I-Appalachian Trail, ehamba ngaphezu kwe-2,000 yeemayile kunye ne-14 yamazwe, itsala abantu abavela kwihlabathi liphela befuna ukonwaba kunye nocelomngeni lokuhamba intlango ephefumlayo. Nangona kunjalo, le ndlela ibukekayo ikwanesabelo sayo esilungileyo sobungozi kunye neemfihlakalo.
Enye imfihlakalo ijikeleze ukunyamalala kukaGeraldine Largay, umongikazi oneminyaka engama-66 ubudala osele esidla umhlala phantsi kumkhosi womoya, owathi waqala uhambo lokuhamba yedwa. Appalachian Trail ngehlobo lika-2013. Ngaphandle kwamava akhe abanzi okuhamba intaba kunye nokucwangcisa ngononophelo, uLargay wanyamalala ngaphandle komkhondo. Eli nqaku ligrumba kwimeko edidayo kaGeraldine Largay, umzabalazo wakhe wokuzilahlela weentsuku ezingama-26 ukuze aphile, kunye nemibuzo eyiphakamisayo malunga namanyathelo okhuseleko kulo mzila.
Uhambo luyaqala
UGeraldine Largay, owayesaziwa ngokuba nguGerry, wayeqhelene nokuhamba umgama omde. Emva kokuba ephonononge iindlela ezininzi kufutshane nekhaya lakhe eTennessee, wagqiba kwelokuba azicelele umngeni kowona hambo lubalaseleyo-ukuhamba uhambo lonke lwe-Appalachian Trail. Ngenkxaso nenkuthazo yomyeni wakhe, waqalisa uhambo lwakhe oluhambayo ngoJulayi ka-2013.
Ukuphambuka kwindlela
Uhambo lukaLargay lwatshintsha ngendlela awayengayilindelanga ngentsasa yangoJulayi 22, 2013. Ngoxa wayehamba yedwa, wemka endleleni ukuze afumane indawo efihlakeleyo ukuze azikhulule. Wayengazi ukuba olu hambo lufutshane luza kukhokelela ekunyamaleleni kwakhe kunye nomlo onzima wokusinda.
Isibongozo esibi
Kwiiveki ezimbini emva kokubhadula endleleni, uLargay washiya ngasemva isibongozo esibuhlungu kwincwadana yakhe. Ngomhla we-6 ku-Agasti, 2013, amazwi akhe ayengumyalezo ophazamisayo kwihlabathi:
“Xa ufumene umzimba wam, nceda ufowunele umyeni wam uGeorge kunye nentombi yam uKerry. Iya kuba ngobona bubele bukhulu kubo ukwazi ukuba ndifile kwaye undifumene phi – nokuba mingaphi iminyaka ukususela ngoku.” —UGeraldine Largay
Ngomhla awanyamalala ngawo, uGeorge Largay wayengekho kude kakhulu kwindawo awayekuyo. Wayeqhubele kwiRoute 27 Crossing, eyayiluhambo lweemayile ezingama-22 ukusuka kwindawo yokhuseleko apho wayegqibele ukubonwa khona. Ebezama ukugqiba umkhondo we-Appalachian oziikhilomitha ezingama-2,168, kwaye wayesele egubungele ngaphezulu kweemayile ezili-1,000.
Ngokuhambelana nesithethe sokuhamba umgama omde, uLargay wazinike igama lomzila, eyenzeka ukuba yi "Inchworm". UGeorge wayenethuba lokudibana nomfazi wakhe rhoqo ukuze amnike izinto eziyimfuneko aze achithe ixesha kunye naye.
Umzamo omkhulu wokukhangela
Ukunyamalala kukaLargay kubangele umzamo omkhulu wokukhangela kunye nokuhlangula, kunye namakhulu amavolontiya kunye neengcali ezityhutyha indawo ejikeleze i-Appalachian Trail. Kwiiveki ezimbalwa ezizayo, iqela lokukhangela laliquka iinqwelomoya, amapolisa karhulumente, amagosa epaki yesizwe kunye namasebe omlilo ngokunjalo. Ngelishwa, ezo veki zana iimvula ezinkulu zawuvala umkhondo, nto leyo eyenza kube nzima ngakumbi ukufuna. Balandela iingcebiso zabakhenkethi, bagqogqa iindledlana ezisecaleni kwaye bamisela izinja ukuba zikhangele. Ngaphandle kwemigudu yabo yokuzinikela, uLargay wahlala engakwazi ukudlula iminyaka emibini.
Impendulo ethandabuzekayo kunye namanyathelo okhuseleko
Ukufunyanwa kweentsalela zikaLargay ngo-Oktobha 2015 kwaphakamisa imibuzo malunga nokuphendula kwamaqela okukhangela kunye nokuhlangula kunye nemilinganiselo yokhuseleko jikelele ekhoyo kwi-Appalachian Trail. Abanye abagxeki bathi umzamo wokukhangela kufuneka ube ngocokisekileyo, ngelixa abanye bagxininisa imfuneko yokuphucula izixhobo zonxibelelwano kunye neziseko zomzila.
Iintsuku ezingama-26 zokugqibela
Intente kaLargay, kunye nejenali yakhe, yafunyanwa malunga neekhilomitha ezimbini ukusuka kwi-Appalachian Trail. Ijenali ibonelele kumzabalazo wakhe wokufuna ukusinda ngeentsuku zakhe zokugqibela. Idize ukuba uLargay ukwazile ukuphila kangangeentsuku ezingama-26 ubuncinane emva kokuba elahlekile kodwa ekugqibeleni wanikezela ekutyhilekeni, ukunqongophala kokutya namanzi.
Kuyabonakala kumaxwebhu ukuba uLargay wenza inzame yokubhalela umyeni wakhe xa elahlekile xa ehamba. Ngentsimbi ye-11 kusasa ngaloo mini, wathumela umyalezo, othi: “Ndisengxakini enkulu. Wehla umzila ukuya kwa br. Ngoku ilahlekile. Ngaba ungafowuna AMC ku c ukuba umlondolozi womzila angandinceda. Ndaweni ithile emantla kwindlela yehlathi. XOX.”
Ngelishwa, okubhaliweyo akuzange kuphumelele ngenxa yenkonzo yeselula engalunganga okanye enganelanga. Kwiinzame zokufikelela umqondiso ongcono, waya phezulu waza wazama ukuthumela umyalezo ofanayo izihlandlo ezili-10 ngakumbi kwimizuzu engama-90 elandelayo, ngaphambi kokuba alale.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, akazange aphumelele ukuzama ukuthumela umyalezo kwakhona ngo-4.18pm, esithi: “Ilahlekile ukusukela izolo. Umzila wokuhamba 3 okanye 4 yeemayile. Biza amapolisa ukuba wenze ntoni pls. XOX.” Ngosuku olulandelayo, uGeorge Largay wayesele exhalabile kwaza kwaqaliswa ugqogqo olusemthethweni.
Kwafunyanwa umzimba
Ngo-Okthobha we-2015, ihlathi lase-US Navy lafumana into engaqhelekanga- "umzimba onokwenzeka." ULieutenant Kevin Adam wabhala ngeengcinga zakhe ngelo xesha, esithi: “Inokuba ibingumzimba womntu, amathambo esilwanyana, okanye ukuba ibingumzimba, ngaba ibinguGerry Largay?”
Ukufika kwakhe kuloo ndawo, amathandabuzo ka-Adam aphela. “Ndibone intente ethe tyaba, kukho ubhaka oluhlaza ngaphandle kunye nokhakhayi lomntu kukho into endikholelwa ukuba yibhegi yokulala. Bendiqinisekile nge-99% ukuba le yekaGerry Largay.”
“Indawo yokukhempisha kwakunzima ukuyibona ngaphandle kokuba ukufuphi nayo.” —ULieutenant Kevin Adam
Inkampu yayivalelwe kwindawo enemithi eshinyeneyo eyayikufutshane neNavy kunye nepropathi yoluntu. ULargay wayenze ibhedi yokwexeshana ngemithi emincinci, iinaliti zompayina, kwaye mhlawumbi nothuli ukuze intente yakhe ingamanzi.
Ezinye izinto ezisisiseko zokuhamba ezifumaneka kwinkampu zazibandakanya iimephu, i-raincoat, ingubo yendawo, umtya, iingxowa zeZiploc, kunye nesibane esasebenza. Kwakhona kwafunyanwa izikhumbuzo ezincinane zabantu, njengekepusi yebaseball eblue, ifloss yamazinyo, intsimbi yomqala eyenziwe ngelitye elimhlophe, kunye nencwadana yakhe yokubhalela.
Amathuba alahlekileyo
Kwakukho nobungqina bamathuba alahlekileyo: i-canopy evulekileyo kwindawo apho wayenokubonwa ngokulula esibhakabhakeni, ukuba intente yakhe yayingaphantsi. Ukongeza, uLargay wazama nokubasa imililo, wacebisa uAdam, ephawula imithi ekufuphi eyayitshiswe mnyama, ebonakala ingaveli kumbane kodwa ngezandla zomntu.
Isikhumbuzo samanyathelo okhuseleko
Ityala likaLargay lisebenza njengesikhumbuzo esicacileyo sokubaluleka kwamanyathelo okhuseleko kwabo bahamba ngeenyawo kwi-Appalachian Trail kunye nezinye iindledlana ezikude. I-Appalachian Trail Conservancy igxininisa imfuneko yokuba abakhweli baphathe izixhobo zokuhamba ezifanelekileyo, ukutya okwaneleyo kunye namanzi, kunye nokwabelana ngohambo lwabo nomntu obuyela ekhaya. Ukungena rhoqo kunye nokulungela kunokwenza umahluko omkhulu ekuqinisekiseni ukhuseleko lwabahambi.
Ukufunda kwixesha elidlulileyo
Ukunyamalala kunye nokubhubha okubuhlungu kukaGeraldine Largay kushiye ifuthe elihlala lihleli kuluntu oluhamba intaba kunye nabo babemthanda. Ityala lakhe lisisikhumbuzo semeko yentlango engalindelekanga nemfuneko yokulumka nakubakhweli abanamava.
Ityala likaLargay labangela ukuba kuphononongwe iiprothokholi zokukhangela kunye nokuhlangula kwi-Appalachian Trail. Izifundo ezifunyenwe kwintlekele yakhe ziye zakhokelela ekuphuculweni kwamanyathelo okhuseleko, kubandakanywa ukuphuculwa kweziseko zonxibelelwano kunye nokwandisa ulwazi malunga neengozi ezinokubakho ezinxulumene nokuhamba kwiindawo ezikude.
Ukuhlonipha uGeraldine Largay
Nangona ubomi bakhe banqunyulwa bufutshane, inkumbulo kaGeraldine Largay iphila ngothando nenkxaso yosapho kunye nabahlobo bakhe. Ukubekwa komnqamlezo kwindawo eyayimi kuyo intente yakhe kusisikhumbuzo esindilekileyo somoya wakhe wokunyamezela kunye nocelomngeni abajamelana nalo abo bahamba entlango.
Amazwi okugqibela
The ukunyamalala nokufa kaGeraldine Largay kwi-Appalachian Trail ihlala i intlekele engalibalekiyo eqhubeka ikhathaza abakhenkethi kunye nabathandi bendalo. Kwangaxeshanye, umzabalazo wakhe onzima wokuphila, njengoko kubhaliwe kwijenali yakhe, usebenza njengobungqina bomoya womntu ongenakoyiswa xa ejongene nobunzima.
Njengoko sicinga ngebali lakhe elibuhlungu, masikhumbule ukubaluleka kokulungela, amanyathelo okhuseleko, kunye nesidingo sokuphuculwa okuqhubekayo kulawulo lwendlela ukuze kuqinisekiswe impilo-ntle yabakhweli abanobuganga bokuqalisa olu hambo lubalulekileyo.
Emva kokufunda ngoGeraldine Largay, funda malunga UDaylenn Pua, umhambi oneminyaka eli-18 ubudala, owathi wanyamalala emva kokukhwela izinyuko zaseHaiku, eHawaii.
