I-Appalachian Trail, ehamba ngaphezu kwamamayela angu-2,000 nezifunda ezingu-14, iheha abantu abavela emhlabeni wonke abafuna injabulo kanye nenselele yokuhamba ogwadule olumangalisayo. Kodwa-ke, le ndlela ekhangayo ibuye ibe nengxenye efanelekile yezingozi nezimfihlakalo.
Enye imfihlakalo enjalo imayelana nokunyamalala kukaGeraldine Largay, umhlengikazi oneminyaka engu-66 osethathe umhlalaphansi wezempi, owaqala uhambo lokuhamba yedwa. I-Appalachian Trail ehlobo lika-2013. Naphezu kolwazi lwakhe olunzulu lokuhamba izintaba nokuhlela ngokucophelela, u-Largay wanyamalala ngaphandle komkhondo. Le ndatshana ingena odabeni oludidayo lukaGeraldine Largay, umzabalazo wakhe onzima wezinsuku ezingama-26 wokusinda, kanye nemibuzo eyiphakamisayo mayelana nezinyathelo zokuphepha kulo mzila.
Uhambo luyaqala
UGeraldine Largay, owaziwa ngelikaGerry, wayejwayele ukuhamba amabanga amade. Ngemva kokuhlola imizila eminingi eduze kwasekhaya e-Tennessee, wanquma ukuzibekela inselelo ngohambo lwakhe oluhle kakhulu - ukuhamba ngezinyawo bonke ubude be-Appalachian Trail. Ngokusekelwa umyeni wakhe nesikhuthazo, waqala uhambo lwakhe lokuqwala izintaba ngoJulayi 2013.
Ukuduka endleleni
Uhambo lukaLargay lwashintsha ngokungalindelekile ekuseni ngo-July 22, 2013. Lapho ehamba yedwa, wachezuka endleleni ukuze athole indawo ecezile ukuze azikhulule. Wayengazi ukuthi lokhu kuchezuka kwesikhashana kwakuzoholela ekunyamaleni kwakhe nasekulweleni kanzima ukusinda.
Isicelo esibi
Emasontweni amabili ngemuva kokuzulazula emzileni, uLargay washiya ngemuva isicelo esibuhlungu encwadini yakhe yokubhalela. Kubhalwe ngo-Agasti 6, 2013, amazwi akhe abe umlayezo othusayo emhlabeni wonke:
“Lapho uthola isidumbu sami, ngicela ushayele umyeni wami uGeorge nendodakazi yami uKerry. Kuyoba umusa omkhulu kubo ukwazi ukuthi ngifile nokuthi ungitholephi - kungakhathaliseki ukuthi mingaki iminyaka kusukela manje." – Geraldine Largay
Ngosuku anyamalala ngalo, uGeorge Largay wayengekho kude kakhulu nalapho ayehlala khona. Wayeshayele imoto waya ku-Route 27 Crossing, okwakuwuhambo lwamamayela angu-22 ukusuka endaweni yokukhosela lapho ayegcine ukubonakala khona. Ubezama ukuqedela umzila we-Appalachian wamamayela angu-2,168, futhi wayesehambe amakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-1,000.
Ngokuhambisana nesiko lokuhamba ibanga elide, uLargay wayezinike igama lendlela, okwaba yi-“Inchworm”. UGeorge waba nethuba lokuhlangana nomkakhe njalo ukuze amnikeze izinto ezidingekayo futhi achithe isikhathi naye.
Umzamo omkhulu wokusesha
Ukunyamalala kukaLargay kubangele umzamo omkhulu wokusesha nokuhlenga, ngamakhulu amavolontiya nochwepheshe behlola indawo ezungeze i-Appalachian Trail. Emasontweni ambalwa alandelayo, ithimba lokusesha lalihlanganisa izindiza, amaphoyisa ombuso, abaqaphi bepaki kazwelonke kanye neminyango yomlilo. Ngeshwa, imvula enamandla kulawo masonto yawuvala umkhondo, okwenza ukufuna kwaba nzima nakakhulu. Babelandela amathiphu abaqwala izintaba, bahlola izindlela ezisemaceleni futhi babeka izinja ekusesheni. Naphezu kwemizamo yabo yokuzinikela okukhulu, uLargay wahlala iminyaka engaphezu kwemibili engatholakali.
Izimpendulo ezingabazekayo kanye nezinyathelo zokuphepha
Ukutholakala kwezinsalela zika-Largay ngo-Okthoba 2015 kwaphakamisa imibuzo mayelana nezimpendulo zamaqembu okusesha nawokutakula kanye nezinyathelo zokuphepha ezikhona ku-Appalachian Trail. Abanye abagxeki baphikisene ngokuthi umzamo wokusesha bekufanele ube nzulu, kuyilapho abanye begqamisa isidingo sokuthuthukiswa kwamathuluzi okuxhumana nengqalasizinda endleleni.
Izinsuku zokugcina ezingu-26
Itende likaLargay, kanye nejenali yakhe, kwatholakala cishe amakhilomitha amabili ukusuka ku-Appalachian Trail. Leli phephabhuku linikeze amazwibela emzabalazweni wakhe onzima wokusinda phakathi nezinsuku zakhe zokugcina. Iveze ukuthi uLargay ukwazile ukuphila okungenani izinsuku ezingu-26 ngemuva kokuduka kodwa wagcina enqotshwe ukuchayeka, ukuntuleka kokudla namanzi.
Kuyabonakala emibhalweni ukuthi uLargay wenza umzamo wokuthumelela umyeni wakhe umyalezo ngesikhathi eduka ehamba. Ngo-11 ekuseni ngalolo suku, wathumela umyalezo, owawufundeka kanje: “Ngisenkingeni. Ngehla endleleni eya kwa-br. Manje ilahlekile. Ungafona I-AMC ukuze c uma umnakekeli womzila engangisiza. Endaweni ethile enyakatho yomgwaqo wehlathi. XOX.”
Ngeshwa, umbhalo awuzange uphumelele ngenxa yesevisi yeselula empofu noma enganele. Emzamweni wokuthola isignali engcono, waya phezulu futhi wazama ukuthumela umyalezo ofanayo izikhathi ezingu-10 ngaphezulu emizuzwini engu-90 elandelayo, ngaphambi kokuba alale.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, waphinda wazama ukuthumela umyalezo ngo-4.18pm, ethi: “Ilahlekile kusukela izolo. Ukusuka kumzila 3 noma 4 miles. Shayela amaphoyisa ngenzenjani pls. XOX.” Ngakusasa, uGeorge Largay wayesekhathazekile futhi ukusesha okusemthethweni kwaqala.
Kutholakale isidumbu
Ngo-Okthoba ka-2015, isazi sehlathi sase-US Navy sathola into engavamile - "umzimba ongenzeka." ULieutenant Kevin Adam wabhala ngemicabango yakhe ngaleso sikhathi, ethi: “Kungenzeka ukuthi kwakuwumzimba womuntu, amathambo esilwane, noma ukube kwakuwumzimba, kungenzeka ukuthi kwakunguGerry Largay?”
Lapho efika endaweni yesehlakalo, ukungabaza kuka-Adamu kwahwamuka. “Ngabona itende liyisicaba, kukhona ubhaka oluhlaza ngaphandle nogebhezi lwekhanda lomuntu ebengikholelwa ukuthi kunesikhwama sokulala. Benginesiqiniseko esingu-99% sokuthi lokhu okukaGerry Largay.”
“Indawo yokukhempa bekunzima ukuyibona ngaphandle uma useduze kwayo.” - ULieutenant Kevin Adam
Indawo yokukhempa ibigcinwe endaweni enezihlahla eziminyene eyayiseduze kweNavy kanye nempahla yomphakathi. U-Largay wayenze umbhede wesikhashana ngezihlahla ezincane, izinalithi zikaphayini, kanye nokungcola okungenzeka ukuthi itende lakhe lingamanzi.
Ezinye izinto eziyisisekelo zokuhamba izintaba ezitholakala endaweni yokukhempa zihlanganisa amamephu, ijazi lemvula, ingubo yokulala yasemkhathini, intambo, izikhwama zeZiploc, kanye nesibani esasebenza. Kwatholakala nezikhumbuzo ezincane zabantu, njengekepisi le-baseball eliluhlaza, i-dental floss, umgexo owenziwe ngetshe elimhlophe, kanye nencwajana yakhe yokubhala eshaqisayo.
Amathuba alahlekile
Kwakukhona nobufakazi bamathuba alahlekile: i-canopy evulekile endaweni lapho ayengabonwa khona kalula esibhakabhakeni, ukube itende lakhe belingaphansi. Ukwengeza, uLargay wayezame nokubasa imililo, u-Adam wasikisela, ephawula izihlahla eziseduze ezazishiswe zaba mnyama, ezazibonakala zingewona umbani kodwa ngezandla zomuntu.
Isikhumbuzo sezinyathelo zokuphepha
Icala lika-Largay lisebenza njengesikhumbuzo esiqinile sokubaluleka kwezinyathelo zokuphepha kwabahamba ngezinyawo ku-Appalachian Trail neminye imizila yebanga elide. I-Appalachian Trail Conservancy igcizelela isidingo sokuthi abaqwali baphathe amathuluzi okuzulazula abalulekile, ukudla okwanele namanzi, futhi babelane ngohambo lwabo nomunye umuntu obuyela ekhaya. Ukungena njalo nokuzilungiselela kungenza umehluko omkhulu ekuqinisekiseni ukuphepha kwabahamba ngezinyawo.
Ukufunda Kwedlule
Ukunyamalala kanye nokushabalala okudabukisayo kukaGeraldine Largay kushiye umthelela ohlala njalo emphakathini ohamba izintaba nakulabo ababemthanda. Icala lakhe liyisikhumbuzo sesimo esingalindelekile sehlane kanye nesidingo sokuqapha ngisho nakubantu abaqwala izintaba abanolwazi.
Icala lika-Largay lenze ukuthi kubuyekezwe izinqubo zokusesha kanye nokuhlenga ku-Appalachian Trail. Izifundo ezitholwe enhlekeleleni yakhe ziholele ekuthuthukisweni kwezinyathelo zokuphepha, okuhlanganisa ukuthuthukiswa kwengqalasizinda yezokuxhumana kanye nokuqwashisa okwengeziwe ngezingozi ezingaba khona ezihlobene nokuqwala izintaba ezindaweni ezikude.
Ukuhlonipha uGeraldine Largay
Nakuba ukuphila kwakhe kwaba mfushane, inkumbulo kaGeraldine Largay iphila ngothando nokusekelwa umndeni wakhe nabangane. Ukubekwa kwesiphambano endaweni okwake kwaba yitende lakhe kuyisikhumbuzo esiqinile somoya wakhe wokukhuthazela nezinselele labo abazama ukuya ehlane.
Amazwi wokugcina
The ukunyamalala nokufa kaGeraldine Largay ku-Appalachian Trail uhlala e inhlekelele engasoze yalibaleka esaqhubeka ihlupha abaqwali kanye nabathandi bemvelo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, umzabalazo wakhe onzima wokuphila, njengoba kubhalwe encwadini yakhe yezindaba, usebenza njengobufakazi bomoya womuntu ongenakunqotshwa lapho ebhekene nobunzima.
Njengoba sicabanga ngendaba yakhe edabukisayo, masikhumbule ukubaluleka kokulungela, izinyathelo zokuphepha, kanye nesidingo sokuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo ekulawuleni umzila ukuze kuqinisekiswe inhlalakahle yabaqwali abanesibindi sokungena kulolu hambo oluyingqophamlando.
Ngemva kokufunda ngoGeraldine Largay, funda mayelana UDaylenn Pua, umhambi oneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, owanyamalala ngemuva kokuyoqwala izitebhisi zaseHaiku, eHawaii.
