Tibet – The Himalayas
The main thing I wanted to do in Tibet was to visit Mount Everest.
The main thing I wanted to do in Tibet was to visit Mount Everest.Despite it straddling the border with Nepal, few summit attempts are made from this side as logistically it is difficult, with a low standard of Tibetan guides, dubioussafety procedures and ubiquitous Chinese bureaucracy. This is a shame, as apparently the view from the Tibetan side is better.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.11957.UNDEFINED)Notpossessing anything near the physical condition or financial clout to go for the climb, I would satisfy myself with a trip to Base Camp (BC). This entailed getting a group of other travellers together and speaking to some travel agencies. Once this was done myself, threeyoung Americans,a Tibetan guide, driver and4x4 jeep were ready to go.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.11956.UNDEFINED)Driving through the region was the first time I have witnessed rural Tibetan life and it is certainly shocking - the towns, villages and people along the way are horrendously impoverished. This is an area where time has stood still for centuries and people have to literally scratch around in the dirt to make a livelihood. We felt more than a little guilty coming through on a sightseeing tour.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.11955.UNDEFINED)After nearly a day's drive, we arrived at our first destination from where we would undertake a three-day hike, during which time we became accustomed to the not inconsiderable trials and rewards of hiking in the greatest mountain range in the world.
This is something that should not to be undertaken without intelligent preparation or being in reasonable physical shape but unfortunately each of the Americans failed on at least one of these and found the going very tough as a result. This meant that progress was slow but also allowed us more time to admire the breathtaking scenery.
Three days later we were back on the road and headed towards Everest. Worryingly, the weather was now becoming a concern in that dark clouds were descending and rain beginning to fall. As we wound our way slowly up a mountain, the rain turned to hail with fallen rocks further hindering our progress. Upon reaching the top, a famous view of the Everest range was utterly obstructed by cloud. Our moods by this time were very much at the mercy of the weather.
Around 8 and still accompanied by steady rain, we arrived at Rongphu Monastery (the highest in the world), eight kilometres from BC. We still hadn't seen the mountain as dark, thick rain clouds were utterly obscuring it.
We passed the monastery campsite and drove on to the tourist BC, a further four kilometres. Quite bizarre, this is a selection of around 30-40 large, permanent tents that offer accommodation, food andpoor qualitysouvenirs. A small Tibetan community seems to live here, children included. My companions would spend the night here but I quite liked the idea of camping at Rongphu and hiking the whole way the next day and after a minor debate, the driver took me the short distance back.
At the campsite, it was now raining more heavily than before. As quickly as possible, I pitched my tent though because of the numerous pegs and poles, this takes a bit of time, especially with the hard ground I had no choice but to use. And so, whilst it was lying on the grass being put into place, the inner sheet became soaked. I got it up, attached the flysheet and hammered all the pegs in as tightly as they could go - I was determined to do everything possible to prepare for a night in this climate and weather.
By the time I eventually got inside my tent, my trousers were wet. Not a problem as I hadmore. There was also a lot of water inside the tent. Fantastic. None coming in thankfully - what water was there was from when the inner sheet was lying flat on the ground, exposed to the downpour. With my small towel, I proceeded to dry it all out and scooped out a small puddle that had formed in one corner with my mug.
Everything wet was put in plastic bags and I put on dry clothes; quite a lot because there was now a chill. I ate a surprisingly satisfactory meal of ham and chocolate and felt very contented. Around 9.30, it got dark and I readied myself for sleep. I was soon snuggled cosily up, listening to the increasingly harsh rainfall and looking forward to the day ahead, dearly hoping for better weather.
I awoke at dawn and eagerly opened the tent to discover what the view was like. Beautiful! Amazing! That first sight of the majestic peak is one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen. I hope I never forget it. Also a clear day with not a cloud in the sky. Shortly afterwards, the sun broke over the Eastern side of the mountain, bathing one half in an orange glow whilst the other remained in its own shadow. Today would be a good day.
The other thing that awaited me was a thick layer of snow. Around three inches had fallen in the night and covered everything, including my tent. The snow also explained the cold night-time temperature. I was wearing two pairs of socks, trousers, T-shirt and jumper - these proving only just adequate. Icicles that had formed overnight were still frozen so I guess the temperature had dropped to about -5C. I survived a Himalayan snowstorm!
I leisurely made a breakfast of tea and porridge, pausing often to take in the view and happily snap away with my camera. I eventually got going on theeight kilometretrek to BC at around 11. The great thing about this walk is that you can see Everest practically the whole way, as you walk directly toward it. Also, the sky remained largely cloudless, allowing a tremendous view for hours.
Walking at this altitude (5300 metres) is difficult. The walk is flat so the temptation is to do it at normal walking pace, but after 10 steps, you find yourself out of breath.One literally has to walk at around halfthe normal pace, if that. At the top of the mountain, apparently it is one step every five minutes. As such, it took me two and a half hours to reach BC. Being here a few weeks later than the end of the season for summit attempts, the place was deserted, not to mention desolate. No tent city, just a handful of tourists and plenty of manned police and military structures to prevent any misbehaviour.
There are also signposts warning of huge fines for anyone stupid enough to attempt to progress any further up without the proper authority. I can see howone couldbe tempted as once here, the rest of the mountain is only another 3,500 metres and whilst it does notlook easy, neither does it look impossible. I imagine this is the kind of thinking that leads to one in eight climbers dying during the attempt. The problem is not the difficulty of the climb; it isthe altitude.It is certainlytough enough at 5,300 metres on flat ground, let alone any higher or steeper.
The view is amazing and I sat there a long time happily admiring it, taking photos and writing. After an hour or so, clouds had descended upon the peak and I made the slow walk back to tourist BC, pausing to photograph the mountains and their goats. I arrived at 4.30 to find everyone eager to leave and so off we set. We decided to overnight ina Tibetan townand arrived at the guidebook's two chief recommendations dreaming of hot showers and huge beds. No showers, disgusting toilets and adequate beds. The shower could wait another day, a few Imodium tablets sorted the toilet issue and the beds felt like heaven. Home cooked food and beer too. Considering what a dump the place was, I could not have been happier.
The rest of my time in Tibet was spent at leisure - walking around, playing pool (the national pastime), reading books in cafes, drinking in the evenings, and generally getting to know the place and culture. Tibetans open up once they start to recognise you and are generally kind, gentle people who lead very tough lives. They are incredibly simple though and I think the main problem is the lack of a decent education system; practically non-existent outside the capital.
That and the repression. The Chinese, especially during Chairman Mao's tenure, have forced upon Tibetans endless hardships; systematically destroying much of their culture, killing millions and putting countless more into work camps, and forcing their leader the Dalai Lama into exile.
A good example of the oppression under which they now dwell would be the Dalai Lama's birthday; a date of great cultural importance and historically one of many celebrations and festivities. Not any more, as such frivolities are outlawed - the only noticeable difference to any other day being a slight increase in the number of drunks on the street and a large increase in the number of police.
Tibet is mineral rich, something that has only relevantly recently been discovered, and this has precipitated a mass migration of Chinese into the region. Now they equal Tibetans in number, and assert for themselves preferential treatment regarding employment and business. Violence between the two groups is commonplace and I saw the aftermath of a number of brutal fights during my time here, with stabbings especially being popular.
Chinese tourists have a completely different perception to what is going on from Westerners - they perceive Tibet to be simply another province of their country but then, they do not have access to nearly the same kind of information. Towards Westerners, the Chinese are perfectly friendly and I have spent time with a few of them - at least the young ones treat the Tibetans with respect.
When it was time to go, despite having been in the same place for a long time, I was sad to leave. Tibet is somewhere that enchants, bewilders, mesmerises, appalls, distresses and finds a place in the heart of all lucky enough to experience her.
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Friday 03 September 2010
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