New England Adventures
I have been on a number of New England adventures with Jamal, starting a number of years ago when he guided me up Lakeview, a rock climb on Cannon Cliff that wound up below the Old Man of the Mountains. Since then, one old man has fallen, but this one has kept going. With the start of his new venture Mountain Spirit Journeys, we spent a magical night together at Brownfield Bog in the spring; searched for mayflowers with great company; and ventured to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway on a cosmic journey downriver. On all these ventures, Jamal payed great attention to the experience of his companions. Having mastered wilderness passages on his own, he was able to give nearly all of his energy towards the group experience. On the Allagash trip, great emphesis was placed on learing canoeing skills, both beforehand and during the trip. Saftey was paramount. The food was great. – Ed.P
Vision Quest
Over the past few months, I have been a client of Jamal for both spiritual activities and guided trips. I consider him a friend. He is calm, thoughtful and supremely well organized when it comes to preparing for trips. And then there is Jamal’s gourmet back country cooking… Probably better than what I make for myself at home! He directed me on how to “clean the house of my soul” in preparation for a vision quest. He helped me prepare physically and mentally to spend 3 days by myself in the wilderness. This process helped me reconnect with the power of nature. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of shamanic techniques in the future and going on new adventures with Jamal. – Joanne A.
Spiritual Learning on the Allagash
I really wanted to experience the Allagash Wilderness Waterway by canoe. I had heard it was a remote, wild place of great beauty. But I was worried, too, about my ability to manage the Class 2 rapids in a canoe, as I had only paddled on flat water. I shouldn’t have worried.
I signed up for the trip, and it was one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had in a long time. I gained confidence through Jamal’s lessons on water safety and strategies such as “ferrying”, a cool way to easily canoe across a river with a strong current. I improved my skills, too. After Jamal worked with me to help me improve my paddling efficiency, I could paddle much more efficiently with half the effort. By the time we got to the rapids, I felt ready. It was fun!
Best of all, I was able to connect with the spirit of the pristine Allagash, its dark waters winding past thickly forested banks and marshes far from civilization, its awe-inspiring sunsets, the big sky which allowed us clear passage during our trip, except for an afternoon wind to challenge us before we arrived at our evening campsite. We watched a moose browse underwater plants, and marveled at how long it could hold its breath. We saw a young moose following its mother closely as they browsed the shallows; nearby, a big, imperious male eyed us with a clear message to stay away from his shore. Eagles soared overhead, ducks floated near the banks, and herons stalked the marshes. Every night, the loons sang their lilting, mysterious song. Some days we saw no other people. As we came to the end of our trip, I felt a great reluctance to leave this place of immense beauty and natural power.
Jamal was everything a good wilderness guide should be – knowledgeable and respectful of the river and the wildlife, leading with confidence and a wealth of experience, and encouraging of our spiritual learning from the Allagash. I am grateful to Jamal for making this possible for me. – Aisha S.
Alaska Mountaineering
For many years, Jamal and I climbed mountains together in Alaska. As a result, I was able to interact with Jamal in circumstances involving both great physical and emotional stress.
Looking back, it is hard for me not to smile when I think of him. He was always very consistent, very competent, and very dependable. But perhaps what I still treasure most about him was what I can only call his “good soul.” It was impossible to be around him and not feel it.
A couple of specific memories: I was once complaining, while laying in our tent, about something that was angering me, probably life. Jamal said: ‘you see what you look for.’ I wanted to be angry with him, but he was right, exactly right. I did see what I looked for in my life, and it was Jamal who helped me see that.
On our last climbing trip together, we were thousands of feet up an ice covered mountain when I got very sick. Over the next 36 hours or so, without sleep or much food or water, Jamal worked to get us both down alive. In the end, he saved my life. Perhaps “God” was involved, but if so, God was working through Jamal and, to me, even if I did not know Jamal as I do, I would need no further reason to trust him completely in any context, at any time. – Jim L.
Spiritual Work
I have had Jamal do some spiritual work for me. I found Jamal to be very gentle and caring. He’s also very compassionate. The work he did for me was very insightful and very helpful. It was a pleasure to have him working on my behalf. I would go to Jamal again if I needed or wanted any more of this kind of work again. Ken, a grateful friend. – Ken G.
Mountain Climbing in Ecuador
Jamal’s exceptional climbing skills and sensitivities to the group allowed our 2003 Ecuador trip to be a wonderful success. Jamal modified the climbs based on a number of factors giving all of us the best possible experience. On a winter ascent up Mt. Washington, my wife and I found Jamal to be attuned to our needs and respectful of the environment. We look forward to his new endeavor and wish him the best of luck. – Louis M.