Dear readers,
Gerard Simonette’s is a pretty inspirational story. The 76-year-old Northampton resident, a longtime hiker, is still at it and ascending summits. The story he told reporter Chris Goudreau was of his recent hike up to the 16,780-foot peak of Mt. Ararat in Turkey. While the physical part of the journey certainly is notable — it involves altitude acclimation and braving cold temperatures — there’s an interesting social side to it, as well. Simonette travels the world and meets people from other cultures, including people from countries in tense relationships with our own.
His interest in history has taken him to famous mountains like Mt. Olympus in Greece, but with Mt. Ararat he had to wait for a military travel ban to be lifted in that region of Turkey. In his eagerness to connect with the mountain, he got the opportunity to connect with fellow hikers from around the world, including Kathryn Keefe, a woman from the Philippines who now works as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. The two wound up being hiking partners and told one another stories about their hiking experience, but also their experiences living and working in their respective countries. Simonette related how Keefe told him about being harassed on the street by Saudi Arabian men and how she dealt with it. He also missed a bus in the Republic of Georgia, and in order to meet with his group in time, he took an alternative bus filled with Iranian travelers. The Iranians spoke with him about their country and the sites he should visit, and they even spoke a little bit about politics. “They’re just like regular folk like anyone else,” Simonette said. “They’re showing that they’re welcoming.”
Simonette says he plans to continue both hiking and traveling. Among the mountains he hopes to hike next are Mt. Vesuvius in Italy and Mt. Fuji in Japan. It is wonderful he is able to pursue his interest and that his health has allowed him to continue.
— Dave Eisenstadter