The Full Tharpu Chuli Epic Climb

Here is the full story from Danny's and Akhil's Epic Climb

Ko Samet Sunshine

After the cold weather started in Nepal we decided that it was time we had a beach holiday. We arrived In Thailand after a 7 hour delay in Kathmandu while Royal Nepalese Airlines trained there first pilot and bought a plane…. Don’t ever fly on a Nepalese plane… ever!

So we had 1 day in Bangkok and booked ourselves the bus down to the islands near the mainland. Ko Samet and Ko Chang. We had nowhere booked so it was a bit seat of the pants kind of thing. We arrived and headed to a place that the lonely plant guide told us was 300/400 baht (our budget was 400 = £8 a night) the cheap place turned out to be 800 baht per night, which blow us out the water. They told us there was cheaper place in the next bay to Danny revved the hamsters and ran round the headland. I sat and guarded the bags and had a beer.

Lucky for us, the next place wasn’t so posh and Danny got us a room with fan and a toilet for 400baht (£8). The place is a bit run down but they make the most amazing breakfast, we’ve been eating, toast with jam, fried eggs and bacon each morning all for £4. After the food in Nepal we’ve been in breakfast heaven!

The 2^nd night what I thought was Danny fidgeting woke me up but on closer inspection next day we discover that we were sharing our bed with a critter (mouse). It was living inside the headboard, which had an open space behind it. So, we stared operation ‘mouse trap’ Danny got the broom from outside, with the broom ready we pulled back the bed so we could see the space, in the far corner I spotted a little twitchy nosey, Danny immediately swooped in a hit it with the broom, the mouse jumped valiantly to the floor running for cover under the bed. But Danny was too quick for him and blasted him with all bristles. The brave little fella ran for a chair but to no avail as Danny deftly remove the chair I open the door and the mouse was swept to freedom.

We were pretty happy with ourselves until later that evening we hear a rustling in the eves above us…. He was back!

It seems no matter where we eat in the bay the food is always amazing, if the Thais know how to do one things it make great food, although Danny has to have a large rice, which makes the girls serving us laugh as large rice here is for at least 4 people.

We have both reverted to 8 years olds, Danny a lot quicker than me as he was a child anyway… we have been snorkelling and playing with sea cucumbers (Danny calls them something else) we’ve been playing around in the sea on rubber rings, diving off the pier and even have taken a day out on a sea kayak, which was really great paddling down the coast of the island stopping at the little bays as we went.

We move next to the island Ko Chang and here we might do a little hiking…. Maybe J

Tharpu Chuli (5695m) - DONE!

A man of few words... so here's the video



And here is a link to all the photos... discriptions will follow soon!
http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/nn360/nennapuss/Tharpu%20Chuli/

7 Days In Tibet

http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/nn360/nennapuss/The%20great%20outdoors/Tibet/

For the last 7 days I have been composing what to write about Tibet. Now it comes to it I can’t seem to find a place to start. Do I start at the beginning of the trip and go through it day by day or do I tell you about how beautiful the landscape is or how it feels to be a westerner in a land where tourism is tolerated and not encouraged, or do I tell you about the tragic situation of the people and the monks under the rule of the Chinese?

It’s the highest nation on earth, the air is so cold and dry that your skin turns to paper and just breathing normally doing the simplest things is a challenge. You have to be born tough to even survive in this place. But, in compensation for this hardship you’re surrounded by the most awe inspiring landscape. This place is a desert in the sky; only in the lands around Lhasa do you start to see trees again.

After a long delay driving into Tibet (Chinese government closes the only road inland until 6pm in the evening) we started out from Nyalam (3700m) early in the morning. We drove out of town sharing the road with the local Yak. Our first real view of Tibetan landscape followed as the sun rose over the mountain and illuminated the distant Himalaya. We drove along the only road in the area, built by the Chinese, leading directly to Lhasa. We drove over our first high pass that morning and were rewarded with amazing views of MT Cho Oyo (8201m) and Mt Xishapagma (8012m). The wind torn at you as you stood at the pass, the area was covered in prayer flags to bless all the travellers who crossed the vast empty spaces. The sun hitting the mountains made them glow in the thin air. This was the point I realised that I was stood on the top of the world an there weren’t many people stood higher than me that day.

We spent the rest of the day travelling across the plateaux, if you like vast open empty spaces this is an awe-inspiring place. You get a clear idea of why the Tibetan people are as spiritual as the hardship of the conditions and the beauty of the landscape must mould a psyche where belief in life after death must be an asset to survival.

That evening we stopped in a little one horse town called Lhatse, I had noticed a small rundown monastery on our way in which I wanted to visit. All across the empty spaces we passed that day we saw many ruins of past monastery. Back when the Chinese invaded they spend a great deal of energy murdering monks and burning monasteries. I assume this was done in order to destroy the Tibetan religion and sprit. I wanted to visit this monastery; if the monks would let me, to get my first sense of what was so threatening to the Chinese. The good thing about this monastery was the absence of a military presence watching the monks. The whole place must only have housed 10 monks at the most.

Being western in a town like Lhaste made you stand out but most of the local people were just curious about us, as I walked up the road, many people smiled and said hello, as I neared the monastery, itself a group of children playing nearby rushed over and started yelling hello, hello. I made a little video of them and played it back for them, to they’re delight.

We walked into the grounds and the head monk called us in, he was obviously pleased that we had come to visit and with great enthusiasm unlocked the small chapel doors for us. Inside were to images of respected Lamas one from India and one from Nepal. The Chinese rigidly control the Lama images and the Dali Lama is totally banned in Tibet.

The monk who spoke a little English told us about he object and icons and was happy for us to take pictures and video. We very carefully mentioned the fact that thee was no Dali Lama image at which the monk smiled and said ‘no Dali Lama’ we told him that we understood the difficulty and that the west is very much aware of the situation in Tibet.

It was a wonderful opportunity to speak with the monks about the Chinese situation and it was the only opportunity we had, even though we visited many more monasteries and palaces, never again were we able to speak feely with the monks due to the police following us or the risk of other monks informing. The risk of speaking about politics in or near monks or monasteries can have dire consequences not for us but for the monks and guides. Our guide told us about an unfortunate guide who had answered a political question put to him by a westerner, he was over heard by a monk who informed the police and the guide was given 15 years imprisonment. So the risk is high for both monks and guides.

On the journey we visited the Panchen Lama’s Tashilhumpu Monastery, this is the place where the Stupors (burial chambers) of all the Panchen Lama’s held. The Panchen Lama is the rank below the Dali Lama. The Dali Lama looks after the spiritual and political heath of the people of Tibet and that is why he is excluded by the Chinese who site him as a threat to Chinese rule. The Panchen Lama looks after the Spiritual well being of the people there have been 14^th Dali Lama’s and 11 Panchen Lama’s. The 10^th Panchen Lama is rumoured to have been poisoned after he was return from imprisonment by the Chinese. His tomb (stupor) is held at the Tashihumpu monastery. The 11^th Panchen Lama was taken as a child by the Chinese. There is a debate as to his whereabouts and even if he is still alive. Although I fond a book in Lhasa that showed the teaching and photos of the 11^th Panchen Lama.