Adam and I enjoyed our time in the mountains of Nepal; trekking in the Himalaya was an incredible experience. But once we returned to Kathmandu from the Khumbu/Everest region, we were anxious to return to Bangkok. It had gotten much colder, even in Kathmandu, by mid-
December than it was when we first arrived at the beginning of November -- night-time lows approached freezing in the capital. In a city where very few buildings (our guesthouse included) are heated, that meant being cold much of the time. I was looking forward to roasting in Bangkok's heat and humidity. We also found Kathmandu, and the traveller's ghetto of Thamel in particular, overwhelmingly noisy, dirty and chaotic after the tranquility of the mountains. Horns blare constantly in the streets and pedestrians must constantly avoid kamakaze motorcycles weaving through people and traffic. Everyone wants to sell you something -- pashminas, trinkets, or drugs usually -- and harasses you as you pass. While there is an abundance of choice in the restaurants of Thamel, all the food is mediocre at best, and we usually sought out simple, Nepali and Tibetan food, which became very repetitive, and craved the culinary delights of Thai food. Finally, the fact that Kathmandu was without power more often than not began to wear on us.
Thankfully, after we arrived in Kathmandu, we almost immediately went to the Thai airlines office to change our flight, which was done efficiently and without any charge. (Unlike our flight from BKK to Kathmandu, the return flight to Bangkok was almost empty.) Adam almost jumped for joy right there in the Thai airlines office -- it meant he was four days closer to being back in Bangkok.
We spent our last few days in Nepal catching up on email and internet (when there was power), enjoying 'real' coffee, and doing a bit of sightseeing. We went to one of the largest buddhist stupas in the world at Boudha, which is a peaceful haven in a far corner of Kathmandu, and also to one of the holiest Hindu shrines in Nepal at Pashupati, which could not be more different. The complex at Pashupati is chaotic, crawling with monkeys, and teeming with life and death. It is on the banks of the Bagmati River, and is the holiest place in Nepal for Hindus to be cremated. (It is often compared to Varanasi on the Ganges River in India, but in my view, the two complexes are far more different than they are similar.) In fact, the burning ghats, where Hindus are cremated on pyres along side the river, is the biggest draw for tourists to Pashupati. (Sadly, we saw several people photographing and/or filming the ghats as though they were a spectacle, and not the site of someone else's grief.)
The process of getting on our flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok, and the flight itself, was quintessentially Nepali. We arrived at the airport just after 11am, where everyone who was entering the international terminal had to queue up in a single line. There was little order to the line, which moved slowly, and a fair amount of line-jumping. Various Nepali men (who were very clearly not flying anywhere) stood in line, and then gave up their spots near the front, for a small fee of course. The line moved slowly, and eventually we were allowed into the airport, where our bags were x-rayed. After paying a steep departure fee, we got into the Thai airlines check-in line, where we had to wait an interminable length of time (despite being the second in line) because their computer system was down. Once finally checked-in, we escaped the chaotic single departure area to the relative peace and sanctuary of the airport's single restaurant in the Radisson hotel. (Amazingly, a cold Carlsberg really improved Adam's spirits.) When boarding time came, we walked to the gate area, which was little more than a room at the far end of the airport, and then walked out across the tarmac and up the stairs onto the plane. (I had done walk-on boarding for lots of little planes and jets before, but I had never walked up and onto a Boeing 777 like that. It's a big plane ...) Despite boarding on time, we didn't leave on time. The pilot announced that the plane was ready to take-off, and it was the scheduled boarding time, but Kathmandu's air traffic control tower said they had to wait (for other traffic) ... and so we waited. And waited. I found it amusing but unsurprisingly that the Thai airlines staff took pains to explain that they were ready to go on-time, but it was the Nepali airport authorities that were preventing our take-off. In 40 days in Nepal, nothing had ever happened on time or left on time, so why would our departure be any different?
When we arrived in Bangkok, things could not have been more different than from Nepal. Adam and I felt like we had returned to the real world from the moon. That may sound harsh, but its hard to convey how isolated from the modern world we felt towards the end of our time in Nepal. And in stark contrast, Bangkok is a thriving global metropolis, coping with issues common to the rest of the developing world (e.g. poverty, corruption, pollution) but simultaneously indulging in excess and opulence. Before we left Nepal, we managed to find a great deal on a posh hotel in the downtown Sukhumvit district on the internet, (unsprisingly, high-end tourism in Thailand has taken a hit after the airport shut-down.) and we got upgraded when we checked-in, so we had a pretty nice place to stay for our first four nights back in Bangkok. We took advantage of the downtown location to visit the Vietnam embassy and apply for our visas (which couldn't have been done in Canada), window shop in some of the uber-expensive malls, and buy more weather appropriate clothing at the Chatuchak weekend market. We also took advantage of the hotel's rooftop pool/lounge area and nightly happy hour (free beer and snacks).
Halfway through our time in Bangkok, we returned to the old city area and to Lamphu Tree House hotel, where we had stayed before going to Nepal. Not as luxurious as the hotel downtown, but we weren't hard done by at Lamphu either -- the boutique hotel is decorated with teak wood reclaimed from a traditional Thai house. The location near the Grand Palace, Khao San Road, and Chao Phraya River is excellent as well. While staying at Lamphu, we ate lots of cheap street food, found cheap internet to post pictures, and shopped for more cheap clothes. (We donated most of our old cold weather clothes before leaving Nepal, and shipped home to Canada all the cold weather gear that was worth keeping.) One evening we took the boat down the river to Silom (downtown), gawking at the temples and really posh hotels on the river's banks, then had drinks at Sirocco's Sky Bar on the 63rd floor of the State Tower - expensive but worth it for the jaw dropping view. On Christmas Eve, we had an amazing once-in-a-lifetime dinner at Le Normandie, which we will be talking about for years.
Christmas Day was very un-Christmas-y. Adam was sick with the flu, and I ended up running around Bangkok on foot and public transit by myself for much of the day, collecting our passports and visas from the Vietnamese embassy and confirming bus/ferry tickets for our trip to Koh Tao the next day. We had a very low key dinner, as Adam was still sick, then it was off to bed to get some sleep before our very early bus ride the next morning. We were up before 5am to go and catch the bus. I'm pretty sure that's the earliest I've ever gotten out of bed on Boxing Day - I'd never wake up that early to go shopping! But the bus left more-or-less on time and we arrived at the pier in Chumphon just shortly before the ferry departed at 1pm -- perfect timing. The ferry ride to Koh Tao was almost 2 hours -- 2 horrible unbearable hours for me -- in which the catamaran pitched and bobbed and swayed every which way. People all around us were sick. Adam was completely fine, but it I had to put my head down and it was all I could do not to be ill ... Seems the seas are still a little rough this time of year.
We were thrilled to finally arrive on an island and start the warm-weather-paradise part of our trip. We had some initial challenges in finding accomodation, as the weeks over Christmas and New Year's Day are the busiest time on all the Thai islands. Also, I think the days of the $10 bungalow on the beach, which I enjoyed when I travelled to Thailand 8 years ago, are pretty much over. On Koh Tao, and in Haad Sairee (the biggest, 'main' beach) in particular, very little accomodation is right on the beach. Bungalows on the beach or with any kind of ocean view run about $100 Cdn per night, and the budget bungalows (usually in the $30 Cdn range) are at least a block back from the water. But Adam found us something decent for the first night (although nowhere near the ocean), and the next morning we checked into the bungalows provided by his scuba diving school, Scuba Junction. Adam will be doing his open- water certification scuba diver course over the next four days, and most scuba schools offer free or heavily discounted accomodation to their students. Scuba Junction's bungalows aren't posh (no hot water, no shelves or anything for storage, and rock-hard beds), but they're cheap ($7 per day while diving, $15 per day regular) and we're a stones throw from the water ... although I can't actually see it. Adam will be busy all day long doing his course though, and I'll be diving for half the day, so we don't need much more.
Also, while it's the busiest time on Koh Tao, it's not the best. The monsoon has just ended so the seas are rough and the weather is so-so. It poured rain yesterday and threatened to rain today. It's perpetually cloudy. And the mosquitos are fierce. So we might as well be diving or climbing because it's not really sunworshipping weather. (Although the rough seas cause their own problems for diving and rain is no good for climbing). Koh Tao itself isn't going to win any prizes in the beach paradise pageant, due to haphazardand unattractive development along the main beaches. But don't feel too sorry for us. There are lots of cool beach bars to sit and drink fruit shakes at. (we average 2 banana shakes a day.) The food is tasty and reasonably cheap. (I eat about 5 times a day.) And 2 nights ago we had a Thai massage on the beach (for the bargain price of $10). When the mozzies aren't devouring me, the evenings are perfect for long walks on the beach. It's a tough life.
Going forward, after Adam completes his scuba diver course and I've done some diving, the plan is to investigate some of the rock climbing on the island. I'm sure Adam will post all about it once he's done a few days, but he's pretty excited to get back on some rock (granite) after two full months off. I'm not sure how long we'll be on Koh Tao ... it is probably related to how good the
climbing, and the diving, is.
Wishing everyone happy holidays, and a happy New Year!
Robin
[Note: My apologies for the format of the original post, and the re-post, should you receive it again by email. Mobile blogging -- from my iPod -- is not entirely bug-free.]
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Pictures from the Khumbu / Everest Region
Just in time for the holidays, Adam and I have found some fast computers in Bangkok and are posting some pictures on the interweb. Below are some pictures from the Everest trek that I hope you enjoy. Adam has also posted some pictures from New Zealand -- both climbing and non-climbing -- on Facebook. You have to be on Facebook and perhaps a "friend" of Adam's to view them. (I'm sure he won't mind new friend requests ...)
Below is a photo of Adam on the trail between Lobuche and Gorak Shep.
And below is a photo of Adam and Robin at the top of Kala Pattar (5600m) with Everest (the big black peak) and Nuptse (the right peak) in the background.
The Khumbu glacier, which stretches from the base of Everest down the valley (pictured below) is quite magnificent itself. Much of the trail above Lobuche is beside the glacier.
Below is a photo of Everest and the ice fall (where base camp would be during the climbing season), taken from Kala Pattar.
Below is a photo of Adam and I chillin' at the Everest View Hotel in Syangboche, with Everest (centre left) and Ama Dablam (the big peak to the right) in the background.
Above, Mount Everest (left) and Lhotse (right) at sunrise. Below the same panarama at sunset. Taken from Deboche, on the trek up.
Below is a photo of Ama Dablum from the north, taken from the top of Nargarshang Ri (5200m).
We hope you enjoy! Happy holidays.
Robin & Adam
Below is a photo of Adam on the trail between Lobuche and Gorak Shep.
And below is a photo of Adam and Robin at the top of Kala Pattar (5600m) with Everest (the big black peak) and Nuptse (the right peak) in the background.
The Khumbu glacier, which stretches from the base of Everest down the valley (pictured below) is quite magnificent itself. Much of the trail above Lobuche is beside the glacier.
Below is a photo of Everest and the ice fall (where base camp would be during the climbing season), taken from Kala Pattar.
Below is a photo of Adam and I chillin' at the Everest View Hotel in Syangboche, with Everest (centre left) and Ama Dablam (the big peak to the right) in the background.
Above, Mount Everest (left) and Lhotse (right) at sunrise. Below the same panarama at sunset. Taken from Deboche, on the trek up.
Below is a photo of Ama Dablum from the north, taken from the top of Nargarshang Ri (5200m).
We hope you enjoy! Happy holidays.
Robin & Adam
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
From Everest with love....
Actually, I'm writing this post from Kathmandu not Everest...too damn cold!
Robin and I returned yesterday from our trek in the Everest region and one of my first thoughts was "God I hate the sound of car horns!" Up in the Everest region, it is so peaceful and the only sounds you constantly hear are that of yak bells and yak train "drivers"....and of other trekkers hacking up a lung due to the "Khumbu cold".
Seriously though, we had an amazing time in the region. As this was Robin's second time there she was able to provide a limited amount of guiding services which made it a bit easier. Luckily though, it is pretty difficult to get lost as there is really only one main trail.
We arrived in Lukla via airplane and you are treated to a type of landing that one can only find by coming to Everest (to the best of my knowledge). The landing strip at the Lukla airport is built on a mountain slope and therefore built on an angle. In order the land, the pilot must aim the plane downward at a fairly steep angle and at the last moment before contact, lift the nose in order to get the plane pointed uphill. The landing was very smooth and a majority of the passengers gave the pilot a quick applause before we all piled off to get our luggage. Now I say luggage as a majority of the passengers were not "trekkers" who had backpacks for long walks. No! A majority were tourists whose luggage (i.e. suitcases, duffel bags, etc...) would be carried by porters only as far as Namche Bazaar or Tengboche. Once you leave the airport grounds, there are about a hundred people lined at the gates hoping to take on a job as a guide or a porter (or both). We nicknamed this the "gauntlet" and moved past everyone quite quickly so that we may start the trek!
Leaving the town of Lukla we headed off downhill to towards the town of Phakding which is about 2 hours away. [Robin says that "town" might be a bit of an exaggeration ... "village" or "settlement" would be more appropriate.] Lukla sits at approx 2800m and the trail drops quickly to approx 2600m by the time you reach Phakding. We had a quick tea break on the way and then arrived in Phakding for lunch where we had our first real "sticker shock"! After enjoying relatively cheap prices in the Annapurna region, we found out that this is not the case in the Everest region...not by a long shot! I'm going to guess that most prices where 2-3 times that of the Annapurna region. (To be fair, this is because everything, including food, fuel and building supplies for lodges, has to be carried up by porters from Kathmandu or flown into Lukla and then carried up by porters.) After lunch we moved on to Monjo where we spent our first night of the trek.
The next day we began the hike back uphill. The next destination on the trek is Namche and it resides at approx 3400m altitude so you can imagine the uphill battle we faced. Luckily on the way up, we were treated to our first views of Everest and it definitely adds a bit of spring to the step. That spring was quickly broken though as its still a serious slog up the rest of the way and by the time we reached the town, we were toast. We would later find out that a 600m ascent would be a common theme each day! Once past the police checkpoint, we had to find accomodations and after some more climbing, we ended up at the Panorama which is the same lodge where Robin stayed during her first visit. This was a fantastic choice as the room, food and staff were great! Many of the lodge owners in Namche are former climbing Sherpas who have built lodges with their earnings and are very personable with all of their guests. We did a quick walk around the town and then were told of a viewpoint near the army base / national park headquarters (which is an odd combination, to be sure) where we could view Everest and the surrounding mountains. Definitely worth the short walk up and we could see Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse and others! Even though we were still 4-5 days away I was getting pretty excited!!
The next morning we went straight uphill to one of Robin's favourite places on the trek, the Everest View Hotel! I definitely have to agree and also consider this one of my favourites now.
This is a 5-star hotel with a view of Everest from every room. This view only costs around $200USD/night (a bit of a difference from our normal price of $3USD/night). We were only there to sit on their terrace, have some tea and relax. We met a couple of Tennesseeans (def: people from Tennessee), Mike and Jamie [thanks for the "kitchen sink"!] and they joined us for a good hour of chillin' in the sun and enjoying the view. Unfortunately, we had to continue otherwise we might have been stuck paying the overnight rate. We continued onto Khumjung and then all the way back downhill to the town of Phunki Tenga (I only mention this town as the name is awesome). From here we had to climb ANOTHER hill and it was (again) a miserable 600m straight up. But upon finally reaching the top 2 hours later, we were rewarded with more views of Everest. We were now in the town of Tengboche where there is a very important Bhuddist monastery. It was unfortunately closed but I would have another chance to view the inside on the way back down.
We opted to continue on to the town of Deboche 15 minutes down the valley, where we found lodging in a brand new lodge, the Rivendell, with killer views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. We were able to watch sunset on Everest from the dining room, and watch sunrise on Everest from the comfort (and relative warmth) of our sleeping bags in our rooms. [Robin was a real fan of this, because otherwise she might have been dragged out of bed before 6am and made to stand in the cold and dark.] I need to add that at this point we had joined company with a pair of Australians, Tristan and Kate. We met them on the Annapurna circuit and by chance they flew into Lukla the same day as us. We had stayed in Namche together and would for the rest of this trip, become a foursome. This was a bonus as it meant that Robin and I did not only have each other to talk to.... ;-)
The next day we moved on from Deboche and trekked all the way to Dingboche. At this point in the trek we had moved from 3800m to 4400m and walking was becoming a bit more difficult and the temps were dropping quite a bit as well. The wind was not helping either driving down the daytime temps to close to 0 degrees!! Dingboche is one of two towns (Pheriche is the other)where trekkers tend to spend an acclimatization day in order to rest and prepare for the upcoming assault to Everest. Upon our arrival at the lodge, I decided to relax while Robin went out to explore. This was Robin's first time to this town as she had previously stayed in Pheriche. She was out for a while so when I went outside to spot her, all I heard was "Aaaadam.....Aaaadam..." I finally spotted her...about 100m straight up on a ridge overlooking the town!!! Such a keener....
The next day we opted for what we thought would be casual walk up the same ridge Robin had visited the previous day. It turned out to be a serious hike from 4400m all the way to the summit of Nangarshang peak..at just under 5200M!! But the views are definitely worth it! Ama Dablam, Makalu and Lhotse are staring right back at you!! Going up took about 2.5 hours but going down took a quick 1 hour... we were motivated by the need for FOOOOOOD!!! (We hadn't really planned on a day-long hike.) The rest of the day was a chill day and then we crashed. Sleeping on this trek usually was from 7-7:30pm until 6am the next morning (not including night trips to the toilet.)
Our next destination was Lobuche and this starts with a nice walk to Thukla only to be faced with a short but steep hill. Hills aren't usually too hard but when they start at 4600m altitude, they become a tad harder! We cruised up this one pretty quickly (passing groups who only had day packs to worry about) and at the top is an area with many memorials to fallen climbers (both Western and Sherpa). Its quite a sobering place and we did not spend too long there. The rest of the walk to Lobuche is through a gentle valley and Lobuche itself is a very desolate place located at an oxygen deprived 4950m. I slept only part of the night while Robin did not sleep at all. At altitude, sleep is very difficult to come by for many people.
The next day was by far the most rewarding! We left Lobuche once the sun hit the valley (until then it is a balmy -7 degrees) and began the march to Gorak Shep. This is the final lodging area and it resides midway up the Khumbu Glacier. While walking their, the views of Nuptse are unbelievable and you get your first sight of Kala Patar, which is the best viewpoint of Everest (for the vast majority trekkers anyways). We arrived in Gorak Shep around 10:30 and based on the weather, decided to make an attempt on Kala Patar around noon. The weather was maily clear but with serious wind and clouds could be seen high up on Everest. But a local guide said the views would still be there so off we went.
Ascending Kala Patar is only a 450m endeavour up to 5600m and again, would normally not be so difficult. But when you start that climb at 5150m, its a bit more of a challenge. I will say that I am quite lucky to be part of a very small minority of trekkers who are not affected by altitude. Going up I felt fine and although Robin had a bout of moderate AMS on the Thorong La (on the Annapurna Circuit), she made it up Kala Patar with little problem. I wish I could post a pic in this post but the connections in Kathmandu are SLOW! Looking at the mountains, I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Pictures just do not do justice what you are trying to take it from this viewpoint! Magical is probably the best word I can use to describe the panaroma! All around us are Pumori, Everest, Lhotse (not visible though), Nuptse, Ama Dablam in the distance, the Khumbu Icefall right in front of us and the rest of the glacier tailing away!!!! Everest Base Camp (EBC) is about 300m below Kala Patar and I was contemplating on whether or not to make a morning trip out to it the next day. But my decision was made not to when we saw a MONSTER avalanche rip off the side of the mountain (near the top of the Khumbu Icefall) and tear right into the EBC area. I shudder to think what might have happened if any expeditions had been there but the area was empty as this is not a climbing season. All the same, seeing an avalanche of that size is shocking!
We did not last more than 45 min at the top as the wind was blowing close to 80km/h and it was freezing! But we took quite a few pics and we will post those in Bangkok when we have a better connection.
It took just over an hour to get up but we hauled ass down in about 25 min to the relative warmth of the lodge. That night neither of us really slept due to the altitude but I was also still SO psyched to have been that close to the top of the world! The next morning we sat in the sunroom of the lodge, waited to see if the Nuptse wall would rain more avalances and then we set off back down the trail. Going up took us 7 days but getting back to Lukla took us only 3 days! Descending is much easier and as we were retracing our steps more almost the entire trail, we didn't stop and admire the view too much once we were down past Pheriche. The first night on the way down we stayed in Pangboche (just before Deboche) and the following day we continued all the way Namche. We were quite happy to be back in Namche as it meant an easier time trying to sleep and the food was amazing! The following morning to began our last full day of trekking all the way back to Lukla. This was a painful day as it requires a 600m descent and then a 200m ascent right at the end of the day into Lukla, and lots of up and down in between. (There's no place on the trail that is actually "flat" - it's always at some kind of grade.) Luckily the lodge owner Namche called ahead to a friend in Lukla (who also owned a lodge) and had him confirm that we would be on one of the first flights out of Lukla then next morning. The only condition is that we stay at this friend's lodge. To our delight we arrived in Lukla to find we were on the first flight out (at 7:15am) and this "friend" was another ex-climbing Sherpa who had a fantastic lodge. The next morning he made sure we had breakfast then accompanied us to the airport and made sure we had no problems. What a great way to end the trek...almost...
Although the plane arriving from Kathmandu was a bit late it wasn't too bad. Its the take-off which is the kicker! Upon arrival, I mentioned that the landing is essentially done uphill. Well, the take-off is done downhill!! The plane taxis to the end of the runway and then guns the engines and hard as they will go and then he releases the brake! The plane careens downhill as fast as possible and at the last moment, takes off from the tarmac as the slope disappears down into the valley below! Nothing like a little sports action first thing in the morning....
Sorry for the long post but trying to cram in what we did into a very short post just isn't possible. This was an experience of a lifetime!! From the day Robin and I met, I've been going on and on about getting to Everest and finally I've done that...maybe one day I'll come back and try climbing it!!! Yeah right.... Seriously, the trek to Kala Patar was very special for both of us, and seemed to bring us full circle from the very first day we met.
Now we're off to Bangkok and warm weather. We were able to change our flights and so will be leaving Nepal a bit early (on the 18th) and most likely spending Christmas in BKK before heading off to the islands for some sun, scuba and finally ... more climbing!
Cheers,
Adam [and Robin]
Robin and I returned yesterday from our trek in the Everest region and one of my first thoughts was "God I hate the sound of car horns!" Up in the Everest region, it is so peaceful and the only sounds you constantly hear are that of yak bells and yak train "drivers"....and of other trekkers hacking up a lung due to the "Khumbu cold".
Seriously though, we had an amazing time in the region. As this was Robin's second time there she was able to provide a limited amount of guiding services which made it a bit easier. Luckily though, it is pretty difficult to get lost as there is really only one main trail.
We arrived in Lukla via airplane and you are treated to a type of landing that one can only find by coming to Everest (to the best of my knowledge). The landing strip at the Lukla airport is built on a mountain slope and therefore built on an angle. In order the land, the pilot must aim the plane downward at a fairly steep angle and at the last moment before contact, lift the nose in order to get the plane pointed uphill. The landing was very smooth and a majority of the passengers gave the pilot a quick applause before we all piled off to get our luggage. Now I say luggage as a majority of the passengers were not "trekkers" who had backpacks for long walks. No! A majority were tourists whose luggage (i.e. suitcases, duffel bags, etc...) would be carried by porters only as far as Namche Bazaar or Tengboche. Once you leave the airport grounds, there are about a hundred people lined at the gates hoping to take on a job as a guide or a porter (or both). We nicknamed this the "gauntlet" and moved past everyone quite quickly so that we may start the trek!
Leaving the town of Lukla we headed off downhill to towards the town of Phakding which is about 2 hours away. [Robin says that "town" might be a bit of an exaggeration ... "village" or "settlement" would be more appropriate.] Lukla sits at approx 2800m and the trail drops quickly to approx 2600m by the time you reach Phakding. We had a quick tea break on the way and then arrived in Phakding for lunch where we had our first real "sticker shock"! After enjoying relatively cheap prices in the Annapurna region, we found out that this is not the case in the Everest region...not by a long shot! I'm going to guess that most prices where 2-3 times that of the Annapurna region. (To be fair, this is because everything, including food, fuel and building supplies for lodges, has to be carried up by porters from Kathmandu or flown into Lukla and then carried up by porters.) After lunch we moved on to Monjo where we spent our first night of the trek.
The next day we began the hike back uphill. The next destination on the trek is Namche and it resides at approx 3400m altitude so you can imagine the uphill battle we faced. Luckily on the way up, we were treated to our first views of Everest and it definitely adds a bit of spring to the step. That spring was quickly broken though as its still a serious slog up the rest of the way and by the time we reached the town, we were toast. We would later find out that a 600m ascent would be a common theme each day! Once past the police checkpoint, we had to find accomodations and after some more climbing, we ended up at the Panorama which is the same lodge where Robin stayed during her first visit. This was a fantastic choice as the room, food and staff were great! Many of the lodge owners in Namche are former climbing Sherpas who have built lodges with their earnings and are very personable with all of their guests. We did a quick walk around the town and then were told of a viewpoint near the army base / national park headquarters (which is an odd combination, to be sure) where we could view Everest and the surrounding mountains. Definitely worth the short walk up and we could see Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse and others! Even though we were still 4-5 days away I was getting pretty excited!!
The next morning we went straight uphill to one of Robin's favourite places on the trek, the Everest View Hotel! I definitely have to agree and also consider this one of my favourites now.
This is a 5-star hotel with a view of Everest from every room. This view only costs around $200USD/night (a bit of a difference from our normal price of $3USD/night). We were only there to sit on their terrace, have some tea and relax. We met a couple of Tennesseeans (def: people from Tennessee), Mike and Jamie [thanks for the "kitchen sink"!] and they joined us for a good hour of chillin' in the sun and enjoying the view. Unfortunately, we had to continue otherwise we might have been stuck paying the overnight rate. We continued onto Khumjung and then all the way back downhill to the town of Phunki Tenga (I only mention this town as the name is awesome). From here we had to climb ANOTHER hill and it was (again) a miserable 600m straight up. But upon finally reaching the top 2 hours later, we were rewarded with more views of Everest. We were now in the town of Tengboche where there is a very important Bhuddist monastery. It was unfortunately closed but I would have another chance to view the inside on the way back down.
We opted to continue on to the town of Deboche 15 minutes down the valley, where we found lodging in a brand new lodge, the Rivendell, with killer views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. We were able to watch sunset on Everest from the dining room, and watch sunrise on Everest from the comfort (and relative warmth) of our sleeping bags in our rooms. [Robin was a real fan of this, because otherwise she might have been dragged out of bed before 6am and made to stand in the cold and dark.] I need to add that at this point we had joined company with a pair of Australians, Tristan and Kate. We met them on the Annapurna circuit and by chance they flew into Lukla the same day as us. We had stayed in Namche together and would for the rest of this trip, become a foursome. This was a bonus as it meant that Robin and I did not only have each other to talk to.... ;-)
The next day we moved on from Deboche and trekked all the way to Dingboche. At this point in the trek we had moved from 3800m to 4400m and walking was becoming a bit more difficult and the temps were dropping quite a bit as well. The wind was not helping either driving down the daytime temps to close to 0 degrees!! Dingboche is one of two towns (Pheriche is the other)where trekkers tend to spend an acclimatization day in order to rest and prepare for the upcoming assault to Everest. Upon our arrival at the lodge, I decided to relax while Robin went out to explore. This was Robin's first time to this town as she had previously stayed in Pheriche. She was out for a while so when I went outside to spot her, all I heard was "Aaaadam.....Aaaadam..." I finally spotted her...about 100m straight up on a ridge overlooking the town!!! Such a keener....
The next day we opted for what we thought would be casual walk up the same ridge Robin had visited the previous day. It turned out to be a serious hike from 4400m all the way to the summit of Nangarshang peak..at just under 5200M!! But the views are definitely worth it! Ama Dablam, Makalu and Lhotse are staring right back at you!! Going up took about 2.5 hours but going down took a quick 1 hour... we were motivated by the need for FOOOOOOD!!! (We hadn't really planned on a day-long hike.) The rest of the day was a chill day and then we crashed. Sleeping on this trek usually was from 7-7:30pm until 6am the next morning (not including night trips to the toilet.)
Our next destination was Lobuche and this starts with a nice walk to Thukla only to be faced with a short but steep hill. Hills aren't usually too hard but when they start at 4600m altitude, they become a tad harder! We cruised up this one pretty quickly (passing groups who only had day packs to worry about) and at the top is an area with many memorials to fallen climbers (both Western and Sherpa). Its quite a sobering place and we did not spend too long there. The rest of the walk to Lobuche is through a gentle valley and Lobuche itself is a very desolate place located at an oxygen deprived 4950m. I slept only part of the night while Robin did not sleep at all. At altitude, sleep is very difficult to come by for many people.
The next day was by far the most rewarding! We left Lobuche once the sun hit the valley (until then it is a balmy -7 degrees) and began the march to Gorak Shep. This is the final lodging area and it resides midway up the Khumbu Glacier. While walking their, the views of Nuptse are unbelievable and you get your first sight of Kala Patar, which is the best viewpoint of Everest (for the vast majority trekkers anyways). We arrived in Gorak Shep around 10:30 and based on the weather, decided to make an attempt on Kala Patar around noon. The weather was maily clear but with serious wind and clouds could be seen high up on Everest. But a local guide said the views would still be there so off we went.
Ascending Kala Patar is only a 450m endeavour up to 5600m and again, would normally not be so difficult. But when you start that climb at 5150m, its a bit more of a challenge. I will say that I am quite lucky to be part of a very small minority of trekkers who are not affected by altitude. Going up I felt fine and although Robin had a bout of moderate AMS on the Thorong La (on the Annapurna Circuit), she made it up Kala Patar with little problem. I wish I could post a pic in this post but the connections in Kathmandu are SLOW! Looking at the mountains, I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Pictures just do not do justice what you are trying to take it from this viewpoint! Magical is probably the best word I can use to describe the panaroma! All around us are Pumori, Everest, Lhotse (not visible though), Nuptse, Ama Dablam in the distance, the Khumbu Icefall right in front of us and the rest of the glacier tailing away!!!! Everest Base Camp (EBC) is about 300m below Kala Patar and I was contemplating on whether or not to make a morning trip out to it the next day. But my decision was made not to when we saw a MONSTER avalanche rip off the side of the mountain (near the top of the Khumbu Icefall) and tear right into the EBC area. I shudder to think what might have happened if any expeditions had been there but the area was empty as this is not a climbing season. All the same, seeing an avalanche of that size is shocking!
We did not last more than 45 min at the top as the wind was blowing close to 80km/h and it was freezing! But we took quite a few pics and we will post those in Bangkok when we have a better connection.
It took just over an hour to get up but we hauled ass down in about 25 min to the relative warmth of the lodge. That night neither of us really slept due to the altitude but I was also still SO psyched to have been that close to the top of the world! The next morning we sat in the sunroom of the lodge, waited to see if the Nuptse wall would rain more avalances and then we set off back down the trail. Going up took us 7 days but getting back to Lukla took us only 3 days! Descending is much easier and as we were retracing our steps more almost the entire trail, we didn't stop and admire the view too much once we were down past Pheriche. The first night on the way down we stayed in Pangboche (just before Deboche) and the following day we continued all the way Namche. We were quite happy to be back in Namche as it meant an easier time trying to sleep and the food was amazing! The following morning to began our last full day of trekking all the way back to Lukla. This was a painful day as it requires a 600m descent and then a 200m ascent right at the end of the day into Lukla, and lots of up and down in between. (There's no place on the trail that is actually "flat" - it's always at some kind of grade.) Luckily the lodge owner Namche called ahead to a friend in Lukla (who also owned a lodge) and had him confirm that we would be on one of the first flights out of Lukla then next morning. The only condition is that we stay at this friend's lodge. To our delight we arrived in Lukla to find we were on the first flight out (at 7:15am) and this "friend" was another ex-climbing Sherpa who had a fantastic lodge. The next morning he made sure we had breakfast then accompanied us to the airport and made sure we had no problems. What a great way to end the trek...almost...
Although the plane arriving from Kathmandu was a bit late it wasn't too bad. Its the take-off which is the kicker! Upon arrival, I mentioned that the landing is essentially done uphill. Well, the take-off is done downhill!! The plane taxis to the end of the runway and then guns the engines and hard as they will go and then he releases the brake! The plane careens downhill as fast as possible and at the last moment, takes off from the tarmac as the slope disappears down into the valley below! Nothing like a little sports action first thing in the morning....
Sorry for the long post but trying to cram in what we did into a very short post just isn't possible. This was an experience of a lifetime!! From the day Robin and I met, I've been going on and on about getting to Everest and finally I've done that...maybe one day I'll come back and try climbing it!!! Yeah right.... Seriously, the trek to Kala Patar was very special for both of us, and seemed to bring us full circle from the very first day we met.
Now we're off to Bangkok and warm weather. We were able to change our flights and so will be leaving Nepal a bit early (on the 18th) and most likely spending Christmas in BKK before heading off to the islands for some sun, scuba and finally ... more climbing!
Cheers,
Adam [and Robin]
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Pictures from the Annapurna Circuit
I'm trying to post just a few pictures from our trek around the Annapurna Circuit. I'm having a terrible time loading them, so I apologize for the size of the thumbnails. I've learned that if you click on the thumbnail image, a full-size (very large) version of the photo will open. Enjoy!
Below is a photo of Adam and I, posing for a few precious moments at the summit of the Thorung La. Note how bundled up we are. It was damn windy and cold!
Above is a picture of Adam and Tiago, hiking along a ridge on our trek up to the ice lake/pond behind Braga. The Annapurna range and Gangapurna mountain (with glacier) is behind. Below is another photo taken from the ice pond walk, of the Annapurna range.
Above is a picture of the Dhauligiri range, just after dawn, from Poon Hill, near the end of the trek. And below is sunrise striking the Annapurna range, from Poon Hill. The middle peak is Annapurna South, which is under 8000m, and the left peak is the deadly 8000m+ Annapurna I. (It looks smaller because it's further away.)
There, hopefully those whet your appetites for now. Cheers!
Robin
Below is a photo of Adam and I, posing for a few precious moments at the summit of the Thorung La. Note how bundled up we are. It was damn windy and cold!
Above is a picture of Adam and Tiago, hiking along a ridge on our trek up to the ice lake/pond behind Braga. The Annapurna range and Gangapurna mountain (with glacier) is behind. Below is another photo taken from the ice pond walk, of the Annapurna range.
Above is a picture of the Dhauligiri range, just after dawn, from Poon Hill, near the end of the trek. And below is sunrise striking the Annapurna range, from Poon Hill. The middle peak is Annapurna South, which is under 8000m, and the left peak is the deadly 8000m+ Annapurna I. (It looks smaller because it's further away.)
There, hopefully those whet your appetites for now. Cheers!
Robin
The Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Namaste!
Adam and I travelled to Nepal from Bangkok on November 9th, to start our trekking extravaganza in the Himalaya. Our first destination was the Annapurna Circuit, a 16-20 day, 300-plus kilometre loop around the Annapurna mountains to the west of Kathmandu. It took a few days in Kathmandu to get settled, get our trekking permits for the Annapurna conservation area (about $35 Cdn each), register for the required "Trekking Information Management Service" or TIMS Card (which as far as I can tell, does nothing, but you *must* have), and buy bus tickets, etc. Basically, it takes a few days to get through the red tape, get ready, and get off to the mountains.
We left Kathmandu in the early hours of November 12th on a Nepali "Express" bus to Besisahar. I'm not sure what "express" means in Nepal, other than faster-than-a-chicken-bus, but it took us 10 very uncomfortable hours to get from Kathmandu to Besisahar. The bus still stopped in every little village/hamlet/outpost to let people on and off the bus, and at times, I had people quite literally sitting on my lap. Some of the delay was caused by a truck breakdown on a mountainous, winding part of the highway, which blocked most of both lanes and resulted in miles-long line-ups in both directions to get around. The truck didn't look like it would be moved to the side of the road any time soon - the entire axle appeared to have come apart from the truck - and they don't exactly have tow trucks in Nepal. The ride might have been endurable except that I didn't fit in the seats (again, quite literally) and had to ride all 10+ hours sitting sideways in the aisles with people on/against me. It wasn't exactly a piece of cake for Adam either. But we finally arrived in Besisahar, before nightfall, and could be off on the trek.
Things are changing rapidly in Nepal, especially in the Annapurna region, and there is now a rough road that runs along much of the traditional trekking route of the Circuit. So, upon arriving in Besisahar, we could have opted to get into another bus to the next village, or even taken a jeep much further up the trail, but there was no way that you could have convinced us to get back into a moving vehicle. It was really nice to walk after that bus ride. We had the same options on the other side of the pass two-weeks later -- take a jeep or walk. But we made the same decision, to walk. The roads are so rough that the jeeps can't go quickly and it's a very bumpy, dusty ride. It just doesn't seem pleasant.
For the first 10 days, Adam and I trekked through the mountains, slowly gaining altitude, up to Thorung Phedi (literally, the "foot of the Thorung") at 4450m at the base of the famed Thorung La pass - one of the highest in the world at 5400m. We were sometimes joined in our walks and inevitably in the lodges at night by a Swede (Per) and an American (Tiago). We sort of wound up as a cobbled together foursome along the way. There was no formal arrangement, we just all enjoyed each others' company and for Per and Tiago, it's safer to trek as part of a loose group than all alone in the mountains. We had some great views of the peaks of Annapurna II, III and IV, Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal and even Manaslu during this time. The walking was generally pleasant and safe, although there were some very difficult uphill sections. Adam demonstrated what amazing fitness he has, as well as his strength (which we all knew he had), by just bounding up the mountains like a jackrabbit, regardless of the altitude. I meanwhile really suffered on some of the climbs, but I was comforted in the fact that most people (men and women) struggle on these hills, and that we saw very few women carrying their own gear. Some, yes, but most couples and groups of women had porters. [Meanwhile, Adam and I each carried our own packs, with gear, mine weighing about 12 kg with water, Adam's was probably closer to 15kg.] We also had more than one scary moment when I thought, "hmmm, I hope I don't fall and break my leg." In particular, we lost the trail once in a landslide section and had to leap over a portion of trail (or what we thought was the trail) that had fallen away. It was very, very dangerous. Adam leaped without thinking, but I baulked several times before jumping, and then very nearly started to cry on the other side thinking about how stupid that was. Then we realized that we weren't on the trail, and we had reached a dead-end, and would have to cross back over the washed out portion - which I was not about to do - or scramble up a portion of the landslide (with backpacks on, of course). We opted for the latter, which in retrospect, carried a greater chance of injury (likely a broken leg) but less chance of death, because there was a ledge we would have landed upon, rather than falling all the way down the ravine. Sounds like fun, right? Thankfully, most days the trail was fine, although narrow, and the worst injury suffered on the trek was some blisters.
The food and lodging was also very good throughout the trek. On the near side of the Thorung La, the lodges were basic to any Canadian sense of accomodation, but they were decidedly more comfortable and luxurious than when I was in Nepal eight years ago. In most places we had two wooden twin size "beds" in a room, covered with foam mattresses and a single clean, worn sheet, and often a pillow. There is invariably at least one window (with real glass) in the room and a lock on the door. Walls might be stone or concrete in the better places, or wood in more basic lodges. You roll your sleeping bag out on the bed, and viola - that's home for the night. When I was in the Everest region eight years ago, toilets were almost always outhouses some 50m from the main building, but I think we only had that once, or perhaps twice. The lodges we stayed at usually had a (squat-asian-style) toilet at the end of the building. In a few very nice lodges we stayed at, we had a toilet attached to our room. What luxury during the cold nights! Once or twice we had a double bed. However, the showers are a bit more complicated affair. Most lodges (except at the highest altitudes) have solar showers, but you shower in a concrete-block building separate from the lodge. It's quite cold and it's hard to keep your clothes dry, so most people only shower every few days or so. (It' amazing what you can do in the interim with a bucket of hot water and a washcloth.)
One of the best things we did before crossing the pass was an acclimatization hike from Braka (at 3400m) to an ice lake (really, more of an ice 'pond') at 4600m above Braka. It was overcast and snowing the morning we planned to set out, and expectations of seeing anything from the numerous viewpoints were low. But the boys (as I referred to Adam, Per and Tiago collectively) convinced me that the walk was worth doing for acclimitization anyway, so we headed out. The walk was a grueling 4-hour affair uphill, at altitude, but an amazing one. Less than an hour after we left, the skies started to clear and we got great views of the mountain panorama before us, which reached from Pisang Peak, Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, Annnapurna III, Gangapurna, and into the Tilicho valley. From the main viewpoints at 4200m to 4600m, the mountains were simply spectacular. And there was no one else there. Quiet, serene, peaceful, with peaks that looked close enough to reach out and touch. It was all you could ask for from a Himalayan experience.
We crossed the Thorung La itself on Day 11 of our trek. It was undoubtedly the most difficult day. It probably would have been easier if we had spent one more day acclimatizing, but at that altitude, it's cold and bleak and you just want to get over and down on the other side into more reasonable altitudes. Also, I had picked up some mild food poisoning just two-days before, and had been feeling weak and unable to eat as much as I needed. On the hike into Thorung Phedi the day before, I had to fight the urge to toss my breakfast every few minutes. But I was feeling better the day we were to cross the pass, and as I said, we were not terribly keen to stay another day at 4450m. We left after the sun came up, about 7.15 am, which is very late compared to what other people do. For some unknown, unfathomable reason, most tour groups and independent trekkers leave before dawn, around 4 to 6 am, and do the first part of the pass in the dark. I don't know why. It seems stupid and dangerous to me to hike up there in the dark, with the ice and snow and constant possibility of falling of the trail (which could mean death). And it's waaay colder before the sun hits. But that's what people do. In any event, its an exhausting 1000m vertical up to the pass, which takes about 4 hours. I got hit with mild to moderate AMS at about 5200m -- 200m before the pass. It was the first time I had been seriously affected by altitude, and it was not pleasant. By that time, I was cold, tired, and miserable. My hands and feet, which had been so cold that they hurt terribly, were simply dumb. And now I was dizzy and coughing and wheezing, and secretly considering whether we should turn back. But Adam was a great trekking companion and walked with me all the slow, tortuous way to the pass. And we knew that Per and Tiago were just ahead, should my condition get serious. So we made it to the top. Adam and I posed for a quick picture, and he celebrated with Per and Tiago while I made a bee-line over the other side and started to go down. I literally got to the top and kept going down the other side. I knew I had to get down to get better. Fortunately, you lose altitude on the the other side even faster than you gain it getting up, and within 15 minutes I was safely down several hundred metres and feeling normal again. The boys caught up with me, and we continued down.
The hardest part is definitely getting up the pass, but getting down is no piece of cake. As I said, you're cold, tired, and exhausted. And then you have to go down 2000m vertical -- that's 2km straight down -- to the next village where you can sleep. Going down 2000m would be an exhausting physical feat any time, but after going up the pass, and being at altitude, it's simply an unending endurance marathon that breaks the spirit of almost all. (Even Adam started to whine about being tired and sore near the end.)
From the Thorung La, we took a few days to stay in the villages of Jharkot and Kagbeni, which are in the culturally significant Mustang region. The upper Mustang is a restricted area that is not open to casual trekking, but Adam and I would very much like to visit. The people are Tibetan in culture and even speak a dialect of Tibetan. They were very friendly, the food was great, and it was a nice place to rest (a few hours of hiking a day was a "rest" day) before heading down and out of the Annapurnas.
From Kagbeni, Adam and I made a bee-line out of the mountains to the jungle-esque village of Tatopani (at 1190m) in just two days. It was a solid 7 hours or so of hiking each day, but the weather wasn't great, as clouds moved in during late morning, so there wasn't much to see. Also, the villages on this side of Thorung La see many more tourists and trekkers. As a result, the facilities were better (luxurious sit-down toilets attached to the rooms, and even a shower in our own room!) but the people are more jaded and its just not as friendly, warm or welcoming. It's a difference that's hard to describe, but you can feel. We intentionally stayed in Larjung, a very small village, about halfway between Kagbeni and Tatopani, at a comparatively 'basic' place rather than in the bigger, fancier lodges in nearby villages, because we were the only tourists there, and really had a window on a Nepali family going about their day. It was quite extraordinary. We arrived to a strange banging noise inside the lodge, which I thought was construction, but turned out to be the final throws of the family slaughtering a yak! I grew up on a cattle farm, and immediately knew what was going on. Adam was amused as well. But everyone turned around and were very concerned that we would be shocked or upset or put off by what was happening. But not at all. We went out and got a room, and they continued on with butchering their yak. It was a unique evening.
In Tatopani, you really feel like you've left the mountains. The road has made food, lodging, beer and other treats fairly cheap here. There is also a decent hot springs by the river, so many people stop for an extra day to rest - us included. After several big days trekking, it was nice to take a break, relax, read, and eat, eat, eat. Adam and I had eaten huge amounts of food while trekking, but both (inevitably) still lost a significant amount of weight. (Which we need to replace before heading to the Khumbu-Everest region.)
From Tatopani, trekkers can walk or take a bus out to Beni and then Pokhara, the major city in this area of Nepal, or trek the traditional route up to Ghorepani and Poon Hill then down to Birethanti to catch a bus to Pokhara. The views from Poon Hill are legendary, so it seems foolish to come all this way and not go to Ghorepani and Poon Hill. The catch is, that from Tatopani (1190m) its a long arduous hike up to Ghorepani (2800m) and then an equally if not more arduous hike back down to Birethani (~1000m) the next day. It's a very challenging two-day walk. In particular, the hike down involves a series of over 3,400 stone stairs down between two villages. It's a drop of about 500m in an hour. It doesn't sound too awful, but there's something about the constant, relentless stepping down, without any flat portions to stretch your legs, that leaves you literally weak in the legs. It was the only part of the two-day affair that was really that horrid. But you couldn't pay me to do it again, now that I know what it's like. Two days later, my calves are still painfully sore. The views from Poon Hill really were great, but you share them with several hundred other tourists, so it lacked the atmosphere and feeling of our hike to the ice pond on the other side of the pass. Both viewpoints are worthwhile, however, and you see different parts of the Annapurna range. From Poon Hill, we finally got a good look at Annapurna I - the deadliest 8000m mountain in the world.
Once we got out of the mountains, trekkers can get a bus or taxi to Pokhara. It's only 41km away from Birethani/Naya Pul, so we thought we'd save a little money and get a bus. In retrospect, we should have got the taxi. I'll save all the horrible details (which involve a bizarre bus driver, another truck breakdown, teetering over the edge of a ravine thinking, "this isn't the day I want to die", and many many stops), but it took almost 3 hours to drive 41km. Torture. Pure torture.
We've spent the last two days here in relatively-quiet Pokhara reading email, trying to make sense of the world (i.e. Mumbai and Bangkok) and eating way, way too much. We are on another bus (hopefully the last one in Nepal) from Pokhara to Kathmandu tomorrow, where we will spend a few days fighting red tape to get permits etc. to do a quick version of the trek to Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu region. This is the trek that I did eight years ago, but Adam has never been, and has been talking about it since the day we met (literally). The EBC trek is higher altitude, so colder, but I think it's less physically demanding. This is what I remember, anyhow, and sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Adam simply has to go, and I'd rather do it all again than sit in Kathmandu for 10 days.
We are scheduled to go back to Thailand on December 22nd. We're watching the Bangkok situation closely, and will re-examine/re-consider when we return from the Khumbu in about two weeks. A lot can change in two weeks, so we will see what happens.
I'm going to try very hard to post at least one picture, very soon. It all depends on power. The power goes out at least once a day in Pokhara, like all parts of Nepal, and often several times. Bear with us. But check back often in the next couple of days if you're not signed up for email updates.
Namaste (Peace).
Robin (& Adam)
Adam and I travelled to Nepal from Bangkok on November 9th, to start our trekking extravaganza in the Himalaya. Our first destination was the Annapurna Circuit, a 16-20 day, 300-plus kilometre loop around the Annapurna mountains to the west of Kathmandu. It took a few days in Kathmandu to get settled, get our trekking permits for the Annapurna conservation area (about $35 Cdn each), register for the required "Trekking Information Management Service" or TIMS Card (which as far as I can tell, does nothing, but you *must* have), and buy bus tickets, etc. Basically, it takes a few days to get through the red tape, get ready, and get off to the mountains.
We left Kathmandu in the early hours of November 12th on a Nepali "Express" bus to Besisahar. I'm not sure what "express" means in Nepal, other than faster-than-a-chicken-bus, but it took us 10 very uncomfortable hours to get from Kathmandu to Besisahar. The bus still stopped in every little village/hamlet/outpost to let people on and off the bus, and at times, I had people quite literally sitting on my lap. Some of the delay was caused by a truck breakdown on a mountainous, winding part of the highway, which blocked most of both lanes and resulted in miles-long line-ups in both directions to get around. The truck didn't look like it would be moved to the side of the road any time soon - the entire axle appeared to have come apart from the truck - and they don't exactly have tow trucks in Nepal. The ride might have been endurable except that I didn't fit in the seats (again, quite literally) and had to ride all 10+ hours sitting sideways in the aisles with people on/against me. It wasn't exactly a piece of cake for Adam either. But we finally arrived in Besisahar, before nightfall, and could be off on the trek.
Things are changing rapidly in Nepal, especially in the Annapurna region, and there is now a rough road that runs along much of the traditional trekking route of the Circuit. So, upon arriving in Besisahar, we could have opted to get into another bus to the next village, or even taken a jeep much further up the trail, but there was no way that you could have convinced us to get back into a moving vehicle. It was really nice to walk after that bus ride. We had the same options on the other side of the pass two-weeks later -- take a jeep or walk. But we made the same decision, to walk. The roads are so rough that the jeeps can't go quickly and it's a very bumpy, dusty ride. It just doesn't seem pleasant.
For the first 10 days, Adam and I trekked through the mountains, slowly gaining altitude, up to Thorung Phedi (literally, the "foot of the Thorung") at 4450m at the base of the famed Thorung La pass - one of the highest in the world at 5400m. We were sometimes joined in our walks and inevitably in the lodges at night by a Swede (Per) and an American (Tiago). We sort of wound up as a cobbled together foursome along the way. There was no formal arrangement, we just all enjoyed each others' company and for Per and Tiago, it's safer to trek as part of a loose group than all alone in the mountains. We had some great views of the peaks of Annapurna II, III and IV, Gangapurna, Lamjung Himal and even Manaslu during this time. The walking was generally pleasant and safe, although there were some very difficult uphill sections. Adam demonstrated what amazing fitness he has, as well as his strength (which we all knew he had), by just bounding up the mountains like a jackrabbit, regardless of the altitude. I meanwhile really suffered on some of the climbs, but I was comforted in the fact that most people (men and women) struggle on these hills, and that we saw very few women carrying their own gear. Some, yes, but most couples and groups of women had porters. [Meanwhile, Adam and I each carried our own packs, with gear, mine weighing about 12 kg with water, Adam's was probably closer to 15kg.] We also had more than one scary moment when I thought, "hmmm, I hope I don't fall and break my leg." In particular, we lost the trail once in a landslide section and had to leap over a portion of trail (or what we thought was the trail) that had fallen away. It was very, very dangerous. Adam leaped without thinking, but I baulked several times before jumping, and then very nearly started to cry on the other side thinking about how stupid that was. Then we realized that we weren't on the trail, and we had reached a dead-end, and would have to cross back over the washed out portion - which I was not about to do - or scramble up a portion of the landslide (with backpacks on, of course). We opted for the latter, which in retrospect, carried a greater chance of injury (likely a broken leg) but less chance of death, because there was a ledge we would have landed upon, rather than falling all the way down the ravine. Sounds like fun, right? Thankfully, most days the trail was fine, although narrow, and the worst injury suffered on the trek was some blisters.
The food and lodging was also very good throughout the trek. On the near side of the Thorung La, the lodges were basic to any Canadian sense of accomodation, but they were decidedly more comfortable and luxurious than when I was in Nepal eight years ago. In most places we had two wooden twin size "beds" in a room, covered with foam mattresses and a single clean, worn sheet, and often a pillow. There is invariably at least one window (with real glass) in the room and a lock on the door. Walls might be stone or concrete in the better places, or wood in more basic lodges. You roll your sleeping bag out on the bed, and viola - that's home for the night. When I was in the Everest region eight years ago, toilets were almost always outhouses some 50m from the main building, but I think we only had that once, or perhaps twice. The lodges we stayed at usually had a (squat-asian-style) toilet at the end of the building. In a few very nice lodges we stayed at, we had a toilet attached to our room. What luxury during the cold nights! Once or twice we had a double bed. However, the showers are a bit more complicated affair. Most lodges (except at the highest altitudes) have solar showers, but you shower in a concrete-block building separate from the lodge. It's quite cold and it's hard to keep your clothes dry, so most people only shower every few days or so. (It' amazing what you can do in the interim with a bucket of hot water and a washcloth.)
One of the best things we did before crossing the pass was an acclimatization hike from Braka (at 3400m) to an ice lake (really, more of an ice 'pond') at 4600m above Braka. It was overcast and snowing the morning we planned to set out, and expectations of seeing anything from the numerous viewpoints were low. But the boys (as I referred to Adam, Per and Tiago collectively) convinced me that the walk was worth doing for acclimitization anyway, so we headed out. The walk was a grueling 4-hour affair uphill, at altitude, but an amazing one. Less than an hour after we left, the skies started to clear and we got great views of the mountain panorama before us, which reached from Pisang Peak, Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, Annnapurna III, Gangapurna, and into the Tilicho valley. From the main viewpoints at 4200m to 4600m, the mountains were simply spectacular. And there was no one else there. Quiet, serene, peaceful, with peaks that looked close enough to reach out and touch. It was all you could ask for from a Himalayan experience.
We crossed the Thorung La itself on Day 11 of our trek. It was undoubtedly the most difficult day. It probably would have been easier if we had spent one more day acclimatizing, but at that altitude, it's cold and bleak and you just want to get over and down on the other side into more reasonable altitudes. Also, I had picked up some mild food poisoning just two-days before, and had been feeling weak and unable to eat as much as I needed. On the hike into Thorung Phedi the day before, I had to fight the urge to toss my breakfast every few minutes. But I was feeling better the day we were to cross the pass, and as I said, we were not terribly keen to stay another day at 4450m. We left after the sun came up, about 7.15 am, which is very late compared to what other people do. For some unknown, unfathomable reason, most tour groups and independent trekkers leave before dawn, around 4 to 6 am, and do the first part of the pass in the dark. I don't know why. It seems stupid and dangerous to me to hike up there in the dark, with the ice and snow and constant possibility of falling of the trail (which could mean death). And it's waaay colder before the sun hits. But that's what people do. In any event, its an exhausting 1000m vertical up to the pass, which takes about 4 hours. I got hit with mild to moderate AMS at about 5200m -- 200m before the pass. It was the first time I had been seriously affected by altitude, and it was not pleasant. By that time, I was cold, tired, and miserable. My hands and feet, which had been so cold that they hurt terribly, were simply dumb. And now I was dizzy and coughing and wheezing, and secretly considering whether we should turn back. But Adam was a great trekking companion and walked with me all the slow, tortuous way to the pass. And we knew that Per and Tiago were just ahead, should my condition get serious. So we made it to the top. Adam and I posed for a quick picture, and he celebrated with Per and Tiago while I made a bee-line over the other side and started to go down. I literally got to the top and kept going down the other side. I knew I had to get down to get better. Fortunately, you lose altitude on the the other side even faster than you gain it getting up, and within 15 minutes I was safely down several hundred metres and feeling normal again. The boys caught up with me, and we continued down.
The hardest part is definitely getting up the pass, but getting down is no piece of cake. As I said, you're cold, tired, and exhausted. And then you have to go down 2000m vertical -- that's 2km straight down -- to the next village where you can sleep. Going down 2000m would be an exhausting physical feat any time, but after going up the pass, and being at altitude, it's simply an unending endurance marathon that breaks the spirit of almost all. (Even Adam started to whine about being tired and sore near the end.)
From the Thorung La, we took a few days to stay in the villages of Jharkot and Kagbeni, which are in the culturally significant Mustang region. The upper Mustang is a restricted area that is not open to casual trekking, but Adam and I would very much like to visit. The people are Tibetan in culture and even speak a dialect of Tibetan. They were very friendly, the food was great, and it was a nice place to rest (a few hours of hiking a day was a "rest" day) before heading down and out of the Annapurnas.
From Kagbeni, Adam and I made a bee-line out of the mountains to the jungle-esque village of Tatopani (at 1190m) in just two days. It was a solid 7 hours or so of hiking each day, but the weather wasn't great, as clouds moved in during late morning, so there wasn't much to see. Also, the villages on this side of Thorung La see many more tourists and trekkers. As a result, the facilities were better (luxurious sit-down toilets attached to the rooms, and even a shower in our own room!) but the people are more jaded and its just not as friendly, warm or welcoming. It's a difference that's hard to describe, but you can feel. We intentionally stayed in Larjung, a very small village, about halfway between Kagbeni and Tatopani, at a comparatively 'basic' place rather than in the bigger, fancier lodges in nearby villages, because we were the only tourists there, and really had a window on a Nepali family going about their day. It was quite extraordinary. We arrived to a strange banging noise inside the lodge, which I thought was construction, but turned out to be the final throws of the family slaughtering a yak! I grew up on a cattle farm, and immediately knew what was going on. Adam was amused as well. But everyone turned around and were very concerned that we would be shocked or upset or put off by what was happening. But not at all. We went out and got a room, and they continued on with butchering their yak. It was a unique evening.
In Tatopani, you really feel like you've left the mountains. The road has made food, lodging, beer and other treats fairly cheap here. There is also a decent hot springs by the river, so many people stop for an extra day to rest - us included. After several big days trekking, it was nice to take a break, relax, read, and eat, eat, eat. Adam and I had eaten huge amounts of food while trekking, but both (inevitably) still lost a significant amount of weight. (Which we need to replace before heading to the Khumbu-Everest region.)
From Tatopani, trekkers can walk or take a bus out to Beni and then Pokhara, the major city in this area of Nepal, or trek the traditional route up to Ghorepani and Poon Hill then down to Birethanti to catch a bus to Pokhara. The views from Poon Hill are legendary, so it seems foolish to come all this way and not go to Ghorepani and Poon Hill. The catch is, that from Tatopani (1190m) its a long arduous hike up to Ghorepani (2800m) and then an equally if not more arduous hike back down to Birethani (~1000m) the next day. It's a very challenging two-day walk. In particular, the hike down involves a series of over 3,400 stone stairs down between two villages. It's a drop of about 500m in an hour. It doesn't sound too awful, but there's something about the constant, relentless stepping down, without any flat portions to stretch your legs, that leaves you literally weak in the legs. It was the only part of the two-day affair that was really that horrid. But you couldn't pay me to do it again, now that I know what it's like. Two days later, my calves are still painfully sore. The views from Poon Hill really were great, but you share them with several hundred other tourists, so it lacked the atmosphere and feeling of our hike to the ice pond on the other side of the pass. Both viewpoints are worthwhile, however, and you see different parts of the Annapurna range. From Poon Hill, we finally got a good look at Annapurna I - the deadliest 8000m mountain in the world.
Once we got out of the mountains, trekkers can get a bus or taxi to Pokhara. It's only 41km away from Birethani/Naya Pul, so we thought we'd save a little money and get a bus. In retrospect, we should have got the taxi. I'll save all the horrible details (which involve a bizarre bus driver, another truck breakdown, teetering over the edge of a ravine thinking, "this isn't the day I want to die", and many many stops), but it took almost 3 hours to drive 41km. Torture. Pure torture.
We've spent the last two days here in relatively-quiet Pokhara reading email, trying to make sense of the world (i.e. Mumbai and Bangkok) and eating way, way too much. We are on another bus (hopefully the last one in Nepal) from Pokhara to Kathmandu tomorrow, where we will spend a few days fighting red tape to get permits etc. to do a quick version of the trek to Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu region. This is the trek that I did eight years ago, but Adam has never been, and has been talking about it since the day we met (literally). The EBC trek is higher altitude, so colder, but I think it's less physically demanding. This is what I remember, anyhow, and sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Adam simply has to go, and I'd rather do it all again than sit in Kathmandu for 10 days.
We are scheduled to go back to Thailand on December 22nd. We're watching the Bangkok situation closely, and will re-examine/re-consider when we return from the Khumbu in about two weeks. A lot can change in two weeks, so we will see what happens.
I'm going to try very hard to post at least one picture, very soon. It all depends on power. The power goes out at least once a day in Pokhara, like all parts of Nepal, and often several times. Bear with us. But check back often in the next couple of days if you're not signed up for email updates.
Namaste (Peace).
Robin (& Adam)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Sweatin' in Bangkok
Good morning from Bangkok! Robin and I have moved on from Sydney and are currently in Bangkok but only for one more day before we depart for Nepal where we will be doing both the Annapurna Circuit and the Everest trek (bodies permitting). We will be in Nepal until a few days before Christmas when we will return to Bangkok before heading down to Southern Thailand for a whole lotta climbing, diving and laying on beaches...
Just to wrap up our past couple of weeks. After Queenstown, we drove to the east coast of NZ to Dunedin and made our way up to Christchurch over a couple of days. As Robin mentioned, we did stop and see some penguins (or "Pen-goo-eens" as Robin says) which I'm pretty sure made her trip. We were also chased off of a beach by a rogue Sea Lion. The east coast is much quieter than the west coast which fine in order to rest up for our upcoming invasion of Castle Hill. We spent one day in Christchurch getting supplies and the necessary climbing gear (aka. a crashpad) and on the Friday morning we drove into the mountains and after an hour we spotted the boulders! Had I been driving I'm pretty sure I was have killed up both by driving off of the road into the river or ditch but Robin was nice enough to drive so I could gawk!
The bouldering at Castle Hill is magical. You don't even need to be climber to go and experience this area. The landscape is out of this world. Some parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed in the region (Flock Hill). There were tons of tourists walking among the hulking rocks of limestone but I wasn't there to gawk...I was there to crush (and be crushed). I quickly learned that whatever grade was in the guidebook was a bit of farce. Many of the "easier" problems are so polished and what was once a V0 is now closer to V4 (similar to No U-Turn in the glen). There few to no holds on the problems. Only pockets and the occasional edge. It's all about squeezing the life out of slopers and then the dreaded Castle Hill top-out. Pulling yourself over the top of a round bulge with 3-4 metres beneath your feet is quite the head-game. Took some getting used to. There are some crazy highballs if you're into that stuff...I was not as I only had one pad and Robin, and she was not happy about the possibility of me taking some HUGE falls.
Robin had not done any climbing since her spill in Payne's Ford but on the 2nd day at Castle Hill she strapped on some shoes and started crushing! She was able to send some pretty impressive mantle problems as she has amazing balance. She even had to show me how to top out a problem she flashed, yet I could not! I'm pretty sure she'll tell this to every person we climb with from now on!
We had a great 4 days of climbing, with a 1 day break in the middle relaxing in Arthur's Pass. While we were in Arthur's Pass, there was news of a guide who had gone missing in the mountains and we were witness to search helicopters flying through the surrounding mountains. The village is a very small community with about 50 full time residents who all service the area's tourist/guiding industry. Unfortunately, the bad news came that he had taken a fall on one of the peaks and didn't make it. It was a very sobering moment for everyone including us and definitely puts everything into perspective. Regardless of how good you are at something, it only takes one thing to go wrong and....Sorry for the downer moment...
We climbed 2 more days in Castle Hill where I was able to send two projects, 'The Classic' and 'Dominatrix'. Both were V5 but as I mentioned before, grades really mean nothing here. They were ridiculously hard and took quite a few goes and quite a lot of skin. Our last day I ended up trying the mantle test piece of the area, 'The Unrepeatable'. This is one move wonder; the mantle. Unfortunately I was another victim of the problem and it spit me off repeatedly while scraping skin from my forearms and ankles....NEXT TIME....
After Castle Hill, we went to the cottage town of Akaroa just an hour from Christchurch for a couple of days of chill before we went back to Christchurch and onto Sydney. The town a picturesque, bay-side town with great waterfront cafes and phenomenal views from our campsite. This was our last destination with Lucas (our van) so was were able to get a campsite which overlooked the town and bay...well worth it! After two days, we took the long way back to Christchurch. The road winds along the highest point of the peninsula overlooking the water from many different points. We did a couple of short hikes and enjoyed some oceanfront coffee before heading into Christchurch. Our last couple of days in Christchurch were spent packing, walking around the centre of town, and trying to best figure out how to deal with our upcoming confrontation with Emirates Airlines about our excess baggage fees. When we arrived at the airport to leave, we were lucky to deal with some very friendly people and they gave us quite a discount on our luggage fees. Instead of having to pay the full amount we only paid about $100 Cdn. The flight to Emirates was great. Our plane had all the amenities and the staff were super nice.
Once we arrived in Sydney, we took off to the hostel and upon our arrival, we pretty much called it a night. The next day we were up early as we only had 2 days to explore the city before leaving. We took the subway to where the ferries dock and walked around the area, had some breakfast and then took a ferry to Manly beach. I can see why so many people love the beaches in the city. The sand is so white and soft and the ocean is picture-perfect! We saw quite a few surfers getting abused by the surf but there were a couple who knew there stuff and it was pretty impressive to watch. After returning back on the ferry, we visited the Opera House. I guess that you have to see it on a sunny day, otherwise the "white" roof isn't so white. The architecture is pretty impressive though. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the park and then headed back into the core where we went to the rotating bar overlooking the city. I also have to add that the Melbourne Cup took place that day and it's pretty much a national holiday. Everyone gets dressed up and by 12pm, I'm pretty sure that there was not a soul at work. The bars and restaurants were full and we must have looked like bums to all the people in the rotating restaurant when we showed up! Ah well...they were happy to take our money anyways. For dinner we found a great (and quite tiny) Italian restaurant called Dolcetta. This "hole in the wall" restaurant served me some of the best Gnocchi I've ever had! Now i'm hungry...
The next day we went to Cooggee Beach and spent a good chunk of the day walking along the water. That evening was spent packing as we had to leave quite early the next morning.
I have to add that we found the BEST coffee spot in Sydney! If anyone is ever in the Surry Hills area and in need of a caffeine fix, visit Single Origin Roasters. This place makes some of the best espresso I've ever had and the staff are awesome (probably because they're all so hopped up on caffeine). They wouldn't even let us pay for our coffee the last day...
Our flight from Sydney to Melbourne to Bangkok was pretty uneventful although JetStar definitely gives new meaning to the term "flying bus". You have to pay for everything.
We are now staying in Bangkok at the Lamphu Tree Hotel and this place is fantastic. The room is a good size and clean, we have views of the downtown skyline and Grand Palace and the staff are great. That and it's a couple blocks off of Khao San road so it's not too noisy. We spent yesterday walking to the Grand Palace and Wat Po where we had our first (and definitely not our last) Thai massage. We chilled at the hotel in the afternoon to avoid the oppressive heat and luckily avoided the monsoon-like rain. The food is amazing and we've eaten at some great spots. That and the street food is perfect for a snack while browsing and being accosted by vendors on Khoa San Road. We're just chilling today and repacking for our trip to Nepal. There's not too much route climbing there so we are leaving quite a bit of stuff in Bangkok so not to incur more airline excess baggage charges.
I'm pretty psyched to see the Himalayas and can't wait to get there. I'm also lookin' forward to do some serious trekking as I've somehow added a couple of pounds...go figure...
That's pretty much everything in a nutshell. We probably won't be doing another entry until after the Annapurna Circuit so until then...l8r
Just to wrap up our past couple of weeks. After Queenstown, we drove to the east coast of NZ to Dunedin and made our way up to Christchurch over a couple of days. As Robin mentioned, we did stop and see some penguins (or "Pen-goo-eens" as Robin says) which I'm pretty sure made her trip. We were also chased off of a beach by a rogue Sea Lion. The east coast is much quieter than the west coast which fine in order to rest up for our upcoming invasion of Castle Hill. We spent one day in Christchurch getting supplies and the necessary climbing gear (aka. a crashpad) and on the Friday morning we drove into the mountains and after an hour we spotted the boulders! Had I been driving I'm pretty sure I was have killed up both by driving off of the road into the river or ditch but Robin was nice enough to drive so I could gawk!
The bouldering at Castle Hill is magical. You don't even need to be climber to go and experience this area. The landscape is out of this world. Some parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed in the region (Flock Hill). There were tons of tourists walking among the hulking rocks of limestone but I wasn't there to gawk...I was there to crush (and be crushed). I quickly learned that whatever grade was in the guidebook was a bit of farce. Many of the "easier" problems are so polished and what was once a V0 is now closer to V4 (similar to No U-Turn in the glen). There few to no holds on the problems. Only pockets and the occasional edge. It's all about squeezing the life out of slopers and then the dreaded Castle Hill top-out. Pulling yourself over the top of a round bulge with 3-4 metres beneath your feet is quite the head-game. Took some getting used to. There are some crazy highballs if you're into that stuff...I was not as I only had one pad and Robin, and she was not happy about the possibility of me taking some HUGE falls.
Robin had not done any climbing since her spill in Payne's Ford but on the 2nd day at Castle Hill she strapped on some shoes and started crushing! She was able to send some pretty impressive mantle problems as she has amazing balance. She even had to show me how to top out a problem she flashed, yet I could not! I'm pretty sure she'll tell this to every person we climb with from now on!
We had a great 4 days of climbing, with a 1 day break in the middle relaxing in Arthur's Pass. While we were in Arthur's Pass, there was news of a guide who had gone missing in the mountains and we were witness to search helicopters flying through the surrounding mountains. The village is a very small community with about 50 full time residents who all service the area's tourist/guiding industry. Unfortunately, the bad news came that he had taken a fall on one of the peaks and didn't make it. It was a very sobering moment for everyone including us and definitely puts everything into perspective. Regardless of how good you are at something, it only takes one thing to go wrong and....Sorry for the downer moment...
We climbed 2 more days in Castle Hill where I was able to send two projects, 'The Classic' and 'Dominatrix'. Both were V5 but as I mentioned before, grades really mean nothing here. They were ridiculously hard and took quite a few goes and quite a lot of skin. Our last day I ended up trying the mantle test piece of the area, 'The Unrepeatable'. This is one move wonder; the mantle. Unfortunately I was another victim of the problem and it spit me off repeatedly while scraping skin from my forearms and ankles....NEXT TIME....
After Castle Hill, we went to the cottage town of Akaroa just an hour from Christchurch for a couple of days of chill before we went back to Christchurch and onto Sydney. The town a picturesque, bay-side town with great waterfront cafes and phenomenal views from our campsite. This was our last destination with Lucas (our van) so was were able to get a campsite which overlooked the town and bay...well worth it! After two days, we took the long way back to Christchurch. The road winds along the highest point of the peninsula overlooking the water from many different points. We did a couple of short hikes and enjoyed some oceanfront coffee before heading into Christchurch. Our last couple of days in Christchurch were spent packing, walking around the centre of town, and trying to best figure out how to deal with our upcoming confrontation with Emirates Airlines about our excess baggage fees. When we arrived at the airport to leave, we were lucky to deal with some very friendly people and they gave us quite a discount on our luggage fees. Instead of having to pay the full amount we only paid about $100 Cdn. The flight to Emirates was great. Our plane had all the amenities and the staff were super nice.
Once we arrived in Sydney, we took off to the hostel and upon our arrival, we pretty much called it a night. The next day we were up early as we only had 2 days to explore the city before leaving. We took the subway to where the ferries dock and walked around the area, had some breakfast and then took a ferry to Manly beach. I can see why so many people love the beaches in the city. The sand is so white and soft and the ocean is picture-perfect! We saw quite a few surfers getting abused by the surf but there were a couple who knew there stuff and it was pretty impressive to watch. After returning back on the ferry, we visited the Opera House. I guess that you have to see it on a sunny day, otherwise the "white" roof isn't so white. The architecture is pretty impressive though. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the park and then headed back into the core where we went to the rotating bar overlooking the city. I also have to add that the Melbourne Cup took place that day and it's pretty much a national holiday. Everyone gets dressed up and by 12pm, I'm pretty sure that there was not a soul at work. The bars and restaurants were full and we must have looked like bums to all the people in the rotating restaurant when we showed up! Ah well...they were happy to take our money anyways. For dinner we found a great (and quite tiny) Italian restaurant called Dolcetta. This "hole in the wall" restaurant served me some of the best Gnocchi I've ever had! Now i'm hungry...
The next day we went to Cooggee Beach and spent a good chunk of the day walking along the water. That evening was spent packing as we had to leave quite early the next morning.
I have to add that we found the BEST coffee spot in Sydney! If anyone is ever in the Surry Hills area and in need of a caffeine fix, visit Single Origin Roasters. This place makes some of the best espresso I've ever had and the staff are awesome (probably because they're all so hopped up on caffeine). They wouldn't even let us pay for our coffee the last day...
Our flight from Sydney to Melbourne to Bangkok was pretty uneventful although JetStar definitely gives new meaning to the term "flying bus". You have to pay for everything.
We are now staying in Bangkok at the Lamphu Tree Hotel and this place is fantastic. The room is a good size and clean, we have views of the downtown skyline and Grand Palace and the staff are great. That and it's a couple blocks off of Khao San road so it's not too noisy. We spent yesterday walking to the Grand Palace and Wat Po where we had our first (and definitely not our last) Thai massage. We chilled at the hotel in the afternoon to avoid the oppressive heat and luckily avoided the monsoon-like rain. The food is amazing and we've eaten at some great spots. That and the street food is perfect for a snack while browsing and being accosted by vendors on Khoa San Road. We're just chilling today and repacking for our trip to Nepal. There's not too much route climbing there so we are leaving quite a bit of stuff in Bangkok so not to incur more airline excess baggage charges.
I'm pretty psyched to see the Himalayas and can't wait to get there. I'm also lookin' forward to do some serious trekking as I've somehow added a couple of pounds...go figure...
That's pretty much everything in a nutshell. We probably won't be doing another entry until after the Annapurna Circuit so until then...l8r
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Leaving NZ and on to Sydney, Bangkok and ?
Hi everyone. Adam and I have been enjoying our last few weeks in New Zealand. From Queenstown, we visited Dunedin, the Otago Pennisula, Oamaru, Castle Hill, Arthur's Pass, Akaroa, and now are in Christchurch. The highlights have been visiting three penguin colonies (on the Otago Pennisula and in Oamaru) and spending 4 days bouldering in Castle Hill. I'm sure Adam will have a long post about Castle Hill (he was giddy while we were there) and I'll write more about Otago and Canterbury ... in a few days. We're waiting for free wifi in Sydney and ultra-cheap internet in Bangkok.
We've dropped off "Lucas" here in Christchurch and no longer live in a Spaceship. Tomorrow we fly to Sydney and have a short 3 night/2 day stay there before flying on to Bangkok. After that ... we're not entirely sure. We're still thinking Nepal, but don't yet have plane tickets. C'est la vie.
We're also hoping that once we have cheap/free internet access, we can *finally* post some pictures.
Cheers,
R.
We've dropped off "Lucas" here in Christchurch and no longer live in a Spaceship. Tomorrow we fly to Sydney and have a short 3 night/2 day stay there before flying on to Bangkok. After that ... we're not entirely sure. We're still thinking Nepal, but don't yet have plane tickets. C'est la vie.
We're also hoping that once we have cheap/free internet access, we can *finally* post some pictures.
Cheers,
R.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Holy Schist!!!
Word up from Queenstown! As before, I will forewarn that this is A CLIMBING POST!
As Robin mentionned in the previous post, we have been in the Queenstown area for about a week and a half doing various things. Happily, this area is a route climbing meca! Queenstown has numerous crags all within 20 min drive and most involve a short 20-30 min hike. Wanaka is the lazy climber's paradise with the cliffs being right on the side of the road...literally. The rock is a compact schist which is super strong and creates some amazing features on the walls.
I have spent my time climbing at Wye Creek while in Queenstown and if anyone ever comes out this way for some climbing make sure you visit this crag for a couple of days as the exposure is unbelievable. Robin and I have been lucky enough hook up with a local couple, Sally and Aaron Ford, who have done quite a bit of the development in Wye Creek. We met Sally back in Wherapapa on the North Island and climbed together at Froggat. She invited us to call on her upon our arrival and said they would give us a tour of the best sport climbing in the area. Well, we contacted her and sure enough on our second day here, we were taken to Wye Creek and instantly knew that this was a special place. The hike is a moderate uphill trek which takes you to the north facing cliffs which were still seeping from the copious amounts of snow and rain. These cliffs have everything from insane roofs to super techie faces. Continuing past the north faces, there is a water pipe which climbers must practice their balance on for about 15 meters before reaching a narrow wood walkway and handrail built on top of the pipe. This track takes you to the waterfalls and onto the south side of the valley where the cliffs receive sun all day long and are bone dry. The lower tier walls are about 30 meters high but there are numerous walls above making this area awesome for single and multi-pitch climbing. This section of the south side is predominately sport climbing but there are many awesome cracks for gear-enthusiasts.
Our local guides sent me up one classic route after another and I was loving the rock! My hands were suffering though as some of the features can be very sharp on my palmolive hands...The real treat of the first day was a roof route called Dream Thing (21)! A 7 meter horizontal roof which then turns into a perfectly vertical face. The exposure of the roof and the views of the mountains around us is definitely a reason to chill for a bit at the anchors and really take it all in!
Happily I bagged that route on my second go and then was introduced to the mother of all aretes, Aratika (23). This is a proud, slightly overhanging arete which requires the climber to clamp, hook and weave along both sides of the wall and its unrelenting until the anchors which are a full 30 meters away. I gave it one go and fully got my ass handed to me. Wish I could stay here and project it and many others.
My second day in Queenstown would not be for another week (yesterday) and I was fully prepared this time. Sally and Aaron again took me to the south side where our warm-ups consisted of beautiful face climbs and some more experiences with the famous New Zealand run-outs! These run-outs are not for the faint of heart. The climbing is not very difficult but it is unnerving not being able to see your last bolt nor being able to see the next bolt....all on a fairly vertical face...After my warm-ups I was ready to do battle with the classic roof route called Drunken Monkey (24/25). This route has EVERYTHING. Long horizontal roof, into crimps at the transition and requiring a committing knee-bar, very balancy hand-jams to clear the transition and then very technical face climbing on schist crimps. I was super-psyched to get this route on my second go. Big thanks to Aaron for all the beta on it! Our last route of the day was a slopey face climb called The Vision (24). Aaron led it and I seconded it but the route definitely won that round as we were perfecting our hang-dog skills. I'm beginning to enjoy routes which require very balancy mantles because if you blow it...you're going for a ride....
Onto Wanaka. The crags near Wanaka are conviently located right next to the road. There are parking lots to service the crags and access trails to each of the cliffs. There is some great bouldering at the Hospital Flats parking lot but we were there for the routes. My first day consisted of some classics on the Tombstone boulder which is a 20 meter vertical piece of rock which has climbing on three sides of it. The main face has some easy warm-ups (17, 18), the "side" face has one arete climb and one classic gear crack. The back side of the boulder is overhung which three hard routes on it. I opted for the middle route on the back which is perfectly named "Lung Starter" (24) (or as Robin calls it "Huff and Puff"). Big cranks to moderate sloping scoops and side pulls for most of the route and then the crux is at the top which requires some serious crimping on sidepulls, very high feet and a desperate lunge for the sloping lip...and of course topping out the route is required to access the chains. I loved this route as it got the blood flowing and the confidence up as my shoulder held up quite well. We then hauled ass over to Headbangers Arete (17) which is apparently the uber-classic route to do. It is another arete but fairly easy as it only requires laybacks the entire way up. Unfortunately the top is somewhat of a disappointment with the chains being located in a very odd location. Apparently it used to be top-out route and walk-off but as it is a "beginner" crag, chains were added for safety purposes. We then moved onto the Roadside Attraction crag for shot at another classic arete; albeit much shorter. Aretenaphobia (21) is a 15 meter sloping arete with a committing top-out. Didn't get it on my first go and was going to lower off to rest when the rain moved in. I would like to add that cleaning a route in the rain BLOWS!
Our second day in Wanaka followed an awesome hike to the Rob Roy Glacier viewpoint. The spectacular views of a mountain glacier were only enhanced by seeing pieces of the glacier fall off and avalanche down the steep slopes. The sounds of cracking ice were like gunshots reverberating off the mountain walls....SOOOOO COOOOOOOOOL!! Anywho, back to climbing. We headed back to Roadside Attraction for a quick warm-up and then I quickly dispatched Aretenaphobia. I then moved onto another "classic" route called Up Your Scud (23). What I thought was going to be an enjoyable route turned into a shit-fest. So called crimps just did not exist and I was relegated to pulling on draws to haul my ass up. HATED IT! In retrospect, it was probably not the best idea to project this route after some intense trekking to the Rob Roy Glacier earlier in the day. I called it quits after this and we headed back to Wanaka.
That's all for climbing from Queenstown/Wanaka. A HUGE THANKS to Sally and Aaron Ford who were not only the best guides one could ask for but also for being such generous hosts to Robin and I.
We're now heading to Dunedin where there will be a bit of climbing but I'm now psyching myself up for my big showdown with Castle Hill later this week. I might be missing some skin by the time we fly off this rock.
L8r!
Adam
As Robin mentionned in the previous post, we have been in the Queenstown area for about a week and a half doing various things. Happily, this area is a route climbing meca! Queenstown has numerous crags all within 20 min drive and most involve a short 20-30 min hike. Wanaka is the lazy climber's paradise with the cliffs being right on the side of the road...literally. The rock is a compact schist which is super strong and creates some amazing features on the walls.
I have spent my time climbing at Wye Creek while in Queenstown and if anyone ever comes out this way for some climbing make sure you visit this crag for a couple of days as the exposure is unbelievable. Robin and I have been lucky enough hook up with a local couple, Sally and Aaron Ford, who have done quite a bit of the development in Wye Creek. We met Sally back in Wherapapa on the North Island and climbed together at Froggat. She invited us to call on her upon our arrival and said they would give us a tour of the best sport climbing in the area. Well, we contacted her and sure enough on our second day here, we were taken to Wye Creek and instantly knew that this was a special place. The hike is a moderate uphill trek which takes you to the north facing cliffs which were still seeping from the copious amounts of snow and rain. These cliffs have everything from insane roofs to super techie faces. Continuing past the north faces, there is a water pipe which climbers must practice their balance on for about 15 meters before reaching a narrow wood walkway and handrail built on top of the pipe. This track takes you to the waterfalls and onto the south side of the valley where the cliffs receive sun all day long and are bone dry. The lower tier walls are about 30 meters high but there are numerous walls above making this area awesome for single and multi-pitch climbing. This section of the south side is predominately sport climbing but there are many awesome cracks for gear-enthusiasts.
Our local guides sent me up one classic route after another and I was loving the rock! My hands were suffering though as some of the features can be very sharp on my palmolive hands...The real treat of the first day was a roof route called Dream Thing (21)! A 7 meter horizontal roof which then turns into a perfectly vertical face. The exposure of the roof and the views of the mountains around us is definitely a reason to chill for a bit at the anchors and really take it all in!
Happily I bagged that route on my second go and then was introduced to the mother of all aretes, Aratika (23). This is a proud, slightly overhanging arete which requires the climber to clamp, hook and weave along both sides of the wall and its unrelenting until the anchors which are a full 30 meters away. I gave it one go and fully got my ass handed to me. Wish I could stay here and project it and many others.
My second day in Queenstown would not be for another week (yesterday) and I was fully prepared this time. Sally and Aaron again took me to the south side where our warm-ups consisted of beautiful face climbs and some more experiences with the famous New Zealand run-outs! These run-outs are not for the faint of heart. The climbing is not very difficult but it is unnerving not being able to see your last bolt nor being able to see the next bolt....all on a fairly vertical face...After my warm-ups I was ready to do battle with the classic roof route called Drunken Monkey (24/25). This route has EVERYTHING. Long horizontal roof, into crimps at the transition and requiring a committing knee-bar, very balancy hand-jams to clear the transition and then very technical face climbing on schist crimps. I was super-psyched to get this route on my second go. Big thanks to Aaron for all the beta on it! Our last route of the day was a slopey face climb called The Vision (24). Aaron led it and I seconded it but the route definitely won that round as we were perfecting our hang-dog skills. I'm beginning to enjoy routes which require very balancy mantles because if you blow it...you're going for a ride....
Onto Wanaka. The crags near Wanaka are conviently located right next to the road. There are parking lots to service the crags and access trails to each of the cliffs. There is some great bouldering at the Hospital Flats parking lot but we were there for the routes. My first day consisted of some classics on the Tombstone boulder which is a 20 meter vertical piece of rock which has climbing on three sides of it. The main face has some easy warm-ups (17, 18), the "side" face has one arete climb and one classic gear crack. The back side of the boulder is overhung which three hard routes on it. I opted for the middle route on the back which is perfectly named "Lung Starter" (24) (or as Robin calls it "Huff and Puff"). Big cranks to moderate sloping scoops and side pulls for most of the route and then the crux is at the top which requires some serious crimping on sidepulls, very high feet and a desperate lunge for the sloping lip...and of course topping out the route is required to access the chains. I loved this route as it got the blood flowing and the confidence up as my shoulder held up quite well. We then hauled ass over to Headbangers Arete (17) which is apparently the uber-classic route to do. It is another arete but fairly easy as it only requires laybacks the entire way up. Unfortunately the top is somewhat of a disappointment with the chains being located in a very odd location. Apparently it used to be top-out route and walk-off but as it is a "beginner" crag, chains were added for safety purposes. We then moved onto the Roadside Attraction crag for shot at another classic arete; albeit much shorter. Aretenaphobia (21) is a 15 meter sloping arete with a committing top-out. Didn't get it on my first go and was going to lower off to rest when the rain moved in. I would like to add that cleaning a route in the rain BLOWS!
Our second day in Wanaka followed an awesome hike to the Rob Roy Glacier viewpoint. The spectacular views of a mountain glacier were only enhanced by seeing pieces of the glacier fall off and avalanche down the steep slopes. The sounds of cracking ice were like gunshots reverberating off the mountain walls....SOOOOO COOOOOOOOOL!! Anywho, back to climbing. We headed back to Roadside Attraction for a quick warm-up and then I quickly dispatched Aretenaphobia. I then moved onto another "classic" route called Up Your Scud (23). What I thought was going to be an enjoyable route turned into a shit-fest. So called crimps just did not exist and I was relegated to pulling on draws to haul my ass up. HATED IT! In retrospect, it was probably not the best idea to project this route after some intense trekking to the Rob Roy Glacier earlier in the day. I called it quits after this and we headed back to Wanaka.
That's all for climbing from Queenstown/Wanaka. A HUGE THANKS to Sally and Aaron Ford who were not only the best guides one could ask for but also for being such generous hosts to Robin and I.
We're now heading to Dunedin where there will be a bit of climbing but I'm now psyching myself up for my big showdown with Castle Hill later this week. I might be missing some skin by the time we fly off this rock.
L8r!
Adam
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Queenstown, Wanaka, Fiordland and Glaciers (oh my!)
We've been delinquent bloggers, (sorry about that), so this is a fairly long post. Might be best to get a snack or a cup of tea or something before reading on ...
When we signed off our last posts, we were heading south from Golden Bay to the glaciers on the west coast of the South Island, and beyond. I mentioned a little back injury that had occurred the day before, and prevented further climbing in Golden Bay. However, as often happens, things got worse before they got better.
Last Monday, Adam and I drove from Golden Bay through to Westland (unsurprisingly, on the west coast) and stopped overnight in Punakaiki (also known as Pancake Rocks), which is nothing more than a campground, a few hostels and a pub surrounding some oddly shaped rock-formations created by the pounding of the surf on soft limestone for millions of years. It's worth getting out of the car for 10 minutes, but not much more. Unfortunately, the long drive was tough for me, and I was in a fair bit of pain when we arrived and didn't want to drive any farther. I was only comfortable lying down, so we soon went to bed. On Tuesday morning, after I got up, I was in excruiciating pain. There are no facilities in Punakaiki though, so we had to continue driving down the coast. We stopped in Franz Joseph Glacier village, another tourist-driven outpost, but one with plenty of accomodation and a health clinic. To make a long story short, we stayed two days in Franz Joseph in a very nice hostel but didn't do much of anything at all. We were fairly gloomy, pondering how badly I was injured and how much of the rest of the trip it would put in jeopardy. I got in to see a nurse about a day and a half later. She was excellent, confirmed that it was just muscle pain and nothing more serious, and basically told me to 'walk it off'. Not only did she strongly discourage further rest, (I needed to stretch and strengthen the muscles, she said) but also did not give me any good painkillers. The nurse encouraged us to move on to Queenstown as soon as possible so that I could get further examination and treatment. I had a massage later that day, which helped enormously, and Linda (with the magic fingers) explained that prescribing drugs just isn't the kiwi way. She said that if you left a clinic or hospital with a prescription, you knew you were really sick or ill, as they are relied upon only as a last resort.
If I might digress a second, while I understand this approach to antibiotics and perhaps some other drugs, what harm would there have been in giving me a few days supply of good narcotics to ease my pain? I was in excruciating pain, from a temporary, unserious injury. I fail to see the downside to making me a bit more comfortable, particularly as the nurse, the massage therapist and eventually the physiotherpist all discouraged rest? The nurse did give me some ibuprofen, but I fortunately had slight stronger painkillers in the first aid kit, that I brought for just such an occasion. I wanted more (to replenish my depleting supply) and stronger ones, but that was not to be. Lesson to self: Bring lots of prescription painkillers when travelling, you never know when you might need them and whether you'll be able to get them when you want them!
Back to the story ... on Wednesday, we did go for a few short walks around Franz Joseph Glacier, as encouraged, but the weather was nasty (we got hailed on!) and the visibly was awful, so we couldn't even get much of a view of the eponymous glacier. On Thursday, we drove from Franz Joseph Glacier to Queenstown, which took all day because we stopped every 30 km or so to check out the various viewpoints and to let me stretch. The weather that morning finally broke, and we went back to the Franz Joseph glacier viewpoint before driving onwards, and Adam finally got to see the mountains that had been hiding behind clouds for more than 2 days. Down the road in nearby Fox Glacier township, we drove out to a panaramic viewpoint that provided some of the best views of the Southern Alps that we've had, then did the short Lake Matheson walk. The lake is famous for providing reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in its waters, but it wasn't calm enough nor clear enough when we went. The day remained sunny, but clouds were once again hiding the mountains by noon. The drive from Fox Glacier through Haast, Haast Pass, and on to Wanaka was spectacular -- there was an ocean view or mountain vista to stop and admire almost every 5 minutes. Although I was still uncomfortable sitting, it has been once of my favourite drives in NZ, and I strongly recommend it.
We arrived in Queenstown last Thursday evening, and I feel like Adam and I have been here for a very, very long time. It's only been a week and a half, but this is the longest we've been in any once place, and I'm starting to get anxious for something new. The weather has been nice, but not quite warm enough for my liking. We've been here so long for a few reasons: I've been going to physio every few days, which is certainly helping; Adam is climbing with Sally & Aaron Ford, which is fabulous since I'm not 100% yet; and we've used Queenstown as a base and done several side trips to Milford Sound in Fiordland and to Wanaka (more below).
Last Friday, I had my first physiotherapy appointment and we got our first real diagnosis/assessment of my injury. Turns out that I may have excruciating back pain, but I didn't injure my back ... When I fell on my ass on the trail, the muscle swelled, putting pressure on my sciatic nerve, which in turn sent sharp pain down through my hip and leg and up and across my back. The bad news was that this can be an excruciatingly painful injury (which I already knew). The good news is that it is not serious and generally clears up within 2 weeks, once swelling goes down and any muscle strain starts to heal. I was already starting to feel a little better everyday, and by the second week, I've been feeling quite a bit better everyday, especially after physio. We've had to adjust our schedule, not only to accomodate my limitations, but also my physio appointments which are in Queenstown, but it hasn't been as bad as I think either of us feared.
Last Saturday, Adam went climbing at Wye Creek just outside Queenstown with Sally & Aaron Ford, which was great. I went along for the views, as Wye Creek has a spectacular vantage point over Lake Wakatipu of Queenstown and the mountain ranges beyond. It was a great day, and I'm sure that Adam will post in detail about the great climbs he got to do.
Sunday, the weather was very good, and we spent the afternoon visiting wineries in the Gibbston Valley, tasting wine (including another pinot noir vertical that made Adam very happy), and eating fabulous food at one of those wineries on their sunny patio.
Speaking of food, if I might digress again, we've been enjoying ourselves while on vacation -- eating liberal portions, snacking constantly, sampling the wares of various high-end chocolatiers, and drinking copious amounts of the local aged grape juice -- and it has taken it's toll. A scale was recently brought out at Sally's house so that we could weigh the bag of climbing gear (because Emirates has raised their excess baggage fees), and we each made the mistake of getting on it. If extra kilos are any indication of a good vacation, Adam and I are having a fabulous time!
We then headed south from Queenstown, around to Te Anau into Fiordland, and back north to Milford Sound. Milford is actually a glacial fiord carved into the mountains, but was called a "sound" by European explorers who were unfamiliar with fiords. It's almost directly west of Queenstown, as the crow flies, but to get there you have to drive south, west and then north around the mountains. Milford Sound is sometimes criticized for being touristy, and certainly is a must-see for visitors to New Zealand, but it is still pretty remote and in the off-season, pretty desolate. We drove 100 km from Te Anu into Milford and saw only a handful of other cars. There is only one cafe in Milford and only one place to stay - Milford Lodge. The road ends at the boat terminal where tourists clamour aboard one of the many boats to cruise the fiord/sound. Adam and I weren't expecting much, beyond the infamous sandflies (which are really black flies) that swarm the area, but were surprised to find that Milford Lodge was one of the nicer campgrounds we stayed at. It poured (100-150mm / day) for the two days that we were in Milford Sound, but that also turned out to be a good thing. The rain keeps the sandflies down and also provides water for the spectacular waterfalls that come over the sides of the mountains into the fiords. We were warm and dry in the lodge lounge and the spaceship, and the next morning had a great, albeit damp, cruise around Milford Sound. Taking the first cruise of the day ensures that it's quiet, as non of the day-trippers from Te Anau or Queenstown have arrived. It didn't rain too hard in the morning either, and although we didn't have great views of the surrounding mountains, the fiord was 'moody' (as the locals say) and atmospheric. We saw a few fur seals, and best of all, we saw a fiordland crested penguin! These penguins are very rare and can't really be seen anywhere else in the world. Adam's favourite I think was the waterfalls. We took a small boat cruise, so the captain gets the bow of the boat right up underneath the falls. The water is being blown about by the wind, and looks like fireworks coming towards you. Definately cool.
On Wednesday, we then drove back from Milford Sound, through Queenstown, back to Wanaka, which is about an hour north of Queenstown. We drove past Wanaka on the way to Queenstown from the glaciers, but didn't stop because the main reasons for visiting Wanaka are climbing and tramping -- and I couldn't do either at the time. By Thursday, I was feeling okay to belay (but not climb myself), and Adam had a great day climbing at Hospital Flats on the Tombstone (especially 'Lung Starter', aka Huff and Puff, a 24) and out at Roadside Attration on 'Aretanaphobia' (21). The weather was clear and sunny in Wanaka on Friday, so we did a walk in Mt Aspiring National Park up Rob Roy Valley to a viewpoint of the Rob Roy Glacier. The views on the drive into the park are fabulous themselves, and it was a great walk. At the top, you can see the glacier overhanging the edge of the mountain. At this time of year, the ice is melting, and we were lucky enough to see two pieces break off the glacier and avalanche! (Safely on the other side of the valley, of course...) In the afternoon, Adam did some more climbing before the wind picked up and forced us inside.
Saturday was a rest day, and we drove back to Queenstown from Wanaka the long way, stopping in several wineries in Bannockburn on the way. The whole Central Otago region is famous for its pinot noir, and Adam really liked two of the wineries in particular (Bald Hills and Akarua), which make their wine more in the old-world Burgundian style than the fruit-driven style of many NZ pinots. We spent the afternoon in Queenstown sitting in the sun, drinking coffee, and eating chocolate. We made pizzas for dinner (thank goodness for GF crusts in grocery stores here) and drank a bottle of wine we had been saving from Marlborough. A good day.
Today, (Sunday), Adam is off climbing at Wye Creek again with Sally & Aaron Ford. I decided not to go with them, as I'm still not climbing, and Wye Creek is a bit of a hike just to go and belay (being a belay slave also gets a tad boring). Additionally, it's the first day in more than 7 or 8 weeks that Adam and I *haven't* spent together, and it's long overdue. We're both lovely people, but as I'm sure many of you are really to attest, each of us can get a tad annoying after long periods. Try 24/7 togetherness, jammed in a itty-bitty Spaceship, with no personal space ... for weeks. A day apart is lovely. We've adjusted to the Spaceship quite well, but I am looking forward to an entire hostel room (with bathroom!) once we get to Sydney. I am not looking forward to having to stuff all my things back into my backpack though. Everything has kind of oozed out into various nooks and cranies of the van after several weeks, and we've accumulated even more stuff.
But first, tomorrow after my last physio appointment, we drive to Dunedin on the east coast of the South Island. We'll spend a few days there and on the Otago pennisula hanging out with penguins (me) and bouldering (Adam). From there, it's north to Christchurch and Castle Hill (the bouldering mecca), which Adam has been looking forward to since .... probably since I've known him. Ironically, it will be one of our last stops in New Zealand.
Until next time,
Cheers!
Robin
When we signed off our last posts, we were heading south from Golden Bay to the glaciers on the west coast of the South Island, and beyond. I mentioned a little back injury that had occurred the day before, and prevented further climbing in Golden Bay. However, as often happens, things got worse before they got better.
Last Monday, Adam and I drove from Golden Bay through to Westland (unsurprisingly, on the west coast) and stopped overnight in Punakaiki (also known as Pancake Rocks), which is nothing more than a campground, a few hostels and a pub surrounding some oddly shaped rock-formations created by the pounding of the surf on soft limestone for millions of years. It's worth getting out of the car for 10 minutes, but not much more. Unfortunately, the long drive was tough for me, and I was in a fair bit of pain when we arrived and didn't want to drive any farther. I was only comfortable lying down, so we soon went to bed. On Tuesday morning, after I got up, I was in excruiciating pain. There are no facilities in Punakaiki though, so we had to continue driving down the coast. We stopped in Franz Joseph Glacier village, another tourist-driven outpost, but one with plenty of accomodation and a health clinic. To make a long story short, we stayed two days in Franz Joseph in a very nice hostel but didn't do much of anything at all. We were fairly gloomy, pondering how badly I was injured and how much of the rest of the trip it would put in jeopardy. I got in to see a nurse about a day and a half later. She was excellent, confirmed that it was just muscle pain and nothing more serious, and basically told me to 'walk it off'. Not only did she strongly discourage further rest, (I needed to stretch and strengthen the muscles, she said) but also did not give me any good painkillers. The nurse encouraged us to move on to Queenstown as soon as possible so that I could get further examination and treatment. I had a massage later that day, which helped enormously, and Linda (with the magic fingers) explained that prescribing drugs just isn't the kiwi way. She said that if you left a clinic or hospital with a prescription, you knew you were really sick or ill, as they are relied upon only as a last resort.
If I might digress a second, while I understand this approach to antibiotics and perhaps some other drugs, what harm would there have been in giving me a few days supply of good narcotics to ease my pain? I was in excruciating pain, from a temporary, unserious injury. I fail to see the downside to making me a bit more comfortable, particularly as the nurse, the massage therapist and eventually the physiotherpist all discouraged rest? The nurse did give me some ibuprofen, but I fortunately had slight stronger painkillers in the first aid kit, that I brought for just such an occasion. I wanted more (to replenish my depleting supply) and stronger ones, but that was not to be. Lesson to self: Bring lots of prescription painkillers when travelling, you never know when you might need them and whether you'll be able to get them when you want them!
Back to the story ... on Wednesday, we did go for a few short walks around Franz Joseph Glacier, as encouraged, but the weather was nasty (we got hailed on!) and the visibly was awful, so we couldn't even get much of a view of the eponymous glacier. On Thursday, we drove from Franz Joseph Glacier to Queenstown, which took all day because we stopped every 30 km or so to check out the various viewpoints and to let me stretch. The weather that morning finally broke, and we went back to the Franz Joseph glacier viewpoint before driving onwards, and Adam finally got to see the mountains that had been hiding behind clouds for more than 2 days. Down the road in nearby Fox Glacier township, we drove out to a panaramic viewpoint that provided some of the best views of the Southern Alps that we've had, then did the short Lake Matheson walk. The lake is famous for providing reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in its waters, but it wasn't calm enough nor clear enough when we went. The day remained sunny, but clouds were once again hiding the mountains by noon. The drive from Fox Glacier through Haast, Haast Pass, and on to Wanaka was spectacular -- there was an ocean view or mountain vista to stop and admire almost every 5 minutes. Although I was still uncomfortable sitting, it has been once of my favourite drives in NZ, and I strongly recommend it.
We arrived in Queenstown last Thursday evening, and I feel like Adam and I have been here for a very, very long time. It's only been a week and a half, but this is the longest we've been in any once place, and I'm starting to get anxious for something new. The weather has been nice, but not quite warm enough for my liking. We've been here so long for a few reasons: I've been going to physio every few days, which is certainly helping; Adam is climbing with Sally & Aaron Ford, which is fabulous since I'm not 100% yet; and we've used Queenstown as a base and done several side trips to Milford Sound in Fiordland and to Wanaka (more below).
Last Friday, I had my first physiotherapy appointment and we got our first real diagnosis/assessment of my injury. Turns out that I may have excruciating back pain, but I didn't injure my back ... When I fell on my ass on the trail, the muscle swelled, putting pressure on my sciatic nerve, which in turn sent sharp pain down through my hip and leg and up and across my back. The bad news was that this can be an excruciatingly painful injury (which I already knew). The good news is that it is not serious and generally clears up within 2 weeks, once swelling goes down and any muscle strain starts to heal. I was already starting to feel a little better everyday, and by the second week, I've been feeling quite a bit better everyday, especially after physio. We've had to adjust our schedule, not only to accomodate my limitations, but also my physio appointments which are in Queenstown, but it hasn't been as bad as I think either of us feared.
Last Saturday, Adam went climbing at Wye Creek just outside Queenstown with Sally & Aaron Ford, which was great. I went along for the views, as Wye Creek has a spectacular vantage point over Lake Wakatipu of Queenstown and the mountain ranges beyond. It was a great day, and I'm sure that Adam will post in detail about the great climbs he got to do.
Sunday, the weather was very good, and we spent the afternoon visiting wineries in the Gibbston Valley, tasting wine (including another pinot noir vertical that made Adam very happy), and eating fabulous food at one of those wineries on their sunny patio.
Speaking of food, if I might digress again, we've been enjoying ourselves while on vacation -- eating liberal portions, snacking constantly, sampling the wares of various high-end chocolatiers, and drinking copious amounts of the local aged grape juice -- and it has taken it's toll. A scale was recently brought out at Sally's house so that we could weigh the bag of climbing gear (because Emirates has raised their excess baggage fees), and we each made the mistake of getting on it. If extra kilos are any indication of a good vacation, Adam and I are having a fabulous time!
We then headed south from Queenstown, around to Te Anau into Fiordland, and back north to Milford Sound. Milford is actually a glacial fiord carved into the mountains, but was called a "sound" by European explorers who were unfamiliar with fiords. It's almost directly west of Queenstown, as the crow flies, but to get there you have to drive south, west and then north around the mountains. Milford Sound is sometimes criticized for being touristy, and certainly is a must-see for visitors to New Zealand, but it is still pretty remote and in the off-season, pretty desolate. We drove 100 km from Te Anu into Milford and saw only a handful of other cars. There is only one cafe in Milford and only one place to stay - Milford Lodge. The road ends at the boat terminal where tourists clamour aboard one of the many boats to cruise the fiord/sound. Adam and I weren't expecting much, beyond the infamous sandflies (which are really black flies) that swarm the area, but were surprised to find that Milford Lodge was one of the nicer campgrounds we stayed at. It poured (100-150mm / day) for the two days that we were in Milford Sound, but that also turned out to be a good thing. The rain keeps the sandflies down and also provides water for the spectacular waterfalls that come over the sides of the mountains into the fiords. We were warm and dry in the lodge lounge and the spaceship, and the next morning had a great, albeit damp, cruise around Milford Sound. Taking the first cruise of the day ensures that it's quiet, as non of the day-trippers from Te Anau or Queenstown have arrived. It didn't rain too hard in the morning either, and although we didn't have great views of the surrounding mountains, the fiord was 'moody' (as the locals say) and atmospheric. We saw a few fur seals, and best of all, we saw a fiordland crested penguin! These penguins are very rare and can't really be seen anywhere else in the world. Adam's favourite I think was the waterfalls. We took a small boat cruise, so the captain gets the bow of the boat right up underneath the falls. The water is being blown about by the wind, and looks like fireworks coming towards you. Definately cool.
On Wednesday, we then drove back from Milford Sound, through Queenstown, back to Wanaka, which is about an hour north of Queenstown. We drove past Wanaka on the way to Queenstown from the glaciers, but didn't stop because the main reasons for visiting Wanaka are climbing and tramping -- and I couldn't do either at the time. By Thursday, I was feeling okay to belay (but not climb myself), and Adam had a great day climbing at Hospital Flats on the Tombstone (especially 'Lung Starter', aka Huff and Puff, a 24) and out at Roadside Attration on 'Aretanaphobia' (21). The weather was clear and sunny in Wanaka on Friday, so we did a walk in Mt Aspiring National Park up Rob Roy Valley to a viewpoint of the Rob Roy Glacier. The views on the drive into the park are fabulous themselves, and it was a great walk. At the top, you can see the glacier overhanging the edge of the mountain. At this time of year, the ice is melting, and we were lucky enough to see two pieces break off the glacier and avalanche! (Safely on the other side of the valley, of course...) In the afternoon, Adam did some more climbing before the wind picked up and forced us inside.
Saturday was a rest day, and we drove back to Queenstown from Wanaka the long way, stopping in several wineries in Bannockburn on the way. The whole Central Otago region is famous for its pinot noir, and Adam really liked two of the wineries in particular (Bald Hills and Akarua), which make their wine more in the old-world Burgundian style than the fruit-driven style of many NZ pinots. We spent the afternoon in Queenstown sitting in the sun, drinking coffee, and eating chocolate. We made pizzas for dinner (thank goodness for GF crusts in grocery stores here) and drank a bottle of wine we had been saving from Marlborough. A good day.
Today, (Sunday), Adam is off climbing at Wye Creek again with Sally & Aaron Ford. I decided not to go with them, as I'm still not climbing, and Wye Creek is a bit of a hike just to go and belay (being a belay slave also gets a tad boring). Additionally, it's the first day in more than 7 or 8 weeks that Adam and I *haven't* spent together, and it's long overdue. We're both lovely people, but as I'm sure many of you are really to attest, each of us can get a tad annoying after long periods. Try 24/7 togetherness, jammed in a itty-bitty Spaceship, with no personal space ... for weeks. A day apart is lovely. We've adjusted to the Spaceship quite well, but I am looking forward to an entire hostel room (with bathroom!) once we get to Sydney. I am not looking forward to having to stuff all my things back into my backpack though. Everything has kind of oozed out into various nooks and cranies of the van after several weeks, and we've accumulated even more stuff.
But first, tomorrow after my last physio appointment, we drive to Dunedin on the east coast of the South Island. We'll spend a few days there and on the Otago pennisula hanging out with penguins (me) and bouldering (Adam). From there, it's north to Christchurch and Castle Hill (the bouldering mecca), which Adam has been looking forward to since .... probably since I've known him. Ironically, it will be one of our last stops in New Zealand.
Until next time,
Cheers!
Robin
Monday, October 6, 2008
Abel Tasman National Park
We didn't spend long in Nelson before deciding to move up Tasman Bay to Motueka, a smaller, cute little town close to the entrace of Abel Tasman National Park. We stayed at the Laughing Kiwi, a true backpacker place, rather than a campground in order to spend some time talking to people other than ourselves! We ended up hanging out with lawyers (from Australia) and medical students (from Britain). How much like home!
The weather remained mixed for a few days in Motueka so we did a day trip/drive up the coast through Kaitieri and Marahau to the start of the Abel Tasman coastal track. When the weather cleared, we drove through Takaka, into Golden Bay, and into the heart of the Abel Tasman national park to Totaranui campground. Remote and isolated are how I would describe it. The only way into the campground is along a 20 km windy dirt road that narrows to one lane in several places. We're told that tour buses sometimes make the trip, and that motorhomes regularly come to the campground in summer, but I honestly have trouble believing that they can make the corners. The drive was worth it, though, as we emerged onto a long, golden beach that was completely empty. At the height of summer, there can be over 800 tents, campers, vans, etc. packed into Totaranui campground. There might have been 3 when we were there, counting us.
We parked the Spaceship (campervan) at Totaranui and from there did a day trip south to Awaroa inlet, which empties almost completely at low tide allowing trampers to cross twice a day. We returned to Totaranui that night, and were able to have a nice dinner and wine, with only the Sandflies to bother us. The next day we went north from Totaranui through several amazing beaches, to Separation Point, over to Whariwharangi on Golden Bay, and back over Gibbs Hill, a nice little 405m hill that provides spectacular views of both Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. Although we did day trips, we ended up tramping most of the coastal track, while avoiding water taxis and the need to stay in DOC huts (which make sleeping in the campervan look luxurious).
From Totaranui, we headed back to 'civilization' and stayed on Pohara Beach (another long stretch of golden sand) in Golden Bay for one night before going to Paynes Ford to climb.
I'll let Adam post on Paynes, but I will say that I didn't really climb although I still got hurt - not on a wall but on one of the access trails to the cliff. We were hiking out and I slipped on a wet, mossy rock and ended up sliding down the trail with my knee under my chin and foot near the opposite ear. It wasn't too bad, but I pulled a hip flexor that has been nagging me for months. And the next morning my back seized up entirely. (I can't even bend to tie my shoes.) I might just be getting old and the two events (fall and back) unrelated, but I don't think so. In any event, it marked the end of Adam's time climbing at Paynes Ford, since I can't even put on a climbing harness much less belay him. We're both hoping I heal fast.
We're now doing the long drive south along the west coast of the south island. There isn't much from here until Wanaka/Queenstown in the southern end except for Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, where we intend to stop for a couple of days.
Cheers,
R.
The weather remained mixed for a few days in Motueka so we did a day trip/drive up the coast through Kaitieri and Marahau to the start of the Abel Tasman coastal track. When the weather cleared, we drove through Takaka, into Golden Bay, and into the heart of the Abel Tasman national park to Totaranui campground. Remote and isolated are how I would describe it. The only way into the campground is along a 20 km windy dirt road that narrows to one lane in several places. We're told that tour buses sometimes make the trip, and that motorhomes regularly come to the campground in summer, but I honestly have trouble believing that they can make the corners. The drive was worth it, though, as we emerged onto a long, golden beach that was completely empty. At the height of summer, there can be over 800 tents, campers, vans, etc. packed into Totaranui campground. There might have been 3 when we were there, counting us.
We parked the Spaceship (campervan) at Totaranui and from there did a day trip south to Awaroa inlet, which empties almost completely at low tide allowing trampers to cross twice a day. We returned to Totaranui that night, and were able to have a nice dinner and wine, with only the Sandflies to bother us. The next day we went north from Totaranui through several amazing beaches, to Separation Point, over to Whariwharangi on Golden Bay, and back over Gibbs Hill, a nice little 405m hill that provides spectacular views of both Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. Although we did day trips, we ended up tramping most of the coastal track, while avoiding water taxis and the need to stay in DOC huts (which make sleeping in the campervan look luxurious).
From Totaranui, we headed back to 'civilization' and stayed on Pohara Beach (another long stretch of golden sand) in Golden Bay for one night before going to Paynes Ford to climb.
I'll let Adam post on Paynes, but I will say that I didn't really climb although I still got hurt - not on a wall but on one of the access trails to the cliff. We were hiking out and I slipped on a wet, mossy rock and ended up sliding down the trail with my knee under my chin and foot near the opposite ear. It wasn't too bad, but I pulled a hip flexor that has been nagging me for months. And the next morning my back seized up entirely. (I can't even bend to tie my shoes.) I might just be getting old and the two events (fall and back) unrelated, but I don't think so. In any event, it marked the end of Adam's time climbing at Paynes Ford, since I can't even put on a climbing harness much less belay him. We're both hoping I heal fast.
We're now doing the long drive south along the west coast of the south island. There isn't much from here until Wanaka/Queenstown in the southern end except for Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers, where we intend to stop for a couple of days.
Cheers,
R.
Paynes Ford Report
***Warning*** This post contains climbing information and jargon which most people will find boring or will make no sense at all.
Well, our weekend at Paynes Ford has come to a finish and we lucked out with the weather. The forecast had originally called for rain starting Friday and going all the way through until Tuesday...Not the case though...Saturday turned out to be a great day where we were able to climb in the morning until mid-day. Sunday we were able to get a full day and Monday...well I'll get to Monday in a bit...
Saturday - We arrived at Paynes Ford and started hiking up the DOC trail to the first climber trail which I though was about a couple of hundred metres away, but Robin immediately relieved me of guidebook and navigation duty and determined that the first trail was WAY back near the entrance. New Zealanders are all about the easy approach to crag. In the amount of time it takes to get to your first climb at Lion's Head, one would already have done three routes and be working on their first project of the day.
For my first warm-up I decided on a classic from the guidebook which was rated 16 (back in '91). Very easy route up to the slopers...slopers on a 16...wtf??? The limestone in NZ (in this area anyways) is very slopy and very few crimps. After lowering off the anchors, Robin roped up and found the climbing very different from home and very difficult. The slopers were very polished up top and she found it impossible. After I cleaned the route I did the classic slab route next to it "....Cream Poofters". If anyone ever comes to NZ to climb on the limestone here, bring your slab skills as well as your top-out on bulges skills. I did a couple more routes until the drizzle started and we hid underneath Rawhide Roof (which was to become Sunday's project). We met some "locals" and they gave us directions to one section of wall which was overhung enough to protect from the rain. We headed up to Tenuite Wall and happily is was quite dry...well dry for the climber but not the belayer (AKA...Robin). I ran up a great 20 and then immediately got on a 21 which I went up quickly until I lunged for what I though was the "victory jug". Turned out to be the "victory sucker hold" and the sloper spit me off for a beautiful 15-20 ft plunge...("Take...Nooooo, shit!")
After this route we packed up and headed out to the car and to get supplies for our evening stay at the climbers campground, Hangdog. Its a piece of property which sits right next to the DOC parking lot for Paynes Ford. A family has run this camp for years; essentially a "by climbers, for climbers" camp ground. There is tonnes of room for camping and a small bunkhouse which a kitchen and toilet facilities. It was very quiet this weekend but during the summer it is very difficult to find a place to pitch a tent. We met up with some NZ and Scottish climbers and chatted them up for beta and by 10pm we were back to our "spaceship" for night-nights...
Sunday turned into an unreal day. Sunny with a high of 20! PERFECT!!! We climbed with Richard (from Nelson) and we did a couple of the longer classics to warm up. Temple of Stone (18) is an awesome 27 meter warm up as is the route-I'm-not-quite-sure-what-the-name-is (20) just to the right of it is. The second route is a full 30 meters and as we were not using our rope, I bailed to the anchors of the previous route as I still had 2-3 meters to go I wasn't sure how new Richard's rope was...turns out I would have barely made it to the ground if I had gone all the way up.
Afterward Richard climbed a crazy runout route called "Elvis like in Takaka"...3 bolts...17 meters...I'm sure some of you can figure out the Elvis name based on that info...Thankfully he made it up sans fall and sans me launching into the woods to take up slack!
Afterwards I was off to my project....There is a route there called Rawhide (the roof mentionned above) and its a PERFECT ROOF at the start. Its a 15ft V4 boulder problem under the roof. The first bolt is at the lip and the landing is crap if you blow it...thankfully we train on roofs every day in Toronto. Scared the crap out of Richard as I ran out the roof easily. From there it lessens in steepness (only 45 degree overhang now...) until the 3rd bolt, then bring on the mantle top out on slopers. Did that very gingerly only to see then next bolt still 8 feet away...Now I'm on slopey slab where your hand-foot matching skills come into play..After I clipped that and a bit more slab I get to another bolt and smack into another mini roof...then another top-out...then more slab...where's the next bolt???? I can see the anchors about 10 feet above me but I still have to pull this crazy crack layback section (not technically difficult but after already having 15 feet of a run out and then this to the anchors.....yikes)...I pull this off and finally hit the anchors and clip in and yell to my belayer for slack...He (and Robin) can barely hear me and he thinks I say "take" and I almost get yanked right off the route. Thankfully they heard me the second time swearing at them and I was able to clip in. While cleaning the route, Robin had a mild heart attack when she realized how far run-out I was from the last bolt to the anchors...If you blew the anchors you'd take a 50+ footer and the route is about 65 feet long. Cleaning the overhang kinda sucked but got it done after taking both Richard and Robin for a bit of a drag....
After 2 more routes further down the crag, we hiked over to the Wall of Thugs where there is an AMAZING roof with 6 routes along it. I would loved to have given a go at one of them but there are no fixed draws and cleaning it would have required downclimbing (minimum grade of 23) or doing the route a second time on TR. Do a search on the web for pics of the route "1080 and the Letter G" and you'll see the awesomeness of this roof (and some cool pics of the no hands rest).
We were hoping for a third day today but as Robin was packing the van, her back seized due to a fall the previous day while hiking out. There was no way she'd be able to have a harness on a endure some of the falls that I would have probably taken today on the routes I was gunning for...so we drove right on out of Takaka and past Paynes Ford (waving bubye!!).
We now head down the west coast to the glaciers and afterwards we will be heading to Wanaka (I think) for some more climbing....
Wish I could post pics but the connections have been too slow and take forever...one day though!!!
Peace out!!
Well, our weekend at Paynes Ford has come to a finish and we lucked out with the weather. The forecast had originally called for rain starting Friday and going all the way through until Tuesday...Not the case though...Saturday turned out to be a great day where we were able to climb in the morning until mid-day. Sunday we were able to get a full day and Monday...well I'll get to Monday in a bit...
Saturday - We arrived at Paynes Ford and started hiking up the DOC trail to the first climber trail which I though was about a couple of hundred metres away, but Robin immediately relieved me of guidebook and navigation duty and determined that the first trail was WAY back near the entrance. New Zealanders are all about the easy approach to crag. In the amount of time it takes to get to your first climb at Lion's Head, one would already have done three routes and be working on their first project of the day.
For my first warm-up I decided on a classic from the guidebook which was rated 16 (back in '91). Very easy route up to the slopers...slopers on a 16...wtf??? The limestone in NZ (in this area anyways) is very slopy and very few crimps. After lowering off the anchors, Robin roped up and found the climbing very different from home and very difficult. The slopers were very polished up top and she found it impossible. After I cleaned the route I did the classic slab route next to it "....Cream Poofters". If anyone ever comes to NZ to climb on the limestone here, bring your slab skills as well as your top-out on bulges skills. I did a couple more routes until the drizzle started and we hid underneath Rawhide Roof (which was to become Sunday's project). We met some "locals" and they gave us directions to one section of wall which was overhung enough to protect from the rain. We headed up to Tenuite Wall and happily is was quite dry...well dry for the climber but not the belayer (AKA...Robin). I ran up a great 20 and then immediately got on a 21 which I went up quickly until I lunged for what I though was the "victory jug". Turned out to be the "victory sucker hold" and the sloper spit me off for a beautiful 15-20 ft plunge...("Take...Nooooo, shit!")
After this route we packed up and headed out to the car and to get supplies for our evening stay at the climbers campground, Hangdog. Its a piece of property which sits right next to the DOC parking lot for Paynes Ford. A family has run this camp for years; essentially a "by climbers, for climbers" camp ground. There is tonnes of room for camping and a small bunkhouse which a kitchen and toilet facilities. It was very quiet this weekend but during the summer it is very difficult to find a place to pitch a tent. We met up with some NZ and Scottish climbers and chatted them up for beta and by 10pm we were back to our "spaceship" for night-nights...
Sunday turned into an unreal day. Sunny with a high of 20! PERFECT!!! We climbed with Richard (from Nelson) and we did a couple of the longer classics to warm up. Temple of Stone (18) is an awesome 27 meter warm up as is the route-I'm-not-quite-sure-what-the-name-is (20) just to the right of it is. The second route is a full 30 meters and as we were not using our rope, I bailed to the anchors of the previous route as I still had 2-3 meters to go I wasn't sure how new Richard's rope was...turns out I would have barely made it to the ground if I had gone all the way up.
Afterward Richard climbed a crazy runout route called "Elvis like in Takaka"...3 bolts...17 meters...I'm sure some of you can figure out the Elvis name based on that info...Thankfully he made it up sans fall and sans me launching into the woods to take up slack!
Afterwards I was off to my project....There is a route there called Rawhide (the roof mentionned above) and its a PERFECT ROOF at the start. Its a 15ft V4 boulder problem under the roof. The first bolt is at the lip and the landing is crap if you blow it...thankfully we train on roofs every day in Toronto. Scared the crap out of Richard as I ran out the roof easily. From there it lessens in steepness (only 45 degree overhang now...) until the 3rd bolt, then bring on the mantle top out on slopers. Did that very gingerly only to see then next bolt still 8 feet away...Now I'm on slopey slab where your hand-foot matching skills come into play..After I clipped that and a bit more slab I get to another bolt and smack into another mini roof...then another top-out...then more slab...where's the next bolt???? I can see the anchors about 10 feet above me but I still have to pull this crazy crack layback section (not technically difficult but after already having 15 feet of a run out and then this to the anchors.....yikes)...I pull this off and finally hit the anchors and clip in and yell to my belayer for slack...He (and Robin) can barely hear me and he thinks I say "take" and I almost get yanked right off the route. Thankfully they heard me the second time swearing at them and I was able to clip in. While cleaning the route, Robin had a mild heart attack when she realized how far run-out I was from the last bolt to the anchors...If you blew the anchors you'd take a 50+ footer and the route is about 65 feet long. Cleaning the overhang kinda sucked but got it done after taking both Richard and Robin for a bit of a drag....
After 2 more routes further down the crag, we hiked over to the Wall of Thugs where there is an AMAZING roof with 6 routes along it. I would loved to have given a go at one of them but there are no fixed draws and cleaning it would have required downclimbing (minimum grade of 23) or doing the route a second time on TR. Do a search on the web for pics of the route "1080 and the Letter G" and you'll see the awesomeness of this roof (and some cool pics of the no hands rest).
We were hoping for a third day today but as Robin was packing the van, her back seized due to a fall the previous day while hiking out. There was no way she'd be able to have a harness on a endure some of the falls that I would have probably taken today on the routes I was gunning for...so we drove right on out of Takaka and past Paynes Ford (waving bubye!!).
We now head down the west coast to the glaciers and afterwards we will be heading to Wanaka (I think) for some more climbing....
Wish I could post pics but the connections have been too slow and take forever...one day though!!!
Peace out!!
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