ONWARD ACROSS PENITENTES

Satellite message from Hoseman Monday 24 September. (circa 11:00 am)

Thanks for blog updates, have had a chance to look at them and they look good. Have prepared a day by day summary of last week’s activities but may not be able to post them yet as Jamie is having a problem linking his laptop with the satellite. Two groups in Jamie’s expedition returned to camp ABC yesterday. Some are sick, mainly coughs and sore throats and then there is the usual bantering. I have had two good rest days at ABC so, today Gromit and I decided we would rather push on than stay in camp and get sick themselves.
We have now had a good walk to Depot Camp where we are having our lunch break. We might spend the night here but, as we are feeling so fit and strong, we might just decide to push on across the Penitentes and, maybe, on to establish Camp 2 – and, if possible, Camp 3. Will still have to decide how far to go. But I have my tents, sleeping bag and equipment with me, ready for Camps 2 & 3.
The big BUT is of course the weather! At the moment, conditions are continual wet heavy snow – at least 30 cm. Most climbers are coming down and looking at me askance as the only one going up. However, visibility is good and the walk thus far has been enjoyable. Despite the constant ‘fluttering’ snow, it is amazingly warm. It takes a whole hour to pass through the ‘Penitentes’ studding the glacier. They are like shark’s teeth – hard, sharp 20 m high ice points, like white sandpaper!
Hoseman said he could hear rumbles in the distance – avalanches occurring at regular intervals - four rumbles in the last hour. The periodic snowfalls are creating snow build up in layers which is the reason for the avalanches. They are not really threatening to the climbers because they are quite far away. The route does not lie in an avalanche area.


Andrew Locke (an Aussie who has already completed twelve of the fourteen 8000 m peaks) and his girlfriend have arrived at ABC where they will wait because the girl friend has a bad headache. He arrived later than the groups and may be coming up tomorrow. Mark hopes to meet him on the pathway and would be interested to obtain his views on the current situation – whether he thinks it will be too dangerous to go on in the current weather.
Mumsie came on the line and asked how he was. Hoseman replied that he is feeling fit but sometimes finds it quite difficult to remain motivated which is why he and Gromit are very glad to be on the move again and able to stretch their legs!!! The immediate next plan is to try and establish Camp 2 but this may be hampered by the bad weather - but he is going to try.
Jamie is presently at Camp 1 with most of his other groups - no one is left at Camp 2. Most of the climbers on the mountain are getting ready to summit. The four British teams are fairly widely scattered. Some are coming down from Camp 1 and Depot and some are already back at ABC.




Hoseman said he would like to say a special thanks to Mike B, Jenny B, Mike P, Major P and the folks for their SMS’s – they are great to receive!
Should try and get a picture of the Penitentes from Google wiki.
As a matter of interest, the term Penitentes was first used by Charles Darwin on his journey through Chile. It was thought these white spikes of ice resembled the processions of white-hooded monks, members of a Roman Catholic brotherhood of Hispanic origin, that celebrate the Passion with rites involving fasting and self-flagellation. Darwin noted that the locals believed the spikes were formed by strong winds. Recent laboratory experiments and computer modelling however, confirm that sunlight forms the spikes independently of wind – a process known as ‘localised sublimation’.

TRICKY WEATHER PERMITTING

0922 SATURDAY
Final message from Hoseman to say weather reports are not optimistic what with typhoons elsewhere in Asia and reports of thick snow above Camp 2. We all know however that weather forecasters don’t always get it right. If the weather won’t let you do it there’s nothing you can do about it. One just has to be philosophical – either sit in camp and wait it out or take a risk and face the consequences.
Important clarification: After spending two days in Camp 1, arrived here yesterday afternoon.
Propose to now spend two days at ABC formulating a new plan, weather permitting. Today is Day 1, tomorrow will be Day 2. Intend to reach Camps 2 and 3 but will have to spend time acclimatising at Camp 2.
Think the British team has a chance of summiting round about 26 SEP but again that depends on the weather. End of message.

MAIN HEADINGS

0922 CURRENT NEWS

0922 SATURDAY
We received two calls today. We were not ready to take the first one and Hoseman said he would phone back in one hour.
In fact he phoned back after two and half hours because, he said, he had become involved in assisting a climber who was descending because of an upset tummy. The gist of the second call was an expression of disappointment over the lack of blog postings from our end. Our difficulties included the sorting out of the relevant information being received. Much of it comes from distorted almost garbled bits of information - as one would imagine would emanate from a high altitude ice and snow covered mountain slope. In fact, it’s a miracle and a marvel of modern technology that we can communicate so well let alone at all. Hoseman had said he would just mention the following three headings to us but would give us fuller details once he had got back to Camp ABC over the weekend and understood this to mean we should wait for more complete information before posting the blog. He concluded: “All is well!”
OK, we were wrong – we now know we must post EVERYTHING as he says it to keep up the continuity! We understand why - there are people in various parts of the world who regularly look up the blog to garner ANY information, disjointed or not.

IMPORTANT HEADINGS
1. Camp 1 established;
2. Thieves on trail;
3. No Alpine Style ascent to be attempted.

RESUMÉ
To fill in the other missing bits as we have received them since our last post on Tuesday 18 therefore, they are as follows:

0920 THURSDAY:
(Message recorded on telephone while we were out)
As I am now receiving your SMSs, send me one when you get back. I can’t guarantee I’ll still be awake but will definitely speak to you tomorrow. Will have more time for a good, long call.

0920 THURSDAY:
On returning home, we immediately send off an SMS and got the following call almost immediately:
My ‘Jetboyle’ is on the go, melting snow to fill up my water bottle. I am very undernourished and dehydrated. In past two days, have only eaten one packet of soup and had one coffee. This refers to my second heading “Thieves on trail”. My food parcels were stolen!
The good news is that I have finally established my Camp 1 and in so doing set my personal new altitude record namely, 6440 m. Will be going back to ABC for some R and R which will really be nice. Will give you more update then.
By the way, your SMS messages seem to be cut off before the end. Suggest you adjust available message characters by half and send the balance in more than one message to say what you have to. (No indication whether this was at Camp 1 or Depot Camp).

0921 FRIDAY NIGHT:
Call from Hoseman to say he was back at ABC and had had a good dinner and some ‘Sherpa Milk’ tea. Felt 100%. Will now have a good night’s sleep. Mumsie told him she was incensed that someone had stolen his food packets “What was the world coming to?”

BRAZEN RAVENS
Hoseman only then explained that the ‘thieves’ were ravens and I recalled reading about these bold birds in Woodrow Wilson Sayre’s book “Four Against Everest”. I know Hoseman has extensively researched Sayre’s expedition and must also have remembered this experience with these thieves of the Tibetan skies.
“Roger and Hans Peter came up with some bad news. The cache on the edge of the glacier had been looted by ravens or crows. Ever since Camp 1 several large black raven-like birds had followed our progress and scavenged our camps. I have no idea what they eat normally at these altitudes, since we saw nothing else living. But they certainly read the sign “meal ticket” written across our backs. One or two were always in sight. Apparently, we had underestimated them badly. They went right through the burlap sacks and the plastic bags in our cache with their beaks. Our food was scattered all over. Their favourite was the meat bars. We could ill afford the loss of these precious supplies, transported with such effort so far. We salvaged what we could and piled rocks on top to frustrate any future efforts. And then I started worrying about our essential cache at Camp 2. It was not protected by rocks. The ravens were squatting all round as we left. This could be a disaster. Our only hope was that, luckily, we had stored the food in the canvas marine sacks and so far they had not pecked through these much tougher containers.”

EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE
Last night we received this email from Major Peter:

0921 FRIDAY:
Haven’t heard much from the Lad this week – do you know where he has gotten to on the hill? Has he hit 6,500m meters yet? Hoping for some form of update at the weekend – is he getting his SMS messages do you know? [Yes!]
Must be just getting quite spring like down in Cape Town – lovely! [Yes]
Hopefully today is my last day at New Star – I hope to creep out quietly. On Monday it is planned that I go to Luxembourg on a different job – Oh well, it is all cash flow I guess.
Cheers, Peter

2109 FRIDAY:
We replied immediately putting him in the picture and asking for his new email address.
This concludes this post. Hopefully things are now a bit more up to date.

Anniversaries

Hoseman certainly knows how to pick his dates. No sooner does he announce his engagement to Cybershehose in April 1998 than he trips off to Nepal to do the Everest Base Camp route with a gratuitous ascent of Imja Tse at the other end. Now, on the eve of his ninth wedding anniversary, where do we find him – why, back in the Himalayas! This time on Mount Shishapangma. What does a loving wife do in such circumstances? Happy anniversary, Mark and Claire!
Major Peter has been spreading the word back home. Here is his email message to friends with an early reply from Mary White (Senior Compliance Manager) who says:
“Thanks Peter, we have all been thinking about him – please can you pass on our best wishes when you speak to him next.”
From Major Peter on 17 September: “I just had a call from Mark Hose at 5,800 metres on Shisha Pangma. On his own in a tent, in the snow, in the dark but sounded fine. Only him and Sherpas out on the mountain today – all the other climbers had stayed in their tents but that is not Mark’s way. He has been higher than 5,800 metres today then came back down, having left some gear higher up – go high, sleep low is the maxim for altitude safety. He is still toying with the idea of an Alpine Style dash for the summit (i.e. carrying enough gear for a few days so as to enable a rapid ascent, then descent) as opposed to the careful laying down of depots so that he has support and safety on Shisha Pangma. No doubt we will hear more of his exploits/progress in the days to come.
Peter
Back home we raise a glass of wine in a toast!

Update from Advanced Base Camp

Depot Camp








View up towards Camp I through Penitentes










Have now had 3 nights at ABC and all is going very well. I'm feeling little
more pressure as I get closed to Depot Camp. After Depot camp I cross the penitentes and
am actually on the then will really feel that I'm on the mountain! It's our Puja tomorrow
(where we oay our respects to the mountain) and then one is "allowed" to start to climb. I
think the date will tie into the new moon. There is a possibility that we will have a full moon
near a summit attempt.

I'm thinking/planning to move (all my gear) to Depot camp. It can be a
little frustrating to be with the two large groups. Although being alone is difficult, I think
being "with"the large group is more distracting than beneficial. We have very different
agenda's even though we are climbing the same mountain.

My plan is as follows:
Either move all my gear (with assistance of the Tibetan cook support staff)
tomorrow or Monday. One night at Depot camp. Then "Alpine" load to Camp I - two nights.
Then same Alpine load to Camp II. I will then appraise the situation and make further
decisions. Thanks Edwin for SMS, yep "blondie" is me. Thanks also for donating to
Rainbow Trust.
Oje, lots of love to you, Andy and family!!!!!!
Sorry for lack of pics, but not seeming to have much luck with Jamies
bandwidth - will try reduce picture sizes even more....

Day 10 & 11 - Cache load for Camp I

0917 8000m my post

Sunday 16 Sep
Mark could not get through to Raymond on Saturday. Had Puja ceremony today – four seasons in one day. As we tossed rice grains up in the air, the snow came down. The weather is cold cloudy and snowy. Spent the day at ABC where I have had some good acclimatisation. Would like to push the boundaries a little more every day. Have a bit of a cough and would like to take it easy and recover here at ABC (5800m) tomorrow. Then, would like to take a tent to Camp 1 (6500m). Might still achieve my record altitude of 6500m in the next few days. Few groups left here. Jamie and Eric took two groups up to depot Camp after ceremony. I was very pleased when some yak herders helped me by taking two of my bags to depot camp. This will be a big help and give me a better chance of success. Have been having restless sleep with vivid dreams. (Vivid dreams at high altitude are nothing new. On Everest, Frank Smythe had vivid dreams – OK, hallucinations! – while wide awake when he noticed an apparition right in front of him which kept him company for quite a while). Still having no luck receiving our Sat Phone messages. Asks us to communicate via Jamie’s laptop. Also requests Major Peter’s email address. End of message.

Monday 17 September
An entity claiming to be ‘Eric’ with a very gruff voice reports: Very tired after having crossed the Penitentes and reached cache at 6150m. Had to return because very tired and because of bad weather. Tough going and very exhausting. Impressed with the Sherpas. While I was going down they were still going up in all that bad weather.
Coordinates of Depot Camp: N 028º 24' 11.4"; E 85º 44' 58.7".
Coordinates of cache: N 028º 23' 14.8"; E 85º 44' 55.2".
Plan to have a rest day tomorrow (Tuesday 18 Sep). There is too much snow about. Might just go back to ABC for two or theee days while waiting for the weather to consolidate.
Tent and everything else was soaking wet when I got back but, thankfully, my sleeping bag was nice and dry. Medicine for hoarse throat? Just good clean, fresh air!
The good news is that I was able to get your SMS via Sat Phone. Have also heard from major Peter. End of message.

Some photos from ABC

Puja

Some of the amazing guys supporting Jamies expedition

Day 5 - Base camp - Tue 11th

Very hot day, took walk with Francis and Clive Westwards of BC. Got to about 5,400, but had headache so decided to return back to BC. Round trip approximately 5 hours. Hit my toe while crossing freezing river, but hopefully won't need it for the climb. A year ago I broke my thumb on the way to Depot camp - oh well....
Possible that I will go with first Yak load to ABC tomorrow. Might be a bit tired after todays walk, so will have to wait and see - its about a 20km trek.




Met this guy herding Yaks in the middle of nowhere

















Watching the world go by












Middle of nowhere

Day 4 - Base camp - Mon 10th

Another magic day weatherwise. Took another trek (3 hours) with pack Eastwards of BC this morning. Lucky to see 3 antelope on the plains, but they were very skittish so could not get a photo. About 6km round trip. Met up with a friendly Yak herder, who must have had about 70 yaks. Spent about an hour lazing on the ridge with the most spectacular views. This is one of the reasons why I do these trips - recharge the batteries. Google Earth point - N28 38 46.2 E 85 46 49.2 Planning a longer, higher,lighter trek with Clive (was also here last year but turned around after camp 3 due to poor slope conditions) and Francis for tomorrow. Possible that yaks for first load will arrive tommorow night, so ABC is not far away. Have been having some early chats with the Sherpas about getting some assistance (from yak, horse, Tibetan or our cook staff) for getting my gear to Depot camp (From ABC).



My "Camp", not a bad view!

Day 3 - Base camp - Sun 9th

Got my A into G this morning and packed my bag. Contents: 2 x gas cannisters, 1 Jetboil stove, 1 High altitude Puffa jacket, 1 Down climbing suit, 1 tent Terra nova tent (Camp 3), 1 high altitude sleeping bag, 10 x dry food packets, 1 x Ice axe, 1 x Leki pole. Went on a 11km trek westwards up to 5,350m. Felt great especially with the pack. Perhaps there is a chance of trying an alpine ascent. This means I will commit myself to th mountain once I start. This is different from establishing multiple camps along the route and doing an up and down approach. The norm would be for climbers to attempt this after they have aclimatised. I think I will like to try this as part of a recce of the route at an early stage. My highest point on the trek was N28 32 45.1 E85 44 53.0. Had great views of Shisha all the way. 1st time that I did not sleep though (other than P breaks) the whole night - perhaps a little dehydrated from the walk as mouth was quite dry. But no headaches which is a good sign.
The rest of Jamie's 2 groups arrived today.

Day 2 - Base camp - Sat 8th

Very relaxed, no more stomach issues (had some minor ones last night). Two more groups arrived today - small independent, look as though could be attempting a ski descent. Had a half hearted attempt to pack my "alpine" pack, but decided to have a 40 minute nap instead. Climbed small hill to East of base camp and watched sunset - fabulous to be here.

Day 2 - Base camp - Sat 8th

Very relaxed, no more stomach issues (had some minor ones last night). Two more groups arrived today - small independent, look as though could be attempting a ski descent. Had a half hearted attempt to pack my "alpine" pack, but decided to have a 40 minute nap instead. Climbed small hill to East of base camp and watched sunset - fabulous to be here.

New Moon

0908 13h30 phone call clear
After 3 to 4 days of ‘Hell’ and ‘Hell’s Neighbour’, arrived in Base Camp yesterday at lunch time. Pleased to see clear views of mountains. Although we are still some 20 km away, Mt. Shisha seemed to tower very high in the sky - seems higher than it was last year!
Acclimatisation is going well – although had a bit of a tummy disorder yesterday. Will now spend 3 to 4 days at Base Camp before advancing to ABC (Advanced Base Camp). Am considering possible animal transport for this next stage (pony or yak) and on to Depot Camp as this isn’t part of the actual mountain ascent.
The three members of Jamie’s team are great guys and we get on very well. Jamie should arrive from Lhasa tomorrow. In the meantime we have lovely large tents to sleep in.
Still undecided as to whether to plan for a rapid Alpine Ascent push but will check feasibility of putting everything into a single pack over the next few days. I understand there are already people at Camp 1 (British Army) and more climbers at Camp 3. So, I will certainly not be alone. These camps are more or less in the same locality as last year but this year I want to aim for 6500 m instead of 6400 m for my Camp 1. The weather is still very good. There were some flashes of lightning on the horizon last night. Also saw the new moon (Which, strictly speaking, should only be visible on the 11th of September.)Still getting SMS on SatPhone from Jenny (Please send her a thank you email) but not many from us. Cannot offer any explanation. In reply to Mumsie’s question regarding a ‘nice bath’, Hoseman said this was low on his priority list – keeping warm was much higher. He has a long bamboo pole with prayer flags outside his tent. If Jamie’s expedition does his official Puje in time he will attend but if its going to be too late in the day, he will go off on his own having already done the ceremony at Thame earlier.

Zhangmu, Nyalan then off to Base Camp

Well we are almost through the "hell", that is Zangmu and Nyalam (Hells neighbour). Chinese Windows menu option make for interesting selection so hopefully this "Blog" will get published. It seems my blog page is blocked in this part of the world????!







After leaving KTM we arrived at the border post and thankfully got though all the red tape that they put in front of us. Then into my favourite spot - Zangmu - wondefull surprise - "they" are rebuilding the road so its closed during the day, therefore we would do the perilous jorney at night. But the good news was that we would not stay more than 5 hours in the hell hole. We eventually arrived in Nyalam just after midnight after a fairly eventful journey. The road is so narrow, that when vehicles meet going in opposite directions, a conference is held as to who will back up. These "conferences" can take some time. Anyway we eventually reached Nyalam at about 1:00am.




Anyway, we did a good aclimitisation walk up to 4,300m today and all were feeling pretty good. I'm travelling with Tristan (Scottish) who hopes to be the youngest Scot to climb Everest next year, Francis (Canada) and Paul (Australia) and about 10 Sherpas. It will be a big group and I'm pretty glad that I have the opportunity to be independent.

The food is not particularly my favourite at the enforced restaurant where we eat, so i have been enjoying momo's at a local nepali restaurant. Tristan has tought us a new card game called sh1thead which has been keeping us amused for hours. We are much more civilised than the Lhasa crowd and have not (yet) resorted to any toilet humour as seems to be the case with them. I won't start describing the accommodation, especially the room that Francis and Paul are sleeping in... Its interesting how (as per Jamie) the Pakistani's welcome you with open "hands" and will do anything, where here it is quite the opposite. Silly to miss such an opportunity to promote ones country, especially with the Olympics comming up...

Hopefully we leave for BC early tomorrow morning, when I will get my first taste of the Freedom of the Hills. This year without being sick!. I'll then post some pics through Jamie's sat setup.

Allswell

cheers

Leave for Tibet tomorrow!

Yep, we eventually flew out of Lukla after only one days wait - very lucky considering monsoon season. Have had a couple of days to organise final bits and bobs. Barrels left this morning, and I leave first thing tomorrow. One night on Nepal/Tibet border and then 2/3 in Nyalan. Next updates will be via satellite phone via Raymond E (yes, thats if he prioritises things correctly) or via Jamies laptop at ABC.
I have been thinking about an alternative plan to try a light alpine ascent as a first attempt... A bit ambicious but will probably give me a lot of information about the mountain. Will keep you posted. Thanks for the donations to www.justgiving.com/8000mandabove and for the sms messages. Yes some seem to get through.. Will keep you posted as soon as I can, but possibly a couple of days of no news
Check Jamies updates at www.project-himalaya.com/dispatches/latest.html

Concerned about explosion in Katmandu. Imagined it was Hoseman blowing up over late post from this end. Think we have all our bits and pieces together this end. Now, with Gromit we are all together for the more serious stuff. Read Jamie' s report thus far - pleased he has welcomed Hoseman. See www.project-himalaya.com/dispatches/latest.html
Good to hear of Inaki's good wishes to Hoseman. From Raymond E

Blog in progress of updating - no issues with bomb in KTM yesterday - all fine

Bombs kill 2, wound 26 in Nepal capital Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Three near-simultaneous bomb blasts killed two women and wounded 26 people in Kathmandu on Sunday, police said, the first attacks in the Nepali capital since a Maoist revolt in the Himalayan nation ended last year.
The attacks came less than three months before the impoverished nation, sandwiched between Asian giants India and China, votes to elect a new constituent assembly to decide the fate of the monarchy the Maoists want abolished.
The government and the Maoists said the attacks were aimed at disrupting the vote.
The Terai Army, a little-known group of ethnic rebels in the southern plains, as well as the previously unheard of Terai Utthan Sangat, claimed responsibility for the attacks in calls to local media. The claims could not be verified independently.
One of the bombs went off outside a school and near the newly built United World Trade Centre business complex in the Tripureswor area in central Kathmandu, killing the two women.
Another went off outside some shops less than a mile away in the central Sundhara area, while the third was placed inside a mini-bus outside an industrial park in Balaju, a northwestern suburb.

"I was cycling to work when I heard a big explosion ... soon I saw people falling down," said Sunil Maharjan, a witness at the site of one of the city centre blasts.
"I put three students who were injured in a taxi and took them to the hospital."
Padam Bahadur Magar, the driver of a city bus carrying about 70 passengers in Tripureswor, said the blast took place just as he stopped the vehicle.
"It was a big explosion, the windows of my bus were shattered ... some of my passengers were injured," he said.
Another witness said he saw school text books and pens scattered on the bloodstained ground.
Outside the industrial park in Balaju, police towed away the mangled wreckage of the mini-bus whose roof had been blown off. Blood-stained shoes, caps and torn clothes lay scattered around.

PEACE SHATTERED

The bombs shattered a long spell of peace in Kathmandu Valley, which began after the Maoists and the government reached a truce last year, ending a decade-long insurgency that killed about 13,000 people.

"We have no basis yet to suspect anybody," said Home Ministry spokesman Baman Prasad Neupane. "But I think the Terai Army has claimed responsibility to the media."
A Home Ministry statement said the attacks were "a serious conspiracy aimed at derailing" the constituent assembly vote.
Maoist chief Prachanda, who uses only one name, blamed "reactionary forces" for the attacks.
"It is aimed at disrupting the ongoing peace process and the campaign for establishing a democratic republic," he said.
During the Maoist conflict, the rebels frequently targeted Kathmandu with small bombs, planting them at busy streets, in markets, shopping malls and government buildings.

The Terai Army is one of several ethnic Madhesi rebel groups which are fighting for the autonomy of Nepal's fertile southern Terai plains bordering India.
Scores of people have died in the region this year in violence by ethnic Madhesi groups demanding more government jobs, more seats in parliament and regional autonomy.
Defence analyst Indrajit Rai said the blasts indicated that a recent agreement between the government and the main Madhesi group would not end the unrest in the region unless other rebel groups were also brought into the mainstream.
"This is only a trailer. The actual movie is yet to come," he said. "The government should be alert and hold talks with all groups that are fighting for more rights in the Terai."

Day 10/11/12 - Mongla, Namche then back to Lukla

Major Hume happy to reach Lukla in one piece - no recues required. Had called ahead to try to get out return tickets confirmed on an earlier flight, but weather more our problem.







En-route to Namche...









Saw old friends Lhakpa and her husband Nge again, - hot milky tea was great. She made our beads...







Stayed in Dawa's Paradise lodge - "All our cooking are done by gas and kerosene, mostly".


She was a wonderful host and we highly recommend her lodge.

Day 9 - Gokyo to Mongla 3978m

Decide to go down due to cloudy weather. This instead of going up to Gokiyo Ri or further up the Gazumpa glacier. This will also allow me more time to wait at Lukla in case weather is bad. Long day which we ended at friendly lodge in Mongla.

Second of Major Humes rescues...ask him... In the lodge dinning area, a mouse had carried about 1kg of rice into stove drawer - as we were first guests of season his treasure was discovered! Ag shame hey...

Rescuer and lodge owners, - all happy again

Day 8 - Arya to Gokyo (via Renjo pass - 5402m)

Left early to ascend towards Renjo pass (google earth N27 56.842 E86 39.511). Will be our highest point of trip, but should be ok due to the aclimitisation we have already done.







Had T stop a pretty lake before ascending the gigantic stairway up to the top. Jetboil humming...








Upwards and onwards Major Hume











Where's gromit?









Amazing that someone has created these rock stairs on the trickier sections of the climb. Eventually (after three and a half hours) we reach the top of the pass, just in time for some light snow - was pretty cold!




Both next pics for Stu and Neil at NewstarAM to spot the errors - all errors only due to altitude sickness and not incompetance...mostly



Major Hume would not let me borrow his flag, so resorted to next best option...








Arrived at a gloomy deserted Gokyo, which was certainly larger than the last time I was there. Lake also seemed to be much larger, but probably due to the fact we were approaching it from above.






Note: Major Hume went off piste on the way down - Peter, its easier to walk down the path than try to scamble down a flowing waterfall. 1st rescue....

Day 7 - Happy birthday sweetness

Rest day at Arya, after yesterdays long trek. A little disappointed that could not get on to Nang Pa La, but now time to ensure that Major Hume enjoys and has a challenging end to the trek. Pemba took us on a tour of his "estate". He also created pasta (momo's) using a genuine pasta making machine - amazing what one finds up here.







Looking back towards Pemba's "resort" in Arya






Hosemam rock - on the phone to Claire








Colourful!

More - Nangpa La - Awe of Death

In his book ‘Storms of Silence’ Joe Simpson relates a more pitiable memoir of an experience on the same Nanga Pa trade route near the Tibetan border.

‘Did you see the grave?’
‘Grave? What grave?’
‘There’s a grave further down the trail. We passed it yesterday.’
‘I didn’t see a grave,’ I said, trying to remember the walk up from Arya.
‘It wasn’t very obvious,’ Geoff added, ‘just a mound of stones really. It's not far away. Do you want to see it?'
‘Er . . . no’, I hesitated. ‘I don't think so. Not now - I'll see it on the way down.’
……..
As I set off after the others I couldn't get the woman's grave out of my mind. Who was she? Who buried her? Why did she die? I wondered why she hadn't been brought down for cremation or given a traditional Tibetan air burial. Maybe they don't do that round here.
I turned the volume up on my personal stereo and tried to forget her but she kept coming back to me. It was troubling to be hexed by the memory of a grave that I hadn't seen and a woman who, for me, might never have existed. I thought of the wind-whispered voices in the shelter and remembered the sense of past souls calling to me from the shadows.
The bleak emptiness of the stony valley where she had died unsettled me. I hoped that she had died in the company of others, even the arms of strangers, rather than face that ultimate loneliness by herself. The barren mound of rocks she had become was something to warn passing travellers and quicken their steps; a grim lonely site, unmarked, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding rubble.
I wondered whether she had been with a group or if passing traders had stumbled across her body as it was released by the melting winter snows. Perhaps she had been separated from her party in a storm, slowed down by her weakness until .at last she succumbed to the insidious grip of winter's frost. Maybe she simply got lost in a blizzard and passed the group of shelters never knowing how close she was to protection from the storm.
Who was to say that it was a storm or altitude sickness that had killed her? Her frailty may have already been created long before she attempted to cross the pass. She could have been a nun escaping imprisonment and torture, half-starved, staggering down from the mountain, abandoning her beloved homeland and carrying away with her the scars of rifle butts and electric batons, broken bones and battered organs.(‘Storms of Silence’ published by Vintage 1997)
Joe Simpson is of course, the experienced mountaineer who achieved universal fame for surviving an incredible accident in the South American Cordillera Huayhuash mountains. As he fell over the edge of an ice cliff, his partner to whom he had been secured, lost his anchorage as well and felt himself been dragged remorselessly to the same edge. Faced with an unbelievable situation and having to make a momentous decision in a matter of a few split seconds, he cut Joe’s lifeline…
Joe came to rest on a narrow ledge in a deep crevasse with a shattered leg. The story of how he spent three days crawling through ‘the wasteland of crevasses and jumbled rock debris’ to arrive back in main camp just as the party was about to leave has been translated into thirteen languages and earned him the Boardman Tasker and NCR awards.(‘Touching the Void’ published by Vintage 1998)

More - Nangpa La - A Trading and Pilgrimage Route

A cursory reference by Hoseman to ‘Nangpa La’ on the 25 August… “that they were now beyond any fixed civilisation! (great to be ‘off’ the map so to speak) in preparation of their tentative further exploration of the Nangpa La Pass.”
A mere three-syllable name, meaningless to most of us, Nangpa La is at 5800 m, probably the highest trading pass in the world and has been in use for centuries mainly through the close spiritual ties in the form of Buddhism that existed between India and Tibet. The yaks of Sola Khumbu as well as vegetables, fruit, grain, cloth, sugar, tobacco and many other goods from the foothills are greatly prized in Tibet. In return, travellers bring back great quantities of salt. Thus to the Sherpas it is both a trade route to Tingri and a pilgrimage route to Rongbuk. In the monastery of Thyangboche, there is a throne specially reserved for the Lama of Rongbuk. WH Murray considered a ‘complete’ writer of books on the Himalayas and mountaineering in general, wrote of a hike along this pass as follows:“Bourdillon and I left Chhule on 6 November (1951). Within a mile, we passed the snout of the glacier and took to the old moraines of the left bank. At last we could see the Nangpa La (or so we thought), where scree slopes at the glacier’s head rose to a col exactly as marked on the map. Suddenly our track swung right (north) into what turned out to be the true continuation of the main glacier which falls from the Nangpa La. The map wrongly marks the Nangpa La at the head of the westerly branch, and does not mark in the very much greater eastern branch. In brief, the map-maker had not gone up to the Nangpa La. At last the moraines petered out. We had travelled nine miles in nine hours when we dropped onto the glacier and pitched camp in a stony hollow. In the morning Bourdillon, Ang Puta, and I followed a track of yak dung through a mile-long mass of stone covering the glacier. Then we came onto the bare surface, in which yaks had trodden deep channels. No snow had fallen for many days; daily sun and nightly frost had transformed the surface into clear ice. In four hours we arrived on the pass – a wide and spacious snowfield, full of sun and the stir of air.”
(The Story of Everest 1921-1952) Reading Hoseman’s report we appreciate anew the references to active glaciers and moraines.

Day 6 Lunak to Turnaround point

Gelbu with Jetboils at Lunak camp














So close! Objective today was to try to push on up to the Nangpa La (pass). We were now on a very small trail (only used by locals crossing from Tibet to Nepal). Were walking parallel to the very large Bhote Koshi glacier. Terrain pretty rough - bouldering in a quarry, landslides as the glacier cuts away the valley walls (and paths!).









Now have view of objective - icy glacier of Nang Pa. Unfortunately on glimses of some very high peaks - thick cloud layer. Decide to leave Peter to try and push through difficult terrain. Carry tent, etc and couple of days food. Hour layer hear Gelbu (porter) shouting as had forgotten my gas cannister! No Gromit to remind me...










Unfortunately trail now completely eroded. Try for half hour to find acceptable route, but glacier very rough with damgerous icy walls covered with sandy grit. Decide to turn around.

Google position: N28 03.033 E86 35.835














GPS tracking log showing end point

















Google Earth screenshot showing that only 3.5 km short of objective








From the other side...









Long wet trek back to Arya. Burnt 5,500 kcals today during 9 hour day. Peter surpised to see me.

Day 5 Arya to Lunak-5008m

Google Earth N28 00 39.8 E86 35 43.2
We are now past any fixed civilisation! Great to be "off" the map so to speak. Our porters have really been with us so that we could take this route - and have been carrying our camping equipment. We have brought the two Terra Nova tents that I will be using at Depot and Camp I on Shisha.



There was quite a difficult river crossing (section shown here) from glacier mouth along route. Decided to agree with Major Hume and accept that we will push to climb over 600m today. Higher now than any range in the Alps.



















Very damp on arrival at Lunak, which consists of some stone shelters - look very unsafe and definately not worth the risk of sleeping inside them. Wet dinner huddled around two jetboils. Rs25 lighters useless.

Day 4 Thame to Arya 4385m

Google Earth N27 55 9.5 E86 37 32.4
Arya is not on the map, but we were able to stay with Pemba Sherpa (who has carried loads to the South Col on Everest 9 times! He was a Sherpa for www.alpineascents.com. I climbed with Willi Prittie of AAI back in 99. Now firmly into Yak/Nak territory. Dry weather but cloudy. Great that neither Peter nor I are having any altitude issues.




Pemba is on the left






Chhonaba one of our porters