The Great Walk - hiking Himalaya with Luck and Fortune
Dec 14, 2004 09: 26 EST
"For once I had come to my senses as to what's best, and against my will I finally agreed to pay for a guide so that I would be able to get to where I need to get, and the travel agent now tells me that with just the guide is not enough.
'I called the police and they told me that because that area is actually closed for foreigners you need to rent a jeep too.' she explained. Tired and frustrated as it is becoming a must in each and everyone of my days since my arrival, I explained to her that I knew of foreigners who did trek on that area without having rented a jeep.
'They had a jeep to carry their luggage,' she claimed as if she knew these people that I had just invented."
Remember the Great Walker? Diego arrived Kathmandu, Nepal October 24. His aim was to walk to Mount Kailash, in Tibet, to retrace the steps of Nain Singh. He would walk to Lhasa, then follow a river to the mountain. At the check point to Tibet, Diego was turned back by the police. Now he's trying to get back to that last point at the border - from Lhasa.
Dimas and Manuel aka Tashi and Pintso aka Luck and Fortune
This time he is in the company of two other foreigners he met on a bus; Dimas has just requested to be called "Tashi" as it is his given Tibetan name which means 'Luck'. Manuel is "Pintso" meaning 'Fortune.'
"Mine is 'Tsering' which means longevity; and just as 'Pintso's' it was given to me by a monk from Tashilumpo Monastery," writes Diego. And he continues his tale of his tricky quest - to just walk:
Everest base camp
"'I am sorry at this time we cannot take you without a jeep.' she concluded. As this conversation was happening, Manuel, Dimas and myself were on our way to the PSB office to get our permits for the Zhigatse area. Dimas got one that included Everest base camp, Manuel got one similar to Dimas's but included Zhangmu as well; since that is the border town and he plans to cross into Nepal.
With no time left to bargain Dimas decided he would head towards Lhasa and Manuel with another month to go accompanied him knowing that he could still travel that road later.
Me? I walked along the main road out of town and am now inside the dark back of a truck getting a ride to Lhatse."
Check in on Diego's full dispatches on his website.
The Himalayan mountaineering season is over for now, but there are trekkers around, and one such is Diego Azubel. Diego is a great walker. In 2000/2001 he traversed China on foot along the Great Wall. The trip took 15 months and covered 4000 km.
This time around, Diego arrived Kathmandu, Nepal October 24. His aim was to walk to Mount Kailash, in Tibet, to retrace the steps of Nain Singh. He would walk to Lhasa, then follow a river to the mountain. At least that was the plan, until the police got involved.
Diego is among the first world travelers using Contact technology. Check his pics, positions, and altitudes as he strolls his way across the passes - and read his story of the Maoists impact on Himalayan trekkers.
Image of Luck and Fortune, courtesy of Diego.
|
|
Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
 |
Everest Supercouloir: "What is a summit compared to a friend's lif
Full Story
|
 |
Mystery Chopper's Utopia summit - VIDEO
Full Story
|
 |
Annapurna South: "It was such a great climb"
Full Story
|
 |
ExWeb Special report: The Ropes and Summit Push on Everest...
Full Story
|
 |
Real men
Full Story
|
 |
Christian Kuntner - a mountaineering legend is gone
Full Story
|
 |
14 x 8000: Ed Viesturs joins the world's most exclusive...
Full Story
|
 |
ExWeb Special: Ed Viesturs "I still have peaks that I want...
Full Story
|
|
|
| Andrew Lock on Annapurna tragedy: "I wanted to keep on climbing" Jun 6, 2005 | | Gabriel Filippi and Sean Egan's soul, together on the summit of Everest Jun 6, 2005 | | "Supermom" Monica Kalozdi update: Everest Summit and hard descent Jun 5, 2005 | | Robert Milne dies during summit push Everest South Jun 5, 2005 | | Grania Willis summits Everest this morning Jun 5, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week-In-Review Jun 5, 2005 | | Himex summit - Update from climber Jun 4, 2005 | | No Mountain top too high, my Love Jun 4, 2005 | | Jagged Globe team summits again! Jun 4, 2005 | | More summits for DCXP/Project Himalaya this morning Jun 4, 2005 |
| | End of season... Jun 4, 2005 | | Ranulph Fiennes turns back on Everest Jun 3, 2005 |
|
|
