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ezokuvakasha zamathandangozi — isiZulu
Ukuthatha uhambo ngabomu futhi ngokuzithandela oluya endaweni okungenzeka ibe nobungozi obuthile. Liya ngokwehluka izinga lobungozi esizimisele ukubhekana nabo isivakashi, kusukela ebungozini obuphansi kuya kobuphezulu. Umdlalo wokuqwala intaba uyisibonelo esihle sokuthuthuka kwalolu hlobo lwezokuvakasha. Kunabantu abambadlwana abakukhonzile ukuqwala izintaba ngoba kubanikeza inselele. Kahle-kahle asikho neze isidingo sokuqwala intaba, kodwa nje bakhuthwazwa yilukuluku “lokuba lapho” ukuze basho ukuthi nabo bake bafinyelela esicongweni sentaba, futhi ubunzima obukhulu obuhambisana nokuqwala intaba ethile yikona impela-ke okubahehayo, kubanikeze itshisekelo nelukuluku lokuqwala intaba. Kule minyaka eminingana edlule lilokhu likhule njalo inani labantu abanelukuluku lokuqwala izintaba. Ubuchwepheshe besimanjemanje sebukhiqize impahla engcono yokuqwala izintaba futhi lokho kwenza ukuthi labo abathanda lo mdlalo bakwazi ukuqwala ngokuphepha izintaba okunzima kakhulu ukuziqwala. Lokhu “kuphepha” kuncike kakhulu ezimweni ezithile, kodwa njengoba kuba ngcono ukuphepha liyakhuphuka nenani labantu abazibandakanya kulo mdlalo. Kuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi inselele enkulu kunazo zonke wukuqwala i-Mount Everest. Umzamo wokuqala wangempela wokuqwala intaba i-Everest, waphela kabuhlungu ngokufa kuka-George Mallory kanye no-Andrew Irvine ngowe-1924. Kodwa noma kunjalo yaqhubeka imizamo yokufinyelela esicongweni sale ntaba, futhi ngokunjalo baningi abantu abalahlekelwa yizimpilo zabo. Emva kokuthi u-Sir Edmund Hillary kanye no-Sherpa Tenzing Norgay bekwazile ukugxumeka ifulegi esicongweni sale ntaba ngowe-1953 – futhi emva kwalokho bakwazi ukwehla ngokuphepha ukuze baxoxe ngempumelelo yabo – ukuqwala intaba i-Everest kwaba yinselele elangazelelekayo kubantu abaningi abawuthandayo umdlalo wokuqwala izintaba. Kuyinto exakayo ukuthi nakuba bebaningi abantu abafa ngenkathi bezama ukuqwala intaba, lokhu kwaba yinselele eheha abanye abantu abaningi. Sekunemboni yezokuvakasha ephelele impela eyenza umsebenzi wokusekela nokulekelela abantu abafuna ukuzama ukuqwala intaba. Namuhla, lena sekuyimboni enkulukazi impela futhi ebaluleke kakhulu emnothweni wase-Tibet, futhi ikakhulukazi nowase-Nepal. Kulezi zinsuku, sekunabantu abaningi abazamayo ukuqwala intaba, abangathathwa “njengabaqwali bezintaba” bangempela noma “ama-athlete” oqobo, kodwa abanemali eningi ngokwanele yokukhokha isamba esiphakeme kakhulu semali yokuhlinzekwa ngethuba lokuthatha uhambo lokuqwala intaba beqashwe ngeso lokhozi, ngaphansi kokunakekelwa nokuvikeleka okukhulu futhi bephathiswe okwamaqanda. Bayathwalwa, badonswe, bafuqwe futhi batatanyiswe baze bayofinyelela esicongweni sentaba i-Everest futhi baphinde balekelelwe ngenkathi sebehla bebuyela phansi, futhi lokhu kwenziwa ngamathimba abalekeleli nabanakekeli kanye nama-Sherpas (abomdabu base-Himalaya) abakhokhelwa izimali ezishisiwe, abahlinzeka lezi zitatanyiswa ngenqwaba yeziqukathi ze-oksijini, kepha-ke noma kunjalo lokhu kunakekelwa nokulekelelwa akubuqedi ngokuphelele ubungozi bokufa komuntu ngenkathi eqwala intaba. Uma kwenzeka siguquka kungalindelekile isimo sezulu, baningi abantu abangafa entabeni ngamahora ambalwa nje, njengoba kwenzeka ngoMeyi 1996 lapho kwashona khona abantu abayishumi ngobusuku obubodwa. Empeleni, isibalo sabantu abafela entabeni siphezulu ngendlela ethusayo. Kepha nakuba kunjalo abantu basafuna ukuqwala intaba, futhi bazimisele ukulahlekelwa noma ngabe yini ngenhloso nje yokuqwala intaba – futhi abanye babo bathola isifundo esibuhlungu kakhulu lapho sebelahlekelwe yingalo noma umlenze! Ngesizini yokuqwala intaba yowezi-2013 angama-580 amakhasimende akwazi ukuqwala intaba ngempumelelo, kepha bayisishiyagalombili abantu – kubandakanya nama-Sherpas amabili – abafa ngenxa yesiminyaminya emzileni obheke esiqongweni sentaba. Abanye abaqwali bentaba kwadingeka ukuthi balinde isikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora angaphezu kwayisithupha ngaphambi kokuba bathole ithuba lokwehla engxenyeni yentaba ebucayi kakhulu futhi enobunzima obukhulu ebizwa nge-Hillary Step, futhi kwaba nesiminyaminya sabantu (“traffic jams”) endaweni yokuqwala intaba enezindophi ezixhunywe phansi. Manje iziphathimandla zezokuvakasha kwelase-Nepal sezinqume ukungenelela nokuthi zifake izinyathelo zokuphepha ngenhloso yokunciphisa izinga lokufa kwabantu. Kuzogxunyekwa iladi ku-Hillary Step futhi kuxhunywe nezindophi zokuqwala intaba ezimbili ezihlukene, okuyindophi yabantu abakhuphukayo kanye nendophi yabantu abehlayo. Wonke lo mlando obhalwe ngenhla ungafaniswa nomlando walokho okwenzeka emdlalweni wokuthatha uhambo emfuleni ngesihlenga (white water rafting), kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, extreme skiing, nokuthatha uhambo oluzungeza umhlaba uhamba wedwa noma ukuqombola emahlathini nasezintabeni (hiking) eziqiwini ezinjenge-Kruger National Park. Ukukhula kwesasasa lokuvakasha kwamathandangozi sekukhiqize imboni enkulu impela. Akekho ongabikezela ukuthi leli sasasa lemidlalo enobungozi ekugcineni liyophelelaphi, kodwa njengemanje baningi abantu emhlabeni jikelele abaziphilisa ngezivakashi ezinelukuluku lokuthatha izinkambo ezinobungozi kanye nokwenza ezinye izinto eziyingozi. (bheka i-“environmental business”, “carrying capacity”, “alternative tourism” kanye ne-“accountability”.)
