Adventure on the Roof of the World
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Nice pics and captions.
Almost like National Geographic magazine.
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Originally posted by fudgester:
Nice pics and captions.
Almost like National Geographic magazine.
now i know what else i can do when i retire. I did copy info from here and there and some are just copy and paste or rephased by me -
caption : Yamdork-tso at 4441m above sea level 羊��措
One of the perfect place to see Yamdrok-tso should be at the summit of Kamba-la at 4700m but it's sort like becoming a market place with tourist vehicles stopping there , touts trying to sell you their goods to you and chattering tourists clicking away with their cameras. Therefore our driver recommended us this quiet spot some distance away from the summit but still offering a view as dazzling as ever.
caption : Far in the distance is the huge massif of Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m)
Yamdork-tso is one of the four holy lakes in Tibet (the other three being Nam-tso in the North, Manasarovar in the West and Lhamo La-tso in the south). Yamdrok-tso is a closed lake with no inlet or outlet, therefore the water level in the lake have never change drastically. From goggle earth, Yamdrok-tso is shaped like a coiled scorpion with its pincers closing together forming an island in between.
caption : other ranges like Mt Jangsang Lhamo (6324m) and Mt Jetung Chusang (6342m) become visble as we travelled westward
It was very windy and the wind was sending ripples across the water thus we were unable to get the reflection of Mt Nojin Kangtsang or the other ranges on the lake but still, the fabulous deep turquoise lake was enough to win us over.
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Nice.
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caption : Life on the lake
Most travellers will be contented with just a glimpse of the lake from the Kamba-la and the view from the the town of Nagartse but the devout Tibetan prlgrims will circumambulate the lake (believed to be the home of some wrathful deities) that will take up to seven days to complete.
caption : Is the lake leaking away?
In the mid 1980s, there was plan to build a hydroelectric plant in Yamdork-tso by building a tunnel below the surface of the lake to send the water dropping some 846m. Although there were objection by the Tibetan communities, arguing that on top of being a holy lake, it will damage the ecosystem in the lake, Yamdrok-tso had since become the largest hydroelectric plant in Tibet since 1997.
caption : The dam and the hydroelectric plant
In the rule of exchange, whatever you receive, you have to pay back in an equivalent amount. The hydroelectric plants brought lights to Tibet but it may one day drained Yamdrok-tso to the extend that the damage will become irreversible.
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wow....I mean, wow! These pictures are really nice. But then you had to pay a price to enjoy these great views right?
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Excellent post. Gave me the inspiration to go back to Tibet once again. I was there from Feb-Apr 1997 shortly after the death of Deng Xiaoping. Things were a little chaotic then. But it was certainly one hell of an adventure.
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Originally posted by SBS2601D:
wow....I mean, wow! These pictures are really nice. But then you had to pay a price to enjoy these great views right?
how about infusion drip and nose bleeding. Was it too much a price? I would go back again anytime, if I can. -
Originally posted by Hbbo:
Excellent post. Gave me the inspiration to go back to Tibet once again. I was there from Feb-Apr 1997 shortly after the death of Deng Xiaoping. Things were a little chaotic then. But it was certainly one hell of an adventure.
nice to know there's another kaki -
Originally posted by SevenEleven:
how about infusion drip and nose bleeding. Was it too much a price? I would go back again anytime, if I can.
Anyhow, really appreciated the posting of these pics....Maybe If you had needed an excuse to stay longer, it would be to acclimatise your body.
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caption : Karo-la Pass at 5039m between Mt Nojin Kangtsang (7191m) and Mt Jangtang Lhamo (6324m)
It is alarming to see that snow in this glacier is far lesser in area than it used to be, due to greenhouse effect. It used to be just some 30m away but now so much more further away. Karo-la pass is the first mountain pass we have to cross to reach our next destination Gyantse.
caption : Valley between Mt Jungsang Lhamo (6324m) and Mt Jetung Chusang (6242m)
Across the road, you catch another view of the Jungsang Lhamo ranges that offers a warmer feel than Mt Nojin Kangstang and the river water offers a clean and refreshing feel.
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caption : At the foot of Mt Nojin Kangstang (5020m) 乃钦康桑峰
The inscriptions on the stone slab tell you that this was the very place a movie, the Red River Valley was shot in 1997. Red River Valley is a tragic tale about the occupancy of the British force in Tibet when a young beautiful Tibetan woman saved the lives of two British men who had design for future of Tibet (a Chinese version of the Younghusband expedition).
caption: At 7191m, Mt Nojin Kangstang is one of the four holy mountain in Tibet.
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caption : Refreshing icy cool drinks that will even beat 7-UP
Watching the snow and ice melting into the river, I cannot resist but pulled up my sleeve to drink from the river. It is so unthinkable that these mountain ranges were once ocean floor. If you are lucky enough, you can pick up rocks with hidden ammonite fossil in it.
caption : 大地为我家
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caption : Gyantse Kumbum, the largest chorten in Tibet
Most people will rush through Gyantse, stopping just to see this famous Kumbum mural art (100,000 Buddha images). Gyantse Kumbum is a six storey stupa with 108 rooms. Every room contain hundreds of these mural arts that are of Indian style, Newari style and Tibetan style.
caption : Newari style. Look at the fine details in the painting
Gyantse Kumbum was fortunate enough to survived the Culture Revolution although the chapels around it wasn't that lucky. These painting date back to the 14th century with strong influence from the Newari art style.
caption : look at the fine detail of the hands and flowers. simply stunning
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caption : Gyantse Dzong (4180m) -The tragic story behind the Gyantse Fortress
Like most people who rushed through Gyantse, they will give this empty fortress a miss. In fact, this Dzong is not being taken care off and there are rubbish and litters everywhere. The little park at the base of the Dzong had become a dumping ground and the little lake was littered with rubbish.
Like others, my team wanted to give this a miss so I was on my own again. Armed with the direction to the entrance, I set out on foot for the Dzong. Unfortunately, upon reaching, I found that the Dzong was closed early for the staff to practice singing for their National Day celebration. I was locked out again, so I decided to walk the perimeter of the Dzong instead.
caption : Dzong reflection on the littered lake
After knowing the story (history) behind the Gyantse Dzong, I think that it deserves better respect and care than this. Here this the brief summary of tragic story (history):
This is the story about the British invasion of Tibet in 1903, also known as the Younghusband Expedition. The war was started because of some unreliable intelligence and the newspapers rumour spreading the claim that the Russian had design on Tibet and many people are starting to believe them.
The British Raj in India feared losing the buffer state between Russia and India send Major Younghusband, an army officer on a diplomatic mission to Tibet. After six months of waiting, no Tibetan showed up for the meeting. Major Younghusband was instructed to advance to Lhasa with 3000 troops (plus 7000 shepras and 4000 yaks) to force the recalcitrant Tibetans to a treaty.
caption : An old Tibetan's town with the newly added Han's block building in it's backdrop seen at the top of the gate.
Despite previous brushes with the British firepower, the Tibetans seem to have little idea what they were up against. Halfway between Yatung and Gyantse, a small Tibetan army armed with a motely assortment weapons confronted the British force carrying light artillery, machine guns and modern rifles. The Tibetans trumph card was a charm with the seal of the Dalai Lama which they were told, could protect them against the British bullets. It didn't and 700 Tibetans were slaughtered in just 4 minutes.
The British buried the dead Tibetan soldiers (the Tibetans dug them up at night and carried them off for sky burial) and set up a field hospital to treat the wounded. The dumbfound wounded Tibetan could not understand why the British would kill them one day and saved them the next day. The British advanced to Gyantse and found the fortress deserted. Curious as to why the defensive fortress was deserted, the British camped outside instead of occupying it, while waiting for the Tibetan officals from Tibet to arrive.
caption: A view of Gyantse Kumbum and its chapels around it from the Fortress
While waiting, Major Younghusband sped of to Karo-la with a small contingent of troops to take on the 3000 Tibetan who had dug in at the over 5000m mountain ranges. The result was the highest land-based battle in the British military history. After another 2 months of waiting for the Lhasa offical, the British was ordered to retake Gyantse Dzong (it was reoccupied by the Tibetans) to cut off any attack from the rear and to march straight into Lhasa. Artillery shell began to breach the wall and one of the shell destroyed the Tibetan gunpowder supply forcing the Tibetan to restort to throwing rocks at the invaders. The Dzong fell within the day with only 4 British casualties and over 300 Tibetans dead.
caption : The spooky look of Gyantse Dzong at dawn
With the fall of of Gyantse Dzong, the British effectively controlled the road to Lhasa. Major Younghusband took the 2000 troops to the capital Lhasa without much resistance. Once in Lhasa, Major Younghusband wanted to look for the Dalai Lama (for causing the unnecessary casualities) but he had already fled to Mongolia. Younghusband managed to get the trade treaties done within a month. Ironically the troops did not find any Russian made guns and weapons in Lhasa like what the rumour said, but they found British made biscuits and sausage machine in the Bakhor street bazzar.For the first time, Major Younghusband felt that he had lost his war even though they had the final victory.
PS: if you would like to know more about this chapter of Tibet's history, try reading Charles Allen's book on "Duel in the Snows: The True Story of the Younghusband Mission to China" or watch the movie "The Red River Valley" to see the Chinese version.
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beautiful.....very beautiful places.. *envy*
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caption : Shalu Monastery - ��寺
This 11th century monastery is the only monastery in Tibet that combines Tibetian and Chinese in style. It was famous for its training such as trance walking and thumo (generating internal heat to survive cold weather) . However we are more interested in the mural painting than those "special feats". Shalu has some finest 14th century painting that fused Chinese, Mongol and Newari styles lining the corridor of the central assembly hall.
caption : 14th century mural art
caption: look at the painting and the gold trimming
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caption : Narthang Monastery (3860m)
Narthang was famous for its printing, press and huge collections of books. During the Culture Revolution, the lama distributed all the printing and press to the local for safe keeping to prevent the Red Guards from destorying them. This did saved the press and books but did not prevent the damaged to the chapels and chortens.
caption : Newly constructed chorten among the ruins
caption : rock sculpture from the ruin chortens
However not all the printing press were saved. Some of these wooden press and books were used as fire wood or any other things you can imagine.
caption : Wooden book cover was used as fire wood and wooden press used as cement spade
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caption : Sakya Monastery (4280m) - can you see the eye sore in this picture?
The monastery was established in 1268 and designed with watch towers on the corner of the high walls. It had one of the largest monastic community in Tibet until the Culture Revolution.
caption : stuff wolves hanging above the entrance of the protector chapel
There is the spooky chapel of Pakspa Lhakhang not for the weak hearted. Before you enter the chapel, you will be greeted by these stuff wolves hanging on the entrance. If the terrifying monsters or the huge cham masks doesn't get you, the thick incense smoke inside the chapel will.
caption : Northern Monastery Ruins
Very little is left on the original monastery complex that once sprawled across the hills north of the Trum-chu but it is worth the climbing up through the Tibetan village. We wandered among the remains and the reconstructed complex.
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caption : Gyatso-la Pass at 5248m
On our way to Mt Everest base camp, we stopped at Gyatso-la Pass between Mt Pula Ri(6404m) and Mt Lhako Kangri (6457m). We decided to hang up a prayer flag to wish for a safe journey to Mt Everest.
caption : look at the icing on the cake.
It had probably snow on the pass the night before. There were snow everywhere and the fresh snow were perfect for a snowball fight.
caption : footsteps of the first man on the moon....er... I meant on the fresh snow.
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caption : It's all the way down
After passing thru the Gatso-la pass, it's all the way downhill. Look at the beautiful road. It makes me appreciate all those workers who had made all these possible. From here onward, the Himalayan mountain ranges become visible.
caption : Himalayan mountain ranges at the distant end
At the thought of Mt Everest before our eyes, it blurred our wisdom. We were mostly at the 3600m altitude, other than the short stop at Gyatso-la pass. On our schedule, we were supposed to stop overnight at Old Tingri (4250m). Old Tingri is a a small dusty town comprising of rows of Tibetan homes, shophouses, restaurants and guesthouses with nothing much to see. We therefore decides to bypass the overnight stay and head straight to Mt Everest Base Camp. This was my biggest mistake.
caption : A beautifully decorated bridge for crossing the river.
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caption: Rongphu Monastery (4900m) with Mt Everest (8844m) in the background
The ride from Old Tingri to Everest Base Camp was rough and it cost our driver his 2 front wheel suspension. He had to replace them when we reached the base camp. The sight of Mt Everest right in front of my eyes made me lose sight of my body condition. With the sudden increased in altitude, I was having slight breathing difficulty and my friends were having headaches (they never told me until it was over).
Rongphu Monastery holds the title of being the world highest monastery. The chorten besides the monastery makes a great photograph with Mt Everest head skyward in the background and is a favourite even with the professional photographers. We were lucky that the sky were not too cloudy otherwise we may have to wait days before we can even get a clean shot.
caption : Mt Everest aka Mt Qomolangma (8844m) ç� 穆朗玛峰 on my 20x zoom camera
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caption : The world highest post office in operation.
Our lodging was a normad tent on a dirt road between Rongphu monastery and Everest Base Camp. After settling into our tent, I decided to have a walk with another friend while the rest stayed put. I was starting to feel lethargic and could not keep up with my friend. We found this world highest post office but I wasn't in a mood to write or send a post card home.
caption : On the right side of Mt Everest is this rocky mountain with rocks falling down very often. The Tibetan believed that it was because of their wrong doing.
I was starting to feel more breathless and developed a cough. I had to stop more often to rest than before. My guide noticed the change and offered to send be back to Old Tingri. No way!!! I am going to do my hike at Everest Base Camp tomorrow.
caption : On the left side of Mt Everest is this black Snowland mountain that leads to Nepal
This was where our guide was sent away to India to study Tibetan in Dharamsala illegally by his parent when he was 9 years old. He told me his escapade encounter whereby they were set upon by the Chinese Border Police guard dogs, how they killed the dogs, escaped the border police and survived on dry corns on their way to India. 10 years after his education, he returned to Tibet. Today, he's more a Chinese Tibetan than a Tibet Tibetan.
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caption : Everest Base Camp (5150m) - starting point of the 4km hike.
I had coughed the whole night with sputum on the tissue paper. It was only the next day that I discovered that the tissue was pink in colour. There were traces of blood in the sputum. We set off to the Everest Base Camp in a bus for the hike. Unfortunately, I was only to be satisfied with just a bus ride to and fro the Base Camp. All the photographs below were taken by my friend who did the hike.
caption : Base of Mt Everest with a hidden view of Rongphu Glacier on the bottom right hand corner
Everest Base Camp was first used by the British Everest expedition in 1924. The start point of the Base Camp hike is marked by a a prayer flags with a great view of Mt Everest and the springs below. The blue base camp marker reads Mt Qomolangma Base Camp instead of Mt Everest Base Camp as it is known by the Chinese.
caption : Mt Everest with its reflection on the lake
Arithematically, if you substract 5150m from 8144m, you are left with 3694m. All I have to do is just climb 3694m and I will also become the next Singaporean to reach the summit of Mt Everest. It's that simple! However, I'll be insulting all the climbers who reached the top or who gave away their life trying to reach the summit. I can only dream about it.
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caption : Lake Manasarovar with Mt Kailash in the picture
This is the one of the star attraction of the trip as most of the earlier places were a revisit by me. During the early days, getting to these part of Tibet proved to be a challenge as transports and accomodations were not easily available.
If you remember during my trip to Sri Lanka, there was a painting depicting the mystical Lake Anotatta at the foot of Mount Meru in the Himalayas and according to the legend, the four sacred rivers of India flow out of this lake through the spout in a form of a lion, a horse, an elephant and a bull? This could be the place.
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1769/topics/331806?page=2
Mt Kailash is Mt Meru, Manasarovar Lake is Lake Anotatta and the 4 sacred rivers that flow out of the lake into India are Karnali which feed into the Ganges (south), the Indus (north), Sutlej (west) and Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo) (East). However in this case, only the Sutlej originates from Manasarovar Lake and it doesn't go 24 times round the lake.