Day 11. 19.9.07. Acclimatization day, Base Camp.

A gentle morning's walking in the immediate base camp area - the terminal moraine of the Rongbuk glacier.


We visited the memorials to 40 or more people who have died on Everest.


Up on the moraine we got some idea of how big this glacier really is.

Day 10. 18.9.07. Shegar to Everest Base Camp 5200 m., 17,060 ft.

We left Shegar and crossed the Pang La at 5120 m. (16,404 ft.) but unfortunately there was no view of the mountains. A few hours on and we reached Rongbuk monastery - 4980 m.. With the weather a little threatening we set off on the 9 km. walk to base camp - the altitude most certainly making itself felt.


First cuppa in our mess tent - Didi, myself & Tom.


The chinese had constructed a monument saying '5200 m.' where the tourists can have their photo taken, but this is as far as they can go.


That evening we were rewarded by a magnificent sunset on Everest.

Day 9. 17.9.07 Shigatse to Shegar 4050 m., 13,287 ft.

A long day's drive brought us to Shegar with 'The Crystal Fort' high over this old town. It was, of course, destroyed by the chinese in the 60s and thus far there has been little attempt at reconstruction.

Phil & I got most of the way to the top, but discretion made us head down for tea a couple of hundred feet from the top

Day 8. 16.9.07. Afternoon & night in Shigatse

We had a trip around Tashilunpo monastery with it's 82 foot Buddha statue covered in gold.


In the last year the chinese had finished rebuilding Shigatse Dzong (which they had destroyed in the first place in the 60s). The result is a concrete shell with offices inside. Apparently the locals don't like it.

An excellent yak curry in the evening at Songtsen Tibetan Restaurant, and also a final beer before the long hike.

Day 8. 16.9.07. Gyantse to Shigatse 3900 m., 12,795 ft.

We spend the morning exploring Gyantse and it's magnificent 'Kumbum' - the Stupa of 100,000 Buddhas, 600 years old.
Gyantze Dzong towers over the town.




From Gyantse it's a 90 minute drive to Shigatse - the home of the Panchen Lamas - except the current one who is a prisoner of the chinese.

Day 7. 15.9.07. Lhasa to Gyantse, 3950 m., 12,959 ft.

We set off in our 2 Landcruisers along the variable quality road.


We climb up to the Kamba La at 4794 m. to see the blue lake, the Tamdrok-Tso.


Hours later and after some off-road action we reach the old town of Gyantse. A meal & beers at 'The Princess Wengchen' restaurant.

Day 6. 14.9.07. A busy day in Lhasa

First stop in the morning, the Norbulingka - the Dalai Lama's summer palace and the place from which he escaped in 1959. It is an oasis of tranquillity.


Later in the morning, to Drepung Monastery on the north west edge of Lhasa. This was once home to 10,000 monks but now only a few hundred are allowed to live there. As recently as 3 years ago one of the high lamas was punished for dissent by being starved to death in his own quarters.


In the afternoon, into the Potala itself. A magnificent place but now reduced to a museum with many more police and soldiers than monks.



In the evening, to 'The Mad Yak' restaurant where a highlight of the buffet was the fried sheep's lung. I went back for more!

Day 5. 13.9.07. Lhasa. Afternoon at Sera Monastery

To Sera Monastery, north of Lhasa, to spend a happy hour watching the monks debating - a bit like kung-fu.

Day 5. 13.9.07. Lhasa

Barkhor & Potala from the Jhokang Temple.

Wheel & deer on the roof of the Jhokang.

The Potala Palace.

The West Gate & Potala

Day 4. 12.9.07. We arrive in Lhasa. 3490 m. 11,450 ft.

A 1 hour flight over the Himalaya brings us to Lhasa and these giant Buddha carvings on the outskirts.

It was at this point that the Tibetan guide said that 'Naomi' was too hard to pronounce so she was renamed 'Didi' for the rest of the trip.

We stay at 'The Himalaya Hotel' where there is an oxygen machine in every room. Stairs and bending over are tricky. Lifting a beer causes little trouble.

In the evening our final trekker, Neil, arrives at the Himalaya Hotel having spent 2 days on the train from Beijing.

Day 3. 11.9.07. Still in Kathmandu.

To Bhaktapur for the day. A nice old place. We were with the other KE Expeditions group including Hugh & Clare (Huge Eclair) from the UK.


In the evening, to the Roadhouse Cafe in Kathmandu for a pizza before 'the off'. Tibet tomorrow!
Phil, Naomi, Hugh.


Mike, Tom, Mike.

Day 2. 10.9.07. Kathmandu

To Pashupatinath Hindu temple in the morning where the funeral ghats were especially busy. On to Bouddhanath to the massive stupa, then in the evening, out to dinner.


The team consisting thus far of Naomi, Tom & Phil (backs to camera) and a bunch of old blokes mainly called 'Mike'.

Thank god for Margharitas!

Day 1. 9.9.07. Kathmandu

Having arrived the day before, over to the 'Buddha academy' to visit my friend Dorje Lama, the principal, and to see Jhunnu, the 12 year old that we are sponsoring. She is very cute and her English is extremely good.

In the evening my cousin & fellow trekker, Phil Crozier, arrived wearing his favourite marigold necklace.

The 'KLIMTs" arrive

The two paintings we saw and ordered in Vietnam arrived last week and have been got through customs and quarantine with minimal fuss and maximum expenditure.
They are sensational but need framing.

The first is the 'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. No.1'. This was sold to a museum in New York last year for US $135,000,000!


The second is an oil painting done from a Klimt watercolour, so there aren't many of these around. I think she'll hang on a staircase somewhere.

Sun. 2nd September. Father's Day in Australia

George, Madeleine, Me, Paula & Jake. (Nicola had to work)

Father's Day, so off to lunch with the crew. Paula arranged a restaurant in Hamilton called 'Vagelis'. Very pleasant food - always a steak for the boys - but for me chicken washed down with a nice Pinot Gris.

Sat. 1st September. Charity Dinner at Restaurant II

The night of the Riverfestival in Brisbane with all it's fireworks and fighter jet flypasts. This was an annual charity dinner attended by the Governor of Queensland, Quinten Bryce, and with singing by 'Opera Queensland'. Food as usual excellent.
Many friends there. The usual fun wait for taxis later.

The Training

So August has gone and I was only able to run 80 km and walk - as above in my 'weights & backpack' outfit - for 89 km. A total of 169 for the month - 669 km as my training for Tibet, with a week to go! I'll nail 700 km in total and feel like I've made some sort of effort to 'go high' as they say on Rum Doodle.