Climbing expedition to Egypt becomes more for Wyoming writer

Posted 3/22/18

It identifies the climber as a pioneer: The first to accomplish and document a difficult route up a face of granite or a crag of mountain, where the risks and challenges often far outweigh even the most experienced climber’s patience and tenacity. …

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Climbing expedition to Egypt becomes more for Wyoming writer

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In climbing vernacular, a “first ascent” is the culmination of one’s climbing career.

It identifies the climber as a pioneer: The first to accomplish and document a difficult route up a face of granite or a crag of mountain, where the risks and challenges often far outweigh even the most experienced climber’s patience and tenacity. When a first ascent is finally achieved, the climber usually gets to name the route he or she used to get to the top, and it will forever be known as such in climbing circles and field guides.

It was the promise of such an adventure that drew National Geographic writer and University of Wyoming’s writer-in-residence Mark Jenkins to South Sinai in Egypt last November. After a couple of assignments in less than ideal conditions, Jenkins was in search of a warm-weather adventure to recharge his batteries. A conversation with a climbing buddy piqued his interest: Hidden deep in the mountains of the Sinai Peninsula were enormous walls and domes of red granite, all but unknown to the climbing community. One wall in particular had stymied Jenkins’ friend; the challenge to conquer it sealed Jenkins’ decision to make the trip.

“I had been in the cold for a year almost, between winter, then a trip to Tibet and then on assignment to Alaska,” he said. “I was like, ‘Gosh-darn it, I never even got a summer.’ So I wanted to get out and do something that was much more climbing-intensive, with less stress. I wanted a journey without an assignment.”

After assembling his team of three fellow climbers, Jenkins made it to South Sinai, where the men lived with the Bedouin, traveled by camel and fully explored what can only be described as a climber’s paradise. But as Jenkins and his fellow climbers grew closer to their guides and were welcomed into the homes of the Bedouin along their journey, the trip took on a deeper significance. The adventure became the basis of Jenkins’ latest “World to Wyoming” presentation, “Camels, Climbing and St. Catherine: An Expedition to Egypt,” presented last week at Northwest College.

“The goal of ‘World to Wyoming’ is to bring ideas and experiences to people who might not get the opportunity to otherwise experience it themselves,” Jenkins said. “I doubt if there will be many people going to the Sinai from Wyoming, and so for them to get a little perspective is incredibly valuable.”

During his hour-long slideshow presentation of photos from the expedition, Jenkins offered a commentary of the sights and sounds of the region, as well as a look into the current political and socioeconomic climate of the Sinai.

“I think our notions of the Middle East are inaccurate,” he said. “We tend to imagine so many places as being dangerous and impossible, but there are all these oases of peace and harmony that we don’t hear about.”

Jenkins said he chose the Sinai because it was a place he’d never been; it was also a place where he knew he would be forced to “question my prejudices.”

“It was a place I would be forced to learn new things,” he said. “And that’s what did happen in the Sinai.”

“Camels, Climbing and St. Catherine” was Jenkins’ ninth presentation in the “World to Wyoming” series and, like his previous events, there are many facets to the journey he shares with the audience.

“People are engaged by the adventure — in this case, the climbing aspect of the trip,” he explained. “That’s maybe the seductive part of the show. But there are always more levels going on.”

Not knowing it would eventually become the subject of a presentation, Jenkins said he went into the trip open to any possibility.

“I go, and I think ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m going to be open, with a smile on my face, and see what happens,’” he said. “We had such an extraordinary bond with the Bedouin, that I came away feeling that not only had I experienced a great adventure, I had an intimate experience with the culture itself.”

Jenkins and his team became especially close with their guide, Salim, and their camel driver Ragab. The two were patient with and inquisitive about their Western counterparts, and Jenkins credited them for the trip’s success; he did make a first ascent, which Jenkins named.

“We couldn’t have done the trip without them,” Jenkins said of Salim and Ragab. “We were dependent on their willingness to help us. Because of that dependency, we became very close. We were their guests in their country, and I think they were excited to share their culture.”

Because cellphones and internet access are readily available in just about every corner of the globe, Jenkins said his guides were well aware of some of America’s more pervasive views on Muslim culture.

“They [Salim and Ragab] know that there’s this fear of Muslim culture in America, and they want to dispel that myth,” Jenkins said. “Of course they do. It’s a prejudice, it’s a form of racism. And so they want to share their life story and how Bedouin culture works. They want to embed you into their world, so you can see it as they see it. The generosity and the hospitality of our hosts was peerless.”

Jenkins said he hopes people who attended last week’s talk took away an appreciation of a culture surrounded by so much negative mythology.

“I hope people allow themselves to re-think their prejudices,” he said. “We often have these monolithic and somewhat stereotypical views of huge regions of the planet; we put labels on them. I hope people can question their biases and be curious about other cultures.”

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