To Everest and Back
Travelling independently in Tibet is challenging, if at all possible with permits required and a lack of public transportation. So once again I hopped in a jeep, this time with an Dori an Israeli, Zhao a Chinese from Beijing and Dan the Australian. With this group you can just imagine he political conversations we had at dinner! Zhao decided we all needed Chinese names before we left Lhasa and I became Tun Shui, the spring river that goes east and never comes back. Interesting. Even though Zhao has never been to the US we managed to have a whole conversation about L.A. based on his experience playing the video game Grand Theft Auto. He told me he usually goes to Compton to pick up his weapons, then to Malibu to get the expensive cars, and he doesn't like Long Beach too much. On our way to Everest, a five day trip, we make many stops. Just when I think I've seen enough monasteries or stupas, or Buddhas, I continue to be impressed. In Shigatse we spend the afternoon at Tashilumpo, home to the Panchen Lama, the second highest lama after the Dalai Lama. The pilgrimage here takes a route past prayer wheels into the mountain side. All the monks here wear special felt boots even though it's summer and it seems the boots would serve them better at the top of Everest. Of course, inside the monastery it is dark as usual with the ever present smell of yak butter and incense. The musky setting, present in every monastery, is quite the opposite of a bright christian church and it's difficult to ascribe words to the atmosphere.
The road from Shigatse to Everest is under construction and the alternative route is a slog we can't begin until 7 p.m. As we jerk and bump along this "road" Zhao is in the front belting out lyrics as he sings along to his MP3 player, "all my exes live in Texas" and "country road take me home." In the morning we finally start up a valley towards Everest that is muted by yellow, greys and browns set against a brilliant blue sky, dotted with Tibet's ever-present perfect clouds. We were praying for good weather and it looks as though we might get it. However, in this area weather changes by the minute and as we climb up the yak-filled, treeless, completely barren landscape we become enveloped in clouds and find ourselves in a snowstorm. The final leg to the Rushinpho Moanstery is in an old Dodge 15-seater van. This is completely reminiscent of my old days heading off to a ski race except that I'm sandwiched between two Tibetan yak herders on their way to take climbing gear for mountaineers to the Advanced Base Camp (ABC).
When Everest first comes into view it doesn't look as majestic as I expected, but the closer we get the more massive it becomes and you can see the difficulty climbing it entails. The monastery, our home for the night, is at 5150 meters (17,000') and immediately after setting off for the Tourist Base Camp, a 2 hour hike, I can feel the oxygen is not getting where it needs to go in my body. I'm working hard on a flat surface, not a good sign, and soon the other culprits kick in as I become light-headed, lethargic, and not in the mood for my Snickers. These symptoms are minor to be sure, but present nonetheless. Visiting Mt. Everest (Mt. Chomolangma in Tibetan) on the Tibet side is kind of like cheating. You can drive to the monastery and from there take a horse-pulled wagon to the base camp without walking a single foot. In comparison, to get to the base camp on the Nepal side requires a 20+ day trek.
To get our money's worth Dan and I managed to bypass the gate collecting $100 to go past the Tourist Base Camp. We followed the yaks and the yak herders I just met on the bus past the Mountaineer's Base Camp on their way to the ABC. On the way we met 2 Frenchmen coming down who has just summitted and appeared to belittle their accomplishment. They said more than 40 people summitted this week, as if it was no big deal! At 5400 meters (18,000') we decided to head back down and we were completely exhausted when we finally got back to the monastery. But the views were spectacular and watching the sun set behind Everest was something special. At moment like this I can't help but think about how lucky I am that my life has led me down a path that I'm standing in front of Everest watching an amazing sunset. I also can't help but imagine what the view from the top must be like, but imaging will have to do because I have no desire to even attempt climbing it.
On our ride back to Lhasa we visit more monasteries and a beautiful lake, Yamdrok-Tso, and Zhao who joined the communist party at age 18 always insists on having his photo taken with the Chinese flag. He also translates the Chinese slogans written on the new bridges and walls. They read, "One family, one child" and "Mao Zedong freed us and Deng Xiaoping made us rich." Hah! But it's been an amazing and unforgettable trip.
For photos of this trip, click here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39463330@N00/sets/72157594170442358/
The road from Shigatse to Everest is under construction and the alternative route is a slog we can't begin until 7 p.m. As we jerk and bump along this "road" Zhao is in the front belting out lyrics as he sings along to his MP3 player, "all my exes live in Texas" and "country road take me home." In the morning we finally start up a valley towards Everest that is muted by yellow, greys and browns set against a brilliant blue sky, dotted with Tibet's ever-present perfect clouds. We were praying for good weather and it looks as though we might get it. However, in this area weather changes by the minute and as we climb up the yak-filled, treeless, completely barren landscape we become enveloped in clouds and find ourselves in a snowstorm. The final leg to the Rushinpho Moanstery is in an old Dodge 15-seater van. This is completely reminiscent of my old days heading off to a ski race except that I'm sandwiched between two Tibetan yak herders on their way to take climbing gear for mountaineers to the Advanced Base Camp (ABC).
When Everest first comes into view it doesn't look as majestic as I expected, but the closer we get the more massive it becomes and you can see the difficulty climbing it entails. The monastery, our home for the night, is at 5150 meters (17,000') and immediately after setting off for the Tourist Base Camp, a 2 hour hike, I can feel the oxygen is not getting where it needs to go in my body. I'm working hard on a flat surface, not a good sign, and soon the other culprits kick in as I become light-headed, lethargic, and not in the mood for my Snickers. These symptoms are minor to be sure, but present nonetheless. Visiting Mt. Everest (Mt. Chomolangma in Tibetan) on the Tibet side is kind of like cheating. You can drive to the monastery and from there take a horse-pulled wagon to the base camp without walking a single foot. In comparison, to get to the base camp on the Nepal side requires a 20+ day trek.
To get our money's worth Dan and I managed to bypass the gate collecting $100 to go past the Tourist Base Camp. We followed the yaks and the yak herders I just met on the bus past the Mountaineer's Base Camp on their way to the ABC. On the way we met 2 Frenchmen coming down who has just summitted and appeared to belittle their accomplishment. They said more than 40 people summitted this week, as if it was no big deal! At 5400 meters (18,000') we decided to head back down and we were completely exhausted when we finally got back to the monastery. But the views were spectacular and watching the sun set behind Everest was something special. At moment like this I can't help but think about how lucky I am that my life has led me down a path that I'm standing in front of Everest watching an amazing sunset. I also can't help but imagine what the view from the top must be like, but imaging will have to do because I have no desire to even attempt climbing it.
On our ride back to Lhasa we visit more monasteries and a beautiful lake, Yamdrok-Tso, and Zhao who joined the communist party at age 18 always insists on having his photo taken with the Chinese flag. He also translates the Chinese slogans written on the new bridges and walls. They read, "One family, one child" and "Mao Zedong freed us and Deng Xiaoping made us rich." Hah! But it's been an amazing and unforgettable trip.
For photos of this trip, click here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39463330@N00/sets/72157594170442358/
posted by Deb Shea | 12:28 PM
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