The night we spent in the yak hair tent at 5,200 metres was fairly grim. The room was warm thanks to the heavy tent and the yak dung stove in the middle but the combination of sleeping in our full clothes and the exceptionally thin air made for a restless night. Dawn could not come fast enough.
Continue reading →The British called it Everest after a renown surveyor, the Nepalis refer to it as Sagarmatha and the Nepali Sherpas call it Chomolungma but the Tibetans call it Qomolangma. Since only one of those names is pronounceable we decided to stick to the global convention of Mt. Everest. By any name it stands above all other mountains, an imposing 8,848 metres, king of the Himalayas. And we were standing on … Continue reading →
We ducked our heads to fit through yet another very low doorway to see yet another ancient chapel when I miscalculated and banged my head hard on the top of the door. This brought a mix of laughter and sympathy from the gaggle of old women that were watching Julie and I pass by. Their heavily creased dark faces, well worn traditional hats and skirts, swinging prayer wheels and excessive … Continue reading →
The Tibetan plateau, as this vast region of high elevation is called, is much more than just a plateau. Amongst many features it forms the ‘other side’ of the vast Himalaya mountain range that runs through Nepal, parts of India and Bhutan. Today we started our assault on this ‘other side’ with a few dramatic mountain passes, a wide range of weather and some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable.
Continue reading →Tibet is full of surprises to the unsuspecting traveller. For instance, you wouldn’t normally use the words barren and beautiful together, like beautifully barren or even barrenly beautiful. But once you leave Lhasa you enter into another domain of huge rugged mountains which are barren of any life and yet beautiful for the rivers between them, the huge sand dunes on them and people who live among them.
Continue reading →Lhasa has an unmatchable mix of culture, history, politics and religion, mixing them all together in a complex and beautiful package for any intrepid traveller who is prepared to negotiate the maze of visas, permits, costs and distance in order to get there. We spent two more fabulous days exploring every nook and cranny, trying to get the best possible understanding of the place. The whole experience was overwhelming!
Continue reading →What did we really know about Tibet? Forcefully annexed by the Chinese more than 50 years ago, spiritually led by the Dalai Lama in exile, perched high up in the Himalayas, a fairly remote and almost forgotten place in this busy world. But as our Air China plane touched down at Lhasa Airport Julie and I knew that our knowledge base was about to change. One of our most highly … Continue reading →
