We had an early wake-up call planned for this morning to see the sunrise with Mount Everest in the background. Guess what? No call as there were no blue skys – only clouds full of snow. What an amazing site to see snow lying on the ground.
My room-mate Angie is an early riser so she went over to the Monastery for a cup of tea with the lamas. I wish I had gone but I was so tired and I have to admit the sleeping bag was warm and snug!
We set off after breakfast at 08:30am and over a period of 6 hours we covered a distance of 9.5 kilometers and gained 600 meters in elevation.
It was rather eerie hiking through the mist and clouds. The start of the day was through the Rhododendron forests going downhill. I had to get out of the way of the Yakows .
What is a Yakow?
Yakow is the English word for an Asian animal that is a cross between a domestic cow and a yak. Females, called dzo-mus, are used for milking, fiber, meat, and are occassionally used as a beasts of burden. Males, called dzos, are most often used as beasts of burden, pulling ploughs for farmers, but are also used for meat and occassionally fiber. In many Asian countries they demand a higher price then purebred yaks because of their additional strength and multipurposes. In Nepal there is said to be at least 124 variations of yakows, crossed to many breeds of bovine, both humped (like Zebus) and humpless (like Watutsi.)
We arrived at Dingboche and were given some time to explore. A couple of the girls decided they wanted a shower – too cold for me! My room – mate this time is Rashida who is another Adventurous Women from Brisbane. I unpacked my sleeping bag and decided to go hunting for a bakery and internet café. Sue-Ellen joined me for a stroll up to the top of the village. We started off chatting and at a brisk pace – n=only to discover within a few meters that it was not going to be easy! We are now at an altitude of 4530 meters (depending on where you are in the village).
I see that our leader Tek is watching everyone of us very carefully when we have our meals. A few of the girls are losing their appetite. I am fantasizing about a nice big juicy steak but that’s not on the menu unless I want to end up with a potential upset stomach. So its egg and chips for dinner for me with a pot of hot lemon.
Tek has a responsibility to make sure we get up and down safely. He seems to be everywhere and to know whats happening with each one of us. His manner about him is one of caring. He has gained the trust of all of us by now.
A good leader needs to be trusted. Steven Covey wrote the views below on 13 behaviors of leaders worldwide.
13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders Worldwide
I approach this strategy primarily as a practitioner, both in my own experience and in my extensive work with other organizations. Throughout this learning process, have identified 13 common behaviors of trusted leaders around the world that build — and allow you to maintain — trust. When you adopt these ways of behaving, it’s like making deposits into a “trust account” of another party.
- Talk Straight
- Demonstrate Respect
- Create Transparency
- Right Wrongs
- Show Loyalty
- Deliver Results
- Get Better
- Confront Reality
- Clarify Expectation
- Practice Accountability
- Listen First
- Keep Commitments
- Extend Trust
Remember that the 13 Behaviors always need to be balanced by each other (e.g., Talk Straight needs to be balanced by Demonstrate Respect) and that any behavior pushed to the extreme can become a weakness.
So Tek’s building his “trust account” with me too.
Tomorrow is our acclimatization day so I get to spend two nights with the lovely Rashida. I hear she is an early riser too! What’s with all the early birds?