IMG Gurla Mandhata 2006 Expedition

Bhaktapur - The Old City

It is difficult at best to explain Bhaktapur to someone who has not been there. It is, in many ways, a timewarp, a mideival city pockmarked with internet cafes and ATM machines next to open sewers on cobblestone streets. To a large extent, life continues in Bhaktapur as it has for centuries, a constant drumming of rituals and devotion. And, for me, it was wonderful to return once again to this favorite place of mine and to be able to share it with our team.

One of the original four principalities of the Kathmandu Valley, Bhaktapur, or Bhadgaon, was known as the City of Devotees, for it was a place of deep religion with Hinduism and Buddhism leaving poignant marks on the city as a whole. Once the valley and much of Nepal itself was united by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1768, Kathmandu (Kantipur) and Patan (Lalitpur) became the epicenters of modern Kathmandu, while Bhaktapur remained isolated, almost stuck in time.

The result is an entrancing city of fabulous achitecture - brick houses with tile roofs, intricately carved windows and doors, and stunning temples with pagoda-style roofs arching skyward - and amazing people. It is a city made for walking, and that is the best way to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and smiles of the place.

We wandered around, from Durbar Square to Golden Gate, Nyatapola to Dattatreya, enjoying the uniqueness of Bhaktapur, learning about its past, hoping for its future, and lving every minute of both.

And, today it did not rain on us, so we're hopeful that this latest bout of monsoon is weakening and we'll get to Simikot quickly.

Tomorrow we're off to Pashupatinath, the sacred Hindu temple complex along the Bagmati River - there will be lots of stories from there for certain!

Arrival in Kathmandu

After endless hours of flights, layovers, and more meals than normal humans would consume in a week, we arrived in a soggy Kathmandu this afternoon. With me were Kirk and Stuart, while David and Cynthia arrived yesterday, making us jealous tonight with their lack of jetlag.

The until-recently-hesitant monsoon decided this week to go headlong into battle with a massive deluge across western Nepal. Floods and landslides have taken more than 20 lives in the western district of Bardiya according to the papers, with more missing. So, this poor area has contended with first a drought and now floods.

Our Sherpa team is waiting things out currently in Nepalgunj as the flights to Simikot have been cancelled thanks to the storms. But, they report that the sun was poking through today, so possibly the storm will abate for a bit. I hope so not so much for us and our plans but rather to ease the struggles of the farmers out west. We'll keep our fingers crossed!

We're off to see the sights of Kathmandu in the morning, visiting the old city of Bhaktapur, the sacred grounds of Pasupatinath, and the massive stupa of Bodhanath. A full and wonderful day it will be!

Off to Nepal & Tibet!

It is Friday evening, I am wrapping up at the office after a hectic week of talks, flights, travel, packing, and visiting friends and family. But, finally, it is time to head off.

I depart Sunday morning for Nepal, arriving the afternoon of the 29th. Will update as soon as possible once I arrive!

Stay tuned...

Gurla Route on Google Earth!

For those of you who have Google Earth and are interested in seeing our climbing route through this interface, I have placemarked the camps and summit on Google's satellite images. Go here to view it in Google Earth. (C&P this if the link does not work: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=567382&page=0&vc=#Post567382)

If you do not already have Google Earth, and have some time to play with it (it is addictive!!), I highly suggest downloading this FREE program. It is, simply put, amazing! Go to http://earth.google.com/ to download and install the program, and then return to the link above to view the route overlayed on a satellite image. You will be able to zoom, tilt, and fly around Tibet like the Bodhisattva Padmasambhava, all from the comfort of your couch!

Enjoy!

The Team

The IMG Gurla Mandhata 2006 Expedition is comprised of a great team of people from all around. They are:

Jake Norton
Expedition Leader
Age 32
From Colorado
You can read about me by clicking on the "About" button on the sidebar, or learn more by visiting my website - MountainWorld Productions.

Kirk Allen
Climber
Age 46
From New Mexico
Kirk Allen is a trial attorney from Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He lives with his wife Charlotte, their horse Linus and their four dogs Dylan, Liza, Suede and Ella.  Kirk has been an avid climber for 20 years.  He has been on numerous guided and non-guided climbs throughout the world, including successful summits of Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua, Mount McKinley, Mount Parinacota in Bolivia, Mount Vinson and many peaks in the Rockies and the Cascades.  Kirk is also an experienced rock climber, most recently completing a climb of Brazo Cliffs, a classic big wall in northern NM.  He is also a student of climbing having completed numerous courses in rock and ice climbing, mountaineering and avalanche training.

Kirk’s dream was to some day climb in the Himalayas.  Kirk and friend and fellow climber, David Golden, often discussed the idea of creating their own team to attempt a peak in the Himalayas.  While ice climbing in Ouray, Colorado this January, they raised this idea with Jake Norton.  Jake was in favor of the idea, but suggested an expedition to Gurla Mandhata, instead of one of the more popular, and more crowded, peaks of the Himalaya.  Hence the Gurla Mandhata expedition was born.  Everyone is very excited about the challenge of this unique mountaineering experience.

Stuart Sloat
Climber
Age 32
From Colorado
A native of the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire, Stuart today resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he and his wife Andrea recently celebrated their first anniversary.  Drawn west for college and a love of the mountains, Colorado has been home for fourteen years and a proverbial base camp for numerous excursions to South America, Europe, Africa & Asia.   His professional career there, in commercial real estate brokerage, has allowed the ability to structure a lifestyle allowing the opportunity pursue his love for international travel.

Now 32 years old, Stuart's background in climbing began his freshman year in college with rock climbing, ice climbing and eventually mountaineering.  Coupled with his love for travel, climbing trips throughout the western United States, the volcanoes in Mexico and to the Cordillera Blanca in Peru together with the extensive climbing opportunities in his own back yard are much of inspiration behind why he is heading to Gurla Mandhata this Fall.   

Having spent a wonderful year abroad as an exchange student in Norway, Stuart readily took advantage of a semester abroad program to Nepal through Colorado College and the School for International Training in 1993.   This was his first time to a developing country and sparked interest in the amazing people, scenery and history of remote places the world holds in store.   Returning to that part of the world and continuing onward to the Tibetan Plateau & circumambulating Mt. Kailash has been a dream for years.  But combining that dream with the chance to climb one of the world’s great peaks makes this a true once in a lifetime dream trip.

David Golden, Climber, Age 46
Cynthia Dodson, Trekker, Age 46
Washington, D.C.

David Golden and Cynthia Dodson live in the Washington DC area with their two pampered Canaan Dogs, Keziah and Kaleb.  David is the co-director of Ernst & Young's capital markets tax practice group, and Cynthia is a paralegal at a DC law firm specializing in derivative financial products.  As a result, they can make fascinating conversation at parties. David has been climbing for over 15 years. 

He has climbed extensively in Alaska, the Cascades, the Sierras, the Rockies and the Alps, and he has participated in expeditions to the Himalayas, the Andes and Antarctica. Cynthia has done a little climbing but loves most to travel in exotic locales.

In the fall of 2005 David and Cynthia were members of IMG’s first Bhutan trek.  It was a spectacular experience. On the long flight back, the video programming included an episode of Michael Wood’s series In Search of Myths and Heroes.  This was the first part - In Search of Shangri-La - where Michael Wood explores the basis for the myth of Shangri-La or, as it is called in Tibetan, Shambala.  Struck by the sacred landscape and the story of a place where the people live in accordance with Buddhist precepts and prepare for the day when the world will be ready to live in peace, Cynthia declared that if she could visit there, she would be content to never travel anywhere again.

In addition to the Americans on the team, we will have an incredible group of Nepali people supporting us on our trek and climb. I have worked with all of them before, and can say they are an amazing group!

Panuru Sherpa
Sirdar
Age 38
Phortse, Khumbu, Nepal
An amazing guy and amazing climber, Panuru has been all over the place. I first worked with him in 1997 on Cho Oyu, and have been on 5 subsequent expeditions with him. I am always amazed by the scope and breadth of his climbing background - from his many Everest summits to the north side of Makalu, Panuru has been around the block and then some. He is also a graduate of the Khumbu Climbing School.

Pemba Tshiri Sherpa
Cook
Age 38
Solu, Nepal
Pemba is a great friend, and the most amazing cook - and person - I know. I have been fortunate enough to go on 7 expeditions to 8000 meter peaks with Pemba, and he never ceases to amaze me. Full of good nature and joy, Pemba works dawn till dusk to keep camp in tip-top shape and all his clients happy and healthy...and full! It will be a joy to work with him again!

Mingma Chhiring Sherpa
Climbing Sherpa
Age 34
Phortse, Khumbu, Nepal
I have been on Everest with Mingma in the past, but never worked with him specifically. But, his reputation stands before him: strong, multiple Everest summits, great person, reliable. These are just some of the words I have heard describe him. Looking forward to getting to know Mingma on the expedition!

Karma Rita Sherpa
Climbing Sherpa
Age 30
Phortse, Khumbu, Nepal
On May 18, 2002, Karma and I reached the top of Everest via the Southeast Ridge. It was the first time for both of us, and was quite a day. Snow had fallen the night before, and we had to break trail from the Balcony up to the top...It was a lot of work! We were out front because I was shooting for Discovery and needed to be in position to take good shots. Karma was a trooper on that expedition, and I have worked with him on subsequent trips - he is a great guy, incredibly strong, and a joy to climb with!

Bal Bahadur Gharti
Assistant Cook
Age 33
Solu, Nepal
While I have not met Bal Bahadur yet, I have heard great things. He is a hard worker, kind, generous, and full of laughter. From the Tamang tribe, Bal Bahadur is the only member of our official expedition team who is not Sherpa. But, that will not be an issue in the least: Bal Bahadur has already been around Kailash this summer, and has been on countless other expeditions across the Nepal Himalaya. He'll be a welcome addition to our team!

In addition to the permanent expedition team, we will of course have the help and support of many other people. Most importantly, we will employ a great many porters to help transport our equipment and supplies from Simikot in Humla to the Tibetan border town of Hilsa. While I do not yet know the porters we will have with us, I know from experience they will be an amazing group.

The porters of Nepal are a rare breed of person: strong beyond belief, kind beyond measure, and noble as anyone I have met. They work exceptionally hard, carrying heavy loads through the highest mountains in the world. Sadly, this dedicated service is often thankless, as many porters are mistreated and neglected by their expedition organizers.

I am fortunate enough to be a Board Member of Porters' Progress, a 501(3)c non-profit organization which helps the Nepali mountain porters change their lives and better their situations. Please take a moment to visit Porters' Progress and learn more about the plight of Nepali mountain porters and, more importantly, what you can do to help!

And, finally, I want to thank our expedition organizers. The trip would not have come together without the knowledge, hard work, and experience of my good friend Eric Simonson, who is co-owner of International Mountain Guides, the best guide service out there. Additionally, we have incredible resources on the ground with Great Escapes Trekking & Expeditions and the team of Ang Jangbu, Soman, Passang, and many more. Thank you!

Expedition Itinerary

The following is our itinerary for the expedition plus some additional information on the specific places, sights, and activities for the trekking portion. Amazing places!

And, here are a couple of maps to help you visualize where we are going:

August 29
Arrive Kathmandu
Today, upon our arrival in KTM, we’ll take it easy for the most part. The afternoon will be spent organizing gear and having an official expedition meeting.

August 30
Kathmandu Valley sightseeing:
Today, once we drag our jetlagged butts out of bed, we’ll take in some sights of the Kathmandu Valley. Depending on our energy levels, we’ll take an early morning walk through the spectacular bazaar of Asan Tole, near Kathmandu’s Durbar (Palace) Square. From there, we’ll head to the sacred Hindu cremation grounds of Pasupatinath, the birthplace of Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction. A magical place. Then, on Bhaktapur, the old city of the Kathmandu Valley. (Kathmandu was originally 4 principalities – Kathmandu, Patan (Lalitpur), Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon), and Kirtipur – before it was united by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1786.) If there is time and interest, we can also visit the Patan Museum, a great history of Nepal in Patan Durbar Square.

August 31
Kathmandu Final Day:
We’ll spend today making sure all our gear is in order, running last minute errands, and doing anything else we need to do in preparation for the trip ahead.

September 1
Fly to Nepalgunj, overnight in hotel:
A classic border town of the Terai, Nepalgunj sits on the Indian border and is a bustling, chaotic city. Depending on when we actually leave KTM (domestic flights in the kingdom are often a bit slow), we might have time to walk around the city to stretch our legs.

September 2
Fly to Simikot (9400 feet), trek to Darapari (7800 feet)
Yup, we go downhill today. But, that just makes for more climbing uphill! We’ll descend from Simikot into the Karnali River valley, one of the most powerful and important rivers in Nepal. We are now in the Humla region of Nepal, and the southern Humla is the home of the Thakuri people, a Hindu people with Indian origins. We’ll see some wonderful traditional dress and jewelry – as well as scenery – to keep cameras at the ready! Eventually, we’ll make it down to Darapari. The first of many nights in tents!

September 3
Trek Darapari to Danda Kermi (8400 feet)
Today we trek above the Karnali river, passing through Thakuri villages and fields of these pastoralists. The river below is choked with stones – legend has it these were silver fish swimming up the holy Ganges and could go no further! There are also waterfalls coming down the valley – good shower opportunities! Camp in the small village of Danda Kermi.

September 4
Trek Danda Kermi to Yalbang Gompa (8800 feet)
We’ll start the day by climbing from Danda Kermi to Kermi, the first village inhabited by the Buddhist people of Humla, a people of Tibetan descent. We’ll pass by some bubbling sulfur hot springs on the way. As we climb out of the Karnali valley toward the Soli La – our first pass (9570 feet) – we’ll get out of the rice fields and into pine forest and buckwheat fields. Tonight we’ll camp at or near the gompa (monastery) of Yalbang.

September 5
Trek Yalbang Gompa to Tumkot Khola (9240 feet)
We’ll follow a path made of stone and timbers which follows the Karnali river, at times coming quite close to its raging waters. After crossing the river, we’ll climb to the police checkpost (if it is still in extistence – probably Maoist now) in Muchu. We’ll pass through the village and make a gradual descent to our camp on the river.

September 6
Trek Tumkot Khola to Thado Dunga (12,540 feet)
We’ll climb straight from Tumkot out of the Karnali valley to a ridgecrest at 10,230 feet. We’ll follow the ridgecrest through juniper forests through the small village of Palbang with a school and small store, and on to the town of Yari where we’ll make our camp at Thado Dunga. Time and weather permitting, we can make a small trek above Yari and Dzungjen to a ridgecrest offering views of the Saipal Himal.

September 7
Trek Thado Dunga to Hilsa over Nara La (11,550 feet)
A sharp climb out of Thado Dunga takes us for 3-4 hours to the Nara La (or Lagna in the local dialect), whose 14,400 foot height is marked by a chorten and prayer flags. We’ll walk around the chorten clockwise, keeping our left side away from the holy site, and let out the traditional high-point celebration of La-sososososososoooooooo! Looking north, we can gaze onto the barren plains of Tibet, an amazing contrast to the fertile valleys we’ve been walking through. With luck, as we descend toward Hilsa, we’ll pass traders coming from Tibet to Nepal carrying salt, or Nepal to Tibet bringing rice from the lowlands. We’ll regain our friend, the Karnali, in Sher, and camp again on its banks.

September 8
Trek Hilsa to Sher and drive to Mansarovar (14,652 feet)
A short trek takes us to Sher, an old salt trading post on the border of Tibet. We’ll meet our liaison officer from the CTMA, hop into Landcruisers, and make the rugged drive north across the plains to Mansarovar. If we have time, we can stop at Khojarnath, a monastery the somehow escaped destruction during the Cultural Revolution and is home to many impressive artworks as well as a stuffed snow leopard and Tibetan wolf. Continuing north over the Gurla La (15,147 feet) we’ll get great views of Kailash as well as, of course, our mountain, Gurla Mandhata. We’ll make camp on the shores of holy Mansarovar, perhaps with pilgrims making the kora.

September 9
Mansarovar to Darchen (14,850 feet)
This morning, we’ll take time to enjoy the beauty of the lake, bathing in its cleansing waters and making a visit to Chiu Gompa which sits upon a cliff above the lake, has wonderful views, and enshrines a sacred Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) cave, the mystic who flew across Tibet on a Bengal tiger and was responsible for bringing Buddhism to Tibet. This afternoon, we drive 2 hours to Darchen, the pilgrim’s gateway to the Kailash kora.

September 10
Darchen to Dri Ra Phuk gompa (16,533 feet)
A gentle walk on a good path takes us north through the Lha Chu Valley (Valley of the Gods), past the Kangnyi chorten (two legged chorten) and towering cliffs that are the home of protective deities. Tibetan drokpa, or nomads, live here, raising their herds of yak and sheep. We make camp below Dri Ra Phuk gompa with stunning views of Kailash’s north face.

September 11
Dri Ra Phuk to Zutul Phuk Gompa (15,906 feet)
A steep climb brings us up a glacial moraine and past the Shiwa Tsal “cemetery”, a spot where Tibetans leave a piece of clothing or a drop of blood to symbolize leaving their past lives behind them. We continue climb upward to the Dolma La (18,579 feet), marked by prayer flags and a huge mani stone dedicated to the goddess Dolma. On the descent, we pass by the frozen waters of Gourikund Lake and enter the Zhong Chu valley, making camp near the 13th century Zutul Phuk Gompa after 6-8 hours of walking. A great day!

September 12
Zutul Phuk to Tirthapuri (14,982 feet) via Darchen
An easy 3 hour walk leads us out of the Zhong Chu above a narrow gorge. Once back in Darchen, we drive 3 hours to Tirthapuri to complete the Kailash kora. One of the holiest sites in all of Tibet, Tirthapuri is where Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) meditated and performed miracles centuries ago. Hot springs at the site are where legend says the demon god Bhasmasure was burned to death.

September 13
Drive Tirthapuri to Tholing
Today we begin the excursion to the amazing Guge Kingdom ruins, starting at Tholing Monastery. The most important and influential monastery of historic West Tibet, Tholing was built in the 11th century by Rinchen Zangpo. He and Atisha, an Indian king, were responsible for the revival of Buddhism in Tibet. So strong was Tholing that its influence once spread from Kashmir in the west all the way to Assam in NE India! While much of Tholing was destroyed or damaged by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, many wonderful aspects and artworks remain. With luck, we’ll have views to the SE stretching all the way to Nanda Devi in India!!

September 14
Tholing to Tsaparang
Today we’ll go to the remains of the famed Guge Kingdom and its capital of Tsaparang. Founded in the 9th century by Wosung Langdarma, the Guge Kingdom is home to over 100 monasteries and was a focal point of Buddhism in Tibet until 1630 when it was overthrown by angry Buddhists upset about the spread of Christianity in Tibet by Portuguese missionaries aided by Guge. Fortunately, much of Guge escaped destruction during the Cultural Revolution, and remains one of the most culturally rich – and least visited – places in all of Tibet. Lama Govinda and Li Gotama visited it in 1948 and wrote:

After the Valley of the Moon Castle and the awe-inspiring canyons on the way to Tholing, we feared that perhaps Tsaparang would come as an anti-climax or at least something that could not compete with the natural wonders through which we had passed. But when, on the last lap of our journey – while emerging from a gorge and turning the spur of a mountain – we suddenly beheld the lofty castles of the ancient city of Tsaparang, which seemed to be carved out of the solid rock of an isolated, monolithic mountain peak, we gasped with wonder and could hardly believe our eyes.

Should be amazing!

September 15

Spare day – either continue visiting Tsaparang or more exploration of Tholing and the environs. We shall see!

September 16
Drive back to Tirthapuri
Another day in the saddle, but after some amazing places, sights, and sounds!

September 17
On to the mountain! Today we drive to Gurla Mandhata Basecamp!!!

About the Expedition & Gurla Mandhata

Mt. Gurla Mandhata or Naimona’nyi
Nalakankar Himal, Tibet
7,728 meters/25,502 feet
Autumn, 2006

While Mount Everest is in many ways still the zenith of climbing, it has recently become a circus of sorts with ramshackle expeditions running roughshod up the mountain with little regard for ethics and safety. Thus our team, like many other climbers, have a strong desire to go to remote peaks that are little known, rarely climbed, and yet offer a true alpine experience away from the crowds. Gurla Mandhata, or Fairy’s Peak in Tibetan, is just such a mountain…few have heard of it and fewer have seen it.

In late August, 2006, I will lead a group of climbers to remote Gurla Mandhata. We will begin our adventure along the ancient pilgrimage route to holy Mount Kailash, the sacred peak for Hindus and Buddhists. Starting in the remote Nepali village of Simikot in the Far West Region of Nepal, we will trek northward, crossing into Tibet via the Lechu La near Hilsa. From there, we will continue north to Kailash to complete a sacred kora, or circumambulation, of the holy mountain.

After the kora, we will head south once more to establish Gurla Mandhata Basecamp at the foot of the Zalompa Glacier. The team will climb along a route pioneered by Tom Longstaff in 1905 (but not climbed until 1985), following the Northwest Ridge through three camps to the 25,502 foot summit…the fourth highest peak wholly in Tibet.

If successful, the 2006 American Gurla Mandhata Expedition will be the 13th party to reach the top of this Himalayan giant, and from my research we will be the first American team to do so.

Introduction

Welcome to the Gurla Mandhata 2006 Expedition blog.

Here you will find information about the 2006 Expedition, team biographies, climb information, and ongoing dispatches as we travel from remote West Nepal across into Tibet and up the 7694 meter Gurla Mandhata.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for more!