SPECIAL FORCES GURKHA | THE DEBRIEF | Former Gurkha & 22 SAS Krishna Thapa

and 25 people only top three will pass just run run for the life when I applied in 1995 we have almost like more than 20,000 applicant out of less more than 20,000 uh 180 plus we had the three stage um selection process that's where my um life of service began before I even born my parents have a dream me joining the G then if you are a British G all the girls love you drop you in the break and beacons and then just offer go I will see you in one month time if you take the 100 people and go inside the door they didn't have a clue what's going on but if you take take the one regiment guy they know exactly what's going on you just make one call then it's like life or death and we have still hold the Guinness World Record so 13 service member submitted is the biggest ever group regimen show me the way who I am and help me achieve in my life with discipline and dedication your retriev thems have been absolutely phenomenal this week on the debrief then I've got a former gerker who also ended up in 22 SAS for a bre 17 years probably a little bit more he summited I don't know how many Summits of how many different mountains we're going to find out Krishna great to see you buddy thank you Phil having on your um podcast I'm very great an honor to be here and share some now I'm Glad You Came listen with all my guests I always try and find out a little bit about you when you were little yeah so can you tell me a little bit about chrisna growing up and where you grew up and all that sort of stuff yeah I'm grown up in Western Nepal uh near nearby almost about 2,000 M altitude Ona range uh uh poer Mountain uh my granddad was gka lost in the second world war and my father failed to join the gka three times um here I am and um yeah um born you know like as a child grown up massively on the culture and traditional as the Eastern you know okay did you did you do school and that sort of stuff or we you just saw that literally uh yeah it was uh part of the school as well and the you know like traditional culture is also be Buddhist and Hindus as you know like traditional way yeah so you're you had a happy childhood uh yes I think very happy to be honest we didn't know nothing about from being in a mountain you know playing around and uh just worshiping the God you know worshiping the tree uh water Sky I think I think that's the way of you know our traditional culture okay so very much you know no electronics nothing no television just just very sort of natural upbringing yeah very much uh you know like uh growing up asent uh worshiping the nature and that's all we had anyway so yeah basically first time I seen the airplane and buses was when I joined the G oh okay so a lot of people out out there won't have won't realize the procedure and how it is to join the girl because it's it's it's a very prestigious thing to do for for a young man from where you come from isn't it very much uh still the like you know like more than 200 years now uh in the British Army and G's connection and um you know it's the like even when I applied in 1995 we have almost like more than 20,000 applicant wow and then so basically let's take it this way every boy in Nepal is to join in the British G so out of less more than 20,000 uh 180 pass wow so what is the procedure how do they how do they say right that's that's the 120 they're going to go and that's the that's the 19,90 that are going to fail how do they work that out so Bas um when I joined like you know like almost 30 years ago we had a three stage um selection process uh number one is what we call it ex retired gka from the local area uh they will just go through the water of Mouth by then and then they will say right okay on that day L April April the 3 in this area the x g gas will come up and that's like basic they will uh measure your height uh make sure it's above 5.2 and then your chest and then they just basically scan through you know like no damage your eyes Okay so just to say you're a fit young man young who we could possibly do something and that's the first stage and and they will check your you know like um um kind of behind your you know what's the history and have you been related with the gers and all the stuff and once you that once everything tick then after they will say like oh next month and then you will come to what we call the regional selection okay so then there will be then we will have retired G officer and then you know like lot more pocket of everyone everyone come there about three to 400 people and then the retired officer and then as a you know like kind of retired over all the senior ranks and then and what do you do there what do you actually have to do yeah so in there is now you have to do the uh 12 time pushup you know like push pushup it's F to be a marine a lot yeah I didn't even know you know like now I could just hang and yeah so and 20 uh it's 45° incline uh plank yeah and upside down and you have to do the uh 25 more than 25 times in one minute yeah sit up so those are the you know like basic once you pass that yeah then you we have to do what called the English test uh make sure everyone has the basic uh it's like very basic when I join they just ask me what is your name and can you write down your name in English and so that's kind of English test and then they will have a basic uh medical like you know the G welfare Trust they will send the one medic then they will check the proper blood pressure and your kind of proper like you know your teeth and ear and eyes and so that's the second on coughing bit of a [Laughter] cough yeah we do that and once you pass the physical and little bit kind of English and the medical medical is you know like quite um you know like detriment there because of everyone in boys and medical and because we didn't have any as such medical history behind just passing through that everything has to pretty much what the British mod requirement and once you got that and then you they will give you if you pass then they will give the final stage then where we can everyone come is called place called porra uh which is like Central and final selection and then that's where the like uh uh Team from catrick and all the sorbing you know like okay so so so G's proper turn up there so what do you do with them what what do you do with them then then they will come up and they will do the uh now I know CFT yeah and then most importantly we call the does you know they carry the you know it's like actually the CFT but in Nepal there is not not area suitable for all these thing that they found the one Hill it's almost about I think 2 miles up and down so because gas when I even for me I never carry the uh backpack in my life before I joined the girl so what they we do is we carry the what called doco but it's like bucket with the bamboo okay and then we put they put the sand like 25 I think almost like 20 25 kg normal here and then you just carry on the forehead and then just run and the uh the test was you like this one and the test was like 25 people only top three will pass wow so it's a race it's a race yeah either you are in one to three or or that's you done there's no Wast your time pretty much like this St this stage almost like maybe six seven month you know like from the stage one to the to the final then you come there and then this is I just run run for the life I I remember like you know like this is me breaking or you know like surviving or breaking you know like just top three and this is one of these days and at the same time and they will go through like you know like basic drills and you know walking in the left right and you know all this Rank and all the basic drills and morning routine everything is starting slowly and at the same time uh the you know like all the instructor from the catrick then they will start looking at you more closely you know your character and you know what what is is like teamwork discipline all this stuff and um I think then they will go more sort of in detail um written how it is English you know what is his background is it related to the G kind of document po thoroughly check I think it's uh goes maybe two and a half month okay so yeah they're having a good look at you now they're pretty much very very good looking and we got a bsh officer involvement and I know like we have obviously in the pocra we have the COO full colel and a couple of major and qm pretty much all poer into the kind of military way and they will often come and start teaching and speaking with you and just try to find out the true character character yeah and once you pass all the you know like uh physical uh obviously uh written and just some of the basic field craft and then you have proper discipline and it's come the final final days whoever lasts after 2 and a half month standing there if you can't then you just start thinning out you know the okay so just enough yeah or or you fail basically if you are not top three you fail you just pack your back and gone and and eventually that going and going and after maybe in uh in my time I think maybe maybe about 800 to 900 are past everything you know like physical mental and in resilience character but we just had a space of you know like 180 and this is the very you stand up and then I think it's the maybe thoughts of luck you know I remember remember the hour uh I have a colonel JP cross uh by then still remember like 30 years ago he's like God you know like come to and he just Tau you and if he Tau you either we don't know yet either you pass or fail he just he just literally come I don't know they must have some record and who they sometime you just look at this Lord does he like him or not and then like and then after all you know like he goes through Rank by Rank and then and then he the one of the S major will say like all the person who touchs step back and then didn't step forward and then like okay forward step forward guys will go this side and then you know like who guys step backwards go this side we don't even know what the hell is going on and it's like okay this team come here and then they will tell oh you now pass oh wow okay so it's brutal yes absolutely BR there is no you know no question asked so once you passed at this stage where did you go then you go do your basic training proper then yeah so then once you pass and then then we the hold still there but then they we you know we uh we go to the pop training that you know like hair cutting saving and and pop drill for start what the Gast they done is because of the we we still done even even for me I didn't have an academic education in hardly speaking English then they start uh start teaching the basic English you know like ABCD to the my name and all this stuff and then that in the morning you know wake up P you know 1 hour 2our running and they start pop going through the drills and history behind the G start looking at the movie you know first all second allers and start you know like going through the basic and also education of the what is you know Great Britain what is England where we going to go and this will be your culture and you know like start maybe maybe maybe 3 month we will be will be there and did you did you have a did you enjoy that time oh loved it see you know boy from Nepal uh pretty much uh born there and you know grown up in the mountain not knowing nothing and every boy Dream from Nepal is to join the big girl because Bast you know there is no what if there not you know it's like uh first of all you got the you know Pride as a man and if you look at even myself my grand Granddad was Gera my granddad was second I know lost in second world gas my father faed the gka and before I even born my parents have a dream me joining the gka you know you can see how much immense immense pride and honor sure I'm sure honor and you know as a young boy you are 17 18 years old go boy walking in the in a mountain if you are a British girl all the girls love you that's the magnet that's the magnet G that's he's the guy you know it's like a story it's like you know like bzw word of that whole area and I still remember from my uh my you know let's say we got a small you know like mountain range and whole mountain range of where I came from is maybe handful of uh uh obviously my uncle was G my father failed and then there's one guy after me so it's actually national news almost like for our in our area it's like oh Chris is going to the G yeah so yeah it is dream and desire a boy can ever dream in that age and time you know I think it's the great honor and privilege yeah W so when was the first time you left Nepal that's the first time you leave that's it you done now where did you go what was your first thought like where did you go on your first post so yeah uh we were the obviously you know like uh uh before us uh all the gas used to direct in Hong Kong yeah and we were the like one first almost I think second team uh because obviously Hong Kong was closed down in 1997 so we were like first lot uh coming to the UK and uh CH kram okay yeah that was our first uh uh obviously flying in landing in the hitro and just you know imagine and dreaming you know first time seeing the plane first time seeing the bus first time seeing the electricity you know everything is like almost like shock you know your culture cultural shock and uh you know like everything your body what is you you don't know nothing you know just come like what is this looks like to be London that must be really crazy feeling yeah it's really you know almost like overwhelmed yeah uh but at the same time you know I think um life take us to the curve is it sometime and we we have to accept yeah and we have to just learn and crawl and first thing when I seeing the all electricity flying over the London it's like wow is this real is this dream or just me and you land and it's like it's real you know it's happening and yeah that's why land and went to the CH kram and near but Al that's where my um uh dream and life of service began okay so early days in the forces what what sort of stuff were you doing um yeah joining the uh first Royal G rifle infantry um um we have 9 month obviously you know training there from there I um obviously in within the gas we have uh got the engineers signal G signal safe and the gka ban and Gorka obviously Infantry Ro gir rifles and and there Airborne gers Airborne gers um yeah they we still part of it actually yeah I would choose initially actually I choose the band Brigade of ban and but you know my DS came in and kick me my ass and like it's like what the hell Chris do you know where you going oh you know like with due respect and then that's like oh cuz I'm from Village we grown up with dancing and you know cultural way of and I thought I can play the flute I can play the what we call the model and I going to go on B and do you know one what the actually Brigade of band they played no it's like oh why the hell you choose I thought oh I like I like that you know I'm I'm I'm dancing I used to be very romantic guy and it's like you now I will he give me the Lo 20 press up I oh and did the 20 press now go and change to the in infantry okay cuz obviously he knows you know what's kind of you know like as as a young recruit he must have seen me you know his CHR you are kind of I used to you know like same thing gpmg and LSW and still run around and then he must oh you going to the Infantry like oh okay and going change change to the um infantry Royal G rifles and I think it's the best everything I happened and I went to one R which was in brunai okay and by then you know like and we draft there straight after and so in buai and then you know like early days I end up doing call out enemy for the selection yeah by then still still don't have clue though you know what we've been just kind of as a young Trooper you just go into the Stag and then walk into the for yeah so meanwhile everyone selection wrecking watching you and all sorts of stuff yeah so yeah I end up doing that three years okay yeah in buai and during that time then I was very you know fortunate I did the you know like you say G Airborne uh with the two Paras you know like jumping and all this stuff uh and did couple of you know good courses and Junior Breen and by then within the 3 four months how how did you find Junior Breen oh for for me was very challenging I think it's the first ever uh time exposed to the you know like walking with the wider Bri armed forces and and also there's there a fair amount of WR reading and writing to be done as well is a lot I think two especially for me was uh personally I found very challenging but at the same time you know because when I came and start doing the recruit and I realized I need to uh basically start R learning English softly and start writing and that's what I straight away I like work on so you know like one of the thing even every um you know like normal leave when I used to go to Nepal and uh you know like three three three weeks leave then I was still go to the English language yeah I didn't spend like as as holiday fly to Nepal still go to the you know English class and start learning because I realized gosh I need to start learning and I never dream I'll be good at it though but the my dream was oh I maybe picked up Lance Jack before I retired you know like that's kind of when I was recruit and but I still had to work hard so start learning uh watching call or television you know like religiously watching television not anything just to learn things pick up the the language to hear and listen CU listening you know when I when I learned Spanish I I found it very hard to listen in another language so you know to have to work in that language must have been extremely tough so I used to open the English dictionary and then open to the nepales and then just try to understand like you know like oh nepales and sometime uru and then they and English because just try to make sense what's that mean and try to understand it's going through that for years you know like and then after 3 years went to the junior break on that was quite tough um but I think it was you know like like like everything in life uh I truly believe hard work you know hard work is a God and you know if you walk day days in days out and you start learning and keep going it you know wherever you go you became religious with it and uh that I think that's what makes me um struggle quite a lot in you know like Junior break but somehow I managed to pass it and and when I then um G finished the junior Breon and obviously became LJ after that and then I was very uh fortunate and we had the uh one of the uh OC who I now realize he failed the selection obviously by then I have no idea and then um maybe maybe my 5 years point and I just came back from Junior Bon and he called me in office it's like oh Chris coming in office I was like what I have done you know I was like I feel like you know one of those feeling I was LJ just finished the junior break and I'm like Tip Top you know like and I was like and I'm going through like you know proper way and marching and saluting and like oh sir whatever he's like no no Chris relax you know he's just relax and it's like he like oh did you hear about the SS like of course everyone here they have SAS but how do you how much do you know about SS like not really you know we we genuinely think because by then especially in the Infantry you know infantry none of us were on the on on the regimen yeah and he said like oh uh I just came back from the selection I think we realize there is no one from the Infantry because over the 100 200 years in the selection and we were thinking about maybe we're going to send the first trial B from the you know like G Royal G rifles and then that's where you are here I so like oh and then he said like oh if you don't know you don't don't worry about anything and all you have to do is just scam you just SC back from the uh break and beacons just go there and start carrying the backpack and start running I said like oh I just came back from there I think I can do that he like can you drive no I can't drive nothing and it's like okay we're going to send the first uh uh so all the reg they put together and then they um slick the 30 30 of the you know like guys from regimen one hour here and two and it's like oh we're going to send them let's give let's them give one month yeah so they gave me the one month off they will you know like hire the four tuner so 30 of us sitting in the four tuner like drop you in the break and beacons and then just off we go we'll see you in one month time so yeah that's how my uh pretty much uh uh very you know like five years with the girl because and uh from that point I picked up uh you know like kind of told almost told to go and do the selection yeah and without kind of understanding in a way uh but you know it's that's what life is I guess and you just uh do as your commander told you to do I guess yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so you you you you pict up on selection proper y um down to Sunny bridge on the Hills yeah how did you find the hills you you could you're fairly fit guy I'm assuming you were you were pretty fit yeah I think um I think what I realized is um uh maybe I was fit enough but maybe didn't have any understanding and very naive uh you know like just Commander My OC going do the selection not I actually I didn't know nothing about you know like selection not a day one what the hell we going to expect and um we did have one uh you know G from Engineers but we didn't have any connection yeah so we were just we bunch of us 30 of us try to figure out what the hell is going on we have no you know like uh reputation of speaking and connection what is actually the you know like looks like and we just turn up and first you know like first they turn up on the S and un Know Field and then they were like oh 4:00 a.m. with the you know like barg has t of like what we going to do and then they like okay go and jump in the for turn and then you just run you know like Mile and it's like that's it and actually I start I only know when the DS said me oh this is what we're going to do today that's as far as I knew anything so you literally everything you just just what's next right what's next I'll do that yeah and I still remember you know like turning up uh when I did the selection like I think there they said 375 guys turn up yes was full and then I look up and everyone is like you know like Paras and Marine and all you know like all the people and big and giant and ripped I used to sitting on the side of the you know just looking up there much like what the hell I'm doing here am I am I good enough I try to feed in and yeah but you know like you we you know we all do I guess just told just do as you told and uh just be be be be there at right time and with the right attitude and right dress I guess yeah yeah just I always say it's monkey see monkey do monkey doesn't do monkey goes home the simple thing is you got you got through the hills and you get to the trees how did you find the the the jungle cuz you spent a bit of time in the jungle brunai so that's no sort of like you must have found that a little bit sort like you knew what to expect yeah you know what actually very uh intriguing I found because I I found the heel was I thought he will be um um lot lot harder I find okay but I think I I initially think I was from brunai I've been there and I thought jungle would be easier oh man I I I struggle quite a lot uh but I I have a huge respect um you know the my DS was John from dadon yeah and then he is you know like sometime he was my saving and even though we lost him and uh he's always you know one of those great person never not he's like I end up like oh Chris yeah commun with in my you know section and he you know like kind me you guide me through and um I've been very honor and privileged to work under him on the selection you know like I think we all do but I had a really great DS and they look after me very well and I've been very honor and then yeah and then but the heart still has to do the hearts you know you still had to do go through the thing you still got you still got to do it you still got to do on your own some as well yeah but I find very hard feel if I honest with you you know I being there jungle and but it it take you in isn't it because you're walking with all the gear and sweating and it's like it's not easy the things I found the hardest with like the report writing you know putting the gloves all under the trying to write reports and hand these perfect pieces of it's going Fu I couldn't do this in a classroom yeah yeah absolutely oh are you you speaking with me then you know I was really really struggling by the in terms things I can't imagine you know then having to do it on top of it with a bit of a language barrier still happening and all that yeah that was very hard for me you know one of the what I like I said I actually shocked you know I thought like I'm from g i i i was here I did the enemy for the selection before I will be all over but when I turn up actually you know it's it suck me oh my God it's hard yeah and then the the the selection the first day was uh Johan told us on the S like we were like I think uh 13 of us on the selection and the first briefing was uh you will we will just have a six so until the six of us go down so we just keep tabbing and we you know like long tabbing and then we look down no one goes down I am the one going down oh mental stress and the pressure and all this thing but yeah I think it's still still caught off and like you say you know I find very especially at writing and repo writing and on going through the going through the toilets isn't it being a Sentry yeah yes it's all that all that the standing too the work K the dve this everything wants you're dead in the jungle yeah yeah it's great yeah so did you you got through the jungle first time okay yeah okay yeah and then on obviously on to the rest of the selection uh had you parachuted at this stage before you so did you done any jumps in that no I did I did had the you know the basic company with before with the gas with the two Paras um but the uh yeah uh to be honest I think after that um before the jumping I think we did the op and inod driving the city that's yeah oh my god I didn't even know how the hell I pass I have no idea I couldn't drive first thing I had no Li license Anyway by then and and radio you know the on the op yeah it's you know that 317 black thing and they gave me oh you radio operator I like oh my god I didn't even know what is this thing you know oh my God and it was uh it was you know carve you know like my life was like yeah you know hit it kept going up keep going up and I like when this going to end and it's constant learning constant learning and constant learning but I think we just I know you know work hard isn't it learning when everyone sleeping you you know like you open the notebook and how to turn off how to turn on you know like and always have a good friends you know and the couple of really good guys you know that's that's how you know we we we think we do ourself but actually you know it's just the people surrounding us and you know like comrades and I think those play the vital roles you get through S what what Squadron did you go to uh I went to the a squadron okay what year was this uh 04 oh okay okay so the Squadron already at War then really isn't it it's already it's already out out yeah so yeah uh uh aoron one troop okay what was your first tour did you did you almost hit the ground straight away or did you yeah pretty much straight on uh pretty much straight on uh as I went to the um troop and they were I think on the you know like overseas sleeve couple of month before we deploy so yeah that's my straight on onto the um Afghan okay afan was your first trip yeah how how did you find that uh that was uh yeah I think mind-blowing for me you know especially being a girl because and I was you know like uh just um uh fourman team fourman team uh because of because of the language uru and bit of a you know like our Lang background so I was going as a tarp walking with the fourman team and uh yeah again you know life it's just learning C and yeah very learn quite a lot uh uh yeah we establish the you know like the uh Triple Two so that that was that was that was a mission so you were were they busy busy tours were they oh yes that was very busy I think um if I remember I think we end up staying there maybe 9 months 9 months yeah cuz we you know you know like cuz it's the we were there from normally you know I think March April and then supposed to finish before the Christmas is like tour but some somehow we end up going up and because of we doing the selection uh for for the local and then because of their you know like Ramadan and Eve everything take and like oh we have to finish this you know one of the guys are like oh we better finish this one and done and everything when the guys come in they will have fresh start so yeah so what what were your main sort of taskings on that what what what was the main bulk of your work that you were that was a first establish the first kind of ANF you know like SF and then the and and then walking with them on the ground Naros okay yeah so that was our kind of a men the the the Afghan National forces or whatever they called how were they how how how receptive were they were they were they good were they yeah I think you know what I think like all the locals what I find really interesting was because I I know I often spend you know in in their you know roties and then in the I go there and um they are they are pretty sensitive you know what they and then you know like everyone every everywhere in the world you know I think if we little bit open up ourself and then you know like give it give it away ourself then they will give back that's that's the one thing I learned uh slowly uh we became very good and the U end of you know end of uh you know obviously you know like going on the ground and walking with them in talking with them it was um uh one of the thing also what helped me is because the uh because nepales and India and then you know like the culture and language are you know like it's like 5050 you know like 50% language you can understand understand more and then I could understand what's going on you know in the undercurrent and we I could go like you know how is everything and start communicating and eating with them and that that definitely helped call lot okay yeah yeah CU it's the terrain as well is is very similar very very hilly Terra hilly yeah what parts of Afghanistan did did you work in uh it was down in the south south in the Border yeah yeah yeah that's that's Mountain down there yeah pretty mountain and I think it's um pretty snowing on the winter as well yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah difficult play so you do that tour how many how many tours did you do all told I think I recall maybe I must have done I think maybe seven seven or eight tour okay yeah so um um were they all working with the Afghan Nationals or did you do some no I think yeah so I did uh four four or five to in Afghan and two in Iraq and then other are like you know like just a team taxs yeah and there everywhere basically what was your what was your favorite tour have you got a tour that stands out from the others you got a tour that you go that was the one that [Music] really uh yeah I think maybe one of the my best I you know I you know so it's like always have good or bad but maybe Iraq j7 okay that was cl post night that that's the one of my you know like busy yeah but as as as as as we dream to be more sort of you know our way I think that's probably one of the great time and uh out with the guys and Matt Matt is you know was walking with him close together yeah it's they were they were connetic tours they busy full on full Bunchy tours yeah Bunchy tour at the same time I think La qu a lot with with life I think you know as a journey of life to how your spiritualism because you are a very spiritual guy aren't you spiritual sorry guy how did that fit in with what you were doing did you did you have time to S appreciate yeah you know what this is exactly where it start beginning you know it's s uh so basically um uh I think in in especially in this tour end up losing quite good friend you know like um a really really close friend and the one of the job we were doing this is where started was the um um land on the target uh with um we did the jump you know like night jump and land it on and having the mission and obviously we we kind of achieve you know like whatever the mission was the the sad thing or sad or good or bad thing was like still you know like blade flying around during that period and uh maybe on go maybe about 13 or 14 came and hold my hand and uh and start crying you know start crying and it's like you know it's one of those moment and then I start crying as well then I start realization came actually whatever we do in our life with the mission with the job the country whole our family and friends and then we are there all the good purpose and Mission but life and death actually had we didn't have control over even my life or some anyone life that's all with someone above or someone decide you know like life yeah I suppose you'd call it fate yeah yeah you can't control fate controls you yeah and then you know what I just like I start crying I like I can't cry you know I'm the guy with the full in night time with you know like all the gadget right and then I kind of let oh we're here you know because um your dad was in you know like influencing here and supplying the weapon and we just want to make you look after your your in locals and look after International and also make sure the community stay the way you know like good for the country and people and then then that happened and then when I you know like as we do and know come back and all the heat goes down and start doing that that tou me call and that actually then obviously I still you know like active and you know like that's act early stage of my career with the regimen and and but that helped me because uh then that helped me to after years and years goes and um uh it took me to the my childhood you know it took me to quite dark dark areas you dark dark places in our life and then that when I found out I think um um we we are even though we we all have a good intention and we have a good vision and we are doing work and we everyone has to sacrifice their life time and commitment we do for our sake of our love our country of the people and friend and comrades who gave the life for us and then still you know I think there is always point we realize and that where took me that incident took me you know like quite a place and then then took me to my childhood as a grown up as a monk you know like um doing the ritual and traditional understanding of life and actually finding the Journey of life and then then then I start you know I'm still focused with the good intention and you know like with the service as a life uh whatever we do for ourselves and for the country and the friends but as again it's important to deal within us you know when something happen then we still on our own and when that come I think it's uh if we have got a deeper understanding ourself and a deeper understanding of who we are uh one of the thing what I really realize is you know when we actually pulling the tiger you know pulling the Tiger but actually before the bullet go forward the Tiger has to go back yeah isn't it and then that's where when the tiger is back that's where we can focus yeah that's where we hold our breathe and that's where we am is very clear and we hit the target but I think in our life I think we we don't really we tend to run around and go to but neighbor pose and they will try to yeah your life lesson from that is you should step back in order to move forward prop yes yes that's what really you were drawing so much spiritual I think combat because everything's on so much of an extra Edge yeah it's life times 10 isn't it it's also death times 10 yes 100% and because it's like that you know it's like someone who jumps out of a plane to experience life yeah they've taken themselves as close to death as they possibly can I he I hear that said and combat does exactly that doesn't it 100% agreed Phil I think you know what actually uh in my personal experience and uh you know like very fortunate grown up with the Monk and understanding is that the I think all my friend with highest respect guys actually gone die for me the bsh S guy gone through the door and he took me back you know I can't ask any friends in the world who does that no you know uh regardless of color at the background it's only the bsh S you know these are the story people don't know I think I really close to my heart but I think at the same time I think what uh what I found was all the you know like tip of a b Iceberg or the you know like successful guys in their business or in the relationship or the like our guys who pass the selection serve death after death after death giving up everything not for them for the people for the friends for the country and for the family you know they hold I think this is where the lot of us even the family and the country don't recognize that and for that is I found especially you know like in our you know in our environment colleagues are so sensitive you know they are almost they are so religious but not you know like I'm not talking about the Christianity they tuned they understand they are so understanding the life you know you you know feel when I go and walk any of the you know like situation I don't have to say anything you know yeah guys will just turn around and cover our back without saying anything you you'll never learn how to study your ship if you don't go into a choppy SE absolutely that's the way it is isn't yeah and then but you know pH not many people have that ability they found out only 20% population in the whole world have that intuition have that understanding and then that is actually you know if you look at the they call spirituality they call religious they call sensitive you know they call you know like awareness you know this is what and I think our friend and guys who pass the selection have that ability you know but some sometimes we don't we we have that ability but we don't recognize it doesn't manifest as you know I'm not professing to be a pracher but I'm learning stuff that you know somebody of spirit of a spir spiritual background will understand and strive to yeah yeah absolutely I think then that's what actually became sometime hinders because we have that ability but we don't know how is that happened we have that I'm 100% believer all the guys who passed that selection is the 0.1% of the you know like their intuition their sensitivity so uh you know like over active than the normal people if you let if you take the 100 people and go inside the door they didn't have a clue what's going on but if you take take the one regiment guy they will go like they know exactly what's going on you know it's maybe don't know how how is that happened but that's that's what I find really really interesting and then and yeah and then the story is like then again you know uh incident happened few times like that and it's been you know it's been life-changing experience and I still feel like I'm I'm living this life for the sbes who gave their life for for for us and for me and I'm still alive and breathing because they gave their life yeah no 100% no I get that so outside of combat in the regiment you did quite a lot of mountaineering as well didn't you because you were we were a mountain Trooper weren't you yeah yeah so you led what was your first time up to to to lead an expedition up into the Himalayas with the with with the army yeah so that was in cam in 2011 so uh was just about to over the you know Mountain chip uh and in in the rimen and uh there's I didn't know uh the gerka they wanted to do the uh 200 years they found out none of the Gir has submitted Everest until 200 years okay and then one of the girk officer and had idea oh what we done we send the gas on the aest because in Nepal no one actually climbed funnily enough none of the gers know how to climb and they were struggling to find the instructor and then somehow I think must be the our co co has the letter come oh is there anything any of your guys can help us go us going on the Everest and the co came to and like oh Chris at which regiment you are I'm gas oh do you know that gas tried to find the instructor and to lead the gka um anniversary 200 years of service and I said like and and then oh and then I was happen to be the you know like hbf you know like military Mountain guy just call and then the there like I think you are instructor and then it may be you know it maybe if you wanted I say like oh you are the boss you know you are the boss of you know mine if you're happy I'm I'll be my honor you know I by then I was maybe I think 12 years service with the regimen if you're happy I'll go and happily lead the gas and he you know like that's really good I like the regimen so much and they like like okay Chris that's you go and just lead and give give us a time how much you need and then wow okay so they they give they G me time off so yeah I did the had a great opportunity and uh I basically trained from 300 gers to the 18 of them did the whole you know like Bas selection process to and on the back of that then I end up taking the actually Five Guys three um three from Harry for and two from the pool on that was NS as well so I you know kind of bring him and start show them how to climb and we bluffed it all the SF all the SF guys were instructor but they didn't even know how to you know like all these things but if the Army just like oh har guys are instructing you they would go and just climb they don't need to do anything yeah it's story yeah that's how I started my uh climbing and 2000 we were the first uh 2015 obviously we were in Camp one when the earthquake happened and yeah and my uh we had two team my team was in the caman and earthquake and we came down almost rescue I think maybe I don't know maybe about 15 dead body you know like in the base camp so actually Expedition collaps and came down and we win re attack on 2017 and we have still hold the Guinness World Record so 13 service member submitted is the biggest ever group as one in one of us group so we submitted that and once we submitted that then then you know it's it's life and then uh after I came back and um there's a couple of guys from regimen like oh we should go and do the like you know the mountain Trooper going and do the K2 then yeah you've done K2 yeah done the K2 and another done another 8,000 M uh dollari and uh which would you say is the hardest would you say K2 is the hardest I mean you hear a lot of people say I've not done either so you know you know I think it's the it's so many challenge itself uh technically technically climbing K2 is harder uh but put it in perspective so aest you need actually maybe about uh base cam cam One cam two Sumit about 3 to 4 days okay but the uh K2 you can do within 2 days like it's just the that's in terms of distance a lot shorter but technically K is lot more you know like you going to couple of overhang and well proper clim not a [Laughter] track yeah so you've did it with that um what's name of the guy with no legs I always forget his name oh Harry Harry yeah that was that must have been something yeah that was uh self challenge you know very very uh moving challenge I guess um yeah he obviously lost his leg in Afghan uh Eric heric 10 or I think ER 10 or 12 um yeah when I because when I was when part of when I was leading the you know this G A Expedition and obviously he found out he was obviously completely man down for a couple of year going dark dark and and uh uh he met up on we catch up on of the event and he asked me oh Chris I heard about you you know all this thing you have and do you think uh I can have a can I give it a go and I look at him he's struggling to get out from bed and this boy have a dream to climb the Everest but you know in life and I said oh we can try you know give a hope let's give it a try and um it took almost like 6 years you know like coming out and you start doing you know like like basic thing and um um you know just take him to the penin couple of time and 1 hour you know 2 hour walking and coming and adjusting all this thing cuz this never has done anything before and and slowly slowly again built up doing couple of trip in Himalayas Nepal you know 4,000 M came back 6,000 m met came back and we we you know like all the politics that um nepales government wants to ban and you know blind and any disabl and it's just you know like politics and they in in maybe in in the in their government terms they may be right they don't want to take any extra risks no they don't want yeah they don't want to any more bodies on the they basically that's what they're saying is yeah and I think at the same time you know like um then how can we take a calculative risk is how what are the you know is uh what are the risks we taking and how can we you know overcome and what are the requirement and pre prerequisite training we have done and actually um har has done a ra you know like 4,000 M 5,000 m 6,000 M 7,000 M all the step we supposed to prepare pretty much all prepar um yeah I think we were very fortunate but the um one of the hardest things thing uh what I realize is the um first thing is uh being EMP is obviously time you know it's like uh from the death zone just give you the roughly idea from uh Death Zone above the 8,000 M it's called a death zone because of the oxygen not enough to being alive you are basically dying so they call about maybe maximum 10 to 12 hours you can you know survive and go up and down and normal let's say nor normally 12 to 14 hours from Campo you go submit and come back but uh it took him about 25 hours okay so he's in that he's in that zone for a lot longer longer a lot of exposure and as as Expedition leader and you know like all the rcks everything the weather changes so quickly up there as well it so you're also exposing yourself to the get that window 25 hour window must be an achievement on its own that is the yeah I think that was a lot of challenge and I think and the other challenge what I found is the human factor you know human management and you know like we had Harry the double EMP then we had the you know like uh 12 men team supporting him then how is the people feeling you how they you know how is their condition and and how is the weather and how is everyone doing how The Avalanches oh my God that's constantly but again I think you know like we do that's the one thing I learn from regimen you know discipline and just be honest and uh yeah I think Honesty is a big thing especially on those mountains you know if you can't if you can't be honest with yourself you're going to get yourself in trouble aren't you yeah you know just try to be you know get up and you know just try to judge you know like not the who they are but how what is the circumstance what is the situation I can't make a mistake because you know one of the situation you you just make one call then it's like like life or death isn't it constantly you go like oh are they going to come back or not and then what the weather going to change or not you know it's constantly pray you know constantly hope for the best and you know one of those you know that's where the lot of um you know self-awareness and actually understanding ourself deeper understanding help call lot you know constant and you know this year was one of the deadliest season it's more than 20 people death and aest lot of yeah a lot and also the day Harry submitted that's a full dead body like imagine these are all evb young kids you know but then you know I think Harry being like almost taking times three longer on the exposure Zone and you know sometime I think it's one of the Mir Miracle happen and having said that we did have a really good team and you know we had a really really like military mindset you know we had actually I had plan right first team goes if they the team what I early stage what I found out is once to expose actually Harry he's slow but he's working hard is he's walking like 10 men but the guys who are supporting seras and guides are slow they are the one suffering because they're exposing longer and they are not working hard yeah and then once I recognize that then what I plan plan was the guys will Walking as much as they can and if they can't then we they come back and have a tent hot food and in the sleeping bag then we had send another team in Rel in place relay yeah Rel so um I think that's the that's a secret you know that's a secret and obviously there's a lot of other you know like um you know subjective and objective danger is always there but uh I think we did have nailed it on the Base Cam Max your all the saers all all the you know um guides are trained not only day but night you know in the base camp I want the headlights on I wanted to feel headlights off you know go through upselling go through down how can you all this basic thing I think we nailed it and then then when you come to the you know actually Summit piece then we are like okay guys now he's suffering the you know the guy who suffering is the guide so you go and relief him he come down have a two you know like two hours keeping a sleeping back and you go and replace him in all this basic stuff which is uh definitely played a huge role you know smaller thing but it's consequence what we what we get out I think that's what that's how we achieve that moment when when he when AR gets to the top what was that like that must have been that must have been some emotional moment that yeah that was very very emotional but you know what Phil we didn't even know you know because the the the they did call we had the tri phone and they call and that's we on the in the on the radio couldn't hear anything like apart from wind like oh what the hell you know we just like oh we just he oxygen oxygen and then like not submit but later on when we came down talk they was like oh we are summitted but we here not summited was like oh you know just like what you know like and hope for the best and we send the guys to you know like uh take him down all the good and later on we found submited as like oh and then in all this media and all things like we said like oh should we shout out now or should we keep it you know just kind of keep the campaign going all this media straty yeah but it's the great uh sometime you know we uh achieve and we've been given you know like the situation or the gift by the by the by the friends or the by the universe or by the whatever it is it's gift we don't deserve sometime you know I think we've been given sometime more than who we are uh I think I I I look at that way in life in so many ways you know um never thought you know I will be aching I'm like you know you know I will be here you know I will be here sitting with you and talking this stuff and you know if I look my background and thing you know there's it's just like Yeah from that that young lad yeah in the mountains he''s not even seen electricity and now you are you know you you've had some you've done some great your achievements have been absolutely phenomenal yeah yeah I think you know one of those way you know like and you know appreciated you know uh the words the bsh Gman had gave us an opportunity and to serve and to service and you know like do and learn and like we said life is curving and start stick on discipline and you know that as long as I think we we will have suffer and we will complain when there's Duality within us is like I wasn't sure about what is this and then what we if don't ask anything you know what if some your instructor your father your teacher say oh you turn up 8:00 you turn up you know and then if someone say you you go and do thing you just go and do your thing there's no I think then you know like then life will be lot more easier I think that's probably what helped me who I am and and and also you know like I had a great uh you know uh uh comrades great great commanders and great friends my staff is all the staff in Harry for being fantastic and it's like my father figur and my mentor and you know without asking without you know um you know inquiring anything you know just you know just be there and be great to be there and I think that that's what L me um realize and be gratitude isn't it be happy and be just you know present and what we have and appre it so what are what are your plans now for the future what very quickly now what what are your plans for the future what the future yeah I'm still working quite a lot injured veteran I think you can see working with the you know like Pilgrim band hope hope I'd love to do some stuff know he should he should come I think is you know one of those guys or Matt I we saw together and I told him every time oh help you help me on the in the during the service now he helped me during the you know like civilian War as well phen is yeah helping and not also working call a lot other you know like Parkinson and um I don't know feel as some reason I found and all the like differently able personal attractive to me and I got constantly dming like oh weard about you can you help us and then yeah working with the and send us another seven Summit project with another double MPD walking with the another Parkinson and I think for me my vision is now to share I think share and uh to whatever I learn in my life through the let's say you know like uh Eastern philosophy with the grown up with the monk or the Buddhist or Hindus and then coming here regimen show me the way who I am and help me achieve in my life with discipline and dedication and lot of uh death the situation I think one of the thing I learned is every situation either we became wiser and you know stand up dust off and keep moving or we became wounded with emotional and psychological but I think we only can reflect as our journey in our life and and to uh you know like and to share and then to you know help if we can help and and also get help you know if we need if we are something we need to stand up there like oh guys I'm this one and you know I'm very honored and feel I think doing this kind of platform for the guys like us you know had no no kind of kind of media and thing but still had opportunity to to tell the story you know to come up for some people because for some people they're never going to be able to be in a position where they're going to get to do some of the stuff that you've been privileged to do and that I've been privileged to do yeah and by talking about it and by passing on those experiences it does actually genuinely help some people you know and there's a lot of lessons to be learned that can be employed even if it's not kicking a door in Afghanistan or you know running through a village in Iraq or somewhere do you know what I mean there's a lot of stuff that could be learned just by you know just by listening to you you I'm saying absolutely feel I think you are 100% right you know because the lot of especially what I found to our Young Generation the young kids are they are kind of almost like uh you know like directionless and there is no s of inspiring story to look up there's no Role Models mod anymore they need to be they need to see people yeah I think they need to people like you know like whatever we achieve I think that that need to be hard and we need to be Shar our story otherwise I I feel like you know in our life I think we tend to be hold back qu a lot but it's okay but I think when it comes to time I think it's only useful whatever we go to your life unless maybe some other young people can learn to see and hear and oh this is how it can be done it can be learned otherwise it's like you've taken all those experiences sld them and run away run away and you want to help other people out with you know that's why I got involved you know Cadets that sort stuff you know that's why you do what you do you know with the people that you're helping and it's it's it's huge yeah listen we're running out of time in here it's been phenomenal talking to you please become a friend of the show and we'll we'll we'll follow your activities and hopefully you know maybe one day I'll see you at a base camp or something like that love to do that thanks so much for coming in so much thank you thank you

Channel: Force Radio

Views: 182,349

Keywords: force radio, forceradio, force radio hq, krishna thapa, sas, special forces, uksf, ukaf, big phil campion, phil campion, military podcast, veteran podcast, veteran, 22 sas, ex-sas, hari budha magar, everest, mountain troop, mountaineering, adventure training, mount everest

Id: 3WldQxq7XX0

Length: 65min 31sec (3931 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 01 2023