have my mommy send me my swim goggles so I can swim laps every day! I was escorted to my room by Amila, a nice handsome young man, in a cute little white tuk-tuk. The suites are each their own little villa style building and have their own little walkways. Anusha showed me to my room, where I was greeted by my own personal pool! Goodness. I had seen photos on the Amanwella website, but I just still couldn’t believe my own eyes! I have my very own king size bed in a large room, beautiful freestanding bathtub and two sinks! So I can wash my face in one and brush my teeth in the other.

I really giggle at all of this because it is much more than I need. I am not used to these luxories and certainly not used to staying in such places while traveling! I saw that I had a large balcony and could hear the waves, but because it was so dark, I had no idea what lie beyond that. I would have to wait until the morning to find out. Although I was ready for bed and had no more energy for splendid surprises, I discovered that I wasn’t and would probably never be alone in my room. As I was walking to bed I nearly tripped over a tiny baby lizard. This one was dark, he ran under my bed. Fine with me if I didn’t have to look at him. But then I lay in bed and up on the vaulted high ceilings was one of the while lizards, maybe about 6 inches long. You can almost instantly see them once they start making their lurk sounds. I spotted him on my ceiling after a lurk or two and begged that his suction cup fingers where good because I’d really hate for him to fall from all the way up there…right on my face!

 

[tarabull]

No, these are two different people. SM was located very shortly after AS disappeared.

AS’s site:
http://aubreysacco.com/
Then select:

Search Effort Update Page.

Thanks so much for the directions

My heartaches for her loved ones reading the updates

I do see there is a post regarding the unknown guy in the photo (different from SM) -- seems he was (also) located:

snipped from March 3, 2012:

...Hopefully everyone knows that we have now found the mysterious man in the pictures we were posting on Facebook for over a year. Our Canadian friend and consultant found him. He is not a US citizen and he spent time with Aubrey in Darjeeling. He is a good guy and there are no surprises here.

In addition - snipped from the latest update of May 23, 2012:

...What has happened is that we have found all of the people whose picture or names we posted on Facebook and they have all come up clean. So in some ways the search is narrowing but in some it is expanding. All theories are still on the table. Aubrey could have met with an accident, foul play or somehow been subverted, but again no hard evidence.

 

[Walker]

I have been to Nepal and am somewhat familiar with the situation.

National Parks in Nepal are different from National Parks in the States. There are villages in the park where local people live, have farms, graze animals and rent rooms to trekkers. The "trail" that Aubrey was trekking on is also used by local people to travel and transport products between villages on the backs of Yaks. (There are no vehicles permitted on the trail). The trail is perhaps 6 ft wide and well marked. It can be steep in places but it is not likely that someone would suffer a serious accident on it or get lost if they stuck to the trail. Trekkers usually start at the Village of Syabru Besi (which can reached by bus) and then pass through a seris of villages as the trail climbs into the village of Kyanjin Gompahigh in the high Himalayas perhaps 15 miles away. These villages provide food and lodging for the trekkers. In Langtang National Park, few trekkers would carry camping gear.

AS left behind her camera (!) on her trip to this most scenic park, as well as her cell phone, laptop and journal. Since she likely did not need too much camp gear, could the reason be that she was trying to be completely "in the moment"? Cell service and internet is available (but not 100% reliable) at all but the highest elevations of this park.

 

[tarabull]

More foreign tourists go missing in Nepal
May 28, 2011

snipped...In 2005, speculation arose about a possible serial killer preying on young women travelling alone in Nepal, after a French and German tourist went missing from a protected national park close to Kathmandu.

More at link: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal...n-tourists-go-missing-in-nepal_100539219.html

 

[tarabull]

June, 2012 - Zisimos Souflas, 27, disappeared in a small town popular with hikers - in a case that came to light just days after a young Belgium woman was found decapitated.

June, 2012 - Debbie Maveau, 23, had been missing for 10 days before her badly decomposed body was found on June 14 beneath a hiking trail in the Langtang National Park, on the Tibetan border, police said.

December, 2011 - Lena Sessions, 23, an American, was hiking alone in Langtang in December when a knife-wielding man threatened to rape and kill her but she was able to escape.

May, 2011 - 49-year-old Japanese woman, identified only as Makiko, has been missing from a valley in northern Nepal since Wednesday May 25th.

May, 2011 - John Robert Schrumpf, said to be in his 20's was abducted early Sunday (22nd?) morning from his hotel in Kathmandu’s prime tourist area - forcibly taken away from the Dream Home Hotel in Thamel around 2 a.m. Police said they were hunting for the missing man who had been a long-time resident of Nepal. Schrumpf had bee working as a volunteer for a charitable organization living in the hotel for months. Around 2 a.m. Sunday when the guard at the gate was shoved aside by two men, who claimed to be from the security forces. They forced their way in. The intruders intercepted the American and took him away.

March, 2011 - 19-year-old Lithuanian, Paulius Zavadckis, who went missing in March this year. The teen had gone to Nepal in February to volunteer for a charitable project in the Helambu region. His family says after leaving the project, he sent an email March 7, following which he went out of contact. The day he sent that last email, the teen was traced to Pokhara city, a popular tourist destination.

April, 2010 - 23-year-old Aubrey Sacco

December, 2008 - 32-year-old British tourist, Julian Wynne, disappeared while trekking in the Everest region.

October, 2006 - The body of the missing German, Sabine Grueneklee, was found in the Nagarjuna park in 2006

December, 2005 - Nine months after Sabine, the remains of the French tourist, Celine Henry, were also found in the same area.

March, 2005 - 41-year-old Kristina Kovacevic was found dead in a ravine near Dole. When her sister Karolin reached Namche Bazaar, police told her imidiatly, that they had found the body. Dole is on the way to Gokyo. Till now it is unclear if it was an accident or a crime. Kristina from Germany send an Email on march13th from namche bazar. Since then, no other mesage was received. As she had planed to meet her friend Silke begin of April in Bali but did not come, her sister Karolin and her friend Silke ask for your help.

2004 - Gareth Koch, 24, vanished while trekking in Nepal with a friend in March 2004 aged 24. The two went their separate ways and alarm bells rang after Gareth failed to return home as expected.

2003 - Alex Ratnasothy, 24, was never found after a robbery as he was on his way to the town of Namche Bazaar

______________________________

Not sure what to do with this list....but it's appaulling isn't it!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[GrainneDhu]

I will look up the Krakauer book. In my own backpacking experience, an inner voice saved me on a few occasions, for which I thank God.

Thank you for bringing up AS's state of mind.

One aspect of these disappearances that mystifies me is how even a person who has been misinformed about the risks could not get the message from the mountain itself.

I reread AS's first blog entry, and you are right that she seems to be afflicted with intense social anxiety. De Becker ("The Gift of Fear") warns that we should never ignore actual fear, but he specifies that he does not mean the sort of nervousness that one might feel before a job interview or a public speaking engagement.

AS seems to be desperately trying to push an extreme case of "jitters" out of her head. Since everyone has felt intense self-consciousness in a strange place, readers can easily relate to her blog. Self-consciousness however can block self-awareness.

But we need to also consider that anxiety can "float;" that is, the afflicted individual cannot cope with the true source of his anxiety, so his mind suggests alternate sources, none of which satisfy the painful nagging sensation that "something isn't right."

Was AS nervous because the English lady might not think she is using her fork properly (British vs. Continental style) or was she really just afraid of being alone in picture-perfect paradise surrounded by strangers whom she didn’t quite trust?

The thought processes reflected in AS's blog are our only evidence in this case.

The philosophy associated with her yoga practice may have led her to try desperately to be "in the moment," but did this concept cause her to repress her awareness of important warning signals that she was in a risky situation?

Now I know that yoga enthusiasts will immediately feel defensive, and argue that yoga is supposed to increase your self-knowledge and self-awareness, and does not advocate ignoring dangers. For the moment, let's just consider the possibility that the yoga, like every other belief system, is sometimes misunderstood.

AS joined the Art of Living yoga organization (AOL) in the fall of 2009 in Colorado.

AS's blog describes stages of her trip (Note: dates are estimates based on blog entries, and not necessarily exact):

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/aubrey/

1. Starts in an extremely expensive ultra-luxury resort in Sri Lanka, where AS is a temporary yoga instructor (December 2009 - January 12, 2010);
2. Bangalore "couch surfing" (January 12 - 14) which means staying with families in their homes for a small room and board fee;
3. AOL Ashram in Bangalore (January 15 - 23), including a small group meeting with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a guru with celebrity status in India and an international following, who founded AOL;
4. Auroville, where she went sight-seeing with new-found Western friends; attends small group sessions regarding spirituality taught by Mooji, who also has celebrity status in India and a world-wide following (January 24 - February 11);
5. Mysore, where she studied yoga at a famous shala founded by Sri. K Pattabhi Jois (February 12 - April 4);
6. Trip northward, which took four days (April 4 - April 8);
blog ends with description the train trip northward dated April 15, 2010; but we know that she visited Dharjeeling in India, before visiting Katmandu in Nepal where she stayed in a hotel; and then took the bus to Syabrubesi in Nepal to begin her Langtang trek.


Blogger Beth-aime LaBonte visited the same shala in Mysore, during roughly the same period as AS. BLB left the shala within several days after AS arrived.

Yoga teacher BLB’s description of the shala’s yoga program:
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bethaimelabonte/1/1263886026/tpod.html

BLB entry February 7, 2010:


Again, to the yoga community, I am not trying to blame yoga itself. I am just asking, Can a useful idea sometimes be taken too far in the wrong direction or in the wrong context?

Also, this consideration is only a beginning, and certainly not a complete answer to the question of what may have happened in this case, and in other similar cases.

Another book by Jon Krakauer you might enjoy is Eiger Dreams, which is a compilation of a series of articles he wrote over the years covering many different aspects of climbing and hiking.

I think that mindfulness (a general term for the art of living in the moment) is a great enhancement of one's intuition, in that it shows a skilled practitioner the difference between anxiety and true fear. If a person is operating in a state of high alarm or very close to it most of the time, they are unlikely to respond to the first inklings of true fear effectively.

However, like many other skills, there is a point when learning mindfulness (whether through yoga, meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy or whatever) where the would-be practitioner knows just enough to be dangerous, usually to themselves.

An analogy would be to people learning to ride hunter/jumpers. Beginners are generally safe from serious injury because they fall off before a situation gets serious. They may suffer some minor bruising but they generally don't get seriously hurt. It's the people who are at the serious intermediate level who tend to get seriously injured. It's because they have enough skill to stay on past the early part of a crash but not enough skill to avert a serious crash.

Serious intermediates also have enough skills so that they are no longer satisfied riding "push button" horses but they don't realise they aren't ready yet for less experienced horses (this was where Christopher Reeve made the big mistake).

As I recall, Aubrey made references to feeling anxious and nervous before she even left for her trip, while she was still in the planning stages at home. That suggests to me that she tended towards anxiety (and in particular, social anxiety), rather than having a free floating anxiety due to being in danger.

 

[Walker]

Another book by Jon Krakauer you might enjoy is Eiger Dreams, which is a compilation of a series of articles he wrote over the years covering many different aspects of climbing and hiking.

I think that mindfulness (a general term for the art of living in the moment) is a great enhancement of one's intuition, in that it shows a skilled practitioner the difference between anxiety and true fear. If a person is operating in a state of high alarm or very close to it most of the time, they are unlikely to respond to the first inklings of true fear effectively.

However, like many other skills, there is a point when learning mindfulness (whether through yoga, meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy or whatever) where the would-be practitioner knows just enough to be dangerous, usually to themselves.

An analogy would be to people learning to ride hunter/jumpers. Beginners are generally safe from serious injury because they fall off before a situation gets serious. They may suffer some minor bruising but they generally don't get seriously hurt. It's the people who are at the serious intermediate level who tend to get seriously injured. It's because they have enough skill to stay on past the early part of a crash but not enough skill to avert a serious crash.

Serious intermediates also have enough skills so that they are no longer satisfied riding "push button" horses but they don't realise they aren't ready yet for less experienced horses (this was where Christopher Reeve made the big mistake).

As I recall, Aubrey made references to feeling anxious and nervous before she even left for her trip, while she was still in the planning stages at home. That suggests to me that she tended towards anxiety (and in particular, social anxiety), rather than having a free floating anxiety due to being in danger.

The concept of mindfulness or being in the moment may be valuable in certain situations, but I wonder if it isn't like telling a driver "Be in the car." Of course, he must be in the car, but if he isn't looking forward and checking behind, he is in trouble. Similarly, tackling Langtang, one must consider the dangers; for example, the fact that Himalayan black bears, unlike their American counterparts, are aggressive towards humans. Being in the moment occurs naturally; for example, when one gets wrapped up in an interesting hobby or project at work. You don't need to tell yourself to be in the moment when you truly are.

One aspect of her trip which I hesitate to bring up is that she seems drawn to cultish organizations. She met with Sri Sri, Mooji and attended the Pattabhi shala. Of course, some of the criticism may be unfair, and my intention is not to disparage these men or their followings, but seems odd that she just went from one, to the next, to the next. Perhaps she was a bit suggestible.

AS needed to confront her anxieties, and act assertively, even if that meant disappointing other people. The Sri Lanka hotel room was beautiful, and she posted the pictures on her blog. But it was infested with geckos, and staying there alone must have been uncomfortable. Among the guests were rich female sexual tourists who were taking advantage of the impoverished "beach boys." The poverty of the local people could also have intensified her anxious state.

BLB's blog which I linked in an earlier post describes a regime which despite her appealing writing style comes across as dull routine. The program seems to take self-absorption to its maximum level. Perhaps AS was bored at the shala and therefore decided to go to Nepal, where she might meet other young Coloradans, and have fun touring Katmandu. You are right that she suffered social anxiety, but yet she seems a social type.

In the video of AS teaching in Mysore, the poverty viewed briefly from the window of the classroom is appalling. She tries to teach the class "hokey-pokey" (an American song & dance for children), but they seem quite upset. The teachers too seem suspicious and disapproving. The origin of harmless "hokey-pokey" is unknown, but the name may be associated with "hocus-pocus" or magic. Being misunderstood may have added frustration to her anxiety, but she describes almost nothing of this experience in her blog.

 

[diamond12]

This thread really shocked me, (well most threads on WS do) but I had no idea of such things going on with tourists in Nepal. I was planning to go there on my own, I guess I have to reconsider my plans.
I hope the family of the missing ones will be able to get some answers one day.

 

[GrainneDhu]

The concept of mindfulness or being in the moment may be valuable in certain situations, but I wonder if it isn't like telling a driver "Be in the car." Of course, he must be in the car, but if he isn't looking forward and checking behind, he is in trouble. Similarly, tackling Langtang, one must consider the dangers; for example, the fact that Himalayan black bears, unlike their American counterparts, are aggressive towards humans. Being in the moment occurs naturally; for example, when one gets wrapped up in an interesting hobby or project at work. You don't need to tell yourself to be in the moment when you truly are.

One aspect of her trip which I hesitate to bring up is that she seems drawn to cultish organizations. She met with Sri Sri, Mooji and attended the Pattabhi shala. Of course, some of the criticism may be unfair, and my intention is not to disparage these men or their followings, but seems odd that she just went from one, to the next, to the next. Perhaps she was a bit suggestible.

AS needed to confront her anxieties, and act assertively, even if that meant disappointing other people. The Sri Lanka hotel room was beautiful, and she posted the pictures on her blog. But it was infested with geckos, and staying there alone must have been uncomfortable. Among the guests were rich female sexual tourists who were taking advantage of the impoverished "beach boys." The poverty of the local people could also have intensified her anxious state.

BLB's blog which I linked in an earlier post describes a regime which despite her appealing writing style comes across as dull routine. The program seems to take self-absorption to its maximum level. Perhaps AS was bored at the shala and therefore decided to go to Nepal, where she might meet other young Coloradans, and have fun touring Katmandu. You are right that she suffered social anxiety, but yet she seems a social type.

In the video of AS teaching in Mysore, the poverty viewed briefly from the window of the classroom is appalling. She tries to teach the class "hokey-pokey" (an American song & dance for children), but they seem quite upset. The teachers too seem suspicious and disapproving. The origin of harmless "hokey-pokey" is unknown, but the name may be associated with "hocus-pocus" or magic. Being misunderstood may have added frustration to her anxiety, but she describes almost nothing of this experience in her blog.

Being in the moment is the opposite of focusing on a single point of interest. It means to be aware of the entire moment while maintaining a certain emotional detachment from any of it.

At least, that's what I was taught as a child growing up in a Korean Buddhist household. The sect(s) that Aubrey followed may well have had a different interpretation. There are as many or more Buddhist sects than there are Christian sects (and they are equally as contentious).

Your mention of the Himalayan black bear makes me wonder if one or more of the missing tourists may have fallen victim to them. American black bears are also aggressive towards humans (much more so than the larger grizzly bear). If the Himalayan black bears started to associate trekkers with food, I'm certain they would be likely to attack a single human hiking alone.

In the US, American black bears have demonstrated that they can tell the difference between hunters (bad) and campers/hikers (yum yum!).

Add in that the humans are likely to be following a well defined path and to a Himalayan black bear, that's the equivalent of pizza delivery.

People who suffer from social anxiety usually do want to be social; that's where their conflict arises. If someone is not naturally social, being socially anxious isn't perceived as a problem.

As for teaching the hokey-pokey, I think there's a simpler explanation than associating the song with "hocus pocus." When I was younger, I had a couple opportunities to go to various places in Asia and southeast Asia to teach English, so I learned about it.

People in Asia and southeast Asia who are learning English are almost invariably doing so in hopes of finding a lucrative job that requires fluency in English. The students are often paying huge sums of money for classes and they tend to be very goal oriented, much more so than many Americans are. They're not looking for fun, they are looking for the opportunity to suck up as much vocabulary and as many grammar rules as they can in the time allotted. They want to learn business English, not American cultural memes.

A teacher who was not treating them seriously would be a waste of their time and money and hence seen as being clueless at best and downright disrespectful or mocking at worst.

That says to me that Aubrey may have been more than a little tone deaf in reading people from other cultures.

 

[GrainneDhu]

This thread really shocked me, (well most threads on WS do) but I had no idea of such things going on with tourists in Nepal. I was planning to go there on my own, I guess I have to reconsider my plans.
I hope the family of the missing ones will be able to get some answers one day.

I hope it won't deter you. From all I've heard, Nepal is fantastic, according to my cousin who trekked there for 5 months a couple years ago.

Follow common sense precautions that you'd follow in any strange environment and you'll be fine.

 

[Walker]

This thread really shocked me, (well most threads on WS do) but I had no idea of such things going on with tourists in Nepal. I was planning to go there on my own, I guess I have to reconsider my plans.
I hope the family of the missing ones will be able to get some answers one day.

Excellent guides can be hired for less than $10 per day. If you do your homework, you should be fine.

One problem with young Western women who go to third world countries alone is that their essential values are in conflict with the socially conservative environment. Even if they are trying to be respectful, their natural inclination is to be in disagreement with the local culture. This inclination may lead them to inadvertently offend the local people. The female traveler who needs to go it alone should stay in US or Europe, and be very careful even there.

 

[Walker]

... May, 2011 - 49-year-old Japanese woman, identified only as Makiko, has been missing from a valley in northern Nepal since Wednesday May 25th.

This lady was found.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/13730030

A Japanese hiker who got lost in Nepal's mountains has told journalists how she survived for almost two weeks by eating plants and praying.

Makiko Iwafuchi said she strayed from the main trekking path on 25 May while hiking near Gosainkunda lake, north of Kathmandu.

 

[GrainneDhu]

Excellent guides can be hired for less than $10 per day. If you do your homework, you should be fine.

One problem with young Western women who go to third world countries alone is that their essential values are in conflict with the socially conservative environment. Even if they are trying to be respectful, their natural inclination is to be in disagreement with the local culture. This inclination may lead them to inadvertently offend the local people. The female traveler who needs to go it alone should stay in US or Europe, and be very careful even there.

I agree, with a proviso.

My cousin is adventurous and at 55, looks like she's in her early 30s (she has a job that keeps her very physically fit and she lives in England, so no ageing skin from too much sunning). She's been literally all over the world, sometimes alone, sometimes with a tour, with no problems.

She follows her gut, even in the planning stages. Even though she's ridden on horseback alone across Mongolia (very tough terrain and not an easy way to travel), she doesn't assume she can take on every trip alone. When she reads up on her destination, she decides early whether she will feel comfortable going alone or whether it would be better to go as part of a tour. There are advantages to each approach.

She is also not fussy and goes with the flow. In some places, finding a cooked bug in her soup is cause to call the waiter and make a discreet fuss, in other places, she just shrugs, fishes it out and eats the rest of the soup.

Likewise, losing things, having things stolen, etc, is just part of travelling. There's a fine line between sticking up for yourself and being so obnoxious that the locals don't care what happens to you. If you're not sure of where that line is, go with a tour.

But go! There's a wonderful world out there to see.

 

[Walker]

I agree, with a proviso.

My cousin is adventurous and at 55, looks like she's in her early 30s (she has a job that keeps her very physically fit and she lives in England, so no ageing skin from too much sunning). She's been literally all over the world, sometimes alone, sometimes with a tour, with no problems.

She follows her gut, even in the planning stages. Even though she's ridden on horseback alone across Mongolia (very tough terrain and not an easy way to travel), she doesn't assume she can take on every trip alone. When she reads up on her destination, she decides early whether she will feel comfortable going alone or whether it would be better to go as part of a tour. There are advantages to each approach.

She is also not fussy and goes with the flow. In some places, finding a cooked bug in her soup is cause to call the waiter and make a discreet fuss, in other places, she just shrugs, fishes it out and eats the rest of the soup.

Likewise, losing things, having things stolen, etc, is just part of travelling. There's a fine line between sticking up for yourself and being so obnoxious that the locals don't care what happens to you. If you're not sure of where that line is, go with a tour.

But go! There's a wonderful world out there to see.

In AS’s case, the local people reportedly were concerned about her, but she didn’t listen to their advice.

http://site.thehimalayantimes.com/f...lo+treks+after+missing+US+hiker&NewsID=248464

Aubrey was asked not to travel alone, but she ignored the locals’ advice, [Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Rasuwa, Om Bahadur Rana] quoted locals who spotted her last in Lama Hotel area as saying. According to him, police has been investigating the case of Aubrey’s disappearance with the help of locals.

Villagers in LNP area refuted Sacco family claims of hiding information about Aubrey. “We are keeping our eyes and ears open to trace her in the areas,” Norbu Tamang one of the hoteliers in the Lama Hotel area said. Villagers are also searching for her, he added. In his 35-year-long hotel business experience, he said such an incident has not ever been heard of before.

Rasuwa villagers always take good care of any foreigner in trouble, Raju Titung of Dhunche area said echoing Tamang. Most of the villagers rely on tourism for their survival here so nobody even thinks of harming tourists, he said adding that villagers are sharing all the information they have. “Aubrey’s disappearance worries us a lot too,” he said.

In DM’s case, however, the violence of her death suggests that some person or group had an intense hatred for her or something that they felt she represented. As a volunteer teacher and tourist, she surely had intended no offense.

In some parts of the world, people feel that their traditional culture is under siege.

Regarding a movement in the Emirates to establish an official dress code for all citizens and foreign visitors in public areas:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120706/D9VR8CDG1.html

"I think in an increasingly tumultuous region and in an era of powerful and often intrusive globalizing forces, citizens of the UAE are increasingly concerned that their traditions and core values are being eroded," said Christopher Davidson, an expert on Gulf affairs at Britain's Durham University.

"In some senses, it is a grassroots reaction to authorities and leaders that have for many years done little to check this erosion," he added. "We've seen reactions to alcohol, so now we are seeing a reaction to immodest dress."

Jalal Bin Thaneya, an Emirati activist who has embraced the dress code campaign, said it is a way for Emiratis to show they are concerned about the loss of traditions.

Perhaps just being a young woman and traveling alone in certain areas could be taken as a radical feminist statement, or maybe as a type of Western cultural imperialism.

Say DM just talked to some young girls about going to college. Or didn't dress in the right way.

And another consideration is that one may be perfectly law-abiding and considerate tourist in a place where other tourists take advantage of the situation, and indulge in drug abuse, wild late-night partying and other disrespectable activities.

From UK Daily Mail on-line, comment regarding disappearance of UK hiker Zis Souflatika.

I was in nepal in 2010 .. i got offered drugs at the top of a mountain, sarankhot ... in kathmandu you get offered drugs every 100 yards often by sinister looking fellas in ski masks. In pokhara (nice lakeside town with no drug dealers on the streets) where we got stranded for 12 days because there was a strike which meant the only way out was by flying not roads, i went on a four hour walk to the un-aptly named peace pagoda .. interestingly the guide book stated ... "You may be mugged on this walk" Nepal isnt thailand ..... where people are mostly very friendly .... even in the rural areas .... nepal is very commericialised a beer in thailand will cost you 50p in nepal though the economy is even poorer it will cost you £1.70 ...... one place i got a beer that cost me the same as my nights rent ... Funny place an experience but id go for northern thailand any day of the week, cheaper, friendlier, safer oh and while i was there an american hiker went missing ... !!!!!

 

[Walker]

Now defunct link: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/elmwoodpark/news/2514582,franklin-park-aubrey-072210-s1.article

On April 20, Aubrey Sacco e-mailed her parents that she was going to hike through the Langtang Valley.

"She just said she was leaving for the trail in the morning and there was no Internet or phones in the mountains and she would contact us when she got back from the trek," Connie Sacco said.

Her trek was supposed to take 10 days. She mentioned there were side trails that she might check out and her parents didn't start to worry until May 4 or 5 when they still hadn't heard from her.

"I started making some phone calls," Sacco said. "We learned that the Maoists had a strike in Katmandu. It literally shut down the entire country. All transportation was stopped. Everyone we talked to said just hold out, she was probably in the mountains and just couldn't get back."

The “side trails” should be noted. Some hikers complain that the main trail is sometimes hard to follow due to mudslides. A side trail may not even be on the maps.

AS herself wrote the e-mail from inside the park. Either Hotel Namaste has a computer for guest use, or she borrowed a laptop from another hiker.

The source of the following information about Langtang National Park is the book “Lonely Planet – Trekking in the Nepal Himalayas.” AS is said to have been using one of the Lonely Planet guides.

If you continue upwards from Lama Hotel, you come to the Riverside Hotel at Gumnachouk, then an area known as Ghora Tabela, where many hikers stop for lunch.

Ghora Tabela was once a Tibetan resettlement camp, but the Nepali army now uses it as a national park post. (The Nepali army is in charge of policing Langtang National Park (LNP)). This location is particularly scenic, and there are two lodges there, but no permanent inhabitants except the lodge operators.

Just beyond Ghora Tabela is an army check-in station for hikers. And, a helipad.

AS never checked in at GT.

Vehicles are not used on the mountain. Supplies are brought in by helicopter. Also, tourists commonly rent helicopters.

The army may have called most of its troops into Katmandu to contain the riots; therefore, the fact that AS did not sign in at GT doesn’t necessarily prove that she never got that far.

I don’t want to bring up a possibility which some people may find highly offensive, but could AS have been inducted into a cult or cult-like group?

One characteristic of cults is that they isolate the inductee from their friends and family. Could AS have been manipulated somehow to go to the remote wilderness location without her camera, cell, laptop, and credit card, all which could be used to trace her?

AS’s refusing a guide is also a bit puzzling. Her claim that she will be entirely unavailable by internet for the duration of her itinerary is just not true. Wanting to go on side trails alone into the wilderness makes no sense, unless she (or someone influencing her) is just trying to buy time.

Say the plan was to meet someone at the helipad, who would take her to some other location. In this case, AS actually disappeared from that other location, which may explain why repeated searches of the trail and areas near the trail have reportedly turned up no evidence.

 

[Walker]

Blog entry April 15, 2010:

On April 4th, I set out for a journey up North, a 4 day train journey which would take me up to Himalayas (with a brief stop in Kolatta). And now writing this I can’t say I regret a minute of the 45 hour train ride. Thankfully I had the time to do it, now if I were only here for a few weeks that may be a different story. Many fellow travelers and yoga students tried to persuade me into just hopping on a plane and getting up north in a few hours. But why skip out on such an adventure? By taking a plane I knew I would pass over so much! So I spent my time next to the train window witnessing the everyday rural life from South India, to North India, from Palm Trees to Pine Trees. What my friends had seen as boring, is completely and utterly inspiring to me.

AS has a defensive tone in this passage.

Now we all have traveled, and made travel friends, but how often do the "friends" make a big deal about where you are going next, and how you will get there? She was annoyed by their attitude; even implying that they are philistines. The conflict may have come as an unpleasant surprise.

Most travelers would prefer the train for the reasons AS describes.

AS's original intention was to visit first Sri Lanka, and then India. She had had no previous plan to go to neighboring Nepal.

Of course, the train is not as comfortable as a US train, but yet she finds the trip enjoyable.

The friends were more likely Westerners, since AS would not be so offended were an Indian to call the train ride “boring.” She would just think that of course there would be no novelty in such a trip for him.

Possibly some group was pressuring AS to go to Nepal as quickly as possible.

 

[Walker]

Interesting discussion on the Lonely Planet forum regarding Zis Souflatika and others missing in Nepal:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2215813&start=45

Shows article appearing a magazine called “Grazia:”

http://imgur.com/a/VOEPf

Not really sure what they mean by "gap year" killer, though. Maybe young Europeans are being encouraged by their colleges and universities to take a year away from their regular academic programs to visit underdeveloped countries alone?

In any case, seems unlikely that all of these individuals were harmed by the exact same person or group.