After his beloved wife, Deborah Love, passes away, Peter Matthiessen embarks on a trip to Nepal to make sense of his existence. It's 1973 and the trip is planned for two months. He tags along with his friend, George Schaller (known as GS in the book) who is journeying to these remote mountains to study Himalayan blue sheep. One of GS's research questions is whether these animals are more like sheep, or indeed, more like goats. Both men decide that while the animals known as Bharal are similar to goats, they are, in reality, sheep through and through. Adult Bharal or Himalayan blue sheep are about 120 pounds and 4.3 feet long in case you were wondering.
PM has other quests and questions on his mind. During this time of grief after his wife's death, he is looking to fortify his spiritual being. As a follower of Zen Buddhism, he has meaningful conversations with guides, Sherpas, porters, and villagers he meets along the way. Lots of food for spiritual thought there, but his ultimate goal is to find the Crystal Monastery and meet the Lama of Shey who studies there. This is no easy climb, but with an ever-changing cast of porters and Sherpas, the men finally arrive at Crystal Mountain and meet the humble lama of Shey. They were surprised to find a picture of a Yeti on a flag in the monastery once the key was found and they were let in. The mysterious Yeti was a frequent topic of conversation during the journey.
I've seen a snow leopard, more than once, at the Cape May County Zoo. Does PM ever see one? He looks and looks, and the men find evidence that at least one snow leopard is near them at various points of their journey. They find tracks and scat, but do they ever look one in the eye as I have at the zoo? You'll have to read the book to find that out, but you won't be sorry. PM;s detailed descriptions of what his group sees, how they feel, the equipment they carry (and lose), and what they eat while exploring the wilderness of Nepal will help you feel as if you've been on the journey with GS and PM, but without the bloody blisters.
Most importantly, PM describes his moments of transparency as he explores the mountains and Buddhist landmarks in Nepal. Whether the illuminations of this journey stay with him after 1973 we don't know and can't ask. This fine book of nature writing is held up as an example to aspiring creative nonfiction writers, and won the National Book Award in 1978. It has been at the top of my To-Be-Read pile for years, and I'm happy to say it exceeded my expectations!
