Shisha Pangma Auido Dispatch: At Camp 1
Alan describes being at Camp 1. To hear this Shisha Pangma 2007 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains…. Climb On! Alan
Glacier Soldiers
The Ravens glided over ABC using the updrafts like the experts they are. Soon there were ten or more staring down as the Sherpas spread four strings of prayer flags in each direction from the central alter. It is said that Ravens are good luck at a Puja. One by one each team member arrived as did the cooks, yak herders and any one else associated with our expedition. Pujas are always special to me. It signals the transition from high altitude trekking and camping to high altitude mountaineering. We are not allowed on a big mountain without a Puja – a rule dictated by the Sherpas. It also brings home to me the significance of climbing the big Hills. They are not just a geological wonders but a living and integral part of the local people. We are guests in their home. This Puja was slightly different in that we placed our ice axes and crampons next to the alter. The sharp points were covered with yak butter. This was to ask forgiveness from the mountain for the holes they would cause. Dawa and another Sherpa lead the ceremony by chanting Buddhists prayers from centuries old prayer books. We sat quietly around them, crossed legged, doctor sipping milk tea. Before the prayers began, each of us were given a silk scarf, a katja, and a small handful of rice. We placed the rice in the center of the kajta and tied a small knot around it to hold in place. Then we faced the alter or the mountain and lifted the rice to our heart and then to our forehead. There were no instructions beyond this simple physical act but each person from Westerner to Tibetan to Nepalese used the moment to go deep within. As I lifted my scarf to my heart, I looked up at Shisha Pangma. I left my mind go free. I felt the emotions well up as I moved it to my head. It was clear why I was here. Soon the Puja took a quick turn and as is the custom whiskey and beer were passed around by Dawa. One by one we took a capful of the local swill – just enough to keep you warm since the winds had picked up and snow had started to fall. Some members took off an hour later to carry a load to what is called the Depot Camp at 19,200’. It is located just off the glacier and serves as a cache for our high mountain gear. I choose to stay at ABC and reflect on the day. However today just after breakfast, I left along with six of my teammates. I had loaded my pack with all my high altitude clothes, food and sleeping bag. For whatever reason, I felt strong today and soon went at my own pace and left my teammates behind. I am not the fastest on our team but felt good today. The route was marked with the occasional cairn and bamboo wand with a red flag. It meandered around the glacier rock and scree filled hillsides. Shisha and her neighbors were always on my left. The lower part of the glacier was filled with ice structures called pentanentes. As gravity, sun and erosion work on the glacier they create stand alone towering giants. They seemed almost like soldiers marching in formation. To me, as I climbed higher they soon became friends who kept me company. As I got higher they got taller but their fate was sealed. It was mostly silent as I walked. But occasionally a loud womp sound came from the soldiers as they moved a slight bit forward. I paused to looked at them. I thought about how fast they were melting. I told them on behalf of all humans, we were sorry for what we were doing to their climate. They responded with an icy stare. Several rushing streams awkwardly fell down the hillside as if to frantically try to help the glacier. I carefully crossed a ten foot stream hoping from slick rock to rock. Soon the camp came into view. It is really nothing more than a few tents pitched on rocks on a sloping hillside. This will be home tomorrow So all is well here. The team is experiencing the normal health issues but nothing serious. It is snowing most nights and partly cloudy during the day. It is 45F right now in my tent as I type this. My health continues to be good. From the Depot Camp, I could see the route to Camp 1 at 21,000’ It looked straight forward – whatever that means! We leave the comforts for ABC and our heated dining tent, one person tents and great food to 3 in a tent, cooking our own food and carrying heavy loads. I will be using a PDA and a sat phone to send dispatches from the high camps so they will be slightly shorter with fewer pictures. Hang on, it is about to get interesting! Please remember: Memories are Everything Climb On! Alan
Advanced Base Camp
The snow gently fell on my tent as I quickly crawled in after dinner. Off with the down jacket, then the fleece jacket and next the polypro top. On with the clean soft wool top. Now, off with the down pants and the trekking pants and the dusty trekking socks. On with my cherished merino wool socks I bought in New Zealand a decade ago. They are only worn on expeditions inside my sleeping bag. Now for my wool cap to keep me warm and into my down bag. Ah. In spite of the rocks under my tent, it felt good to lie down. Except for the pungent odor that reminded me a room at Old Grandmother’s. We had made the 10 mile trek from BC to ABC in good order. About 5 hours for me and a gain of 2,000 feet. It was like moving from a well groomed park to a rock garden. Boulders the size of cars adorned the landscape and the yellow and green tents stood out like unnatural features against the hillside. But there she was. Our goal. The clouds were swift in their mission to block a complete view but kind enough to allow a teasing shot at Camp 1 a thousand feet about us on a narrow ridge. The glacier came down as glaciers do – confident and unassuming. It covered the valley it had created and ended next to our camp site. The sounds of calving kept us company throughout the night. The lake is not that pretty. A kind of murky brown. The lake cannot help it; the glacier deposits the dirt of eons into the water. As the snow fell harder, I fell into a deep sleep. It felt good after the long day. But this new altitude would have its revenge. I awoke with a start. Gasping for air, I recognized my condition as periodic breathing – a common condition at altitude. Nothing serious. But something else seemed different. Yes, it was quiet, no bubbling stream to provide a natural white noise. It was quiet, very quiet. Then I understood. The gentle snow had turned into a heavier version and my tent was under attack. No worries. I pushed the sides out, the snow slid off and I easily won the war – this time. I performed my midnight ceremony: Diamox, pee into the bottle and drink my juice water – a different bottle mind you! I left the zipper undone on my bag since all the excitement had generate quite a heat wave in my small home. I drifted off to sleep only to repeat the process two hours later and again near dawn. As I heard voices, my mind came to some form of consciousness. It was 7:00 AM. It was bright. It was warm. I was at ABC on Shisha Pangma. I felt good. I slipped on my down pants and jacket and left for the dining tent. Well actually it is a tent with a blue tarp on the floor. You see, our Yaks are quite the independent lot. The huge one carrying the dining table made an executive decision that he had had enough. With a quick rodeo move, the table went left as he went right. That was two miles down valley – a volunteer from our Sherpa core brought the table up today. Another, a female, was carrying our vegetables. The Nak apparently felt that if she could not have them then no one would and went for a swim in the river. The blue barrel had no chance against the rushing waters. Another 15 kg are on order from a nearby village. So we are here. Life is similar to BC. We are napping, eating, chatting and trying to acclimatize at this higher altitude. Tomorrow is our Puja – the ceremony where we ask the Mountains Gods permission to climb and for safety. It will be lead by Dawa our Sidar. Then our first carry to even higher on Shisha Pangma. Please remember: Memories are Everything Climb On!
A Look in the Eye
What does a look in the eye mean? We have been at Base Camp for four days now and I have gotten to know the local Tibetans fairly well by now. There is the quiet yak herder who looks you in the eye hoping to sell his knife or yak collar. The young girl who is famously shy and avoids the camera. The little one who joyfully plays jump rope with us and then the others. What do they think when they look in my eyes? Their expressions are mostly the same but when they smile the sunshine breaks loose. Their eyes brighten and you can feel the connection. But when they point to their mouth with a cupped hand, my heart melts. I walked over to their tent yesterday and saw a slaughtered sheep outside the door. Yes, they eat and have plenty so why do they ask us for more? Perhaps a silly question. After a hike, a young girl followed me to the dining tent. She looked me in the eye and said nothing. No gestures. No expression. There is a sanding order not to give them anything. I glanced around to look for more eyes. I reached in my pack and took out the apple I had packed for lunch. One more glance around. I put a single finger to my lips and looked her in the eye. She acknowledged the deal with a slight smile. I turned my back and held the apple behind me. In a whoosh, the apple and my little friend were gone. What does the old lady think when you look her in the eye? The man with broken teeth? The young girl with the easy smile? How long will their nomadic life last? When will “civilization” take their land and their way of life? Do they beg because they need or because they have been rewarded? Is our presence part of the solution or part of the problem? Even when a deal is not sealed, I like to interact with my Tibetans. I ask him what the knife handle is made of? What is her name? How old is he? They say something to me and we both nod in agreement not sure of the question or the answer. Then we both look away at the far away snow covered mountains and stand in silence. Communication without the words. A look in the eyes. A simple smile. What will they remember about the strange visitors? That we slipped them an apple, played a game of jump rope or cat’s cradle? Or perhaps that we smiled back. Advanced Base camp is established. The entire team moves tomorrow. Today we took a walk a quarter of the way there. It was snowing on Shisha Pangma. A small squall, nothing serious but there was a chill in the air. Or maybe it was my nervousness. As I write this, three of my friends walk by looking at me typing on my computer. What strange people these visitors are. Yet they smile at me. Perhaps in anticipation or maybe just to say hello. One of the mothers stands and knits a sheep wool sock for her small daughter. Her dark skin and jet back hair a sharp contrast to the bright red strings in her braided hair. As I ask her what she is knitting she points to her own socks and smiles that smile. Her eyes give away her mission. She is just stopping by to say hello. Please remember, Memories are Everything Climb On!
Base Camp Life
It takes a few days to really appreciate the life at Base Camp. Once you arrive, there is the buzz of meeting new people, figuring out the tent situation and of course, staring at the objective. From BC we have a clear view of Shisha Pangma. But after a while, the schedule becomes obvious: wake up to the sounds of barking dogs at sunrise, lounge in the warm sleeping bag for another hour, have a nice breakfast and visit with the other teammates. Take a long walk and either be back for lunch or take something with you. Afternoon nap. read in the dining tent to avoid the heat in the sleeping tent. Rendezvous for dinner. Afterward, some play cards, others go to bed. All in all quite comfortable considering where we are. It may sound like we are slacking off and we are, but it is critical to take your time during this phase of a long expedition. If you push too fast you risk getting sick or burning out. But if you just lie around, you do nothing for your acclimatization. So as in life, balance is the key. There is a Tibetan family living at BC along with us. The men are out tending a herd of sheep that must number over 300. I started to count them but fell asleep. They graze in the vast fields along the rushing water of our glacier fed stream. This is our source of water. The women and children make regular rounds of the tents asking for food even though they have plenty. They are also willing to sell their jewelery. We are careful to be kind but not to encourage the begging. It is quite the dichotomy that we have so many luxuries and they have such huge smiles. This BC is a comfortable place, much nicer than other 8000m mountains I have climbed. There is grass, water and stunning views. It usually does not snow this low at this time of the year but we can see snow at our site for Advanced Base Camp (ABC) 2000′ higher. The temperatures are quite mild. Most of us wear short sleeves and some wear shorts during the heat of the day. The direct sunlight is oppressive. Sunscreen, sunglasses and hats are mandatory in and out of tents. But as soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops 30 degrees, easily. Out comes the down jackets and we huddle in the dining tent. Luckily it is heated. The night sky is beyond belief. Last night after dinner, I just stood in the middle of the field staring upwards. So many stars. So many stars. The Milky Way appeared as a dense cloud that stretched from the north horizon to the south horizon without interruption. It was a pure rainbow of stars and galaxies. One felt small looking at the vastness of deep space. Over the Himalayas into Nepal, lightening provided a constant light show. The Steps of Tibet are borderless. From our vista today we could see lakes, mountains and flat plains reaching out in all directions. Along with three of my teammates, I climbed 1500’ to a nearby hill to accelerate our acclimization. Once on top at about 18,000’ the view became even more broad. Every direction held a surprise. Tonight 50 yaks are scheduled to arrive. We will send the first load to ABC along with a couple of teammates who arrived a few days earlier and are well acclimatized. A few of our Sherpas will move up and establish the site with a kitchen, dining and toilet tents. The rest will follow in a few days. I am feeling great. All my vital signs are on target and I feel like I am acclimatizing well. I am sleeping well. The team is good. We are all getting along well. The conversation flows easily. We have a broad age span from 18 to 60. We represent 5 countries. I am running out of adjectives to describe this place. It is huge, quiet, serene, thought provoking, peaceful, endless. Something about it causes your pulse to slow and your mind to relax. The pure and absolute perfection of the landscape calls nothing into question. The moment is to be savored and buried deep into the memory. Please remember: Memories are Everything Climb On! Alan
Finally: Shisha Pangma Base Camp!!
We made it! We left Shegar around nine for the last leg of our journey to BC. It was a great leg! The scenery was amazing as was the trip back in history. We left the semi reliable cell phone coverage – yes we were having cell phone coverage all the way from Lhasa – no idea what the roaming charges will be – to a land where they built 10 story signal towers out of mud and straw to stay in touch and to warn of impending attack. The road followed the natural contour of the land and stayed well inside the deep valleys carved out by ice eons ago. The mountains were a light bronze and glowed in the morning sunlight. We passed village after village with similar architecture in the pure Tibetan style. They subsisted off farming and raising sheep and cattle and the occasional trade. Nomads were scattered along the route with their herds of hundreds of sheep and goats living the life of centuries. We passed the intersection to Mount Everest – a simple dirt road but marked with a huge sign in Chinese and Tibetan. This is the road that was marked to be paved for the 2008 Olympics but is stalled by environmental concerns. Our road went from a relatively nice, smooth paved surface free of the potholes we experienced a day ago to one of chip seal to one of simple dirt as we continued to leave civilization and enter the true land of Nomads. Yaks grazed freely along the hills and the villages were now simple in size but consistent in architecture. Soon the snow capped Himalaya came into view. Everyone on our little bus strained to look for our goal. You could feel the energy increase. We crossed several streams, mind each one threatening to stall our arrival. But our skilled driver handled them with ease albeit after studying a couple for a few minutes before taking the leap. Shisha came into view. The first view of an 8000 meter mountain is always a moment for pause. Our minds went through the gauntlet of hopes and fears. As advertised, she stood high and alone – a giant massive. Base Camp was still an hour and half away at our 30 mph rate so we settled back in our seats and the bus had the quiet hum of nervous conversation. But the sight of yak herds and an amazing Tibetan rider galloping faster than we could drive got everyone’s attention and the hum turned into a roar. And then we were there. Climb On! Alan
From Tourist to Climbers
Today’s, September 7th, drive from Shigatse to Shegar can be characterized as speed up, slow down. While the Chinese have invested tens of millions into improving the road systems, the roads were riddled with deep – 5 feet – holes marked by rocks. Landslides created more blockages with house size rocks strewn across the highway and then there were the convoys of Chinese officials traveling at twice the posted speed with police escort in full bloom – flashing lights and all. AND it was absolutely stunning. The Tibetan plateau began to reveal herself just after we left Shigatse. The brown fields of barley were ready for harvest at the lower altitudes and Tibetan families were in full force for the fall harvest. winter is just a few weeks away given this area’s altitude of over 15,000 feet. The small villages dotting the hillsides gave character to a land not needing any. The Tibetan workers were colorful with red threads in their hair, colorful jewelry and gentle faces. Once again we shared the road with horse carts and an interesting contraption, kind of a Tibetan hybrid – an open engine mounted on two wheels pulling a wooden cart – a true horseless carriage! One striking stop was where the mile marker on the road marked exactly 5000KM from the Shangi Central Post Office. A huge sign marked the location as well as the regular trinket vendors. But the kids left the mark. They asked us for money in a very aggressive style until they figured out we were not going to give in. Then they had fun looking at themselves on our digital camera displays and laughing easily as we tried to talk to them. At one point they were reciting the ABC’s in English! We also entered the Chogomolga National Park or reserve that Tibet has set aside for protection of the Mount Everest region. Another huge sign, in Chinese, marked the spot and the officials stopped there for a while before speeding past us. On a clear day, you can get the first view of Mount Everest a few miles down the road but not today. I really liked today. I felt like we were moving from city tourist to climbers. The openness of the Tibetan Plateau was awe inspiring. The views of an endless sky motivational and of course our first sighting of mountains well over 18,000’ was, well, you know. Tomorrow is an acclimatization day and we will take a long hike higher to push our red blood cell generation. The next, Sunday we will drive to Base Camp. One last thought. I don’t know what is going on in Tibet and don’t want to speculate here. But I do see improvements in health care, roads, power and communications. I also see the traditional way of life in full force from clothes to yaks grazing freely to small villages with lot’s of children. All I know is that they have their memories and that is a strong factor in individuals, families, communities and cultures. And that cannot be taken away by man. Please remember, Memories are everything. Climb On! Alan
The Friendship Highway: Shigatse
Yesterday, September 6th, was a travel day towards Base Camp. We left Lhasa around 9:00 AM taking the paved Friendship Highway to Shigatse. The altitude is 12, 795, a nice gain from Lhasa at 11,000′. The road was mostly smooth but huge potholes had the driver making quick moves. Also the oncoming traffic seemed to view the center line as a guideline not a rule so luckily there was a decent shoulder to use as an additional half lane when needed. Finally we shared the road with tractors, the ubiquitous Toyota Land Cruiser, tourists buses, goats and cows. It was a long 7 hours! The terrain is very rugged but we enjoyed several great views of workers in a barley field, mustard plants next to a native weed. There were many road side stands with Tibetans selling trinkets. Of course we stopped for photo ops! One amazing sight was that of two Monks prostrating their way to Shigatse. The had left Lhasa three weeks earlier!! The three part movement of hands together, knelling and stretching prone represents the mind, the body and the future. We ate lunch at the Tibetan version of a truck stop. This was actually a Chinese restaurant – well restaurant is a huge overstatement. It was a short row of mud buildings painted white. The kitchen had a questionable hygiene standard but the service was great. We were served about eight dishes in family style. There was one unidentifiable meat dish, another squishy vegetable dish then some cabbage, tomato and scrambled egg and some other dishes. The mainstay was rice. I ate the rice. I took a lot of pictures but thought it better to show you others. Here are some pictures from the day: Once in Shigatse we visited the Tashilunpo Monastery. This is the home of the Pancha Lama who selects the next Dalai Lama thus he is basically the number two Lama in the Buddhism. The Monastery has 700 monks and is full of energy! Tomorrow we continue our journey to BC with a two night stay in Shegar at 14,271′ Please remember, Memories are Everything Climb On! Alan
To hear this Shisha Pangma
To hear this Shisha Pangma 2007 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following me on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains…. Climb On! Alan
Lhasa: a city of multiple faces
Another great day in Lhasa. After a rainy night the air was cool and fresh as we left for our last day of sightseeing. Today we visited the Jokhang Temple and the Sera Monastery. The difference being that a Monastery teaches all subjects from religion to geography to science where a Temple focus on mostly religion. Both were great visits as well as seeing more of the people of Lhasa. Again, hospital it is not possible for me to share everything I saw and learned but here is a brief overview. The Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet. It was built in 647AD and is the oldest temple in Tibet. Every year, cheap millions of pilgrims make a long pilgrimage to Jokhang. The famous Barkhor Street was initially the way on which the pilgrims prostrated themselves and crawled around Jokhang Temple. Today, Tibetan people still follow this custom, moving clockwise around Jokhang Temple every dawn and dusk. See my video on the main dispatch page of Buddhist Life in Lhasa. As always, the faces tell the story: The Sera Monastery is in northern Lhasa and is one of three famous monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. The primary hall is the Coqen Hall, which was built in 1710, is a four-story building. We were allowed to take photographs inside the Hall. An interesting part of a visit to the Sera Monastery is the “Debating Monks” As a part of their study, lamas must participate in debates to further their understanding and then move to more advanced levels of study. The debates in the Sera Monastery are unique among the three famous monasteries in Lhasa. They occur each day and are overseen by the Lamas. I was not sure if this was performance art for the tourist or the real thing. After watching for a while, I think is quite real and intense but still light hearted for some. Please see the video on the main dispatch page. So back to the question I posed a day or so ago: Is Lhasa a city of legends or is it a modern Chinese city full of commerce and wealth? The answer, I think is both. It is certainly a booming modern city with tall buildings and more under construction. Everyone has mobile phones and the streets are packed at rush hours with new cars. The shopping is good as well. The Temples and Monasteries hold the past with a firm grip. And the Tibetan people refuse to let go of their past as shown by the throngs praying outside the temples and making offerings inside. Their clothing and timeless faces tell their story so well. It was an honor to visit Lhasa and her people. The team is doing well, no serious health problem and we are all acclimatizing well here at 11,000′. Tomorrow we are off on the Friendship Highway to Shigatse visiting the Tashilunpo Monastery en route. I will miss my high speed internet connection! Please remember to look at the two new videos on the main dispatch page Please remember Memories are Everything Climb On! Alan