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 SummitClimb Cho Oyu Autumn 2006: Update May 12th | |||||||||
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Carlo, James and myself
arrived in Kathmandu to meet the rest of the team on Tuesday. Instead of
riots the celebration flags flew with communist colours. After a fine
introduction talk by Lord Ryan, it was off for some food and beers. I stayed
on for a few extra pints and jumped on a cycle rickshaw for the short pedal
home. The rickshaw boy, picked up a passenger and took me way out of the
town center. After some fruitless negotiation I took over the driving and
headed back with my passengers who's warning shouts saved more than one
crash. Steering is difficult after six Everest beers.
Thursday was a four am start
waiting for the luxury bus to take us to the Chinese boarder.When it arrived
it took us at speed through the Kathmandu suberbs and out onto winding hill
roads. The friendship bridge crosses a river between the two countries.
Breakfast, money changing, document filling, passport showing and an
electronic gun pointed at our forheads to ensure we didn't have a
temperature...and we were in.
Oh no, that was just the
preliminaries. Next came a two hour Chinese queue to get to the man with the
real stamp. Chinese queues are a different. Any space in front of us was
rapidly filled by queue jumpers, invariably Buddist Monks. I now know where
enlightenment gets you - to the front queue.
Very plush landcruisers then
took us to Nylam (3600m) a small town with smattering of shops and hotels to
cater for the passing trade. DInner was a fine affair where the shared
dishes are put on a revelving center. Half of us are still wary of the meat
trying to ensure we dont pick up any bugs en route but the food so far is
tasty.
Today was walking to
acclimatise and resting. A wall in the center of town doubled as an alfresco
cafe experience, we were joined by playful children, staring adults,
wandering yaks and a very lost looking monkey. If it hitched a lift on a
truck to get here it should really get a ride back to monkey land.
Everyone is well and enjoying
Ryan's relaxed and friendly approach to leadership.
It is a good team.
Bye for now
David
Background: Introduction to Cho Oyu: Cho-Oyu has only recently become a popular mountain to climb. It is now known to be one of the most accessible of the world’s fourteen 8,000 metre mountains. This is because the ascent to the summit is short and direct, with a few small technical sections, less than 6 metres high, climbed in safety using fixed lines. Additionally, the mountain can be easily reached by four-wheel-drive vehicle, and the trail to Camp 1 at 6,400 metres, is basically a steep walk on talus slopes, often done in hiking boots. This expedition to Cho-Oyu maximizes our previous successful ascents on the peak itself, plus many years of accumulated wisdom of the high Himalaya, a strong record of reaching 8,000 metre summits in all safety, along with an intimate knowledge of the Tibetan and Chinese officials who regulate the permit system. We must also give credit to the highly experienced and hard-working leaders, sherpas and staff here at SummitClimb.com Leader: Ryan Waters, an accomplished and friendly leader Cho Oyu - the "Turquoise Goddess" in Tibetan - is located at the frontier of Tibet and Nepal. At a height of 8201 meters, it belongs to the Himalayan range, about 30 km west of Everest. It is the sixth highest mountain in the world and was first climbed on October 19th 1954 by the Austrian Herbert Tichy, with Sepp Jochler and Pasang Dava Lama. "Finally, the peak is reached, the infinite hardships are ended. The last nine hours fighting with the mountain; the time in the death zone above 24,000 foot, the weeks of privations and hardships, even the risk of one's life - is this reward itself really? Yes, certainly! Not because of fame but inner satisfaction: To have found the mountain as friend and have been so near to the sky." Sepp Jochler.
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