Hard times, high places & happy faces

If you’ve been following us on Spot Tracker you’ll know we made it into the Tibetan Autonomous Region! Nearly a week later than planned but it was worth the wait.

Once again, we departed the Last Resort, border bound, a palpable sense of nervous anticipation in the air. We would not get stamped out of Nepal until we had the nod our China paperwork was all in order and being the first working day after the moon cake festival it could be a little while. Hourly rendez-vous with the group by the immigration office, we eventually had the go ahead. Across the red line we went, followed by Calypso, we held back our celebrations until we were really through. Bags were x-rayed twice, customs officials persuaded to let Mark keep his Gurkha knife, Bree & Linc weren’t so lucky when they took offence to their Central Asia and China Lonely Planets. The group successfully through we then waited for customs to search the truck. Hours passed and once again we were warned Calypso may have to return to Nepal. Further enquiries revealed the delay was due to the customs official being stuck a little way up the road.

Leaving Nepal once again

Rambo was sent up the hill to fetch him, returning a short while later. The delay worked in our favour as it was already nearly an hour after the border should have closed. The truck only briefly searched, we managed to hold on to our cheese, bacon, chicken and milk. We were through! A minor miracle we had crossed at all that day. It was here that Rambo, our guide for our stay in China, and Tsewang our local Tibetan guide joined us.

Looking back to Kodari from China!

Rogs looking at the bridge between Nepal & China

The next challenge, as light started to fade, was to negotiate 8km of switchbacks up the hill to Zhangmu, the small border town. Narrow enough already due to constant landslides but now down to a single lane as truck after truck lined up ready for the border the next day. Inching our way round the bends and forcing vehicles coming the other way to reverse, including an amusing 5 minutes watching a police car with driver who it seemed had never driven before, jerkily zig zag his way back up the hill. We breathed a collective sigh of relief on reaching our hotel and the knowledge slowly sinking in that we were now really in Tibet.

Narrow road up to Zhangmu

The celebrations for the crew stopped abruptly on being delivered the news that had been waiting for us to enter the country. Our permits could not be extended as previously indicated, we would have to reach certain places on set dates and would still have to leave China on our original date, before another week long festival began. The knock on effect meant we had to make the difficult decision not to visit Everest Base Camp. It would have meant climbing dangerously high far too fast. Late night phone calls and emails and a plan was put in place. We would still ascend higher, faster than originally planned but had no other option. When China says jump, you jump.

Early the next morning in the dark we broke the news to the group. Guzzling water and Diamox to assist with the acclimatization to altitude we set off. Minutes later the truck lost power and died. Starved of fuel yet again. We would need some more lucky charms. A repeat of the previous problem with dirt and grime clogging the pipes courtesy of dirty fuel picked up somewhere along the line. Four hours later and we were thankfully on the move.

Deja vu in Zhangmu

Friendship Highway

Lunging competition at a high pass

A big night for the trip as mid to late afternoon we searched for our first bushcamp. A disused quarry presented itself, we do love a quarry camp and it served our purpose well. Small hills providing shelter for the tents when the wind built up. A tasty chilli con carne dinner and early to bed for an even chillier night. The night only interrupted by the constant zip zip of tents. The side of effects of Diamox as well as increased water consumption at altitude saw us all relieve ourselves numerous times during the night. Some going four times before 1am!

First bush camp

Serving up the first camp feast

Tsewang and Rambo

Hitting the road the next day, after a record breaking first loo stop request after 23 minutes, we started to appreciate the scenery around us. Tibetan villages dotting the roadside, heavily decorated windows and doors, all with the obligatory China flag flying. Locals wearing traditional dress out toiling in the fields, collecting yak dung for fuel in the winter. Climbing higher each hour, the contrast between dry earth and sky making the colours even more vivid. Rising to a crescendo of colour at high passes, decorated with hundreds of prayer flags.

Local women examining mayonnaise at a lunch stop

More spectators. I wonder what they're looking at?

Calypso at a high pass

Spot the crew

Sue

Tibetan house

Local dress

After a night in a welcome hotel in New Tingri, and hot showers for those that didn’t have holes in their baths or ceilings hadn’t collapsed, our destination the next day was Shigatse. We were in for a huge treat a short way into the drive. Tsewang quietly telling us we should get a good view of Everest, if we were lucky. Scanning ahead there was nothing but hills, “oh behind us” he said nonchalantly. A glance in the wing mirrors took our breath away. There completely clear was Mt. Everest, known locally as Mt. Chomolungma, standing proud and tall. Even the local trucks were stopping to admire. The disappointment of not reaching base camp vanished in an instant, we’d missed nothing but a bumpy 16 hour detour with guaranteed skull splitting headaches and possibly worse.

Everest!

Happy group with a view of Everest!

Which way?

Contradictory to being told to hurry we were now restricted to at times ridiculous time trials, at one section being given two hours to drive 60km. We whiled away the time to avoid arriving early with extended loo stops and a quick game of badminton. Crossing our highest pass so far at 5,220m we stopped for photos, Rambo living up to his name by doing press ups at the top, although wearing white gloves so his hands didn’t get dirty, Adrian gave him a run for his money with a few of the one armed variety.

Everest poses on top of the truck

Adrian giving Rambo a run for his money

Calypso gets some prayer flags

Reaching Shigatse, Tibet’s 2^nd largest city, and the first of our enforced deadlines to apply for our China driving licenses and truck MOT, the group split in different directions. The group and Tsewang to Tashilunpo Monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and the size of a small village.

Tashilunpo monastery in Shigatse

Prayer wheels

The crew and Rambo headed to the delights of the police station and MOT testing site for more hours of hair pulling, eye tests, missing paperwork and bureaucracy.

Returning the next day with the necessary documents and having a ride in a police car to the driving test site to retrieve the only official able to examine our China road rule awareness. On settling down into his oversized leather desk chair back at his office he advised us to be particularly careful of tractors at this time of year. We nodded keenly and passed the final test. The group all the while waiting patiently once again at the hotel for news of a departure time. Everything in order after lunch we made a sprint for Lhasa to meet our next deadline to sort out yet more paperwork before, yes you guessed it, another holiday, this time a seven day national holiday.

Waiting, waiting at the police station

Road rules in China

Watch out for these guys

The Odyssey back-up vehicle, Top Gear style

Shigatse's version of the Terracotta Warriors outside the hotel

As Lhasa neared we had reached the end of the 865km Friendship Highway from Kathmandu. We were struck by the Chinese modernity of the area as the road turned to brand new highway, giant billboard advertisements and construction all around, not quite the quaint spiritual centre of the Tibetan world one might imagine. Thankfully the grand Potala Palace remains, standing proudly on a hill, dwarfing the ever-expanding city below.

We settled in for 4 nights in Lhasa and toured some of the thousand rooms of the Potala Palace, watched pilgrims prostrating at the Jokhang Temple and monks debating animatedly at the Sera Monastery. We wandered the back streets of the old town and soaked up the jasmine scented atmosphere.

Dodgy mannequins

Group in front of the Potala Palace

Hels & Vicky

Prostrating pilgrims

Picnic in front of the Potala Palace

Mark & Rogs rebel and find the hotel "roof terrace"

Stunning Potala Palace at night

Debating monks at the Sera Monastery

With only a few birthdays on the trip we decided to add in another unofficial one, Dr. Bruce’s name was picked out of a hat, he then had a selection of ages to pull out and got the number 50, one he’d passed a few years before but could still pull off convincingly. Dr. Bruce, also known as Birthday Diva, set a theme of “I can’t believe you wore that!”. Creative hats were put on and markets scoured for suitable, or unsuitable clothing. Thermal underpants on the outside were a popular theme. Hotel staff stared open-mouthed as we posed for pictures outside the hotel before skipping along the street to the restaurant. The slightly lower altitude and acclimatisation allowed us a few beers. A fun night was had by all at the Western friendly Dunya restaurant, they’d need to be with our outfits, and we devoured sizzling yak steaks and burgers.

Fancy dress!

Robbie looking outrageous

Vicky & Mark

Birthday boy Bruce & Sue

Hels & Rogs

Sam & Mindy

Bree & Linc

Rich "I can't believe you wore that"

Amusing the hotel staff

Enroute to the restaurant

Rich & Mark striking a pose

Bruce B

Bar "bra"

Mindy, Adrian, Rambo & Linc

Phill, Rae & Suzie

Robbie wins the fancy dress competition

Dr Bruce

We bid Lhasa a fond farewell the next morning for a three-day, 1,100km drive across the barren Tibetan plateau, also labeled the third pole. We discovered why that night after finding a striking bushcamp we nicknamed “Tibetan Skyfall” for its landscape and derelict building, which provided us with wood for our first campfire with the few wooden doorframes that remained. The temperature plummeted and snow began to fall in time for supper to be served. Bellies full of warming food and tea, a huddle round the campfire and it was time for bed.

The Tibetan plateau

Skyfall bushcamp

Wild horses galloping past camp

Men gathering wood

Vicky mountaineering above camp

Huddling up for dinner as a blizzard blows in

Dave taking cover

Tsewang, Robbie & Rambo

First campfire

The next day we said goodbye to smiling Tsewang at Amdo, the border of Tibet, who would take a train back to his home and family in a small farming community just outside Lhasa. A full day’s stunning drive over some more 5,000m passes. Ever increasing snow around us. After a ½ hour off road drive we found a spacious plateau with views across to the mountains, our highest camp to date at 4,765m, the sun even came out late afternoon to warm our cockles.

Bye bye Tsewang

Frozen prayer flags

Dave

Tan & Rich

Convoy of hundreds of army trucks

Another fine bushcamp

Afternoon sunshine

Cook group

The night was to be the final challenge in our Tibetan endurance test. Freezing temperatures and thin air, the truck water tank froze overnight as well as water bottles inside our tents. Thank goodness for the -20 diesel we’d filled up with along the way. Driving back to the main road in the morning we were treated to a spectacle of wildlife, from small moles scurrying down their holes, huge rabbits making a run for it, deer and birds of prey playing tag with the truck, sitting not quite long enough for a photo, then as we approached flying a few metres ahead.

Little moles

Oh dear

More spectacular scenery

We eventually dropped down off the Tibetan plateau to Golmud for a night and then made a final push onto Dunhuang which marks the beginning of our journey along the historic Silk Road and our turning point West.

Camel crossing

Roman road heading down to the desert

Finding our first desert bushcamp nestled under the dunes near Dunhuang we enjoyed the new found heat of China, drank sundowners and cooked on an open fire all to the sound of a newly compiled cheesy truck playlist. With the going down of the sun we were able to sit and gaze up at a super starry night. Our calm evening turned into a windy sandstorm during the night, grains finding their way in to tents through the smallest of holes.