Entries from Shishapangma

Good evening from Shishapangma Base Camp! What a day... beautiful blue skies, no winds and a bright sun seemed like the prize we were awarded for yesterday's journey on not-such-fun conditions. A somewhat restless night (it was our first of many nights at 5,600m) gave way to excitement building up as our Sherpa team started to get our puja altar together for a nice morning ceremony. Climbing in the Himalaya without an offering or asking permission to the divine, is considered a sacrilege. The rest of the day was dedicated to getting acquainted at Base Camp, organizing gear, and receiving the second yak load (we have so much gear, that some of our kit had to wait yesterday.) We're heading to dinner as we speak. Tomorrow we're taking a walk to the so called "crampon point" or Depot Camp, in order to cache some gear and continue to build on our acclimatization process. Everyone is doing well, and eager to start climbing! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

And we're at base camp! Long day we had today through the plains of Tibet, but it was worth it. After two days acclimating at Driver's Camp, and the preceding three days driving across this vast land, being finally at Shishapangma Base Camp seems like an accomplishment already... And we haven't even started!!! At any rate, the 12 miles over 17,000ft we covered provided incredible views of rustic terrain, but also some headaches and a fight against grapple at mid day. An inch of snow coveted camp upon our arrival, and the light of the moon reflecting on the now cloud free slopes of Shishapangma, seems to also light our desire to climb. Everyone is in bed now, enjoying a well deserved rest. We're having our puja tomorrow, and we'll dedicate to rest and get used to the new elevation. Stay tuned, RMI Guide Elías and team

The expansive extent of the Tibetan Plateau dominated our conversation during our approach drive from Lhasa. Today, we put boots on the ground and had the pleasure of experiencing this beautiful wide open space first-hand. An active 'rest' day here at Base Camp started with a 2-hour hike up to the top of a neighboring 17,400' "hill" in order to stimulate our muscles and help coax our acclimatization process along. We spent the afternoon sharing life lessons and enjoying each other's company in the dining tent over an unending supply of coffee, tea, and grilled Nepalese meat snacks. On an expedition of this length and this altitude, our rest days prove just as important as the climbing itself. Tomorrow, we plan to load another 1000 kilos of gear onto yaks and make our way to Advanced Base Camp at 19,400'. 'Progress' as we say. The crew is pumped, and enjoying the beginnings of true expedition life. Until tomorrow. RMI Guides Robby, Adam, Elias, and your Shishapangma team. PS- Go Blue, beat UCF.

We have arrived at the mountain! Wow! Is all any of us could muster when we rolled into "Driver's Camp" situated in a beautiful prairie at 16,500 feet. Shishapangma is rising 10,000 feet straight in front of me like a fortress not meant to be breached. I don't think any writer in the world could look out his window and see a vista so impressive as he puts his pen down in a stupor of amazement. This morning we all had to get our final emails and texts out to our loved ones. As we drove we were graced with stunning views of Everest and Cho Oyu 60 miles across the moonscape of the Tibetan Plateau. Fifty miles down the road should lead to nowhere but actually leads to somewhere, some of us still had cell service. We will learn to unplug soon enough. This place to all of us is beyond expectations. No place could be better. RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

Good evening from Tingri. We had a long day of driving on the road through the Tibetan Plateau... but it all was done in great spirits, as the grassy plains started to become rolling hills, and finally, snow capped mountains. We left Shigatse in the morning with rain, and the day became sunnier as we were devouring the kilometers that were also bringing us high. Entering the Chomolougma National Park (Everest) or reaching 17,000ft were only some of the exciting occurrences, alongside spotting the Turquoise Goddess (Cho Oyu) sneak from the clouds. A hike around the town of Tingri, where we're spending the night at an elevation similar to the one of Mt. Rainier, culminated the day. Tomorrow we'll be covering the last three-car hours of our Shishapangma approach, and we'll be at driver's camp, reuniting with our Sherpa team and cooks. Game is on!!! RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and team

September 7, 2016 This morning we woke up in Lhasa, the spiritual and political capital of Tibet. This city sits over 12,000 feet so it is fair to say there were a couple restless nights and throbbing heads as we adjusted to our new altitude and instant coffee downgrade. After breakfast we took an incredible tour of the Potala Palace. This is without question the most famous landmark in all of Tibet. Built in 1645 as a winter home for the Dali Lama, the sheer size, engineering and magnificence of this palace inspires anyone lucky enough just to lay eyes on it. So we felt privileged to have a three hour tour arranged for us beginning right after breakfast. Once on the streets of Lhasa, this preconceived idea of a beautiful, traditional Buddhist city got zapped straight out of our brains with blaring horns, massive buildings and what one person called the Times Square of Tibet directly in front of the palace's gate. Neon lights, swanky fashion shops, fancy cars, Lhasa has it all. After our brief culture shock we found ourselves deep in the heart of the Potala Palace, sanctuary to over a dozen Dali Lamas in the past 375 years. It is difficult to describe how spectacular this place is. From Dali Lama tombs to prayer rooms to sculptures cast in gold. This place is truly remarkable. After the Palace tour our next excursion began. The 180 mile drive from Lhasa to Shigatse. With both cities holding populations greater than a half million, we simply could not believe the infrastructure projects connecting these two metropolises. Paved highways, massive tunnels through giant mountains, apartment buildings ready to house thousands more Chinese coming to this high mountain desert. Beyond all of the cultural collisions, we made it to Shigatse in just over 7 hours. If you do the math that is an average speed of 26 miles per hour. We drove so slow at times the team thought we would get rear ended by a cow pulling a cart. Ounce finally settled we had a fantastic dinner and can hardly contain our excitement for tomorrow's repeat of snail crawling our way closer to Shishapangma. We are all in great spirits and will touch base tomorrow. RMI Guide Adam Knoff

Tasi Delek! Greetings from Tibet. We were delayed on our flight to Lhasa, but managed to land a couple hours before dark. It was a surreal change to leave the chaotic yet controlled scene of Kathmandu, and in less than one hour, experience on the other side of the Himalaya the somewhat quiet and broad Tibet. Tired from the hurry up and wait, we checked into our hotel, had an amazing dinner, and then settled in to our rooms for the night. Everyone is really excited to finally start covering the ground towards Shishapangma. Before we start the drive tomorrow, we'll have time for a quick visit to the Potala. Soon after, we'll set off for Shigatse. More tomorrow!!! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos

What is the best way to maximize your training before an 8,000m peak climb? Well, probably not rock climbing, but it sure is a good one to maximize your time in Kathmandu while waiting to fly to Lhasa. Today we spent the day having some fun, as the pictures show, but also starting to get excited with planning, strategizing and dreaming of the climb of the "Crest above the grassy plains". Tomorrow we're flying to Lhasa early in the morning, and the Tibetan adventure will begin... Stay tuned! RMI Guides Elias, Adam, Robby & Team

Namaste: And we have started our Shishapangma Expedition!!! The team is all well in Kathmandu... pretty much uneventful arrivals yesterday, that culminated with the expected jet lag on most of us. A nice welcome dinner put us to bed early. Today, we spent the day visiting the Monkey Temple and acquiring some last minute items we determined appropriate after our gear check. Kathmandu has greeted us with the last rains of the monsoon, which is to depart the Sub-Indian continent soon. We sure hope for the dry weather of the northern Himalayas when we are on our climb! However, that's a ways away yet, and we have to wait another day in Kathmandu before we fly to Lhasa, Tibet's capital, on the 6th. In the meantime, we're going to continue to relax in hectic Kathmandu (is that an oxymoron?) before setting out for Chinese territory. That's it for now; tune in for our blogs as we start our adventure into the Himalayas!!! RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos