Expedition
Journal
"Clip
in" and follow along with our
Spring 2006 Cho Oyu Expedition
You can track our team's journey with this online Travel
Journal and find out who were the real heroes
of our Cho Oyu expedition.
For your
reference, we also have included an Expedition
Schedule and links to the excellent website ExplorersWeb
which provides updates on all expeditions in the Everest region,
high Himalaya, and Karakoram--Nepal, China, Pakistan. Here
is also a site from China with
updates on climbing, trekking, and travel conditions in Tibet
and other parts of China.
We invite
corporations, individuals, businesses, and other organizations
to support our Friendship Beyond Borders team and the inspiration
they provide to amputees and other people around the world.
Here are the ways you can join our team as Sponsors
and Contributors.
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Special
thanks to our sponsor I-LINX
of Washington, DC for their
generous communication logistics support of our expedition.
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Flights
Monday,
April 3, 2006
Tom, Pete, and Linda arrive in Beijing (elevation 114 ft /
35 ml) via United Airlines. They rendezvous with George Patterson
and prepare for Air China flights to Lhasa tomorrow.
Tuesday,
April 4, 2006
Spectacular Air China flight over Eastern Himalaya leaves
us breathless in Lhasa (3350m / 12,000ft above sea level).
Reeling from vertical 12,000 feet of elevation gain in a few
hours! Resting at Himalayan Hotel, taking Diamox to adjust.
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Overland
Wednesday,
April 5, 2006
Buying camping and trekking supplies in Lhasa, trying to acclimatize
successfully, preparing for arduous road trip to Cho Oyu.
Thursday,
April 6, 2006
Our
expedition facilitator from Xinjiang sends us off with the
two cooks he is providing for our expedition (who don't speak
English) and a problematic truck loaded with equipment for
our base camp. Tibet Mountaineering Association
official arranges for us to travel by Land Cruiser ahead of
the equipment truck. Stunning landscapes and quaint Tibetan
villages along the drive from Lhasa to Shigatse on paved roads.
Still trying to acclimatize as we drive to higher elevation
of Shigatse: 12,800 feet / 3900 meters.
Friday,
April 7, 2006
Drive from Shigatse to Tingri:
Off the end of the pavement for hundreds of long miles. Up
and over two high passes: Tso La (14,760 ft / 4500m) and Gyatso
La 17,225 ft / 5250m). Torturous, roads:
rough, rocky, dusty, endless sections loaded with dangerous
blind curves and oncoming trucks, all under construction,
with aspirations of carrying a tourism bonanza in future years.
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Unforgettable
Tingri
Saturday,
April 8, 2006
A glimpse of life in the town that briefly hosts almost
all expeditions coming to the Tibetan Himalaya--T ingri (14,300
ft). Then on to Chinese Base Camp 16,127 ft at foot of Cho
Oyu.
Chinese Base
Camp 16,127 ft
Sunday,
April 9, 2006
Settling in at Chinese Base Camp with yaks and yak herders.
Hoping to check the weather forecasts.
Monday,
April 10, 2006
Snow and windstorm prevent movement upward to Advanced
Base Camp.
Tuesday,
April 11, 2006
Dealing with problems with self-destructing Base Camp tents
and faulty electrical generator.
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Advanced Base
Camp 18,600 ft
Wednesday,
April 12, 2006
Most of team departs Chinese Base Camp for Middle Camp,
then Advanced Base Camp; Tom descends to
Tingri (14,300 ft) with Linda to recover from sinus infection.
Taking medications.
Thursday,
April 13, 2006
Most of team moving from Middle Camp to Advanced Base Camp;
Tom and Linda still in Tingri.
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Awaiting Needed
Tents
Friday,
April 14, 2006
Most of team at Advanced Base Camp; Tom and Linda stay
at
Tingri (14,300 ft) to await strong base camp tents being sent
to Tingri from western China.
Saturday,
April 15, 2006
Still awaiting crucially-needed tents in Tingri; Tom recovering
from sinus infection.
Easter
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Replacement tents have not arrived yet. Weather turning stormy
and very cold, unsettled. Winter not yet over?
Monday,
April 17, 2006
Information received on crucially-needed tents; Tom's condition
improves.
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Trapped in Tingri
Tuesday,
April 18, 2006
Tom and Linda prepare to return to Cho Oyu to rejoin our
team. Information received on crucially-needed
tents; Tom's condition improves. Major snow storm begins and
lasts for days.
Wednesday,
April 19, 2006
Huge snow storm lashes the region. Tom and Linda wait in Tingri
for a vehicle to take them back to Cho Oyu, but all passes
are closed and TMA vehicles cannot get to us in Tingri.
Thursday,
April 20, 2006
Tom and Linda have chance to depart tomorrow for Chinese Base
Camp and trek up mountain to rejoin team.
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Back to Cho
Oyu
Friday,
April 21, 2006
Returning to Chinese Base Camp for trek to Middle Camp
(17,500 ft) and rejoin team at Advanced Base Camp.
Saturday,
April 22, 2006
Tom and Linda trek to Middle Camp, expect to rejoin team
at Advanced Base Camp the following day.
Crisis on the
Mountain
Sunday,
April 23, 2006
Linda stays one more day at Middle Camp as Tom meets with
our team at Advanced Base Camp. Late that night, Tom
descends from Advanced Base Camp with news from our team of
huge problems with our cooks and tents. Linda plans to fire
the cooks and take over Base Camp kitchen needs for the expedition
members.
No Way Back
Monday,
April 24, 2006
Tom and Linda set out together
in the morning
for Advanced Base Camp to sort out all issues hindering success
of the team at ABC. Just before reaching ABC, Tom and Linda
encounter our team descending from ABC. They have given away
all the team's high altitude food and fuel, packed up all
the equipment, and are headed for Chinese Base Camp. An Austrian
team has taken over our team's location at ABC. This erases
all possibilities of trying to reorganize our team and climb
higher on the mountain. After much discussion, the team descends
to Chinese Base Camp that night, except for Linda, who sleeps
at Middle Camp to rest.
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Leaving Cho
Oyu
Tuesday,
April 25, 2006
Linda receives note from Tom in the early morning advising
that she descend to Chinese Base Camp as soon as possible.
Local yak herders refuse to help her unless their demands
for extra payment are met. She responds by driving the yaks
herself to Chinese Base Camp (CBC). Unexpected arrangements
have been made at CBC by Mr. Dorjee to have US team members
driven to Lhasa immediately. Nepali team members are driven
to the Nepali border where they take ground transport to Kathmandu.
US team members sleep over in Shigatse because of icy roads
further along the route near Lhasa.
Wednesday,
April 26, 2006
US team members travel from Shigatse to Lhasa, where they
will stay two nights before flying back to Beijing.
Thursday,
April 27, 2006
US team members enjoy good weather for a day of sightseeing
in Lhasa.
Friday,
April 28, 2006
US team members meet with representatives of Tibet Mountaineering
Association to finalize issues of equipment and travel for
the expedition. Tibetan dance presentation at dinner.
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Back to Beijing
Saturday,
April 29, 2006
US team members fly from Lhasa to Beijing.
Sunday,
April 30, 2006
Pete and Linda tour the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, and other
tourism sights in the Beijing region. Tom stays at hotel to
recover from illnesses, George visits friends in Beijing.
Monday,
May 1, 2006
Major national holiday: "Workers Day" in China (formerly
"May Day")
Pete,
George, and Linda brave the huge crowds to visit The Forbidden
City and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Pete is a standout hit
with the Chinese--many want their pictures taken with him.
Tom still trying to recover from sinus infection and giardia.
Tuesday,
May 2, 2006
US team members depart from Beijing and fly back to California
and Colorado.
Wednesday,
May 3, 2006
US team members back home. Expedition follow ups begin.
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