In October of 2002, I embarked on a trip which retraced Mallory and Irvine's ill-fated 1923 Everest expedition. We traveled the same route through Tibet, but used Toyotas instead of trekking (until we reached Ronbuk Monastery). We were pinned for 48 hours at base camp, so we did not make Advanced Base Camp. Max altitude reached was around 18,000 feet during acclimatization hikes. We then traveled to Shisha Pagma base camp. I can't imagine a more spectacular birthday celebration; the Sherpas baked me a birthday cake at Everest base camp. It was the trip of a lifetime! Touring Tibet is like stepping back in time. The locals still wear traditional clothing and live very primitively. On this trip, I went from Hong Kong to Chegdu (China) to Tibet to Nepal to Thailand.
Acclimatization hike 18,000 + feet - Mt Everest 10/02
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| Monks in Jokang, Lhasa | Tibetans phoning home after pilgrimage to Jokang | ||
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| Gyantse Dzong, Tibet | Monks having debate in Sera Monastery, Lhasa | ||
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| Prayer scarves and flags at holy site in Tibet | Shegar Dzong, Tibet | ||
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| Katmandu | Potala, former home of the Dalai Lama. Lhasa, Tibet | ||
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| Dancing and singing during roof repair, just like in the movie "Seven Years in Tibet" | Typical street in Hong Kong | Local people in Shegar. Note solar water heater; very popular at high altitudes. They actually boil water! | |
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| Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) Katmandu, Nepal | Potala | ||
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| Norbulingka, Lhasa. Former summer home of the Dalai Lama | Drepung Monastery, outside Lhasa | Close up of the ornate designs inside the Potala | Another view of the Potala |
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| Kum Bum in Gyantse, Tibet | Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet | Palace in Bangkok | Palace in Bangkok |
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| Near Shesha Pagma with yaks (highest mountain in Tibet proper). Where Alex Lowe was killed. | Zhagmu (border of Tibet and Nepal) | Marble house in Bangkok | |
