Jeanne drove me to airport for a 7:40 AM departure. I think we were both more emotionally upset than we expected to be, and John and Joyce were certainly so. Got away on time and I was a little depressed all the way to Denver, where Althaea and Tracy were on hand to say hello. Both were looking fine. On to New York, arriving at sundown. Worked hard transferring 10 duffels from United to Air-India, there we got red carpet passes to the Maharajah Room for free drinks. Called Jeanne - feeling fine, both of us, by now. Marstons: A. P. and Michael. Michael monumentally unfit, says he is only 41, walking testimony to misspent life, carrying bag of pills (just like me???), only looks older than me (55). Michael was dressed like a bum and half drunk when we got there. Both must be wealthy, A.P. riding 1st class just to get free drinks!! But in spite of incongruous appearance they are both natural, don't put on airs and I hope to to enjoy their company.
Depart New York on time in Air-India 747 - we go on the new one which replaces the one which blew up! They only have 4.
Flying over broken cloud cover, now less than 50%, no land visible. The incongruity of local time vs. GMT is very pronounced. Moon is less than 1/2, following Saturn by about 20 degrees.
Just light enough to see white specks of breaking swells in ocean below.
100% clouds beneath. Not long until dawn.
Sunrise! Can't see sun but wings are in sunlight. Now the tops of the clouds even though the shadow of the horizon is still sloping upwards away from the sun. Wish I had an air almanac!
Suddenly a great sensation of speed as clouds rush by beneath.
Landed London in foggy overcast 300' ceiling. Heathrow chaotic as ever. Forced off plane into terminal where AP bought 4 bottles of Scotch and a carton of cigarettes. John and I bought nothing. Michael still unconscious sleeping off last night's booze, looking more like a bum than ever. Rest of day spent waiting in Orly and Frankfort am Main airports not allowed to get out of plane. Finally left Frankfort 1430 GMT 1730 Kuwait time. Now (2030 Kuwait time) waiting for dinner. Dead tired, but can't sleep. AP is in 1st class drinking - Michael not visible. No sense being anywhere different, just one airport after another.
Indian standard time is GMT + 5 1/2 hours. Delhi was socked in so we went on to Bombay, arrived at about 0800. Will have to wait until 1300 for ride back to Delhi and are stuck in "Transit Area" with 6 or 8 shops selling "duty free", one liquor store and a tea stand. Fans just came on, blowing dust all over. Temp. only 72 outside but pretty sticky. Flight down scenery fascinating - climax was the squalor of houses surrounding Bombay Airport. The waiting room is dirty.
We waited in Bombay airport transit area until 1530 for transfer to New Delhi. Construction project at airport - all hand labor - 3 women carrying water for concrete, 6 men working aimlessly, eventual object putting some concrete. No power tools, even hand tools are antiques. Little labor gangs all around airport. The women do the carrying, in baskets 16" diameter on their heads. Finally off for 1-1/2 hr. flight to Delhi, where we had great confusion arranging to have baggage kept safely until next morning. John did a fine job coping with local officials. We joined forces with Kurt Diemberger and his companion who are off to Makalu. Out pile of luggage is impressive - 10 bags for John and me (2 for me), 10 bags for AP and Michael. Michael sits around in alcoholic trance all the time - he is no help at anything. AP bought a 6 pack of Johnny Walker Black Label for Michael and M. sits around either drinking the booze or nodding in a stupor.
At New Delhi the airline gave us vouchers for hotel rooms - we took cab into city. Driving incredible - honking constantly, left hand driving - every sort of conveyance on road from buffalo carts, donkey carts, bicycles, Vespas, motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks. Little games of chicken w. approaching cars.
At hotel a welcome bath, some beer & sitdown dinner. John & I took a short walk on the streets after - people making beds to sleep on streets. Smell of human excrement everywhere. No police - soldiers patrol streets. Shops in hotel selling shoddy looking jewelry - fast talking Indians. Didn't seem so cheap. All stores take VISA cards. Had good sleep - weather not hot - about 65 deg. outside when we went to bed.
Up at 5 AM Sunday, quick breakfast in room then into cab to airport. I forgot about my passport @ hotel desk, fortunately John had them all. At airport 0600, mob scene. John found the right line and got at the head of it. No movement then for 15 or 20 minutes as people gathered. Then an hour of frantic dashing back and forth by John while we guarded his rucksack. All the time Michael was nodding off in an alcoholic stupor. At last we moved little by little through various lines - Indian emigration security check - that guy must have been gay, he took so long at the body check. Then onto bus, thence to plane way out on air strip, where we counted our baggage again and got on the plane. Flight to Kathmandu gradually approaching the mountains, past Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, over plains at the foot of the foothills, with enormous braided streams running out of the hills across the plains. Across the foothills with terraced fields to Kathmandu, not as far as I thought it would be. Dry landscape, hills sparsely tree-covered. At Kathmandu airport Kim Schmitz met us. He is a tall, raw-boned man with high cheek bones, light blue eyes, and a perpetual smile. Reminds one of a benevolent Jack Palance. The bags sent through customs without opening, purchased visa, then via cab to Yellow Pagoda Hotel, known locally as Yellow Peril. AP and I share a room while Michael retires to a room of his own, not to be seen again! He looks as bad as ever - the excuse this time is flu!
Lunch at hotel - curry gave me heartburn, then off to the bazaar. Found a book in bookstore about New Zealand Jannu expedition. Afternoon in bazaar, an incredible collection of sights and sounds. As soon as I entered bazaar, a kid got me with the "shit-on-shoe" trick - "Hey, meester, you have some shit on your shoe. Let me clean it off for you." I gradually caught on as he smeared the shit around on my shoe. I washed the shoes the next day.
I'm going to need more antihistamine. The dust here is fierce. AP & I went through bazaar looking for pharmacy & batteries. Found both - found 25 mg Benadryl for 22 rupees per 100. Later at same store 14 rupees per 100 from different clerk - 1st guy ripped me off! 1/4 gn. codeine sulfate 15 R/100. Then paid too much for flashlight batteries - got my decimal point in the wrong place (pd. 330 R for 6!) AP had a terrible time cashing $1000.00 in traveler's checks and finally had to go to main office at bank, which was in an old palace with an air of decay on enormous grounds. Afternoon in bazaar again, fell asleep by 5 PM and missed dinner, but pretty well caught up on sleep now.
Met Mike Covington, Fantasy Ridge Guide Service.
Kim, John and I went to a Hindu religious festival at the source of Ganges at Kathmandu. It was a special holy day and thousands of pilgrims were there from all over India. Temple consisted of great assortment of very old buildings on both sides of river, many containing bells, many others containing lingams worn smooth by centuries of polishing. Women wanting children ride the lingam which is supposed to guarantee a fertile union. They are usually a foot high and 4" to 6" diameter, rounded at the top. Offerings of yellow flowers are placed on them.
Temples are surrounded by streets with shops mostly having food for pilgrims. Stands lining road selling beads, flowers, powdered dies. A mark of die is placed on forehead. Also used to put a mark on an idol, as if it were a sacrifice.
The crowds were immense. I suppose 10,000 people were there. Many camped in open grounds surrounding temples, others in temple porches. Beggars everywhere. People carry a pocket full of rice and toss a few grains of rice on the cloth laid out in front of beggar. Some had coins as well. A Saddhu who put on a good act did better - he had a fistful of rupees.
Pilgrims bathing in the river next to a field dotted with human shit. Funeral pyres burning, body wrapped in white cloth, fire built with logs laid like log house about 2' high, too short for body, legs hanging over the end. An infant corpse wrapped in white cloth lying on steps next to water.
Constant parade of people bathing - they have to totally immerse, drinking some of the water, which is fearfully dirty. Women are not embarrassed about baring upper trunk, but keep covered from waist down. Men often wear only a loincloth. Each carries a brass vessel which is used to scoop up water and pour it over head and body.
Everywhere the ground and parapets are covered with drying cloths (saris?) and the common sight is to see two people standing holding each end of a cloth to dry it.
The smell of hash is common. We see a few Caucasians sitting around smoking.
Upstream a glade, not so crowded, with monkeys playing, people bathing, somehow looks more like locals just taking a bath. Two Saddhus, one bathing, then waiting to dry and rubbing himself with ashes from a funeral pyre. I gave him a rupee and took his picture. He wanted a copy of it and I explained, with the help of a passerby, that the picture had to be made in the USA. He said "will you send me one?" I said "yes, but where will I send it?" He said maybe he would come to that place next year, but he wasn't sure.
Visited Kim's rug manufacturing friend in bazaar - A Tibetan with beautiful Tibetan wife. He served us rakshi (millet moonshine) - very strong - and chyang (millet beer) and Tibetan cookies. His rugs are nice and he would make a rug with symbols for "OM MANI PADME OOM" if I agree to hang it on the wall and not walk on it.
Went with Sonam Girmi to Tibetan restaurant, drank rum and tea, a favorite here, too. Sonam is a tiger - he has been to Everest South Col. Was on 1959 Jannu expedition. He is shorter than I am, thin, smokes constantly. He speaks Tibetan, Sherpa, Ghurkali, English, French and German.
He went on one Japanese expedition and will never go again. He says they are suicide climbers who care nothing for the Sherpas - the Sherpa mortality rate is very high on Japanese climbs.
Sonam will help me get a Khukri in Chainpur, Dhankuta or Taplejung. He says the best ones are there.
Michael is coming back to normal - he says he was taking some medication which put him under.
When one stops walking, the little kids gather like flies. "Hello, suh" With any encouragement they follow, making pests of themselves.
Sweepers and dust (trash) carriers on the streets. Are they part of the Kathmandu street dept?
A Tibetan beggar with fur cap and staff, going into each doorway with a chant. Not holding out a dish as many beggars do.
Little kid at festival trying to guide us and explain customs. Soldier removed him at least 3 times, but he came back all but the last.
Beggar coming to doorway of bookstore with nothing but a piteous moan. Goes away. Comes back. Everyone acts as if he were invisible.
Passing under large trees in rickshaw, thousands of birds, one scored direct hit on my glasses.
An old woman with two goats brings them up on the terrace of the temple and finds them a few blades of grass to graze on.
Woodsellers with their bundles arrayed along the edge of a street in the square. Vendor of curios has all his wares arranged neatly on cloths on the first step of a temple pyramid. Base of enormous pyramidal mound of dirt built up stepwise. Concrete risers (or brick) treads are dirt with a few weeds. A flight of steps on center of one side gives access.
On the town last night. I, John, Kim, Mike Covington, Skip, Al Reid, Jennifer, AP, Michael. Between Roskelley, Kim Schmitz, Mike Covington & Skip we have an awesome assemblage of climbing talent. Mike has climbed with Reinhold Messner and will again when the relationship between Messner & Peter Habeler changes. Messner is the dominant and Peter the subordinate (dependent?) in a relationship in which the two are very dependent on each other. Mike simply describes it as very strange.
After breakfast I strolled downtown through bazaar to the square with the temples. People bring their goods and products to sell. Wood, vegetables, curios and gimcracks. Curio seller spreads all out on a step of the temple pyramid on cloths. He passes a burning stick of incense over all to perfume the air then inserts the stick in the ground upwind. Constant bustle of activity, cabs and pedicabs and bearers coming and going. Streets leading away from temple all have shops; in fact, there are shops everywhere. This is the greatest collection of entrepreneurs! Either in little cubicles in buildings lining the streets or on the streets.
A kid (or adult) sets up a box the size of an apple box, covers it, lines up rows of some kind of cookie. Another had a smoky little fire or even a candle in a gallon bottle, buys some rolls, heats and sells them to passersby. A "restaurant" might be 10' x 15', the stove a primus. There could be a great pot of something looking like yogurt bubbling and steaming close to the window. Inside a couple of tables and stools for customers. It is tempting to eat some of this stuff, but safest to not ingest anything on the streets. Don't eat raw veggies, don't drink water unless you sterilize it yourself. The tea seems safe but where does the milk come from? It is always served heated (the milk) hopefully killing most pathogenic organisms.
I met a nuclear physicist last night who quit and went ranching because he realized he couldn't keep up with the state of the art, not so much because he didn't feel bright enough but because it was moving too fast.
I met Nima Tensing, one of the Sherpas who will be with us.
I spent the rest of Thu and Fri getting ready to go to Dharan Bazar. I still have too much stuff and can't seem to get rid of it. I've cut down to minimum, but won't go without a first aid kit and medical supplies. Met a young guy and his sister, a lama, he says. He has a pretty smooth story which I fell for to the tune of 50 rupees. I guess I've wasted $4.00 in worse ways. Got some nice pix of sister, who is dressed Buddhist robes and has short hair cut.
AP bought his supplies for the trip - a bag of marijuana as big as a soccer ball. It is sold quite openly on the streets here.
Took plane to Biratnagar. Landed Biratnagar, took pedicab to town then bus to Dharan - I stood up most of way, which shocked Michael. Rode through farmland with rice fields and grass huts, a brick factory, a few villages. At Dharan sherpas Nima Tensing and Pemba Tsirin were waiting for us with baggage stored in a room facing the main street. We moved from there to a field on the hill above town. Site of old Ghurka barracks, but everything seems to be occupied by civilians now.
The Sherpas made camp, or really just set up a fireplace for 2 large pots with 4 rocks. Served high tea at 4:00 and supper a little bit later - pea soup, rice, chicken with gravy, more tea. I find it hard getting used to the idea of having someone waiting on me hand and foot. Kim even apologized for making us set up our own tents.
I didn't sleep very well - not used to sleeping on ground yet. Up about 6:00 but no tea until after 7:00 - the Sherpas didn't get up so early. Repacked my baggage - still too much stuff, then walked down to the village to get Kim's pants and mail a letter. Some of the members of a Kangchenjunga expedition came in today - said they rode the bus from Kathmandu but would never do it again!
The bus ride from Biratnagar to Dharan cost R. 4. Rickshaw from airport to Biratnagar cost R. 5.
A Polish expedition is here, 21 people with 3 Americans, they are going to try to climb Kangchenjunga South Peak.
It rained all afternoon. Michael went to town and had too much Rakshi and snored all afternoon.
Impression: This is the start of the trade route into the mountains and north, so there is a constant parade of heavily laden porters heading north up the pass. There is a tea house on top of pass @ 4000'.
I walked to top of Dharan Pass this morning - climbed from about 1600' to about 4000'. Felt good to get out of breath, but I caught cold. Made it up and back down in about 3 hours. Constant parade of parties going back and forth, mostly empty coming back out of the mountains. Each porter has his own basket and he carries a Khukri and a kettle, a little bag of rice and a little oil. No discrimination here, all carry loads, men, women, little kids. Each has porter stick, either T-shaped on top or with notch to form a prop to rest the basket on when they take a break. Some wear sandals, some barefoot. The women have rings in their noses. Many porters have a Central Asiatic look, probable Tibetans. Some of the women veil their faces (mouths, mostly), most don't. If you are sahib walking along with a pack, some guy will appear and try to hustle you to let him carry your pack. The expedition porters get 18 rupees a day and no food, but at the start of the trip they get an advance for grub. The standard load is about 60 lbs.
I sat around all day nursing my cold. John, AP and Sonam Girmi got in late last night after 14 hour bus ride from Kathmandu. Air conditioned bus - the windows opened. Today they discovered 3 sleeping bags were left behind and are trying without success to send a wire to Mountain Travel. Spanish expedition to Yalung Kong (Kangchenjunga West Peak) arrived today with two fancy closed trucks and a bunch of circus tents including stanchions on a base with fancy ropes to keep urchins away. The Polish expedition trucks came in about 2300 and made a hell of a racket unloading everything. Sonam made up porter loads today.
Up at 0600 sharp, tea is ready, get bags packed quick to leave about 6:45 or 7:00. Porters get an advance so they can eat. My gear makes a porter load, plus I carry about 30#. We have 30 porters. Climb 2000' before breakfast. John got out in front and missed breakfast, I almost did the same thing. AP has said "don't walk ahead of the cook boy" 4 times this morning in addition to the dozen or more times he has said it before. He just said it one more time. A nice spot for breakfast 2000' above Dharan on a shoulder of the mountain, like sitting on the wing of an airplane. The Terai is spread out below us fading into the haze - you can't see the horizon. People build their fires right on the trail and cook in a cast iron wok.
Pemba is scraping the rind on a wheel of Yak cheese about 3" thick and 12" diameter. Pale yellow in color, but darker than Swiss. Has a few holes and is fairly hard. Tastes like a Danish cheese. Lunch was fried potatoes, fried tomatoes, pancakes, cheese, and scrambled eggs.
John went up to the pass and met 3 Britishers, an army major who recruits Ghurkas, and 2 ladies, one his wife. They invited him to lunch at a chalet about 20 minutes along the ridge where he was able to see Makalu and Jannu. After out lunch we went on over Dharan pass and down the other side. Pass is 4200' and we camped at the Tamar at 1000'. The Dharan - Dhankuta road is being built on this side too. We met the supt. in charge of this section. He said it is all hand labor on this side and it will take 5 years. Holes for blasting are drilled with a bull prick. Not even wheelbarrows!
I took a bath in the creek on the way down the hill and discovered when I got into camp that I had heat exhaustion. That coupled with the cold I caught Sunday made me feel pretty awful. I didn't eat supper.
Up at 0600 feeling much better - cough is waning but chest still sore. From here trail goes a couple of miles up the Tamar and crosses on a modern steel and concrete suspension bridge, then past a collection of huts and little stores, then up! Bridge at 1000'. Breakfast at 10:00 at about 2300', had curried potatoes, scrambled eggs, cheese and poori. Then a long hot drag up to Dhankuta past little farms and tea houses. I was lacking energy but didn't feel sick. Had a beer at Dhankuta and had our visas inspected by local policeman. Dhankuta is 4200', once was the biggest trading center in the eastern part of Nepal. As usual, Michael found a bottle of rum. We walked on for another couple miles to camp on a soccer field at 4000'. Beautiful view, we can look back and see Dharan pass. We travel the ridge now for a week.
Yesterday we passed a funeral procession headed toward Dharan from Dhankuta. About 15 people, 2 carrying the corpse, covered with orange cloth, on a crude litter. Another man blew a conch shell periodically which echoed through the mountains.
Last night we saw a group of electric lights on the side of the hill a couple of miles away - not a clue why. Looked incongruous with all the rest of the hills dark. The stars are very clear but I've been too tired to identify any new ones except Canopus. Orion is still up in the early evening and Jupiter is at the zenith. Venus is just now noticeable as an evening star. Went to bed at 1945 and slept almost without waking until 0500. My cold is getting better.
Got up at 0530, breakfast (tea and mush) on trail at 0655. Still climbing the ridge past small farms, then, without warning, a town with many prayer flags and an outdoor market. Hille, at at elevation of around 6000'. AP & Kim hailed me from a second story window, where they were drinking tsampa, the yeast, millet and hot water drink. Add hot water and it starts to ferment. It is prepared in a wooden vessel shaped like a small churn, brought to table dry, lid taken off and boiling water poured in. Wooden lid with hole in center and bamboo straw which also is used to stir. You can pour water in 3 times. At Hille you can see Chamlang and Makalu. Everest is concealed behind Chamlang. Hille is the best little town so far, with a resort atmosphere. We even saw one Caucasian.
On from Hille following the ridge, divide between Arun drainage and Tamar drainage. Steady but gentle climbing from Hille on. Camp for night at Sanduwa, a nondescript collection of 3 or 4 houses. Michael got too much Rakshi today and when trying to make the 1/4 mile from Sanduwa to camp he fell twice, once into a ravine 20' deep - John saw him fall and was afraid he had killed himself, but he picked himself up, all scratched and bruised, and staggered on into camp. The problem is that he might kill himself with some of these antics, and that would mean the expedition would have to turn around. John and Kim were pretty blunt with him.
2 roast chickens, roast potatoes and cabbage for dinner - my vegetarian diet is taking effect - the chicken was almost too rich. Chicken was pretty tender for local chickens - It was pressure cooked 1st and then browned in the pan. Excellent flavor and well browned.
Identified 3 more constellations tonight. Canis Minor (alpha Canis Minor = Procyron), Gemini (alpha = Castor beta = Pollux), the Sickle (Leo: alpha = Regulus).
Perfect view of Chamlang and Makalu and range between Makalu and Kangchenjunga Range - the low range mentioned by Bill Fix. Looks very attainable, mountaineering-wise. Maximum elevations shown on map 20,450', access up Walungchang Kola. Everything is perfectly clear right after the sun rises, then the moisture builds up during the day until sundown, when it clears up and stays so all night. Evidently the sun heats the moisture laden valley air, which rises, then cools and moisture condenses.
Walked around N. side of the hill N. of Sinduwa with good views all the way. The country is becoming less arid - there was a short dry belt from Sinduwa up a few hundred feet, then gradually started trees of unknown species (some with leaves that looked like holly), slopes becoming more tree-covered as we go higher.
Porters are dead slow - they didn't get to our lunch stop until 1300 - we got here at 1030. All left Sinduwa at 0700. About 5 miles. The loads aren't all that heavy and the porters stop constantly to rest. John and Kim and I are getting pretty antsy about the lack of progress. On the other hand, it looks as if our progress across the map will get there in 2 weeks.
After lunch made a long ridge run, not finding camp until 1700. Place name "Phedi" at ca. 9300'.
Beautiful ridges with rhododendron forest, makes me think of Tolkein. The trail climbs over the tops of enormous cliffs, then through forests of gnarled rhododendrons, the steps of the trail climbing on the twisted rhododendron roots. Someone said Tolkein spent time in Nepal. He certainly described it!
About 8 porters quit, more hired. No pay for any that walk off. Rained hard this morning, we stopped by 0900 at Chauki, office of local tax collector. Rakshi and lunch, then through rain along ridge to Lam Pokhari, where camped at 1530 dead tired from slipping and sliding in mud. Today's run was through more forest, but not very cheerful - tendrils of fog creeping through the dark forest. The trail is wet and it takes great care to not slip. Waffle tread tennis shoes are the thing to have. Lampokhar. 9800'. A little dirty cow pond right on top of the ridge. Dead tired tonight, got John to break out a bottle of rum. Had stew for dinner. Clouds everywhere, no views. Went to bed leaving my tennis shoes outside, woke up to pee about 2:30, shoes were gone. I imagining urchins sneaking up in the night to get them. Lit candle to do some letter writing. John's voice came asking me why I was awake, when I told him he explained they had taken them in after Sonam had found them in front of my tent!
Snowed a little during the night. Storm blowing over this morning with grand views of Everest-Makalu region all the way from Ama Dablam, past Makalu to the Lumba Sumba Himal (this is the region of lower peaks that I would like to look into). Watched and snapped pictures as the sun rose and touched each peak in turn! What a sight! Ama Dablam unmistakable. Everest, barely visible behind Lhotse & Nuptse, had a big cloud cap. Makalu had clouds which came and went. Everything so vast that the mind staggers.
Off at 7 - I resolved to go at my own pace today and try to avoid being as fatigued as I was yesterday. Even so, others admitted that yesterday was a hard one. Porters stopped for breakfast at Ghupa Pokhari, we continued on the ridge, sometimes off to the right of it for 2 or 3 miles. New trail work - forgot to take a picture of the crew. Some views of Kangchenjunga. Michael got lost - wandered off the trail and in spite of voice contact with AP, continued to get more lost - headed straight downhill. Nima went looking for him and eventually found him one mile off the trail, mostly downhill. We had lunch at a small creek on east side of ridge with a great view of Jannu. I waited for a long time and finally took a chance and went on, leaving John behind. John caught up not long after with the news that M. had been found and Nima was herding him in. We descended the east side of the ridge in sight of Taplejung across the valley to 6600' near Khorche. Set up camp - while waiting for tea a couple of Europeans and a porter, all with backpacks, made a rather deliberate detour around our camp and headed for the valley. Maybe they are trying to get to Taplejung to corral all the porters. Sonam doesn't plan on going to Taplejung, but will have the majority of our porters accompany us up the river, replacing them piecemeal. This way we save the big 3500' lift up to Taplejung, with the obvious waste of time.
Suddenly our progress looks good! We are 6 days out of Dharan, with more than half the distance covered. Several porters quit yesterday but have been replaced. Michael doesn't look as if he will make it - he isn't eating anything and gets rakshi every night - his appearance is hideous and he just sits and groans in abject misery.
Jannu, which is also called Kumbhakarna, dominates the upper Tamar valley (above Taplejung) more than Kangchenjunga. Pictures cannot do it justice. It is simply enormous, and the entire south side is hung with great ice falls. The French route is plainly the only one on the south side! It does look like a giant sitting on a throne!
The big descent from 6600' to 2300' through rich farm lands, all terraced, with the finest houses seen so far. A loom set up outside with warp yarn wound back and forth around poles. Rice grows here. At the bottom, junction of Mewa Kola and Tamar. Took baths in river and had lunch, started up true right bank of Tamar to camp at Thumba. Too long a day for porters, about 10 quit, Sonam replaced them at Thumba. Kim discovered Michael's problem, he's been living on dexedrine. Kim took away the dexedrine, maybe things will be better.
Climbed to 2750' at Thumba, 3 or 4 miles up the river.
Crossed to true left bank this morning on chain bridge. Short day today, breakfast at Mitlung a couple of miles up. Pretty town, rather clean. Drank thumba in a very clean house with mud stove and floor, dry meat hanging in rafters well smoked by file (no chimney, smoke goes out of thatch roof, turning rafters and thatch brown-black with tar from smoke. Cleanest house I've seen in Nepal, Tibetans.
On the way in AM, a caravan of dzo, a cross between yak and cow. They stand low altitudes better than yaks. Wild looking creatures with big wicked horns, all decorated with tufts of red yarn with collars of bells. A driver handles 4 or 5 animals, walking behind with a switch, yelling at them and whistling constantly. There were more than a dozen animals and 3 herders - they stopped the same place we did. Each animal carrying a couple of sacks, probably rice, weighing about 80# each.
After lunch a few more miles - I was quite tired and my knees were sore, partly because I took a tumble this morning (turned my ankle) and hit them both.
About 3 PM stopped at a 3-hut village, "Tawa", drank thumba, then Kim and I had a couple of omelets each - total 9 rupees for 4 omelets containing 8 eggs and cheese. Old lady and two girls, one about 20-25, looked like a cow, the other about 15, very nice looking. They propositioned us (sign language) price 5 rupees each. Kim was tempted but I said "not me". Kim was grumbling later and I thought he might go back, as we camped just a few hundred yards from the village. But he didn't.
Good dinner tonight but I tried to eat less than usual. We had soup, poppadams, fried noodles with cheese, veggies and meat. I'm plenty tired - I've been sleeping 9 or 10 hours but need a lay day to recoup and rebuild. That won't happen for a week, so will have to tough it out. Michael looks better today. Last night AP got Mr. Lama (our liaison officer) stoned and got a mild reproach from Sonam.
Bamboo arch bridge over the river here at camp - must be a temporary bridge as it would never survive high water. Elevation 3600' tonight. Camp on river just below Tawa.
Continued up east bank of river, climbing rather high at first, then back down to river level. Passed through an uninhabited temple area (Chirua?) with enormous rocks, monkeys and shrines. Here the rocks 100' above the river level are freshly water worn. Porters are dead slow and insolent, Sonam having a time. On trail met A.S.I. Krishna Bahadur from Gunsa, who seemed a nice sort, on his way to Taplejung. Said we could fly from Taplejung to Kathmandu for N.R. 220, but would take 1 month's reservation. After lunch passed through Tapletok at mouth of Simbua Kola, where track goes to Yalung Gl. and Tseram. Camped 1/2 way between Tapletok and Sakethum (mouth of Gunsa Kola). Only about 2 miles between them. Another big scene with porters, sent some more down the trail.
Followed canyon past Simbua Kola (Tapletok is not in Simbua Kola, but next canyon south) to Gunsa Kola, ate lunch at 5300' in the bottom of Gunsa Kola. Sonam said 2 hours upstream for porters and camp in the bottom of the canyon, so I read until after noon, then started up the trail. Found Michael, lost, I got him back on the trail. After climbing 1500' I caught up with Nima Tensing and Atal Lama, but John, Kim and AP had shot on ahead with Pemba, some of the porters and Sonam. So I am stuck nursemaiding Michael, who of course can't keep up. 6800' at 1515, wait for Michael. Gave up at 1530, started up the hill. Shortly Nima came down the hill to search for Michael and I went on up to camp which was on a couple of level spots on the hillside at 7650'. Nima went clear down to the river and disappeared, finally reappeared with Michael about 1730. Nima is to keep Michael at the house halfway down the hill. We are sending food and bedding down there. Almost all the Gunsa Kola trail so far has been rebuilt. Kim thinks the government is getting ready to open the area for trekking. This canyon is unimaginably steep - 2400' from lunch to supper and we are still only halfway up. Excellent trail, a lot with steps, and almost all 4' wide. Very steep - I've never been anywhere so steep.
Kim had a scene with the porters, who were very insolent all day. Finally Kim lost his temper and pushed one over. He and a friend quit and the porters improved immensely thereafter. The porter from Thumme with his son was very friendly and worked hard. His son, only 13, carried a light load.
Sky clear, temperature 55 deg. humid. Michael and Nima got to camp by 0630, Michael in terrible shape as usual. Depart 0645 climb spectacular trail to Angilasha, which is only 2 houses. Up another half mile for lunch at 8600'. We are seeing snow covered foothills at the head of the valley. Have not yet turned the first bend in the Gunsa Kola. Every inch of land that can be cultivated is. There are potato and barley fields almost too steep to stand on. All cultivated by hand up here. We can still see the Tamar 3000' below at a 45 degree line of sight. The improved trail has ended but the slopes are not quite as steep now. Lunch above Angilesa 8600'. Camped at Yabla 9000'.
Around corner after lunch through rhododendron hillsides at 45 degrees and steeper on unimproved trail. I was definitely apprehensive, although the trail was really safe enough. We gradually descended to the river then climbed back up until we came to the second bend - see air photo - map inaccurate. Climbed above river to high terrace on which sat Yabla. 3 or 4 houses and fairly level terrain. Can look N 60 E up valley and see the 21000' peak on the end of Jannu ridge (at least that is my present interpretation which I will depend on - no one else believes me). There are 2 valleys coming into Gunsa Kola from SE - one is unnamed and contains the trail over Mirgin La, the second contains Yamatari Glacier. We'll see tomorrow.
Pole Lunch 10,600'
Morning walk steady, climb through forest up and down, along river grade. The country has been burned, probably due to the local practice of burning stubble, which we have been observing. The rhododendron trees are the first above the arid belt, and ancient burned stumps put out new growth. Rhododendrons start to grow at about 9000', conifers start about 10000'. At lunch stop trees that resemble cedar, also fir, also a tree resembling a tamarack, not yet leafed out, but with old cones and buds. The surrounding foothills rise to 20000' Snow-line seems to be about 11000'. The valley opened out at Pole into a broad terrace of alluvium, through which the river has cut a couple hundred feet. The valley seems to remain broad to Gunsa. The peak seen last night is probably the point 20,200' NW of Gunsa instead of point 21,000' ESE of Gunsa. The valley takes several twists and turns and the map is inaccurate, so it is a little hard to tell.
Bought a Tibetan coin and a calendar medallion for 30 rupees. Too much, but for $2.40, what the hell.
After lunch, walk to Gunsa, 11,360' on arrival at camp. Did not feel well - breathless and dizzy on the least exertion while pulse rate remained low (92) on exertion. Seemed to be quite a marked change from how I felt at 9000'. I am going to try to spend 36 - 60 hrs. here, maybe cut down the propranolol. Gunsa is in a broad u-shaped valley, and the peak I saw yesterday is definitely not on the end of the Jannu ridge - it is between the Gunsa valley and the route to Yangma. Gunsa is a relatively large village of vastly different appearance from the villages farther south. Yabla and Pole had mostly 1-story houses with shake roofs, but the Gunsa houses are 2 stories, spread well-out, with fields fenced with rocks and sticks. Paths follow fence lines and sometimes the paths are bordered on both sides by rock fences. There are about 20-25 houses and a monastery on the South end of the village on a hill.
We camped in an open area at the North end of the village and were at once visited by a group of camp followers and hangers-on who moved in to the fire and took up all the good spots - the only way to get a place at the fire was to shove someone aside. Sonam paid off all the porters and they went home. We shall use Gunsa porters tomorrow. Had AP's birthday cake tonight - a white fruit cake, not bad for being baked inside a big aluminum pot over the campfire. Frosted, with 'Happy Birthday' printed on it in butter by Nima. I don't know how he extruded it. Yak meat and potato curry tonight. Sonam bought a big slab of partially dried yak. I felt pretty good after getting to camp, but that propanolol makes me nervous and I shall quit it tomorrow and see what happens. It snowed a couple of inches last night, starting about dusk. Woke up to clear skies. I think we are going to have the same weather pattern reported by Terray-Franco.
Sonam negotiated for porters, who wanted 30 rupees because the Japanese expedition paid that much. Damn rich expeditions spoil it for everybody else. The Japs had 300 porters! Finally settled for 20 rupees and got busy with the loads, which Sonam made extra large. One man brought 2 dzos which carried single loads. Many women porters - I took lots of pictures, I hope they are OK. A couple of little (12-14 yrs.) girls along carrying babies for mama, who was carrying a load. Babies have to come along to eat! These porters are the best we have had - they go like hell and don't like to be passed by Sahib! I caught up to the porters once, but soon they took off and left me hopelessly behind. Even the little girls!
I had to help two of the little girls down a steep slippery part of the trail. Their Tibetan boots are pretty slippery.
All the people here, except for a a few, look Tibetan. All the women have beautiful silver belt buckles. I've tried to buy one, but no luck - keep trying.
Lunch at 12,500' below the terminal moraine of the Jannu glacier. The valley up to the Yamatari Glacier starts just below town. For lunch yak-potato curry with tsampa, which didn't taste at all as I expected it to - it has butter in it which binds it to some extent, so it looks like a big kettle of brown sugar. But it has a very rich and good flavor eaten alone or used to thicken the stew. It is at once evident that this could serve as a single-ingredient diet with tea or even water as a beverage.
Climbing up on the West side of the river after lunch - I am sure short of breath, but after all - 13,000'. I checked my blood pressure by the 2-finger wrist-pulse method and can definitely shut off the lower pulse easier than I could under resting conditions, which would indicate lower systolic pressure while exercising. My pulse is back to normal without propanolol - 120-140 exercising, doesn't drop much below 120 in a couple of minutes, 80 at rest. I still get a little faint if I build up a big oxygen debt but somehow felt better than yesterday. Maybe try the propanolol after I acclimatize for a few days, in the meantime I'd sooner take a chance on the blood pressure.
I gave John my Helly-Hanson pants today, and will give away a few more items of surplus gear at base camp. John and Kim are not well clothed, largely because of poor construction and fit by the makers of the climbing suits and pile suits (Synergy Works?) and too light down parkas from Marmot (on Marmot's recommendation).
First look at Jannu north face after lunch - an absolutely stupendous mountain. The pictures don't convey the size adequately. And the New Zealand route looks steeper than I envisioned it. The whole mountain is just overwhelming. We are sure up in the middle of them. Sharphu is just west of us. It was climbed by a Japanese expedition, according to a man at Kangbachen.
Camp at Kangbachen, 13,400'. The Sherpas borrowed the use of a house belonging to a local farmer (of Kangbachen and Gunsa) who has 6 sons and 4 daughters - 2 are here, very cute girls - Roskelley quite entranced.
Cooked dinner in house in the 2nd floor living quarters with open fire hearth 3 1/2' or 4' square made of rocks and dirt on top of boards, the board floor coming to edge of the hearth. Amazing that nothing burns down - there is fire to within 3" of the wood floor. Trivet for pots is well designed. The two iron straps which cross in the center are curved down like a sling so small pots can be closer to a small fire. Dinner is stew, a 1-pot meal, then later the Sherpas made a big pot of rice with some tsampa in it and ate it with the rest of the stew. Sitting around the fire eating, talking, the house owner chanting prayers in barely audible tones. All the local people have hands of leather, can pick pots off fire, lids off pots with bare hands. They pick up burning sticks to light cigarettes, almost touching the coals. The smoke from the fire just filters out through the second floor ceiling, then the roof. The house is actually pretty drafty. The end walls are rock laid dry with no mud. Sidewalls upstairs are vertical split cedar boards. There are no saws, all wood is cut with the Khukri knife. Framing consists of poles tied together with split bamboo withes which were soaked in water to make them pliable. Roof is cedar shakes held down with rocks. No ridge row! Snow blows in and collects in the attic, where it melts and drips down here and there. Dry hay is stored in the attic, as well as other miscellaneous junk. There is no furniture. The animals live downstairs. There are corrals for the yaks and dzos bounded by rock fences, and the yaks stand there at night and look at you with yellow-reflecting eyes. Maybe they only get to come in in the winter. The owner of the house said it took 40 yak-loads of wood to build the house.
Kangbachen is a summer village, but one or two families stay the winter, as the yaks can winter this high. There are 4 or 5 feet of snow on the ground in the winter.
There are 2 broad valleys leading upstream from Kangbachen, one toward Sharphu and one directly north toward the Kangchenjunga Glacier. I think our permits will let us explore them.
Left Kangbachen at 9 AM, 13,400' elevation. Arrived base camp about 4 PM, 15,375' elevation.
Sonam suggested that we leave without breakfast, as he said it was only a short trip to base camp, and we could have a good meal there. We had a long parade of Gunsa porters and a couple of yaks. We had to cross the river on a makeshift bridge, with helping hands for all. Then laboring up the north side of the north lateral moraine of the Jannu glacier. Beautiful views all morning including Sharphu and other peaks in that region. The valley leading up to Sharphu and the valley leading north from Kangbachen both look interesting to explore. I did pretty well on the climb for the first 2 or 3 hours, then I ran out of energy. I had failed to put some food into my pocket, although some porters taking a rest stop gave me some popcorn. It seems to be a favorite trail food in that country. That helped a little, but finally I was just dragging myself along, go 50' and then sit down. I thought I'd never make it - camp was farther than we had figured, and higher. I think the New Zealand party had their aneroid set too low at Gunsa and carried the mistake from their, because we found everything about 1000' higher than they reported in their book.
I finally struggled to within 100 yards of camp and lay down again. John saw me and came to see what was wrong. I told him I was out of blood sugar and asked him to bring me some sugar quick. Pemba sent Songma with a big plate of boiled potatoes, which I quickly gobbled up. The improvement was dramatic - I felt much better in only 3 or 4 minutes after eating just a couple of spuds. I finished the spuds and a little tea and got into camp. I set up my tent, feeling much better. I was a little short of breath from the altitude, but the real problem was low blood sugar. I promised myself not to go without some energy food, after this.
Our camp is directly across from the Jannu face. The basin is a giant cirque, not as big as the cirque of the Carbon Glacier on Mt. Rainier, but the walls are much higher. The Jannu face rises 10,000' above us, and White Wave is just to the northeast - I don't know its height. The headwall is continuous, about 5000' above us, from the NE shoulder of Jannu around to White Wave. There are two gaps going north, I can't yet see what they are. The afternoon clouds came in about 1600 but produced very little snow. We are high enough so that radiation melting is almost all that takes place, and the snow fields on the sunny side are sun-cupped.
We had stew and a bottle of Scotch for dinner. I didn't sleep well, waking every hour to pee, itching in wool underwear. Finally took it off and slept better.
Sky is clear at 0600, barometer at 15350', gradually dropping during the day to 15475 at 1500. Clouds appeared by noon, and by 1400 it was cloudy and snowing. Before breakfast I walked east towards the head of the glacier and sorted out some of the topography, which is confusing because the maps are all wrong. The peaks are like this:
White Wave is called Anidesh Chuli, Kangbachen (or Kambachen) is locally called Kangjemba, and the biggest sub-peak, the middle one of the three west of Jannu, is called Tema Chungya. Jannu is called Khumbakharna. About 2200' east of camp there is a dry gully going north, then a small ice fall and glacier coming off the west side of White Wave. I will explore these and try to climb the mountain just north of camp after acclimatizing for a couple of days.
The liaison officer is sick - he has some retinal hemmorhage, frontal headache, nausea and lassitude, all the earmarks of incipient cerebral edema, so John made him go down to Kangbachen this afternoon, then to Gunsa tomorrow. John told him to stay a week.
The man from Kangbachen came up with some potatoes today and said the bridge was out, so the L.O. is going to have to use his head. Now is our chance to sneak into Tibet! Not likely.
He said that the big mountain across the valley was Nupchu and that Sharphu was invisible north of us. This reverses the information given on the map.
The weather pattern is unlike anything I've ever seen before. After a clear, still morning, the breezes, usually from the southwest, start to freshen about 1000. Then by noon the first clouds begin to appear in the valley of the Gunsa Kola in the region of Kangbachen, obscuring Nupchu across the valley. The clouds continue to make, and by 1500 the skies are 75% to 95% cloudy, and the barometer falls by as much as 100'. By 1700 or so it is snowing. Last night we had only a few flakes, tonight a real snowstorm, maybe 12". Gusty winds accompany the snow. It was snowing hard when I went to sleep about 2000, and now, 2200, the sky is perfectly clear and there is no wind. During the morning wind effects are usual on the summits. I think that all these phenomena are brought about by the extreme height of the mountains and by convection caused by solar heating (monsoon). Thus the clear calm nights and early mornings, then the breeze coming from the southwest (lowlands and major valleys) carrying moisture from the humid Indian Terai, which turns into rain at lower elevations and into snow at our elevation.
We observed one disturbance which appeared to be more like the passage of a frontal system. It lasted through a longer period of time and when dawn came the high mountains were still partly enveloped in clouds. I don't know whether or not the foothills are affected by passing disturbances that don't reach us. Possibly the only manifestation of a frontal system moving across into the foothills would be more snow in the daily snowstorm.
Our camp is in a Hindu holy place, and in the summer a Saddhu lives on top of a 100 foot high rock shoulder next to camp. The edge of the shoulder is lined with 20 or more prayer flags. There are a number of tridents about the camp.
John asked me today to see that all his stuff gets home if anything happens to him on the mountain. He wants any cable bearing bad news to be sent to his father.
The avalanches started down right after the heavy snow started tonight and should provide some interesting information about slide areas tomorrow.
This morning a big block broke off the ice fall at the level of the neve at the base of the Jannu north wall. It took 10 seconds to hit the 1st ledge and 30-40 seconds for snow to hit the talus slopes just above the moraine. It was a big enough slide so that snow crystals came across the valley into camp.
The rocks in this country are all acidic metamorphosed sediments, ranging during the walk in from slates and phyllites with minor amounts of quartzites to schists, cataclastic augengneiss like the ones on the reservation east of Omak, to migmatites. The rocks in this valley are recrystallized gneisses of granitic composition. The 'head' of Jannu had some interlayered bands of darker granitic rock in a yellowish granitic gneiss, but I haven't been able to find any drift yet to see what it is. The north side of the valley has darker-weathering metamorphics with pronounced structure. The very high parts of Jannu seem to be massive with no visible structures. The yellowish rocks found down low as drift are massive, with big feldspar crystals and no structure.
The sky is partially overcast with high haze and scattered clouds moving rapidly from West to East. Powder snow avalanches are tumbling off the surrounding faces and have been doing so all night. One big one just came off the ice fall coming down from the NE corner of the neve under the Jannu face. I took a short walk up the valley with my cameras and took shots of White Wave and Kang Jemla (?). It is cold, toes very cold in boots. AP parading around in his super gaiters - he has more equipment and knows less about climbing than most. Michael is here to bask in reflected glory, hoping that he can go home and tell his friends that he was on the trip that...
John, Kim and AP carried a load of stuff across the glacier. I estimated about 5900' to base of Jannu. I didn't go; I was not feeling very energetic and still short of breath. The yak herd abruptly decided to move on down the valley this morning, coming past camp and raiding the garbage can on the way. They seem to be perfectly adapted to the climate; they move very deliberately and slowly, can eat the dried up heather. They have lots of hair to keep them warm, and in snow storms just stand there waiting. They ruminate with a dry rasping sound like breaking up wood, and groan quietly to themselves. Several members of the herd have bells but not all. The bells have a nice sound, I'd like to bring one home.
Clouds started coming intermittently by 10:30 and by 12:00 or 1:00 it was pretty well socked in. The barometer dropped slowly all day and is 15,550' at 1840. All this snow (6" to 8" last night and maybe another 4" to 6" tonight) is going to delay John and Kim. The first snow slope on the other side of the glacier showed evidence of wanting to slide, so they retreated and left the loads on the moraine.
I retired to my tent by 1300 and stayed there, reading, doing math problems and playing solitaire. I don't suppose I'll be able to sleep tonight. I slept poorly last night and did Cheyne-Stokes breathing quite a bit. Didn't notice that during the day, however. One consolation - my cold is gone, and except for the usual amount of post-nasal drip, I'm not snorting and coughing any more.
The #2 cook boy went down the hill with Atal and hasn't come back yet. This probably means he went to Gunsa with him.
1900: The avalanches are starting to rumble - expect a night of it. Too bad we can't see. We are in a safe camp, but the noise is pretty eerie anyway. "When Jannu huffs, nothing is left" (a quote from Tensing Norkay). The weather is just like last night - gusty winds and snow.
I got some good pictures of White Wave today. It is, in my eyes, the most beautiful mountain here. The west side reminds me o the pictures of K2 with the big ice cliffs all over. White wave has an enormous serac near the top which looks as if it were ready to topple.
Foggy in the morning with pronounced westerly winds overhead with cirrus clouds, clouded in @ 1300 and started to snow. At 1730 the wind seems to be changing direction with snow coming from the east.
Digression: on porters. Sonam told me today that he knew we would have trouble getting porters if the Polish and/or Spanish expeditions got here ahead of us, as porters like to work for big expeditions because the work is not as hard. So he pushed all the way in spite of rapid turnover and offered 6 days pay if the porters would carry from Thumba to Gunsa in 5 days. So we made it to Gunsa in 12 days and base camp in 14, and left well ahead of the other expeditions, who are probably having a tough time finding 60 porters. They are surely on the trail during this snowstorm, which will make managing the porters that much more difficult, since they will require shoes and some warm clothing.
I walked half-way over to the base of Jannu but got so pooped out that I turned around and came back. I guess I have to admit that I haven't got as much steam as Kim and John and AP, who are all under 31. Kim, 31. John, 28. AP, 25.
It snowed hard and blew all afternoon, then began to clear about bedtime. Had a big avalanche from the Jannu side about 8 or 9 PM, the wind came clear over here and buffeted the tents, blowing powder snow all over. I had no appetite for supper.
Cold, clear, calm morning, barometer slowly rising. Sonam spotted 3 sheep on the hillside North of us. John, Kim and AP carried loads over to the base, and John and Kim started carrying loads up. They made trail through soft snow up 45 degree slopes for about 800' vertically to the col between pinnacle and lower base. They said the rock is good granite, its dark color caused by lichen. The day was very hot in camp and the Sherpas all did their wash. I took a bath and shaved. John and Kim came back about 4:30. The afternoon clouds weren't very heavy and we had some good views of the Jannu face with the late sun on it. Very cold after sundown. I went to bed early, before 1900.
Another day of good weather. John, Kim and AP crossed the glacier carrying more gear. I washed some clothes and then hiked up the north side of the valley to the ridge of the lateral moraine, a 550' elevation gain from 15,550 to 16,100 feet. I fatigued easily, but blood pressure was low. Got to top just in time to see a couple of big peaks to the north before the clouds closed in, took some pictures, then headed down, where I soon saw Sonam with a big load of wood gathered on the rocks north of camp. Back to camp and found that Nima had fallen and hurt his back while gathering wood. Michael gave him a Percoden pill and he is lying down. I don't think anything is broken. I suggested to Sonam that he treat the injury with ice, which he started to do, but left Nima to keep it up. Nima was in his tent all afternoon. Kim and John came back about 1500. John's pack strap came unstitched and I sewed it up with the speedy stitcher. The weather looks settle for the next day or two and tomorrow John and Kim are going to start to work on the first step of rock below the neve. The barometer reading at camp at 17:30 is 15,550'.
I walked over to the base of the face today - I seem to becoming more acclimatized, but it sure seems to take a long time. The elevation at the base is about the same as at camp. I took a series of pictures to show things from the new angle of view, then left everything but my ice axe and climbed up the 600'-800' snow slope to the col between the rock finger and the lower 'face'. John had just completed the 1st lead and Kim was getting ready to follow. The rock was very steep. I went back down after Kim got up the first lead. John completed 3 leads including the "Hinterstoisser" which was very tough. The worst of the climb of the first step is over and they have to fix the ropes and haul loads up to camp I. AP is going to help haul tomorrow. They are going to rig an aerial tram.
After I got back to camp I found Nima feeling much better, with central back pain gone and pain localized in his left shoulder near the scapula. The rest of the day was uneventful. I got pictures of a nice avalanche, and also saw a nice easy peak north of camp to climb, probably about 19,000' - 20,000'. I'll wait a couple of more days to acclimatize.
I left camp at 0930 and retraced my Saturday trip. I made the same point in 1 hour today that took 2 hours Saturday. I climbed on up the same ridge to elev. 16,500' and took a bunch of pictures, including pictures of what should be a good avalanche. On the way down I took a shortcut and had to climb back up 3 or 4 hundred feet for my mistake. The going is rotten anyway with this new snow and it would be better to set out by 0700 when the snow is harder. I got back to camp about 1430 to the tune of Yak bells - a boy drove the Yaks back up to summer pasture. On the way back (16000' ?) I saw what looked like a weasel in his tan coat.
Nima's arm was put into a sling this morning by John, but it is not any batter and it looks as if he will have to go back to Kathmandu for treatment.
John and Kim are making progress. They were in the vicinity of the flying fox (upper chimney) this noon,
Reflection on seeing the mountains: It is not good to always look at the mountains from the bottom of the valley. They look bigger from part way up the side of the opposite valley, as their height isn't diminished, and their apparent height is emphasized by the observer being able to look both up and down.
The weather is remaining stable. Barometer is high, and the afternoon clouds aren't very thick. This valley seems to be sunny even when clouds are surrounding it. The first monsoon clouds appeared by 1000 today, but the valley stayed in sunshine until 1500. During the evening and night the sky and wind gave every appearance that the weather was moving in, and it snowed a little, but the barometer remained high.
A cool, partly cloudy morning with fairly strong SW winds at the tops of the peaks. The wind persisted all morning, clouds coming into the valley early. Nima goes to Kathmandu today to get xray and treatment. He will be gone 12 days unless the injury is more serious than we think. I sent out a bunch of letters. John and Kim to finish the route to Camp I today, AP went to help haul. Rotten weather in the afternoon. The porters never came from Kangbachen, John and Kim came in early, beat. Tomorrow rest day.
Perfect weather today, everybody stayed in. This is the nicest day we have had since we've been here. No porters again today. Sonam will take Nima to Kangbachen tomorrow. John, Kim and I start out at 0700 tomorrow, I for another recon to the north, John and Kim to establish camp I. I had Nima translate my trekking permit. It is good for all this area and all the way to Mt. Everest.
The weather is very calm tonight. The afternoon clouds were lighter than usual. Barometer still high, 15,350', promises good weather tomorrow. I hope to find a route around an ice fall and establish a route to the mountain I intend to climb. I should be acclimatized by now.
Hiked up the medial moraine on the west side of White Wave glacier to a prominent buttress at 17,600'. Saw the cornice in the col west of Jannu break off and produce an avalanche which swept the entire length of the neve. I was so big that I thought it was going to come down over the Jannu ice fall, but it didn't. I saw 6 or 8 sheep on the way up and 4 chukars on the way down. The sheep may have another name - they have long slightly curved-back horns. They don't stay around long enough to get a good look at them.
I hiked up to the head of the west lateral moraine above the cliffs. I felt very fatigued. The snow was bad and this is generally a fatiguing route. The best way to go is up the medial moraine where the yak trails are. I came back by noon. John and Kim got their hauling done on the lower cliffs and are ready to move to camp I. We had fresh yak pot roast and brown potatoes for dinner. the best we have had. 2 yaks were killed by an avalanche and Sonam bought a lot of meat. I woke up in the middle of the night with Cheyne-Stokes breathing, but John says that happens to him all the time. I talked to Sonam about trips up the Gunsa Kola or over to Yalung. He finds all kinds of difficulties. If I have to sit around this camp while John and Kim are up on the face I'll go nuts, so I suppose I might just go home early. AP and Michael can sit around here and smoke pot but the sitting around drives me bananas.
Kim sick so we decided on a day of rest. I was about to jump out of my skin so John suggested a walk down the valley. We saw 4 beautiful chukars. They were big birds, probably 10 lbs., with black and white pin-striped breasts (more white than black), a red ornament on each side of the face, and a top knot. The backs were brownish. Yaks are all over the valley side - they go as high as they can find food, with no hesitance about heights. No wonder avalanches sometimes get them.
The weather pattern has changed, the wind is coming from the NW all day with high clouds and cold air. The barometer is going higher - looks like cold Tibetan air coming across the mountains. The aneroid shows elevation down to 15,300' and the overall impression is of dry cold weather. I don't know where moisture could come from with a wind from Tibet.
Another avalanche came out of the west col and swept the neve. Bigger than Thursday's, I think. Snow dust came over site of camp I. John picked out what looks like a red spot high on the snow ramp on the east ridge of Jannu. It could be an abandoned Japanese camp.
I have John's exposed film and will take it out with me if I leave early, which I intend to do if I can't get out of this camp. I came up here to see some mountains, but I've seen the ones in this valley. The other two (AP and Michael) have no interest in the mountains for their own sake. They just want some status symbols to take home. I guess I can climb the peak behind here without any help. I can take my sleeping bag and grub and make a dry camp, but I don't think I can get up into the area of the Kangchenjunga Glacier.
Today brought the nicest weather we have had since being here. John and Kim started for camp I and won't come down until the climb is over. I sat around all day and read Sterling Hayden's "Voyage". It is not a very good book but it served to pass the time. Sonam has an upset stomach and dysentery. We had yak pot roast and roast potatoes last night. It was the best meal we have had in Nepal. Pot roast in the pressure cooker with quite a lot of soy sauce. I don't know if he marinates and browns first but the outer 1/4" of the meat has good coloration; he probably marinates it. The potatoes are pressure-cooked 2/3 done, then peeled and finished in the frying pan with oil.
AP and I left at 0730 to go up the moraine to make an overnight trip and climb the mountain that I have been looking at. We got to about 16,600' right under the rock buttress that I climbed Thursday, and AP complained that he had dysentery and a sick stomach like Sonam. I would have stayed, but there are glacier crossings required which I did not want to try alone, so we returned. Rolled rocks on the way down. Saw Camp I established in the lee of a big rock halfway to the neve. Saw John and Kim hauling up loads and ropes. Clouds came in early today, but no snow. Barometric pressure at camp still high, 15,275'. The yaks are moving uphill now; they spent the night in and around camp. Sonam and Lakpa went to Gunsa this morning. They will continue and buy groceries at Pole and come back in a couple of days. Sonam is going to bring back some porters so I can take a trip to the Kangchenjunga Glacier.
I was so fatigued carrying a pack at 16,600' that I fear I am too old (55) to acclimatize at any higher altitude, unless I have months to do it.
At 0700 the biggest avalanche we've seen yet came off the ice-fall directly opposite camp. It came so quickly that I could grab the camera and snap one picture, which is probably out of focus. It came down with one enormous and continuous roar, hit the cone and burst into a cloud of snow and ice which continued spreading and coming across the glacier, finally engulfing our camp, buffeting the tents and dropping 1/4" of snow dust on the ground, extending all the way up to the moraines and down to the rock slide.
I took a short walk to the top of the moraine today just for the exercise.
I left early this morning and climbed north on the heather slopes just east of camp. I continued on up to the west moraine and up to the three glaciers beyond the high point that AP and I went to on Monday. I went to 17,500' and was clouded in but could see that the mountain I coveted was not really attainable by me alone. It is too far away and too high. There are three glaciers coming off the three mountains behind camp, which almost, but not quite, converge. I turned around about 1100 and came down the medial moraine with the yak trails. I saw a number of chukars.
I loafed around camp today.
John and Kim came off the mountain today. Kim has had bronchitis for days and was feeling so sick that he was afraid to stay up high. The higher he went the worse it got. So they decided to give up the attempt to climb Jannu. Disappointing, because they said the upper part of the climb looked easier. They had carried most of their stuff up to the neve where they had a safe campsite. They said that the neve was so large that no avalanches swept all the way across it. If they had had a couple more climbers so they could have rest periods, they thought they could have made it.
They brought everything back except one cache of food. They threw a bag of stuff off the cliff and carried down the rest. I shamed AP into going over to carry one bag.
Sonam came back and said that Mr. Lama and his policeman friends want to go hunting up by the Kangchenjunga glacier. This gives us the chance to go up there, and with John and Kim down from Jannu, we can take the whole camp.
AP, Sonam and John went across the glacier to carry the rest of the stuff over. AP had to go because yesterday he forgot and left his roach clip over there. We spent the rest of the morning washing up and packing duffels to get ready to go to Kangbachen. About 1500 the Tibetan yak-herd came up with a big bunch of yaks. The loads will go to Kangbachen by yak.
Left base camp forever about 0830. Had an easy walk down 2000' to Kangbachen, where we set up the tents, had lunch, and whiled away the afternoon. There are a number of shrines, one with lots of mani stones. Sonam said I could buy them at Gunsa. The house we cooked in had a nice copper prayer wheel (hand held) and a nice tea churn and butter churn also thumba containers. We got some new butter in a fur coat, a skin container shaped like a small pillow a foot long and 8" wide, with fur still on. Whack off the end - lots of hair in the butter. We had Tibetan salt tea, which I liked and no one else did. It was made with fresh yak butter. The tea comes in a brick. Tibetan salt is used in brewing the tea - Sonam said it is stronger than other salt.
After a lot of deliberation we have decided to go up to the Kangchenjunga Glacier. Lama doesn't care - he isn't going, but was at Kangbachen to do some hunting, so he is illegal too. A whining pup kept me awake all night.
We left Kangbachen about 8:30 after the usual harangues with porters over wages. They asked 30 rupees, we offered 20. Finally agreed on 20 the first day then 25 in snow. The Polish and Spanish expeditions have ruined the prices, a typical example of what Galbraith says: more money in circulation, prices go up. They have been paying 30. The trail goes up the west side of Gunsa Kola, climbs 1800' in about 4 miles to the terminal moraine of the Ramtang Glacier with good views of an enormous peak way back which the porters called Ramtang, maybe incorrectly. The valley opens out and up the Ramtang one gets magnificent views of Kangchenjunga West and Kangbachen with Kangchenjunga behind. The NW face of the Kangchenjunga ridge is magnificent with an enormous hanging glacier descending from the ridge at least 5000' at about 45 degrees in a perfectly smooth slope unbroken by crevasses, probably 2 miles long, terminating in an enormous ice cliff the full length of the slope. The Ramtang curves(upstream) to the SE and S behind the White Wave complex. We can't see White Wave but can see the row of peaks north of it.
Off to the NE up the Kangchenjunga Glacier are several big peaks with a pass, probably Jongsang La near its head, 6 or 8 miles away. Better views of that tomorrow. I was completely pooped out today and John carried my pack. I ran completely out of steam, maybe because I didn't get much sleep or ate a little less than usual. I'm lying low this afternoon to recoup. Not much climbing tomorrow, thank goodness! We are camped on a large glacial plain on sand. The afternoon wind shoots past with vigor. The porters are out looking for wood. We are in the zone of small scrub evergreens and heather, some of which gives out an exquisite aroma. I must press a sample.
Lhonak, 15,400', is a summer yak camp.
Camped at 15,100' last night. A cold front came through in the middle of the night with lightning all around. Some of the thunder came less than 2 seconds after a flash. We must have been right in the middle of a big cumulo-nimbus cloud. I was scared! It snowed 4" to 6". We woke up to clear skies, ate and Kim, John and I took off toward the Kangchenjunga Glacier, which is a magnificent sight, extending off to the east for miles, with big mountains at its head. We made it past the tributary valley (glacier) coming down from the north by the time the clouds closed in.
After coming back to camp and deciding that the weather wasn't going to improve (there was a lama among our porters who said it would be bad weather for 6 days), we broke camp and went back to Kangbachen. We head for Gunsa tomorrow.
We left Kangbachen early, as we have a bad slide to cross. We left our last views of the Jannu north face, as well as those of the Tibetan border peaks north of us. The slide is a terror. It is 1/4 mile wide and 3000' to 4000' high, with rocks whistling down, 10 or 15 feet in the air, like bullets. In freezing weather it is safe enough, but now, later in the day, the rocks are so frequent that one cannot safely cross it. Sonam had to wait 4 hours to cross when he went to Pole for supplies. The falling rocks have claimed the lives of two yaks and have hit one man so hard that he is now incapable of normal function or speech. To cross it, you have to wait and watch, and then when it seems fairly clear, run like hell to a place of protection behind a big rock - there are 2 or 3. The last 100 yards is the worst, it pretty near finished Michael and wasn't easy for me. 100 yard dash, almost no trail, 13,000'. The rest of the walk to Gunsa was uneventful - I walked with Sonam behind 4 girls who didn't want their picture taken - one of them threw a clod of dirt at me when I tried. When we got to Gunsa there was a member of the Spanish expedition who soon hired all our porters, including the kitchen boy, away from us at a rate of 37 rupees per day. We were paying 20, which rate the Nepalese government says you shouldn't exceed.
We spent the afternoon drinking rakshi and eating spicy hot pickled turnip, called "atcha". It is a turnip which is already hot, then enhanced with chili peppers. The old man whose picture is in the New Zealand book came over. He is 65 years old and carried a load down from Gunsa today, and doesn't go slow. We went to the home of the yak man. His name is Pemba Lama. His wife is older than he is, she, 65, he, 55. They live in the best house we have seen. I bought a rug made in Pole for 1200 rupees, and a blanket for 300 rupees, and a yak bell for about 60 rupees. Got pretty drunk on rakshi, then off to dinner and bed.
Up early, all porters quit for the Spanish expedition and I thought we were going to be stuck there for a few days, but Sonam rounded up a new set of porters from the women and children of Gunsa, as well as a half dozen yaks. Boys and girls down to about 8 years old. One woman had a baby in a basket. Short trip today down to Pole where we were surrounded by dozens of kids and adults bent on selling souvenirs and stealing anything they could. I was resting quietly in my tent and some kids sneaked up and started to open the zipper on the tent fly. I quietly opened the inner zipper and then came out with a big roar, which all the assembled kids and grownups thought was funny. Almost everyone bought souvenirs today. Kim and Pemba bought chubas, and John talked me into trading sleeping bags with him so he could trade my bag for a Tibetan rug. I objected on the grounds that my bag zipped together with another bag that I had left at home, but Kim insisted that he knew the people at Sierra Designs and that he could get an identical bag for me when we got home. It turned out when we got home that Sierra Designs had changed zipper manufacturers and there was no way to get a bag that would zip together with the bag at home.
Today is my birthday, but I decided to not make an announcement after the big display by AP on his birthday last month. We left Pole after a little bit of last minute souvenir buying. I tried to buy a woman's belt buckle which had been quoted to me at 200 rupees, but when I got out the money the owner doubled the price to 400, so I didn't get it. Witnessed a little rude behavior by Kim - I don't know if he is intentionally rude or just unaware of the appearance of his actions. It sure gets under my skin. I think he is so accustomed to having people like AP and Michael fawning on him that his ego gets so big that he isn't aware of how his behavior affects others. Anyway, it made for a long day. Finally we departed with a different and motley collection of porters to Yabla for lunch and Angilesa for overnight camp. This was the section of the trail that bothered me coming up, but it seemed OK going down. I'm trying to carry both the blanket and the rug and nearly killing myself doing it. No more of that. Along the trail, female porters stopped for a break next to a bush of red rhododendrons, eating of the flowers. Sonam said they are a mild narcotic. I tasted them but found them bitter.
Roast chicken for dinner and some clearing of the air, both weather wise and emotional. Porters here, I guess we get real porters tomorrow. There were no flat places at Angilesa. We could pitch only 3 tents. AP and Michael doubled up, Sonam and Atal slept in a house. A lot of porters here who seem to be waiting for us. Pemba cooked supper on the porch of a house.
Down the big hill today, lunch at the creek at the bottom, near a lone farm house where a man and woman and 2 kids live. Kids learn young. A 3-yr. old girl got a hot coal in a pair of bamboo tongs, brought a couple of leaves for her mother to roll a cigarette. The little girl playing with a knife, whittles bamboo. Father had a drum which he was preparing by rubbing a black paste of unknown composition on the drumhead with a brown, round object. I couldn't tell what the object was. The little farm has a pear tree, lemon trees, a banana tree, barley, potatoes, chickens, a pig.
After lunch, on down to Dubitar, the village is on the west side of the river, we camped on the bar on the east side. We are upstream from Tapletok, about 1/2 way between Tapletok and Simbua Kola. We still have all the Tibetan female porters, plus the yak man and his son (both carrying loads). The yaks stayed behind at Angilesa, it is too hot in the valley for them. The Tibetan women don't carry big loads but they get there. It rained during the night, with a thunderstorm.
Sun 23 April 1978
We continued on down the river past Tapletok and had lunch near a creek where I took a bath and lost the soap down the creek. After lunch I had no energy, but managed to struggle into Tawa where Kim and AP and Michael were having thumba. Kim gave me a package of the Nepalese equivalent of ERG powder which I drank with the thumba and felt much restored. My weakness was apparently due to salt imbalance in the hot, humid weather. John and Atal went ahead up to Taplejung to arrange plane reservations from Tumlingtar to Kathmandu.
I bought a tea churn (50 R) and a khukri (95 R) at the thumba house. The khukri was 75 R to the seller, 20 to the guy doing the translating. Then on to Mitlung to camp for the night. Along the trail I saw a Nepalese woman with gold disc earrings as big as pocket watches.
We camped in front of a school at Mitlung and were pestered all night and next morning by people and kids hanging around. It rained hard during the night; there was 2" of water in AP's tent. Mine stayed dry. I haven't slept in my (John's) sleeping bag for 2 nights. It has been too warm. I wish I had my own bag, John's is too warm. I'm sorry I yielded to John's request for my bag. I decided at Duhuman to try something - John saw my orange pack and said "that's the one you should be carrying", and I said "I know, but I don't have room in my duffel bags. If I didn't have to carry that great big sleeping bag of yours, I would have room." He said "Well, I don't have any room for it". But later on, he had time to think about his statement and came and took the bag. Well, only a few more days to go...
Mitlung to Duhuman with lunch at Thumba, by the chain bridge with one plank. An easy day. Roskelley at Taplejung. Paid off the Tibetans at Mitlung and they headed off, some to Taplejung to spend their money, some to home. Most of them will take home a load of supplies. Glad to be rid of them, the women chattered too much, and I was getting a little tired of listening to the one who gave a roar every time she saw me. Had a swim at Duhuman and stayed in a pole shed. Slept on the second story, cooked below. The shed had a bamboo floor laid on bamboo joists, the floor was made by splitting 3"-4" bamboo poles without separating the splits, opening them out flat with the outside up. Roskelley came back in late afternoon, he has made plane reservations out of Tumlingtar for Saturday, with no confirmation. Lama is coming down in the morning, but John says he is leaving whether Lama gets there or not. A hot day, very uncomfortable.
Tue 25 April 1978
We made an early start from Duhuman - no Lama, but he caught up. We are going west up the valley of the river we swam in. A cloudy day, relatively cool but very humid. The growing season is in full swing - some corn is 30" high already. Nothing was growing last month. Ripe figs on a couple of trees, potato plants are in bloom. Very lush country, but climate just like a greenhouse. Cookoos can be heard everywhere, they soon become as tiring as a cookoo clock, like which they sound. Camped at 5700' at nearly the upper limit of cultivation. The first leeches were found by AP.
Wed 26 April 1978
We started out at 0630 without breakfast, with a steady climb all morning. The early sky was clear with clouds coming in. Good views of Jannu and Kangchenjunga. They dominate the skyline. The Lumba Sumba Himal also visible. Rhododendrons (red) in full bloom. AP was bit by two leeches, Michael by one. Roskelley owly, refused to allow water to be taken from a small (brownish) lake, even if it was to be boiled. He chewed out the kitchen boy for putting some aluminum foil in the fire. When I said last night that the ridge crossing was between 9000 and 10000 feet he said "where did you measure that, over the top of a peak?". Anyhow, my calculation turned out OK, we ate lunch at 9300', which is still 400 or 500 feet below the ridge. At the pass the barometer read 10,100'. Descent into Pilowa Kola through fog and then a thunderstorm. Everyone scattered. It rained so hard that the rain came through my Indian cotton umbrella. I stopped at a schoolhouse to dry out and broke up school for the day. It was 4 PM anyway. Then on down to Nundaki, where John and Kim were having thumba made from corn and millet. It was pretty good. The others gradually drifted in and we stayed at the same place and had curry with lamb and chicken for supper, plus quite a lot of rakshi. The cook boy poured boiling water on a dog, which set off a tirade by John: "I want that guy fired", etc. There was no other cook boy so we kept him.
Thu 27 April 1978
From Nundaki we went down to Pilowa Kola, then a long traverse, staying at about 5000', then on to a ridge to the north, then down to the ridge to Chainpur. It was a hot day. John stayed behind to goad the porters, for which we were all thankful. As Kim said, "John doesn't understand why everyone is upset with him, and since he is perfect, it couldn't be his fault." We finally got into Chainpur looking for rum or beer, but couldn't find either. Chainpur is a very pretty town, with nice buildings and well paved streets. We camped in a market place at the west end of town. Michael found some rakshi and got good and drunk.
Fri 28 April 1978
We started out from Chainpur at 0630 - we would have liked to stay for the market, but it doesn't start until 1000. We follow the ridge west from Chainpur for 2 or 3 miles to a village where we got bananas, then dropped down the north side of the ridge toward Arun, with Tumlingtar visible in the distance. We were at the river on the east side of Tumlingtar by 11:00.
My diary ends at this point. We continued on to Tumlingtar, staying overnight. The next day the plane, a Twin Otter, came in and flew us to Kathmandu. Our trip was over.