Like the dog in Hindu mythology, a stray dog decided to follow mountain climbers on their journey.
Don Wargowsky, a mountain guide, and his team led a group of climbers to scale Mount Baruntse, a mountain in eastern Nepal. Before they could reach the Baruntse base camp, they had to acclimatize themselves at Mera Peak.
In the village of Kahre, before ascending Mera Peak, they met a dog who did not seem to be very friendly. They were quite surprised to find that she had followed them to Mera Peak. They noticed that she seem to take a liking to Don.
For the next two weeks, the stray dog went with the group when they hiked to Baruntse base camp. Don started calling the dog Mera, after the mountain they had just scaled.
Don was more than glad to share his food, sleeping bag, and tent with the dog, who proved to be the perfect companion. Mera followed commands. She did not make a fuss nor chewed on Don’s things.
Sadly, Don had to leave Mera because the next climb would be dangerous for a dog. He tied her up near the camp staffers. Don and his team could hear Mera’s whines and yelps as they left the camp to start climbing Mount Baruntse.
In less than an hour into their climb, Don was again surprised that Mera managed to escape and followed him. Despite the freezing temperatures and dangerous trails, Mera never left their side. The Nepalese guides in Don’s team called her lucky and blessed.
Mera was very determined to climb until they reached the summit. The climbers cheered to celebrate the first dog who reached the top of Mount Baruntse. She might have been the first dog to climb the highest elevation in recorded history.
Don was sad at the thought of leaving Mera behind. He knew he could not adopt her because he traveled a lot. Fortunately, one of the Nepalese guides in his team promptly volunteered to adopt her. He saw something special in Mera, and he was not going to pass on the opportunity to keep her.
Mera was renamed Baru after the name of the mountain that she conquered. She had a loving home in Kathmandu, and Don got to visit her several times a year. Baru still recognized Don every time they meet. They shared a kinship after climbing mountains together.
Source: Photo from Facebook
