Derek Boniecki

November 6, 2017

Annapurna Basecamp and Annapurna Sanctuary Photos

Derek Boniecki

November 6, 2017

Thanks to Kumar and Rajendra from www.mountainsunvalley.com who made this adventure a great success!

See the link for annotated photos of the Annapurna Himal

Annapurna from space. The South Annapurna BC is on the right side of the photo. Frozen Tilicho Lake is at the top centre of the photo.

The entire Annapurna Range from the south

On the way to the start of the trek we passed under the Dhaulagiri east wall and east icefall. Notice the cave dwelling - reminiscent of Mustang.

As we climbed out of the Kali Gandaki gorge, the spectacular panorama of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges unfolded before us.

The sunrise over the eastern hills of Nepal

A book about Alex Macintyre who died on Annapurna I (great book by the way)

En route to Annapurna BC - Siduwa Teahouse, nice people and good food. Most importantly it serves cold beer.

Typical accommodations along the trail. No stars but no tent either :-)

The trail to the Annapurna BC follows a deep gorge with spectacular waterfalls all around. This is the lower wall of Machapuchare.

Lower flank of Hinchuli, the site of a deadly avalanche in 2019 which killed 3 people.

The last teahouse before the ABC. from here to ABC is only a 3 hour walk.

Annapurna I in all its splendour - 10,000ft of steep wall

Looking down the Annapurna Glacier. The pointy peak on the right is Machapuchare.

Annapurna BC, the actual climbing BC is at the foot of the mountain - another day’s walk from here.

The icefall of Annapurna South and Himalchuli

One of the memorial plates at the ABC. Another sad story so common in these high mountains.

The Heliport at the Annapurna BC. Due to recent changes and restrictions by the Gov, tourist flights to the ABC are no longer allowed.

Look what I found! Among flags from all over the world.

It was great to do this trek with Kumar - we shared so many adventures

Our ride! The helicopter brings people from Pokhara for a short stay at the ABC. We managed to get a ride around the glaciers and then down to Pokhara for a very good price (it was impossible to say no :-)).

Annapurna South from the helicopter. On the far right is the Fang.

Himalchuli and the icefall - what a different perspective!

The Roc Noir. Gangapurna is on the far right. See the Mesocanto La Trip photos for the photos of these peaks from the other side! They do look very different.

Gangapurna - the triangular peak at the top of the photo

Gangapurna - this peak is very prominent from the Annapurna Circuit trail

Annapurna III - the mountains on the horizon are on the border of Nepal and Tibet (China). Apparently the ridge visible in the photo on Annapurna III has not been climbed.

The north face of Machapuchare - absolutely spectacular from the helicopter at the altitude of almost 6,000m. This mountain looks awesome from all sides.

Machapuchare from Pokhara. Pokhara is a beautiful city and very different from the capital of Nepal.

A few photos of the Annapurna Range from the KTM-DOH flight:

The flight over the Himalaya is always exciting! The mountains look different from 36,000ft. It is also fun to see the valleys and trails from above. The perspective is totally different as it is hard to see the lay of the land while trekking when the giants are towering above you!

Annapurna 2 (left) and Lamjung Himal (right)

2012-11-15 at 01-53-37_captions (from S).jpg

Annapurna 4 (the pointy peak) and Annapurna 2 on the right

Hiunchuli. Behind is Rock Noir and Gangapurna (on the right). The Annapurna BC is directly behind Hiunchuli.

Annapurna 3 and Machapuchare. We flew in the helicopter between the Annapurna 3 and Machapuchare at the altitude of 6,000m.

Annapurna 1, The Fang and Annapurna South

Annapurna 1 and Nirgili Peak — Nirgili Peak (left), The Fang, Annapurna 1 and Annapurna South

Nilgiri South (6,839m), Nilgiri Central (6,940m) and Nilgiri North (7,061m) and Annapurna 1. The “flat” land on the left is Mustang. The Annapurna North West face (the route of first ascent) is accessed from the valley between Nilgiri North and An… — Nilgiri South (6,839m), Nilgiri Central (6,940m) and Nilgiri North (7,061m), The Fang and Annapurna 1. The “flat” land on the left is Mustang. The Annapurna North West face (the route of first ascent) is accessed from the valley between Nilgiri North and Annapurna. The valley on the extreme left is Kalli Gandaki - the deepest gorge in the world between the massifs of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.

Derek Boniecki

November 5, 2017

Annapurna Sanctuary Trip Summary

Derek Boniecki

November 5, 2017

See photos of the Annapurna Sanctuary taken from a helicopter flight

October 31, 2017 Marfa Tatopani 1,190m – Shita 1,935m

We hired a jeep in Marfa to take Walid, Diana, Kumar and me to Tatopani and to take David and Gilles to Pokhara. We left Marfa early in the morning and arrived in Tatopani around 12.30 pm. We drove through the Kali Gandaki gorge, which is the deepest gorge in the world. We had fantastic views of the Dhaulagiri east face and the spectacular icefall that I saw from the Mesocanto Pass in 2011. We also had dramatic views of the gorge with steep drop-offs to the raging river below.

We reached the dusty and dumpy Tatopani where we had a good lunch and some decent pastry. After lunch, Diana, Walid and I hugged and said tearful goodbye to David and Gilles, then started our Annapurna Sanctuary trek. I was not in the mood for more walking as my body was in the “relaxation mode” already. Without doing any prior research, I was anticipating an easy stroll to the Sanctuary, 3 days max on a flat trail, as it was one of the most popular treks in Nepal. No problem! I could do it in my sleep without trying. Just a side hop to the Sanctuary and back. Right…

My naïve assumptions were shattered fast. After lunch we started walking up to Shita. It was hot, shirt-drenching humid, overcast and muggy. We walked passed the really dumpy Tatopani hot spring (Tatopani in Nepalese means hot water). We walked up some shortcuts between the twists and turns in the road for 700 vertical meters. I was drenched in sweat. The walk was rather boring but some of the late afternoon views were nice. We could see higher peaks obscured by the afternoon clouds. We arrived in Shita in late afternoon to a busy teahouse. The teahouse was packed and the place had a completely different feel from the Dhaulagiri circuit that I just finished. It was a busy, commercialized and very touristy part of Nepal. Kind of Shitty, Shita style.

November 1, 2017 Shita – Ghorepani 2,900m

We walked up for another 900m on a stone staircase all the way to Ghorepani. Step after step, stairs all the way. There was not much to see, although we did walk through some nice villages with friendly locals. Overall the place was very clean and well-marked. The beautiful Dhaulagiri massif dominated the skyline. Had this been my first trek in Nepal, I would probably be very impressed. Given my recent experience though, it was just a place to walk through. A good example of hedonic adaptation.

The walk to Ghorepani was very fast for me as I was well acclimatized. I covered the distance in 2.5 hours and had to wait for Walid and Diana for almost an hour. In Ghorepani we passed the time by sitting around in the crowded teahouse with a couple from Spain and watching Walid entertaining the patrons. Ghorepani is a collection of modern large teahouses or hotels targeting mass tourism. The village is only a one-day walk from the road to Pokhara and thus it is very popular.

In the teahouse, I made a mistake of eating a fresh salad and got quite sick. Since I did not feel well, I did not have the energy to walk up to Poon Hill for the fabled sunrise view. It turned out that it was a good thing, as Poon Hill was crawling with people like an anthill. There were hundreds of people in a small space competing for a photo of the same view. So far this trek had too many people but it was to be expected.

November 2, 2017 Ghorepani – Torapani 2,710m

I got up this morning to walk to Poon Hill but I could not do it. I turned around and walked back to the hotel against the mass of humanity making their way up the hill. The stomach affliction drained the energy out of me completely. After Diana returned from the Poon Hill, we set off to Torapani, 5 hours away.

I was wondering how on earth I would be able to do it as I was operating at 15% capacity. First, the crowds heading out of Ghorepani were overwhelming: shoulder to shoulder in a long lineup of hikers so tightly packed that it was impossible to pass any of them.

It was horrible walking up the hill feeling sick and weak. I had to stop often as I was completely drained of energy. The views were nice and pastoral but compared to what we saw in Dhaulagiri, it was nothing special. I was hoping that the Annapurna basecamp was worth the trouble of getting to. I wanted to do this trek for a long time to cross it off my list. I started to realize that it was not really a wilderness experience but an experience in crowd walking with crowded teahouses, souvenir stalls and so-so views.

We arrived in Torapani in late afternoon. In Torapani we stayed at the Annapurna Guest House, a dumpy place but with a bed and that was all I needed. I slept well all night and I regained most of my energy.

November 3 2017 Torapani – Sinuwa 2,375m

The walk started with a beautiful sunrise over the hills of eastern Nepal. It was very special to see the sun emerge from behind the hills on the horizon. We had a 1,000m descent right off the bat. Then we crossed a small river and climbed a large hill for lunch at Chumrung. At Chumrung, the trail joined the main Annapurna Sanctuary trail.

Immediately from Chumrung, the views improved. The Annapurna Gorge that we would walk through was directly in front of us. The valley is flanked by steep walls and dotted with villages. What was not good, was a steep descent to the bottom of the valley (1,900 steps) and a massive immediate climb to the village called Sinua just across from us. In the heat of midday I had to get my umbrella out again to avoid melting away in the sun.

The walk up to Sinua was up the never-ending stone staircase. This trek has turned out to be quite a challenge (so much for an easy stroll I was expecting): from the start point we ascended 1,000m to 3,300m, then down to 1,950m, then up to 2,370m, etc. Up and down all the time.

Now we are in Sinuwa looking at a beautiful sunset over the Annapurna 3, Machapuchare and Hinchuli. The Modi River valley will take us all the way to the Annapurna Sanctuary. We sleep in another basic, borderline grubby place.

November 4, 2017 Sinuwa – Durali 3,200m – Annapurna BC 4,130m

The walk from Sinuwa to Durali was fast and uneventful. Nice views of the gorge. In Durali we sat around in a very crowded guesthouse for 7 hours until bedtime. I got a head cold from someone. I guess that after three weeks of continuous walking my body is just depleted. I shared the room with Walid and Diana as there was a shortage of beds. We got up at 6am to go to the basecamp at 7 am. The walking was again easy and fast to 4,130 m (1,000 ascent). I did it in 2.2 hours, mainly thanks to the acclimatization from Dhaulagiri. As I walked higher up the valley, the view opened up and the scenery became absolutely awesome. The gorge hides a great cirque of high peaks that form a perfect circle with Annapurna 1 (8,030m high) standing grand at the end of a glacier.

Past the Machapuchare base camp (Piss Tail Peak as Kumar called it), the trail turned sharply left and followed a moraine of the Annapurna Glacier all the way to the Annapurna BC (or ABC). The entire Annapurna Sanctuary is quite incredible. So close to Pokhara and yet so breathtaking. Standing at the basecamp, the Annapurna 1 dominates the view. Immediately next to the cluster of guesthouses at the basecamp, Annapurna South rises steeply to an altitude of over 7,000m. Next to Annapurna 1 is a mountain called the Fang. A massive glacier flows from Annapurna 1 and is flanked by two icefalls. To the right of Annapurna 1 is Mount Rock Noir, Mount Gangapurna and Annapurna 3. Next to it is the pointy Machapuchare, which looks totally different from the base camp. The entire cirque is magnificent, grand and majestic. It is really a special spot that requires a few days of boring walking to get to but once here, Wow! What a view!

Numerous memorials of many climbers that died on the slopes of Annapurna 1 dot the moraine close to the base camp. There are many Korean names but the most famous victims of this mountain are Anatoly Boukreev and Alex MacIntyre. All in all, a special place that is worth the time and effort to get to.

In summary, we walked 70 km so far and ascended from 1,000m to 3,300m, then walked down to 1,950m and back up to 4,300m. So much for an easy 3 day hike.

As we were sitting in the dining room of the Annapurna Guest House, I negotiated a 20-minute helicopter ride around the Sanctuary first thing the following morning. I was very excited but anxious as I witnessed a helicopter crash in 2010 on Ama Dablam. This altitude is at the very end of helicopter’s ability to fly. I always wanted to do a helicopter flight over the Himalaya and this was a perfect opportunity in such a spectacular place. The helicopter was already here and we did not need to waste time to fly over the lowlands before the high Himalayas. Helicopters come here regularly bringing wealthy Chinese tourists for a short time at the base camp. We negotiated this in front of all the porters and all the people in the dining room. I just dropped a healthy sum for a 20-minute flight without blinking an eye. I felt horrible to be doing this in the company of all the onlookers as this amount of money is a fortune to the locals. I did not want to come across as some white jerk throwing money around. But I did not have a say in where and how the deal was discussed.

November 6, 2017 Annapurna BC Pokhara

We went to bed at 8pm and I could not sleep until midnight and then I got only mediocre two hours of sleep. The cold and the chest infection were really bothering me. In addition I was sharing the room with Walid and Diana again. I was coughing and sniffling all night and I am sure that it bothered them, too. I felt really horrible to be such a bad companion. Since I had all the time during the sleepless night, I was busy imagining all the possible problems with the flight just a few hours away. I hate flying at the best of times. This was, however, an opportunity not to be missed.

Finally the morning came and everyone was up before sunrise to watch the spectacle on Annapurna 1 south wall. The sunrise on Annapurna is a famous thing to do on this trek and many people come here specifically for this reason. Last night we had a spectacular sunset on Annapurna as well and then on Machapuchare. The entire range was glowing gold and then red.

I was full of anticipation about the flight and I was very excited. I do not remember the last time that I was that excited about something (maybe in Antarctica in 2010). The helicopter flew in at 7 am with the Chinese. I could see it approach the landing pad of the BC from far away by its front light. The noise and the entire operation of the helicopter is very exciting for me as well. I just love watching them take off and fly away and hear the engine rev up before the lift-off. I find these machines graceful and a marvel of human ingenuity capable to get to impossible places.

I took the front seat, put on the headset, adjusted the seat belt and before I realized, we were off – so smooth and effortless. The minute we lifted up my anticipation about the flight evaporated and I became enveloped in the grandeur of the scenery unfolding before us. At first we flew down the Annapurna glacier and gained some altitude. The plan was to circle the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is huge. It does not seem like it but the distances here are so deceiving. We did a 180-degree turn and flew by the sharp ridges of Himchuli and over the icefields separating Himchuli from Annapurna 4, gaining altitude as we progressed. The icefield between Himchuli and Annapurna South looked broken and dangerous from the helicopter. We could see down into the deep crevasses of the massive glacier. We turned north and flew towards the Fang and the huge wall of Annapurna 1 that was now illuminated by the morning light. We were gaining altitude as the pilot announced that we would reach 6,000m, an upper limit of the flying ability of the helicopter. The day was perfect though, no wind, blue sky and still air. The flight was smooth and I could concentrate on the scenery that was rolling on before me all too fast. The views were absolutely SPECTACULAR! It was absolutely stunning and my excitement level was off the charts. The massive wall of Annapurna 1 was directly ahead, then Rock Noir, Gangapurna and Annapurna 3. I saw all these peaks from the other side at the Tilicho Lake in 2011. The mountains looked so close yet I knew that they were far away and 1 to 2 km higher. The illusion was that we were above or at least at the same level as them though.

The pilot then approached the razor sharp ridge linking Machapuchare with Annapurna 3 and flew just hundred meters above it. It was exhilarating. The drop offs were massive and the scale of the terrain was overwhelming. To the left of the helicopter was the 7,000m high Machapuchare north wall invisible from the Annapurna BC or Pokhara. It was plastered with snow and ice, extremely steep and foreboding. The view just got 100% better from already SPECTACULAR view before. I was in heaven.

We flew around Machapuchare and did a 90-degree turn towards the BC. We flew right over the trail that we walked on just two days before. It was by far the most spectacular thing I have ever done in the Himalayas. I wanted to do such a flight for a very long time but I never had an opportunity to do so. Such flights are usually much more expensive: $5,000 US or more as the helicopter has to fly to the high peaks (usually from Kathmandu) that takes an hour of flying one way. This adds the cost of two hours of flying time over the lower hills to the mountain flight. In the Annapurna Sanctuary, the helicopter was already in the middle of the high mountains, the best mountain scenery, the weather was perfect and the light was fantastic for photos. I also had two willing companions to share the cost with. It all came together in perfect harmony.

During the flight, the Nepalese pilot offered to take us to Pokhara for a small fee saving us two or three days of waling back on the same trail we came on. Thankfully Walid agreed. We had a few minutes to throw our bags together and get them back to the helicopter. The Helicopter was waiting for us with its rotor running and all the people gathered to look on. I gathered my stuff, said my goodbyes to Suba and sat back in the helicopter. We took off for another spectacular 20-minute flight back to the civilization. We flew over the trail again. We passed Machapuchare and Himchuli. We could also see Annapurna 2 and Manaslu in the distance. It was all very exciting. The pilot offered us the flight to Kathmandu but we declined.

I was happy to skip the final two days of walking. I did not want to retrace the same trail with its huge ups and downs and with hundreds of people. The trial was rather unpleasant with all the stone staircases and crowds. I was tired, I felt sick with the cold and frankly, I was done. It was the best option and allowed us to relax lower down. The entire Annapurna Sanctuary took me by surprise. I was expecting a stroll in the park and it was a long slog with a lot of ups and downs. This trek was the opposite of Dhaulagiri (except the Annapurna Sanctuary itself) but I have to admit that the Helicopter ride made it for me. It was worth the effort to come here and have this experience. I will remember it for a very long time.

November 7, 2017

We landed in Pokhara. It was relatively hot since we were dressed for the 4,000m altitude. We made it to the hotel, took a long hot shower and cleaned up. We walked on the main street, had good food and beer. Pokhara is very nice compared to Kathmandu. It is more relaxed and it is clean.

The following day we took a 10 hour-long bus ride from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Due to some road construction and traffic we got stuck for a few hours.

We arrived in Kathmandu in the evening and took a car from the bus to Thamel. We then transferred our luggage from the car to the rickshaw and ended up in the Nirvana Garden Hotel where it all started. We had a nice supper at the Tibetan restaurant.

I went to see Kumar’s sister and her kids: Ashok and Annupa. I wanted to go and see them in their school. The school was very nice and the kids have made an impressive progress. They speak good English and we had a nice conversation. I was very happy to see them again after 3 years.

After the visit, we went to the Fire and Ice Restaurant. Kumar invited me for a pizza and beer. It was very nice of him to do so. After lunch we went to the Pashupatinath Temple to take photos with the Sadhus. I like this place. It is a very old and large Hindu temple. Apparently, it is very well known and revered in the world of Hinduism. The temple is always full of people. The funeral pyres are in constant use cremating bodies of the deceased. The temple is also full of devotees.

Kumar and I had some time to talk and one of the topics was the Nepalese concern about financial planning for the future. Kumar said that it is difficult if not impossible due to unpredictable work situation. This forces him to live in the moment and leave the future to unfold as is does. He believes in karma. It is very different from the western way of thinking where the planning for the future overshadows living in the present. In the West, we never have enough and the goal post just keeps moving further and further. It makes us work longer and harder. We are never satisfied and always afraid that we will not have enough.

November 9, 2017 Kathmandu – Doha

My last day in Kathmandu was very busy. In the morning I took a taxi to the Tibetan quarter. I wanted to see whether the Buddhist stupa has been rebuilt after the earthquake. I had a lassie on the roof top patio and watched the pilgrims walk around the now rebuilt stupa. I also visited one of the monasteries to listen to chanting monks. It was very atmospheric.

Later, Kumar and I went to Patan looking for a knife. There were no knives in Patan, only hundreds of very expensive statues. I am not sure who can afford a statue for thousands of dollars when the locals make $30 per month. Kumar said that it was the monasteries that were buying them with the money they get from the westerners. It would be similar to the Catholic Church where the altars drip with gold and the devotees scramble for basic goods. We saw this in India, in Ladakh when the Rinpoche showed up in a $100,000 Toyota Land cruiser and the poor Ladakhis lined up to see him. The Rinpoche ignored the poor and zeroed in on the white tourists probably hoping for a generous donation to his cause.

Kumar and I had a nice coffee to finish our stay in Patan. The café was across the main square that was in bad shape after the earthquake but in the process of being rebuilt with Japanese donations.

On the 10th of November, we said final goodbyes and I was off to the airport. From the flight, the view of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri were spectacular. I could see our Dhaulagiri route very clearly.

I always ask the same question: will I return to Nepal and the Himalaya? Yes, of course. The Himalaya are one of a kind. Kathmandu is like an old shoe that fits perfectly and I love it. I like it here. It suits me. I love the mountains. I love the people (despite how unbearable their daily grind is). I always leave with humility and humbleness. I admire their resilience and toughness and I appreciate their openness. I have been coming here for the past 10 years and Nepal became a part of my life in some strange way. So until next time…

The following is the summary of the Dhaulagiri trek:

Start elevation 800m

Italian BC elevation 3,600m

Hike in Italian BC 4,300m

Basecamp 4,600

Hike in BC 5,500m

French Pass 5,300m

Hidden Valley 5,000m

Dhampus Pass 5,300m

Elevation gain 6,400m and the distance 90 km

The following is the summary of the ABC trek:

Day 1 8.6 km 354 meters elevation gain

Day 2 8.7 km 780 m

Day 3 8.9 km 400 m

Day 4 14.1 km 714 m

Day 5 11.7 km 858 m

Day 6 9.9 km 700m

Day 7 6.7 km 50m

Total distance 68.6 km and 3,537m

Total for the trip (Dhaulagiri and Annapurna treks):

Elevation climbed 9,937m climbed on the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna treks

Distance traveled on Dhaulagiri and Annapurna treks: 158.6 km + 14km (Marfa to Jomsom) =172.6km

Derek Boniecki

October 31, 2017

Dhaulagiri Basecamp Trek, Dhampus Pass - Trip Summary

Derek Boniecki

October 31, 2017

Participants: David, Gilles for Dhaulagiri with Siam the guide and his brothers as crew.

October 12, 2017

Sitting here at the airport in Calgary. It is hard to depart as it always is. The departure is definitely the least pleasant part of the trip. It is not getting easier for anyone including me. I was very busy at work right up to my departure.

October 13, 14, 15 2017 Calgary – Kathmandu

The flight from London to Doha was very nice. Only 6.5 hours. I could not sleep. We flew over the Zagros Mountains of Iran. It is great to see the green waters of the Gulf again. The Gulf always feels very exotic to me.

The flight from London landed in the new airport in Doha. The new airport is very impressive. It is huge and very modern. Since I had business class seats on the Qatar Airways flight to Kathmandu, I could use the business class facilities at the airport. The experience starts with a separate check in; very posh. The passport control is also separate for the business class passengers, no lineups, no hassle. I spent my time in the business class lounge where I had a shower, a good lunch, and a snooze. It was a great experience and very convenient after two intercontinental flights. The upgrade was very much worth it for the access to the facilities alone. After six hours at the airport I boarded the flight to Kathmandu. The reclining seats, good food and excellent service made it a very nice experience. Four hours later we landed in Kathmandu where Rajendra was waiting for me at 8 pm. Since I was in the business class I was out of the plane right away, taken to the empty arrivals hall where I moved through the visa formalities in warp speed.

So here I am again in Kathmandu after a three year break from my last trek. A lot has happened during this time. One year after my last trip, there was a huge earthquake that devastated Nepal and Kathmandu. The remnants of the disaster were visible right away. Cracked and destroyed buildings, piles of rubble on the streets, dust everywhere. Kathmandu got hammered and did not yet recover. We arrived at the Nirvana Garden Hotel after 9 pm. The hotel did not change much. The same guys were working there as three years ago. Everything in Thamel, the tourist district, was closed. I met with David and Gilles, we paid Rajendra for the trip, had a coke and called it the day. I had to repack as we left a few things behind in the hotel. We would leave first thing the next day for a two- day drive to the trailhead.

October 15, 2017

I got up at 5 am and went for a walk to the Dubar Square. I wanted to see the devastation from the earthquake. The street leading from the Nirvana Garden Hotel was very dusty with piles of rubble allover as if the earthquake happened last month. It looked like war-torn Aleppo. The Dubar Square was devastated and I was shocked to see it. The beautiful Newari temples are gone, all gone. Only the brick platforms remain and piles of rubble exposed to the elements with beautiful old wooden carvings just rotting away. The few buildings left standing were cracked, propped by wooded posts and in a bad shape. The entire scene was very sad to see. It all feels as if no effort was made to rebuild anything and the recovery is many decades away. It was all very sad and heart breaking. The place was still full of the locals selling produce first thing in the morning. Despite the devastation that took Kathmandu a few decades back, the spirit lives on.

I walked back to the hotel through dusty streets and had breakfast. After a quick breakfast, we met with Siam, piled into a jeep and departed for Pokhara. I did not have any time to do anything in Kathmandu. We drove for five hours to Pokhara on a dusty and crowded “National Highway”. From Pokhara we proceeded to Tatopani. We wanted to reach the trailhead in one day but once it got dark, the 4x4 only road became too treacherous to negotiate for the driver. We could not see the read very well as it was all up and down with numerous blind spots. Once we reached Tatopani, we decided to spent the night in a small but nice Himalaya Guesthouse and resume our drive the following day. We were all tired after 12 hours in the jeep.

October 17, 2017 Darban 800m

We got up at 6 am and resumed our jeep ride. The low hills of Nepal were green and vibrant. The sun rose from behind the hills illuminating the rice fields and the banana trees in a brilliant light. We had great views along the river in a deep gorge all the way to Darban. We got to our destination after one hour. We met with the rest of the crew who arrived there the day before on a bus from Kathmandu with all the gear. This is a camping trek and we need to bring everything with us. Dhaulagiri is considered as one of the most difficult treks in Nepal as it ventures into a wild and remote area. It also crosses some high passes with no easy escape route from them. We had a good breakfast in a local soccer field while the crew sorted out the loads for the porters. The weather was hot and sunny. I am finally getting excited about being here and I am eager to start the walk. The company is great, David of course and Gilles who is a very positive always smiling fellow from Montreal that we met on the K2 trip in 2016. We could see some tall snow covered mountains behind the ridge. The Himalayas were calling us again!

We started walking on a jeep road that was blocked by a big landslide. It was a very short day – only 2.5 hours. Before we really warmed up, we had to stop. The campsite was beside a small wooden bridge spanning a small river. As it was very hot and humid, we took a refreshing dip in that river as the locals were doing. We hung out for the rest of the day.

In the evening, although tired from the jetlag, we committed to watching the local performance of song and dance. The locals sang the same tune 50 times, shook their bodies (dancing?), and hit us up for a generous donation (for a school) at the end. The whole thing was a well-honed shakedown for cash. But since we agreed, we had to oblige. David and Gilles danced with the locals and did a valiant job. I just watched them dance, as the tunes were not grabbing me. We went to bed quite tired.

October 18, 2017 Passed Muri 1,540m 18 km from the trailhead

The Dhaulagiri trail is not very touristy. We have not seen any Westerners all day. We got up before 6 am and started walking at 7:30 am. It takes a little longer to get going, as we need to pack up the entire camp that includes the kitchen tent and the toilet tent! (I never had this luxury before). We started with a lot of enthusiasm and got ahead of our guide and porters. We took a wrong turn somewhere among the many variations of the main trail, asked the locals for directions (confirmed by the husband and negated by the wife), then made our own educated guess and went on. The trail climbed up to a wonderful pass with fantastic panorama of the high mountains ahead including Dhaulagiri. At the foot of the massive peaks were many villages and terraced rice fields in a kaleidoscopic mix of yellows and greens. We sat and admired the panorama for a while, met some locals and took photos. On the way down from the pass we stopped at a house of a local teacher (he told us that his school has 1,200 kids) and had a nice cold beer. His family has two really beautiful sisters one of which wants to become a commercial pilot (although she has never been in an airplane).

We continued our descent from the pass through rice fields and by now were clearly lost. We assumed that the main trail runs by the river so we proceeded going down. It was quite hot at 30C. From our analysis of the map we needed to get to a village located on the hill across from us. We started walking in that direction, climbing steeply up the hill. We climbed 250m before we realized that we were now hopelessly lost. We stayed put, pulled out the map, the guidebook and looked for our porters in the valley below. Finally, using my zoom lens, I spotted the orange pack cover used by one of our porters down in the valley below. We quickly descended and regained the main trail. We arrived at the camp at 4.30 pm and our poor guide was away looking for us. We apologized profusely and accepted our ignorant ineptitude. We camped in the village of Naure in a deep canyon by a raging river.

October 19 2017 Boghara 1,950m

Today was a spectacular day, sunny and hot. We started at 7:30 am. We traversed a steep, almost vertical, mountainside on a narrow trail. From the trail we had a great view of Mt. Jirbang 6,062 m that towered in front of us in a shape of a perfect pyramid. The mountainside dropped steeply to the river below us for a few hundred meters. It was a very hot day. The heat was relentless with no shade. I had to pop up the rainbow coloured umbrella I bought on the way from Kathmandu. We arrived at a campsite at 12:30 pm. The walking was relatively easy and the views were spectacular with waterfalls along the way. Some of the waterfalls were multi-layered a few hundred meters high. We topped off the hot day of walking with a cold beer. I am starting to get into the walking now. I was reluctant to come here but now, approaching the high mountains, I feel at home.

October 20, 2017 Boghara – Doban 2,550m

Last night, the villagers of Boghara were celebrating the end of Diwali Festival with a night of dancing and drinking. They decorated their homes with candles and burned incense. It was very atmospheric and beautiful. We were tired though (still from the jetlag) and retired to the tent at 8 pm. I am sharing the four persons tent with David; Gilles has his own smaller tent. This arrangement works well as I like David’s company and we get along very well. I was so tired that I fell asleep right away despite the noise from the festivities. The loud music right outside the tent did not bother me.

We got up at 5:45 am to another beautiful sunrise. We had breakfast at 7 am outside. It was my last day of being age 46. We started walking at 7:45 am and the trail started climbing right out of the campsite. It was another spectacular walk along steep cliffs and great vertical drops straight down to the river below. Above the trail that was just hanging above the valley, we saw honeycomb discs hanging in the cliffs. The same honey pods that the “Last Honey Hunters of Nepal” book by Eric Valli was about. The trail climbed steeply, hugging a vertical cliff and it dropped all the way down to the river below with a shaky walkway built from bamboo rods and branches. In the raging river, great large yellow boulders were shaped by the force of the runoff. From the river, the trail climbed back up on a tenuous path that was challenging for the porters. The trail continued rolling up and down through the shaded but boring forest that reminded me of the trail to South Kanchenjunga. Finally we arrived at Doban at 12:45 pm at the elevation of 2,550m quite tired. We had an excellent Tuborg beer in the shade and a good lunch. The evening’s views of Dhaulagiri peaking from behind the ridge were wonderful and a harbinger of things to come.

October 21, 2017 Doban – Sallabhari 3,150m

Great day again, I got up at 5:45 am on a clear morning although it rained all night. I opened a wonderful surprise from my wife - a small bottle of Kahlua for the morning coffee. The walk today was short but quite dramatic. There were many landslides along the way.

Right after we left the camp, we crossed a small hanging bridge and then traversed a dicey large landslide with massive boulders stuck in the mud above the path. We walked fast as the path was on a steep and very loose slope, which was a little scary. I hate these landslides as the rocks can dislodge from above at any time. I run up the hill to get out from this shaky path loosing my breath in the process. The trail continued through a bamboo forest with massive ancient trees. The forest was punctuated by massive landslides with large amount of debris of large tree trunks and boulders. The landscape was very dramatic and dynamic, making a great backdrop for the photos. After climbing about 600 m on the long trail, we arrived at a lovely camp surrounded by huge trees. Right around the corner from the camp's stone hut, Dhaulagiri 1 vertical west face rose dramatically from the green forest in the valley. The face was huge, covered in snow and in sharp contrast to the green beneath it.

The cold, crystal clear stream cascaded down the valley directly from the face of Dhaulagiri. Soon after I took a few photos, the clouds obscured the view and thicker clouds rolled up the valley. It started to rain. Gilles and I opted for a simple room in the stone shelter to avoid camping in the wet tent that did not have had a chance to dry off from the night before. We paid $4 for the room and it was a nice break from camping.

October 22 Sallabhari – Italian basecamp 3,650m

It was a short and cold walk to the Italian base camp. The trail was in the shaded forest and a deep dark valley between Dhaulagiri on one side (8,000 m) and another 6,500 m peak. Once we arrived at the Italian basecamp we walked above the tree line. A beautiful panorama of high peaks was surrounding us with Dhaulagiri West Face dominating the skyline. The West Face of Dhaulagiri was very steep and high; it was hard to believe that the point we could see was not the true summit that was another 1,500 m above it.

Since today's section of the trek was so short, Giles and I went for a reconaissance walk to an icefall descending from the col between Dhaulagiri and another mountain to the south of it. The camp was very busy with Germans, Americans, and a large Canadian group from Vancouver. All the foreigners went up the same trail before us. In no time, we passed the fellow Canadians without much effort. We also passed the Americans who were struggling with the altitude. As we climbed higher, the clouds started to obscure the view to the point of total fog. The wind also picked up and I was not prepared for it. I was concerned about getting lost in the fog, that would not be a good thing without a jacket. I turned around short of the icefall at 4,300m and descended. We returned to the camp for a great lunch. The clouds started to move with full force and it got foggy at the camp in the evening. Hopefully, the weather will improve as we are heading into the snow zone higher up.

October 23, 2017 Italian basecamp 3,650

Today was a scheduled rest day to acclimatize to the altitude. David and I went for a short walk up the hill towards the Dhaulagiri wall. We spotted a few memorials to the fallen climbers (Chinese and Korean). The day looked promising with the white glaciers glittering in the sun. It was not to last though and as soon as we returned to the shelter, it started to rain. It rained and snowed all day and into the night. We vacated the cold and leaky damp tent and moved into a wooden windowless rat hole beside the kitchen. It was primitive and cold but sure beats camping in the rain and snow. One of the main reasons that we did that was the fact that our tents were taking on water and soon after it started to rain, I found myself in the puddle. The kitchen soon filled up with smoke and at least we were dry. It was a long day of doing nothing but reading and listening to music. I downloaded the forecast on the Inreach that indicated a sunny day for tomorrow. All the other groups left before us, in the rain and snow, so we were left in the basecamp by ourselves.

October 24, 2017 Italian basecamp Japanese basecamp 4,150m

We started early and immediately descended via a very steep and loose moraine to the glacier below. The glacier was small but had steep drop offs to the river flowing under it. The glacier was flowing from the West side of Dhaulagiri. We crossed it quickly and ascended up a steep and very loose moraine on the other side to a narrow exposed trail that provided the entrance to the valley leading to the Dhaulagiri basecamp proper. The views were phenomenal and the recent snow just made the entire scene so much more photogenic (instead of the normal brown grass that we saw two days before). As we progressed further up the valley, the views and our surroundings got even better. We were now in the realm of the High Himalaya. Tall waterfalls were falling form icy seracs above us (although invisible, the amount of water falling from them made us believe that they were quite huge). We finally reached the main glacier of Dhaulagiri and had to cross a river that originated from under the ice. The snout of the glacier was covered in brown sand, rubble and fresh snow. The river crossing was ice cold as expected and the snow did not provide any reprieve. We needed to cross this river to gain the glacier in order to reach the Japanese base camp. The Japanese base camp was on the glacier itself at an altitude of 4,150 m. It was a desolate but very dramatic spot. There were the other groups camped there as it is one of their scheduled acclimatization days. As soon as we arrived, the clouds moved in from behind us and blocked the view. We were now camped in a thick fog for the rest of the day. The music on the phone came in handy, as it was a clod spot with nothing to do. We had a cold lunch outside and quick dinner in the kitchen tent. For the most part the rest of the time was spent inside the sleeping bag where it was warm and cozy. I was not very hungry and I did not eat much for dinner. The first night above 4,000 m was sleepless but without the headache or the annoying dry mouth.

It is a very unpleasant fact of the trek in the high mountains that it gets dark by 6 pm. It forces us to bed by 7 pm and the wake up call is usually at 5 am. This makes for way too many hours in the dark usually in the small tent. This was a long, cold sleepless night. The cold was especially acute as we were now camped on the glacier and the ice just permeates the air mat. The glacier ice really chills the motionless body.

October 25 Japanese basecamp Dhaulagiri basecamp 4,600m

I am sitting outside in the sun right in front of the Dhaulagiri drinking tea with Gilles and David. We just finished a good lunch. We have an awesome campsite with absolutely fantastic views. In front of us is the so-called Eiger Wall of Dhaulagiri - a 5,900 m vertical wall of granite that rises straight up from the glacier. Above the wall, the main bulk of Dhaulagiri raises to the heaves above in a series of icefalls and ice fields. To the left of the Eiger Wall, the main Dhaulagiri icefall makes its way in form of broken ice towers to the main glacier below. The entire scene is very wild and photogenic. We are camped on the glacier itself. Since this is the proper main basecamp for all Dhaulagiri expeditions, there is a fair amount of garbage left behind by various climbing parties.

Our day started early in the shadow of Dhaulagiri ascending through the glacier. The walk up was phenomenal again and it was very much like Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains. On the right hand side, the main peak of Dhaulagiri, that is just massive, dominated the entire way. The wall is full of icefalls and glaciers and is very stunning. We ascended up the glacier to 4,600 m to the basecamp.

From the basecamp, looking south, we can see Dhaulagiri II that is over 7,000 m high and a series of other peaks all connected to form a continuous wall of mountains. Numerous glaciers descend from the ice fields above all around us. The landscape is very rugged and dramatic carved by years of glacial action. This is by far one of the best treks in Nepal. The variety of views and the technical challenge make it absolutely first class.

October 26, 2017 Dhaulagiri basecamp 4,780 m

Today we decided to take a day off and enjoy the wonderful weather and the spectacular surroundings. I asked Siam to go on a hike with me. I wanted to climb a hill behind our camp as high as I could. It all looks so doable from down below, the small summit within an easy reach. Once I start climbing though, it becomes very tough. Once above 5,500 m the going gets really hard and each step is an effort.

The hill that we wanted to ascend is a part of a higher mountain that is over 6,500 m high. I would love to go to the top, but the altitude a makes it impossible in one day. So we decided just to go as far as possible for me, for Siam it was not a problem. The initial approach to the trail looked sketchy (up a rotten moraine) so David and Gilles pulled out before they even started. I was more determined so I plowed up. Once we passed the initial part, the walking up was very easy. We made it to the first knob and the views were already impressive. The massive bulk of Dhaulagiri towered above the glacier and the icefall below. The weather was perfect, sunny and with no wind. From the first knob at 5,000 m we decided to move up to the next visible knob and hopefully to the summit. Initially, the going was easy up loose scree then the grade got steeper. I could feel my pace and breathing getting slower. The loose scree at 45 degrees became nasty with three steps forward and two back. At the altitude, it tired me out pretty fast. I got to 5,500 m and I by that time I was really tired. The knob at 5,500 m was like a grand viewpoint perched above the valley. Across, the face of Dhaulagiri was gargantuan; we were almost even with the top of the Eiger Wall now. We could also see well above the icefall with the climber’s trail over the white ice field.

I was trying to pinpoint the spot where Polish climber Piotr Morawski fell into a crevasse at 5,800m. There was no obvious easy way up Dhaulagiri. Down below, the glacier snaked its way down the valley to the Japanese basecamp that was also visible in the distance. The distances here are very deceiving as the scale of the peaks is so massive. We could see all the way to the narrow gorge that we came from. To the right of the main Dhaulagiri glacier, was the massive Dhaulagiri 2 that is almost 8,000 m. The valley was now 1,000 m below us. We sat down and soaked in the vista and watched the clouds roll up from the valley below. We were above the cloud level so the peaks remained visible even after the fog moved in. It was magical.

After a short rest, we continued across the scree slope to a promontory with views of a cascading icefall (one of many in the valley). Another fantastic view. On the way down, the going was much faster as the scree is your friend now. We basically slid all the way in no time. We had to do a small detour and further down we went. I felt quite tired especially right before reaching the camp. I was hoping very much not to hit the wall (like on the Amphu Labtsa) as we were planning to climb Dhampus Peak in a few days, a 6,000 m mountain by the Dhampus Pass.

Near our camp on the moraine, there is another spot considered a basecamp proper. In 2014, in this spot an avalanche buried five people there after the earthquake. In that spot, there is a cluster of memorials to the climbers that lost their lives on Dhaulagiri. It is so sad to see that, as most of those people were healthy and young in the prime of their lives when they died. One of the memorial plaques had a photo of an unborn child (ultrasound photo) attached to it. Very sad. It must be difficult to die in such a lonely and inhospitable place. Faced with all these memorials, one has to wander what is the point of putting your life on the line for a hobby like mountain climbing? It is a cold, remote, lonely and unforgiving place. I could not find the memorial to the fellow Pole Piotr Morawski, his is also such a tragic story. He fell in a crevasse on the way to camp 1 on Dhaulagiri not far from the base camp where we were. Being here brings all these stories closer to heart and the ghosts of these people still live in the glaciers above. You can feel their presence.

Jerzy Kukuczka, another famous Polish climber, also walked across the French Pass into Jomsom when he climbed Dhaulagiri in winter. We were to walk in his footsteps.

In the evening we had a glorious light and cloud formations for photography. It is such a majestic spot. The night here at the basecamp is very cold. I woke up and had to put on the down jacket. The icy wind was flapping the tent all night long. We could also hear rumblings of distant avalanches all around but we were safe perched on the top of the glacier far away from the seracs and icefalls. The night was miserable, sleeping on ice and with the cold wind. In the morning, the tent was in the shadow of Dhaulagiri and the Eiger Wall. The temperature was -10C. It was not a place to linger, as the sun would not come until 9-10 am from behind the bulk of Dhaulagiri.

October 27, 2017 Dhaulagiri base camp – Hidden Valley camp at 5,050m via French Pass at 5,380m

We got up early anticipating a long day. It was cold in the shadow of the mountains in the morning. I started walking in my down jacket up a side glacier leading to the French Pass. The Pass was a very long way away although we could see it in the distance. We walked up a giant moraine and continued on its crest to the slope leading to the French Pass. The area was remote and desolate with great views all around. It is a high altitude desert: brown shale, very windy and barren. I was ahead of David and Gilles by an hour. I walked up to the Pass and as soon as I cleared the ridge, strong wind hit me with full force of a gale. The prayer flags on the pass were arching and flapping violently in the air.

On the pass itself, there was the memorial to Piotr Morawski that I was looking for. The memorial had an inscription from his wife and children: “You died doing what you loved leaving behind those who loved you”. A very sad story. I waited for 45 minutes for David and Gilles and took photos and video of them approaching the pass. The view of Dhaulagiri from the distance was very impressive. The entire mountain stood desolate towering above the valley. The slopes of Dhaulagiri are littered with many dead bodies as indicated by the numerous memorials we passed along the way.

Looking the other way, the entire Hidden Valley spread before us. It was barren and desolate. There were no trees and it looked like Mars: red and brown. The red valley floor was flanked by brown hills 6,000 m high with glaciers flowing gently from their round summits.

We walked down to the distant camp that was visible from the top of the pass. The descent was quite fast in brilliant clear weather under a cobalt blue sky. Once we got to the camp, relentless wind started to blow flapping the tents around. The camp is located at 5,050 m and it was cold, desolate and very windy. That night, the altitude made it impossible to sleep. I went to bed at 7pm, tossing and turning until midnight, some light sleep until 4 am, then awake until getting up at 5:45 am.

In the morning, the sky was clear, the wind was blowing hard and the place was cold! It was minus 20C outside and not much warmer in the tent. The wind was making the temperature feel even lower. My hands were frozen in seconds when I took my gloves off; the tent was completely covered in frost inside. We all had a shitty night with minimal sleep. The original plan was for Gilles, Siam, and I to climb the Dhampus Peak and to meet David and the porters at a high camp on the slope below on the other side of the pass. Although the weather seemed perfect, we decided to skip the Dhampus Peak, which later turned out to be a very good decision.

October 28, 2017 Hidden Valley camp 5,050m to Yak Kharka 3,820m via Dhampus Pass 5,380m

We got up early to the freezing temperature of minus 20C. Although it was sunny, the clouds started rolling over the pass early, which was unusual, as they normally do not come up this high until mid afternoon. We started walking to the Dhampus Pass in bright sunshine and it was a short way to the top. Again, I was there first and waited for everyone. The views of the Annapurna side were barely visible at this point as the thick clouds obstructed the panorama. The Thukche Peak next to the pass was visible through rolling clouds. As we descended to the other side, the clouds became thicker and blacker. Great for photos but it soon became apparent that we were walking into a raging tempest at 5,000 m. There was a clear demarcation line between the brown hill we were on and snow-covered slope ahead.

Once we crossed this snow line, the wind picked up, the blowing snow covered the track behind me in seconds. Initially, I walked with Gilles and we soon caught up to David and Siam. The wind was raging; it was a full on blizzard with horizontal snow and cold temperature. We could see nothing around us and the trail behind us got covered by snow very fast. The terrain became steep and the narrow icy path we were on became treacherous. At times, the blowing snow and ice (hail) would pelt my face like a sand blaster. The storm went on for the rest of the day and we walked right through the thick of it. Thank God for my down jacket and good gloves. Otherwise, I would be a frozen popsicle. We had no views except of this whiteout at 5,000 m. We did not want to linger as the snow accumulation would make avalanches possible later on making this route quite dangerous. Had we climbed the Dhampus Peak and separated from the others, it would have been impossible to find them and it would make our descent even more dangerous.

It was a long, tiring and a dangerous day. Gilles assisted some Americans with their descent, as they were completely unprepared, putting him two hours behind us. It turned out later, that it was their first time trekking in Nepal (and possibly the last). Gilles was in his element as he was praying for snow all along. He also found out how incompetent some of the Nepalese guides are since he basically had to guide the Americans down to the camp himself while the American guide ran off ahead of his group.

We arrived in Yak Kharka at 3,850 m after a long and steep descent from the snowy and windy slopes above. Soon after, the storm caught up to us in the camp and continued on with violent gusts of wind and horizontal snow. It was comfortable in the tent and the sleep was much better at this lower altitude than the day before.

October 29, 2017 Yak Kharka – Marfa 2715m

In the early morning the storm subsided and the magnificent panorama revealed itself from behind the swirling clouds. The fresh white snow blanketed the entire region. The sun was coming up from behind the Mesocanto Pass across the Kali Gandaki Valley in front of us. Across the valley, the wind was blowing plumes of fresh snow off the ridges of the magnificent Annapurna Group with the Nilgiri Peaks and the Annapurna itself right across from us. It was special for me to see the Mesocanto Pass from this side and it marked a completion of another installment of the Great Himalayan Trail for me. After a wonderful breakfast outside, we hiked up to a viewpoint at 4,000m for a great panorama extending from Tibet in the north to the Annapurna massif in the south. We could see Mustang, Thorong La, Mesocanto La, Tilicho Peak, Jomsom, and the peaks of Annapurna. We could also see down below, small planes coming to land in Jomsom air strip. After an hour or so, we continued down to Marfa. The descent from Yak Kharka to Marfa was a long 1,000 m of down, down, down. As we were descending, black clouds on the horizon looked ominous and threatening again.

We made it to the hotel just before the downpour started. It rained for a couple of hours. We ate, had a shower, dropped our bags and, after the rain, took a stroll to Marfa. It is a lovely, atmospheric town that managed to maintain its character and charm. It has a large well-maintained gompa (convent) in the middle with only 16 monks in residence. The gompa and the town have a good vibe and a positive feel about them. We came across a small bakery that makes a delicious apple crumble from the local apples. We had two pieces each.

In the evening, we had a party. Gilles bought two bottles of local Marfa brandy (a potent and strong brew). We had a dinner with formal tips ceremony, a make-feel-good speech by our resident good-will ambassador David, hand shaking, much drinking of apple brandy, and male- only dancing to Nepalese music played on a mobile phone. Stuff of my dreams. The Nepalese tunes were playing as loud as the phone would allow and the porters let loose by dancing together (this would never happen in the West where men must maintain their manly dignity in front of others). The levelled bed felt mighty good after many days of camping. It was a good rest and a mid point before I would continue on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek.

The following is the summary of the Dhaulagiri trek:

Start elevation 800m

Italian BC elevation 3600m

Hike in Italian BC 4300m

Basecamp 4600

Hike in BC 5500m

French Pass 5300m

Hidden Valley 5000m

Dhampus Pass 5300m

Elevation gain 6400m and the distance 90 km

Derek Boniecki

October 30, 2017

Dhaulagiri Circuit Photos - Nepal

Derek Boniecki

October 30, 2017

Thanks to Rajendra and his team at the www.mountainsunvalley.com

His awesome team made this trip possible and a great success. Like every other trek in Nepal for the past 10 years that he organized, our satisfaction was 110%.

For annotated photos of the Dhaulagiri Himal see HERE.

Dhaulagiri from space. The French Pass and Hidden Valley are at the top centre of the photo.

Dhaulagiri west side and the valley from the Italian bc

At the very start of the trek. Hot, humid and green :-)

The Dhaulagiri range can be seen in the distance. The main mountain of the range, Dhaulagiri I, is on the right not visible in the photo. Our route was down from here and then into the valley on the right towards the barely visible white peak on the… — The Dhaulagiri range can be seen in the distance. The main mountain of the range, Dhaulagiri I, is on the right not visible in the photo. Our route was down from here and then into the valley on the right towards the barely visible white peak on the right.

An idol placed by the trail for the protection of passers-by

The trail is quite spectacular with huge drop offs.

Living it up! This is called the “British Colonial” style of trekking. With our resident Englishman we would not do it any other way.

The trail is washed out in sections. This “bridge” has to be replaced every year.

Negotiating the glacier with the massive west wall of Dhaulagiri directly above us

En route to the Japanese BC - we had to cross a short but steep glacier. Rock fall is the main issue here.

Of course we got snowed on. It did make the scenery more alpine though. Awesome waterfalls on all sides. The section of the trail between the Italian and Japanese basecamps.

Approaching the main Dhaulagiri glacier. The white ridge in front of us is the west ridge of Dhaulagiri II. The main mountain,Dhaulagiri I, is on the right side. The recent snowfall made the scenery quite spectacular!

Crossing the drainage of the Dhaulagiri Glacier

Japanese BC is located on the glacier and cold. It does not get much sun. The sun sets around 2.30 - 3 pm and it gets progressively colder as the evening approaches. Then off to the cold tent with some hot Nalgene bottles inside the sleeping bag.

Trying to enjoy the fresh air as long as we can before it gets too cold.

Early in the morning we just wanted to start moving to warm up. The valley is very narrow in this spot and the sun does not come until much later in the day.

Looking back from the Dhaulagiri glacier.

Nort-west ridge of Dhaulagiri II. — North-west ridge of Dhaulagiri II.

The spectacular icefall of Dhaulagiri I west face.

Dhaulagiri BC proper. The summit in the clouds is Dhaulagiri II.

The Dhaulagiri BC in front of the Dhaulagiri I icefall.

The panorama of the Eiger and the Dhaulagiri Icefall

Tukche Peak from about 5,500m. Shyam and I hiked up the hill behind the BC during the rest day. At about 5,500m, the going got tough. Without prior acclimatization to the altitude, each step was a major effort until at 5,800m, I just hit the proverb… — Tukche Peak from about 5,500m. Shyam and I hiked up the hill behind the BC during the rest day. At about 5,500m, the going got tough. Without prior acclimatization to the altitude, each step was a major effort until at 5,800m, I just hit the proverbial wall. This was our high point for the day.

Dhaulagiri I and the Dhaulagiri Glacier seen from 5,800m above the basecamp. You can see to where we came from. The Japanese BC is visible at the bottom of the glacier (on the right). These valleys look straight on the map but in reality they twist … — Dhaulagiri I and the Dhaulagiri Glacier seen from 5,800m above the basecamp. You can see to where we came from. The Japanese BC is visible at the bottom of the glacier (on the right). These valleys look straight on the map but in reality they twist and turn.

Our camp is directly below us, some 1,000m down.

The icefall of Dhaulagiri I - the route to camp 1on the normal Dhaulagiri climbing route goes up the icefall - you can see the trail in the photo! Piotr Morawski (a young climber from Poland and a rising star of Polish Himalayan mountaineering, died… — The icefall of Dhaulagiri I - the route to camp 1on the normal Dhaulagiri climbing route goes up the icefall - you can see the trail in the photo! Piotr Morawski (a young climber from Poland and a rising star of Polish Himalayan mountaineering, died somewhere in the middle of the icefall along the visible trail). He fell into a hidden crevasse while descending from Camp 1 to the BC along the trail he travelled on many times in the days prior to his death.

Lower section of Dhaulagiri II and the surrounding glaciers.

The panorama of Dhaulagiri I and the Dhaulagiri Glacier.

Cold morning en route to the French Pass. The Tukche Peak is behind us.

The rocky outcrop below Dhaulagiri is called the Eiger. It is quite high but looks small in front of the giant bulk of Dhaulagiri I.

Approaching the French Pass - we had a spectacular day but windy!

French man on the French Pass with Dhaulagiri I behind.

French Pass at 5,300m - a very windy and desolate place. The memorial to late Polish climber Piotr Morawski is here. He was 33 years old when he died. He was a Polish climber who died on Dhaulagiri by falling into a crevasse below camp 1. Another sa… — French Pass at 5,300m - a very windy and desolate place. The memorial to late Polish climber Piotr Morawski is here. He was 33 years old when he died. He was a Polish climber who died on Dhaulagiri by falling into a crevasse below camp 1. Another sad Himalayan story. The basecamp is full of memorials to young people who died on the mountain.

The elevation of the French Pass. The elevation of the Dhampus Pass is almost the same.

The memorial to Piotr Morawski who perished on Dhaulagiri 1

Hidden Valley - the trail from the French Pass to Hidden Valley. The Dhampus Pass is between the two mountains, in the centre.

Our camp for the Dhampus Pass in Hidden Valley at 5,000m - a barren, windy and a very cold place!

The French Pass can be seen in the distance with a cover of clouds. We had a very cold night here!

Descending into the storm on the Dhampus Pass. They say that the view is quite nice from here. We went into a full-on blizzard with zero visibility and horizontal snow. Someone told us: do not get caught in bad weather on the Dhampus Pass. We did ex… — Descending into the storm on the Dhampus Pass. They say that the view is quite nice from here. We went into a full-on blizzard with zero visibility and horizontal snow. Someone told us: do not get caught in bad weather on the Dhampus Pass. We did exactly that. Thanks to one of the porters we could find our way down.

Descending from the Dhampus Pass into the horizontal snow as on the video below.

Sunrise behind Nilgiri Peak after the storm. We are looking at the Annapurna massif across the deepest valley in the world: Kali Gandaki. Imagine a valley with two 8,000m peaks on both sides (Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri)!

Annapurna 1 massif and the Kali Gandaki valley (the deepest valley in the world). Annapurna I is on the right side obscured by clouds.

Nilgiri South 6,839m in the Annapurna Range - the ABC of Annapurna I is my next objective. It was supposed to be a short hike. I would not come to Nepal just to do it but since I was close by, it made sense to add it on to the Dhaulagiri trek. It tu… — Nilgiri South 6,839m in the Annapurna Range - the ABC of Annapurna I is my next objective. It was supposed to be a short hike. I would not come to Nepal just to do it but since I was close by, it made sense to add it on to the Dhaulagiri trek. It turned out that the trek to the Annapurna BC was longer and harder than I expected (See the Annapurna BC Photos page and Trip Report). We started from the Kali Gahandaki valley which made the trek much longer than the standard route from Pokhara. This also added a lot of elevation gains and losses. During the first two days we climbed 1600m! It turned out that this “add-on” was almost as long as the Dhaulagiri trek.

Mesocanto Pass on the centre right - I crossed this pass as part of the Manaslu/Annpurna trek in 2011 (see the photos and the trip report). The pass is quite steep on the descent. The view from he pass to the Dhaulagiri massif is spectacular. The Ma… — Mesocanto Pass on the centre right - I crossed this pass as part of the Manaslu/Annpurna trek in 2011 (see the photos and the trip report). The pass is quite steep on the descent. The view from he pass to the Dhaulagiri massif is spectacular. The Manaslu/Annapurna trek was 300km long. I did it with Kumar, Kam and Suri. The Dhaulagiri circuit “connected the dots” for me making both treks into one spectacular route of more than 400km through almost half of Nepal’s high Himalaya (See the Mesocanto La Photos and Trip Summary).
As of 2017, my goal continues to be finishing the walk through the High Himalaya of Nepal: Kangchendzonga, Makalu, Everest region, Rowaling, Langtang, Manaslu, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. By 2017, I did most of those treks. I will finish the Tilman Pass trek in 2018. As a Nepali crow would fly, the distance from Kangchendzonga to Dhaulagiri is 600km. The walking distance is closer to 1,500kms.

Almost done! Great company of great friends!

Nilgiri Peak - part of the Annapurna massif

Marfa - one of the nicest small towns in Nepal

Nilgiri Peak from the road between Marfa and Jomsom

East wall of Dhaulagiri - climbed by Voytek Kurtyka and Tomas Humar

The spectacular drive in the Kali Gandaki gorge

Derek Boniecki

August 23, 2017

Peru Central - Huaraz, Cordillera Blanca and Chavin de Hauntar

Derek Boniecki

August 23, 2017

A carving from the archeological site of Chavin de Hauntar

The TransAmerican Highway along the coastal desert of central Peru

A photographer waiting for clients in the main square of Huaraz

Ancient ruins above Huaraz. The ruins are from the Wari Culture - a pre-Inca culture of the coastal Peru.

Cordillera Blanca forma he hills near Huaraz

The ancient Wari culture ruins in the valley of Quillcayhuanca

Our basecamp fro exploration in the valley of Quillcayhuanca

Crossing the Andes not he way to Chavin de Hauntar

The archeological site of the Chavin de Hauntar

Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site in Peru, containing ruins and artifacts constructed as early as 1200 BCE, and occupied until around 400–500 BCE by the Chavín, a major pre-Inca culture. The site is located in the Ancash Region, 250 kilometers (160 mi) north of Lima, at an elevation of 3,180 meters (10,430 ft), east of the Cordillera Blanca at the start of the Conchucos Valley. This archeological site is a large ceremonial center that has revealed a great deal about the Chavín culture. Chavín de Huántar served as a gathering place for people of the region to come together and worship. The transformation of the center into a valley-dominating monument made it a pan-regional place of importance. People went to Chavin de Huantar as a center: to attend and participate in rituals, consult an oracle, or enter a cult.

The ceremonial center of Chavin - the ancients did use hallucinogenic substances and practice cannibalism. When in the XIVth century a monk Fray Antonio Vasquez de Espinoza came to that place, local residents told him that pilgrims from the remotes… — The ceremonial center of Chavin - the ancients did use hallucinogenic substances and practice cannibalism. When in the XIVth century a monk Fray Antonio Vasquez de Espinoza came to that place, local residents told him that pilgrims from the remotest places of Peru used to come to Chavin. As it was noted by the monk, that place was as significant for them as Rome or Jerusalem for Christians. Pilgrims used to perform some ritual actions and made offerings to their gods. And in the period of flourishing of Chavin, offerings would come from such distant places like modern cities of Peru - Trujillo, Cajamarca, Lima, Huanuco, Paracas. And in its turn, the handmade goods from Chavin – ceramics, fabric, golden items – were found hundred kilometers away from it. Chavin was, if one can say like that, in fashion on the vast territory of Peru, where traces of its style in architecture and art were found.

In the III-IVth century B.C. due to some unknown reasons Chavin ceased to be a ceremonial centre (maybe some crisis of ancient religion took place) and in the beginning of our era local peasants started to settle down on top of the previously majestic ruins.

Copy of the stone inscriptions from the Chavin temple compex

The underground caverns of Chavin - the realm of high priests and drug induced ceremonies. Archaeological excavations enabled to restore some details of the life of ancient Chavin. As long as it was a religious centre, sacrificers, naturally, were … — The underground caverns of Chavin - the realm of high priests and drug induced ceremonies. Archaeological excavations enabled to restore some details of the life of ancient Chavin. As long as it was a religious centre, sacrificers, naturally, were its main characters, who used all means of influence on psychic. Sessions of hypnotism where hundreds of people participated were regularly held at the central Square Plaza. Charming dances under the accompaniment of majestic sounds of huge seashells, incomprehensible noise of water from the underground canals, all this served the sacrificers.
Canals, more than 3 km long, were the height of engineer art of the Chavinians, they were laid even under the underground tunnels. Canals served the two purposes: practical – as drainage, overflow system (it was especially important for deep areas) and ritual – for psychologic influence on the audience that did not understand the origin of the powerful sound and conceived it as something supernatural.
While performing the ritual, sacrificers used different hallucinogens. The hieratic plant is cactus San Pedro, the image of which, including in the hand of a sacrificer – is a widespread subject in the Chavin art. Cactus San Pedro contains mescaline – alkaloid that causes optical and acoustic hallucinations. With its help the sacrificers would fall into a trance, transforming into a totem animal – jaguar, condor, snake, cayman, and when believed, it helped the sacrificers to contact the higher powers, learn the mysteries of being and possibly to influence the current of events. This process is described in the Chavin art in detail. During excavations they found small delicate pipes made of birds' bones, which, according to archaeologists, were used to inhale drugs through the nose.

It is interesting but the galleries were not illuminated by anything. Unlike all other underground structures on the planet, here they did not find any traces of torch soot or anything like that. It also might be the means for «brainwashing» during … — It is interesting but the galleries were not illuminated by anything. Unlike all other underground structures on the planet, here they did not find any traces of torch soot or anything like that. It also might be the means for «brainwashing» during the ceremonies. When a drugged newcomer, was blindly taken along the dark underground tunnels under the accompaniment of obscure sounds of running water, meeting with the main deity Lanzon, unexpectedly illuminated by a single ray of light from the top, should act as a lightening bolt. In the tunnels there are small rooms (2x2 m) where the initiation or psychologic preparation of sacrificers to rituals might have taken place.

The feline head on one of the temples in Chavin

There were very unusual stone heads on the outer wall of the complex at the height of 12 m (39.37 feet). Unfortunately only one of them remained at its place, but in the storage you can see more than a dozen of these heads. All of them bear the zoom… — There were very unusual stone heads on the outer wall of the complex at the height of 12 m (39.37 feet). Unfortunately only one of them remained at its place, but in the storage you can see more than a dozen of these heads. All of them bear the zoomorphic features. The one on the wall is a half-man-half-jaguar; there are heads with features of birds, etc. There are also very strange heads – with secretions from nose. It is thought that they depict different stages of transformations after using the drugs: from the phase of nausea, bleeding from the nose that can be the result of sniffing the powder, to complete transformation into a totem animal.

The obelisk of Lanzon. The god for whom the temple was constructed was represented in the Lanzón, a notched wedge-shaped stone over 15 feet tall, carved with the image of a supernatural being, and located deep within the Old Temple, intersecting se… — The obelisk of Lanzon. The god for whom the temple was constructed was represented in the Lanzón, a notched wedge-shaped stone over 15 feet tall, carved with the image of a supernatural being, and located deep within the Old Temple, intersecting several galleries.
Lanzón means “great spear” in Spanish, in reference to the stone’s shape, but a better comparison would be the shape of the digging stick used in traditional highland agriculture. That shape would seem to indicate that the deity’s power was ensuring successful planting and harvest.
The Lanzón depicts a standing figure with large round eyes looking upward. Its mouth is also large, with bared teeth and protruding fangs. The figure’s left hand rests pointing down, while the right is raised upward, encompassing the heavens and the earth. Both hands have long, talon-like fingernails. A carved channel runs from the top of the Lanzón to the figure’s forehead, perhaps to receive liquid offerings poured from one of the intersecting galleries.

Rabbits for sale in the market in Huaraz

Catacombs in the Church of San Francisco

Derek Boniecki

August 16, 2017

Peru South, Sacred Valley - the Land of the Incas, Rainbow Mountain and Lima

Derek Boniecki

August 16, 2017

The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands. Along with the nearby town of Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu, it formed the heart of the Inca Empire. Stretching roughly 60 kilometers, it’s an area of fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages like Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Pisac is known for its Sunday handicraft market and hilltop Incan citadel. Ollantaytambo is an old Inca town preserved in its entirety.

Cusco - the church de la compana de Jesus was built upon the palace of Huayna Cápac, the last Inca to rule an undivided, unconquered empire, the church was built by the Jesuits in 1571 and reconstructed after the 1650 earthquake.

Old Inca wall in Cusco with the famous 12 angled stone

Church de la compana de Jesus in Cusco's main square

The Cusco Cathedral was built 1560 on the lot of Kancha, the palace of Inca Wiracocha. The actual Cathedral was declared built in 1664, more than a century after.

Koricancha, the Golden Temple of the Sun in Cusco. Koricancha’s construction is believed to have been initiated by the first Inca, Manco Capac circa 1200AD. — **Koricancha, the Golden Temple of the Sun** in Cusco. Koricancha’s construction is believed to have been initiated by the first Inca, Manco Capac circa 1200AD.

Koricancha, the Golden Temple of the Sun in Cusco. Koricancha is built with many construction mechanisms used by the Incas, such as the vertical inclination of walls, trapezoidal shape of the structures, irregular shapes and rounded edges. Increased… — **Koricancha, the Golden Temple of the Sun** in Cusco. Koricancha is built with many construction mechanisms used by the Incas, such as the vertical inclination of walls, trapezoidal shape of the structures, irregular shapes and rounded edges. Increased breadth on the bottom coupled with 3 to 5 degree inclination gives the walls stability that has withstood many earthquakes, which are common to the area.

Bull Frogs on offer at the Municipal Market in Cusco

Refreshing beverages at the Cusco market

Inca fortress of Saksaywaman above Cusco

The town of Pisac with the Inca ruins in the hills above town

The Inca citadel of Ollantaytambo. The Ollantaytambo Fortress on the outskirts of the settlement in a section known as the Temple Hill. It was originally built for purposes of worship. The fortress served as the last Inca stronghold against the Span… — The Inca citadel of Ollantaytambo. The Ollantaytambo Fortress on the outskirts of the settlement in a section known as the Temple Hill. It was originally built for purposes of worship. The fortress served as the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish Conquistadors and it was the site of one of the only battles in which the Inca successfully repelled Spanish forces.

The Ollantaytambo Fortress. the Wall of the Six Monoliths, a towering section of wall.

The Ollantaytambo Fortress the Wall of the Six Monoliths.

The view from the summit of Huayna Picchu

The spectacular surroundings of Machu Picchu

Intihuatana - the Hitching Post of the Sun - an Astronomical clock of the Inca or a sacrificial altar?

The Sacred Puma Rock - a stone altar of unknown purpose

The approach valley to the Painted Mountain alt 5000m

A small village near the trail to the Painted Mountain

The trail to Apu Winicunca - The Painted Mountain

Mario Testino's take on the Inca traditional wears

Derek Boniecki

August 4, 2017

Mt. Brazeau and Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada

Derek Boniecki

August 4, 2017

On the Brazeau Glacier, approaching Mt. Brazeau

The view from the summit of Mt. Brazeau 3,470m

Mt. Warren and Mt. Brazeau from Mt. Henry McLeod 3,315m

Mt. Warren and Mt. Henry Macleod from Maligne Lake

Approaching Mt. Warren from the north from the south end of the Maligne Lake

Derek Boniecki

May 1, 2017

China Shanghai Beijing Wuhan

Derek Boniecki

May 1, 2017

Derek Boniecki

January 1, 2017

Papua New Guinea

Derek Boniecki

January 1, 2017

Derek Boniecki

October 10, 2016

China Far West - Kashgar and Shiphton Arch

Derek Boniecki

October 10, 2016

The famous Kashgar Sunday market in 2001

Kashgar Sunday market in 2016. The animal market moved to a new location outside the city. It is more organized but it lost some of its character.

Kashgar Sunday market 2016. Also gone are the pigeon sellers. With the modernization the city, the pigeon raising has disappeared.

One of many eateries serving tea and shashlik

Derek Boniecki

October 2, 2016

China Far West - Pamir and The Tajik Games

Derek Boniecki

October 2, 2016

The map of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). The northern part of the KKH cuts through the Chinese part of the Pamir Mountians

In Tashkurgan I was lucky to see the local festival and the Tajik game of Buzkashi (Persian: بزکشی‎, literally "goat pulling" in Persian) is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat&n… — In Tashkurgan I was lucky to see the local festival and the Tajik game of **Buzkashi** (Persian: بزکشی‎, literally "goat pulling" in Persian) is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. Similar games are known as **kokpar**, **kupkari**, and **ulak tartysh** in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and as **kökbörü** and **gökbörü** in Turkey, where it is played mainly by communities originally from Central Asia.

Buzkashi began among the nomadic Turkic peoples who came from farther north and east spreading westward from China and Mongolia between the 10th and 15th centuries in a centuries-long series of migrations that ended only in the 1930s. — Buzkashi began among the nomadic Turkic peoples who came from farther north and east spreading westward from China and Mongolia between the 10th and 15th centuries in a centuries-long series of migrations that ended only in the 1930s.

The game consists of two main forms: Tudabarai and Qarajai. Tudabarai is considered to be the simpler form of the game. In this version, the goal is simply to grab the goat and move in any direction until clear of the other players. In Qarajai, play… — The game consists of two main forms: Tudabarai and Qarajai. Tudabarai is considered to be the simpler form of the game. In this version, the goal is simply to grab the goat and move in any direction until clear of the other players. In Qarajai, players must carry the carcass around a flag or marker at one end of the field, then throw it into a scoring circle (the "Circle of Justice") at the other end. The riders will carry a whip to fend off opposing horses and riders. When not in use - e.g. because the rider needs both hands to steer the horse and secure the carcass - the whip is typically carried in the teeth.
The calf in a buzkashi game is normally beheaded and disemboweled and has 2 limbs cut off. It is then soaked in cold water for 24 hours before play to toughen it. Occasionally sand is packed into the carcass to give it extra weight. Though a goat is used when no calf is available, a calf is less likely to disintegrate during the game. While players may not strap the calf to their bodies or saddles, it is acceptable - and common practice - to wedge the calf under one leg in order to free up the hands.

In Tajikistan and among the Tajik people of Tashkorgan in China's Xinjiang region, buzkashi games are particularly popular in relation to weddings as the games are sponsored by the father of the bride as part of the festivities. — In Tajikistan and among the Tajik people of Tashkorgan in China's Xinjiang region, buzkashi games are particularly popular in relation to weddings as the games are sponsored by the father of the bride as part of the festivities.

In Tajikistan, buzkashi is played in a variety of ways. The most common iteration is a free-form game, often played in a mountain valley or other natural arena, in which each player competes individually to seize the buz and carry it to a goal. Form… — In Tajikistan, buzkashi is played in a variety of ways. The most common iteration is a free-form game, often played in a mountain valley or other natural arena, in which each player competes individually to seize the buz and carry it to a goal. Forming unofficial teams or alliances does occur, but is discouraged in favor of individual play. Often, dozens of riders will compete against one another simultaneously, making the scrum to retrieve a fallen buz a chaotic affair. Tajik buzkashi games typically consist of many short matches, with a prize being awarded to each player who successfully scores a point.

A Tajik men wearing the traditional hat.

Afgani Lapiz Lazuli. Lapis lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan and exported to the Mediterranean world and South Asia since the Neolithic age, along the ancient trade route between Afghanistan and the Indus Valley, dating to th… — Afgani Lapiz Lazuli. Lapis lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan and exported to the Mediterranean world and South Asia since the Neolithic age, along the ancient trade route between Afghanistan and the Indus Valley, dating to the 7th millennium BCE. Quantities of these beads have also been found at 4th millennium BCE settlements in Northern Mesopotamia, and at the Bronze Age site of Shahr-e Sukhteh in southeast Iran (3rd millennium BCE). A dagger with a lapis handle, a bowl inlaid with lapis, amulets, beads, and inlays representing eyebrows and beards, were found in the Royal Tombs of the Sumerian city-state of Ur from the 3rd Millennium BCE.

Chinese Pamir - the road from Kunjerab Pass to Tashkurgan in 2001

Chinese Pamir - border area with Afghanistan in 2001

The ride from Sost Pakistan to Tashkurgan is organized in the special bus. This was back in 2001.

Kunjerab Pass - China - Pakistan border in 2001

My first trip to Kashgar in 2001. It was a memorable trip - our Pakistani guide used us to smuggle Chinese alcohol to Pakistan for the chief of police of the North West Frontier Province. We were whisked through the Pakistani customs and delivered… — My first trip to Kashgar in 2001. It was a memorable trip - our Pakistani guide used us to smuggle Chinese alcohol to Pakistan for the chief of police of the North West Frontier Province. We were whisked through the Pakistani customs and delivered the goods to the chief shortly thereafter. On the way from China, the entire Pakistani bus was full of contraband. The Pakistani merchants gave a bottle of Chinese whisky to the Pakistani guard that stopped and boarded the bus along the way. The guard drank the entire bottle in 30 minutes, quickly passing out. The bus stopped, the guard was carried out and placed on the side of the road and we moved on.

Kunjerab Pass. To get to China, we had to take a special bus from Sost to Tashkurgan with a stop at the Kunjerab Pass. The Pass had no guards or checks. The Chinese customs were in Tashkurgan and the Pakistani customs were at Sost. The bus trip took… — Kunjerab Pass. To get to China, we had to take a special bus from Sost to Tashkurgan with a stop at the Kunjerab Pass. The Pass had no guards or checks. The Chinese customs were in Tashkurgan and the Pakistani customs were at Sost. The bus trip took all day due to stops etc.

Looking down to Pakistan from Kunjerab Pass

Karakoram Highway from Sost to Kunjerab Pass in 2001.

Derek Boniecki

September 2, 2016

K2 Basecamp North, Shaksgam Valley Trip Summary

Derek Boniecki

September 2, 2016

Kashgar – September 6, 2016

After a long and bumpy flight from Canada to Beijing and a long flight across China, I finally made it to Kashgar at 4pm. I visited Kashgar for the first time in July of 2001 as part of the 6-week trip to Pakistan. The colorful Sunday bazaar left quite an impression on me and I was taken with the sights and sounds of Western China. I wanted to return ever since then.

This time, the city was completely unrecognizable from the time I was here in 2001. The old city with its narrow alleyways was gone. The new section of the rebuilt old city seemed lifeless at first. I wandered around with sadness and disbelief but appreciative that I got to see the old Kashgar back in 2001. I do understand that progress in necessary and that people can’t live in squalor to preserve history. I guess that such rapid and complete change reinforces the awareness of the inevitable passage of time. Old memories of the time that has passed. The old Kashgar lives on in photos and books.

Soon after I arrived, I managed to get a haircut and a shave and had tea in the same old teahouse that Mike, Joe and I kicked back on large beds and had tea back in 2001. I have not done much exploring on my first day since I had a few days in Kashgar. I was really looking forward to exploring it (changes or not) as I missed a few important sights back in 2001.

Kashgar – September 7, 2016

I got up really early due to the time change (I hate dealing with jet lag). I had an interesting Chinese breakfast at 6am and by 7am I took a taxi to an important Afaq Khoja Mausoleum outside the center (5 km away). It is the holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang. The mausoleum was initially built in 1640 as the tomb of Muhhamad Yussuf, a Central Asia Sufi master who had come to this region of China in the early 17th century.

When I got there, the place was still closed so I had to wait for one hour. All places of worship have become museums in the new China. Because of this, these places are devoid of life energy and the spirit they embody. The empty halls had no sign of life or religious activities. The mausoleum had some beautiful architecture inside and outside the old buildings though, and the characteristic glazed green tile work of central Asia reflected the strong sunlight. The main hall was quite impressive with the carved wooden columns propping up the roof.

Next to the main hall, there was a stark Muslim cemetery. It did not take much time to walk around the entire site to see it all. The site was surrounded by tall poplar trees characteristic of Kashgar and this particular region. There were also the new gardens (a new addition, dilapidated even before finished). There was no one there and it was not very interesting.

After visiting the mausoleum, I walked back to the city. It was great to see the locals milling around. The Uyghur people of Xinjiang are very colorful and represent the spirit of Central Asia for me. I walked through the old bazar where the animal market used to be held. It is still a huge bazar with many stalls selling everything under the sun. I made a mental note to go back to the bazar after the trek.

After leaving the market, I ended up in the still occupied remains of the old city that have not yet been demolished. It was a sad almost abandoned and dilapidated ruin that would not be there in a few years. It obviously did not look good to live in but it was fully occupied. A Uighur lady invited me in to one of the houses. It was a dark, windowless, cramped firetrap. I climbed a cramped ladder to the roof for a better view of the surroundings. I can see why the Chinese demolished the old buildings. For starters, it would be impossible for a fire truck or an ambulance to get in. I am sure that the locals prefer the new to the old as well. For the tourists and for the nostalgic sense of history, the old is always better. However it is not a museum but a living city that evolves and develops like the rest of the world. The state of this last remaining part of the old city was so poor, that I think, it was just left to rot and crumble. I remember in 2001 that there were entire areas of old Kashgar that looked like that. Little did I know that the entire scene would not be there in a decade?

I ended up in the new/old town and noticed that the locals have embraced their new houses and just carry on with their daily business as they did before. Kashgar is still full of outside bakeries, meat shops, and sellers of all types, hawkers and barbecues smoking up the streets with the smell of shashliks. The city is extremely atmospheric where the Chinese look like all other foreigners. It is very interesting just to walk around and observe all the goings on.

I made my way back to the hotel to rest and resumed my explorations in the afternoon. I wanted to get to a lesser-known site of interest by taxi. I stopped a taxi on the street and showed the point of interest on the map to the taxi driver. He could not read Chinese, English or even the map for that matter. He drove me in the opposite direction and suddenly stopped in the middle of the road totally confused and refused to go any further. I left his taxi equally confused.

I flagged another taxi and the same happened. The driver could not read the map in Chinese or Uighur. Finally some passerby explained the directions to him and he took me. He took me part way to the giant Mao monument and I had to walk from there. The lesser sites were just that, lesser, and not worth the effort at the end. Very little if anything remains of the original old Kashgar from the books of Shipton.

Again, I hiked back to the hotel across the town enjoying the new/old city, eating watermelons and shashliks along the way. It was very enjoyable to just wander around, getting lost in a foreign place and just explore. A true joy of traveling. The local bread is to die for. When it comes from the hot outdoor oven it is extremely tasty and crisp. It is cheap and filling. The bread is shaped like a large pizza pie and sometimes it is sprinkled with various spices for taste. Another staple of the street food are the mutton skewers with onions. Absolutely delicious. The melons, grapes, apricots – all sweet, fresh and locally grown. Also there are many varieties if nuts and sweets. All very good. One could spend a week just eating various foods from morning to night. In the evening, most of the central streets become outdoor restaurants. The smell of barbecues and the ambiance of the crowds make the food taste better too.

On the way, I went to the grand mosque in the main square. The ticket price was 45 RMB! Wow! And really, there was nothing inside. It is good though that the Chinese have not alter the mosque.

September 8 and 9, 2016 Kashgar

Today the rest of the group arrived in Kashgar. David, Janik and Walid came from Bishkek. In the morning we did the city tour as a group. We basically retraced all the steps I did on my own the day before. We tried some good local ice cream (having Waheed, our guide, with us opened some new possibilities) and went for lunch to a good local restaurant. After lunch we went to see the famous Shipton Arch. It was a very nice drive through the outskirts of Kashgar and into the desert north of the city. The Arch is the tallest natural rock arch in the world and it is located 70 km outside the city in a very remote and desolate surroundings. The Arch is 460m tall (the same height as the Empire State Building). The Arch was made famous in 1947 by Eric Shipton during his tenure as the British consul in Kashgar. He described it in the book ”Mountains of Tartary”. The parking was at an elevation of 2,400m.

We followed a dry riverbed for some distance to a narrow canyon that was very narrow in places (we had to squeeze through it sideways). The Chinese installed metal stairs in the steepest and the narrowest sections. Finally after 45 minutes or so, the riverbed turned to the left and the Arch came into view. We had to climb up the stairs to a grassy saddle to get to the best viewpoint. The Chinese did a very good job with the trail I must say. The Arch was much bigger than it looked on the photos that I saw in the National Geographic some years ago. It was not possible to climb to the top of the arch without ropes, as the walls are vertical in places. The Arch is orientated in the north south direction making the light for photography challenging. Walid tried to climb the Arch with his sandals putting himself in a pretty precarious place as we all watched in amazement. After admiring the Arch for a while and taking some photos, we retraced our steps and drove back to Kashgar in the dusk.

On the 10th we were supposed to go to the Karakul Lake but after driving for 1.5 hours, we arrived at the road blockade and learned that the road ahead was washed away and it was closed for repairs for a few hours each day. Since the wait for the reopening of the road would have been a few hours, we decided to drive back to Kashgar. On the way, we stopped at the mausoleum of Al Kashgari a Uyghur scholar from the 12th century who translated the Koran into Turkic language of Central Asia. The hill behind the mausoleum provided us with some hiking and great views of multi colored canyons around the site. All in all, a good little hike.

After arriving in Kashgar, we went for a walk in the new/old city and came across an animal market located just in front of the ruined old original city I visited a few days before. The old city provided a great backdrop for the animal market. The dark clouds, the setting sun and the evening light made for some great photos. It reminded me of the last time that we were here in 2001.

Tomorrow we depart for the K2 trek!

September 11, 2016 Kashgar – Karglik

Before we departed for our K2 trek, we visited the Kashgar animal market. The market was held outside the city in a less picturesque venue than in 2001. It was also removed from the main bazar providing for less people and ambiance. There were no horses and no horse riders testing the horses before purchase. We also did not see any pigeon salesmen. The spirit of the old market though, as I remember it, still lives on. The place was packed with animal traders. On the periphery of the main market area there were numerous food stalls serving traditional Uyghur foods including hand-made pasta. It was fun watching the cooks swing large ropes of the raw pasta in the air. The watermelon salesmen were scattered around the entire market serving delicious sweet Kashgari melons. The mountain of rinds was usually an indication of how sweet and good their melons were. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience with many photo opportunities. I love this part of the world for its people and their delicious foods.

After visiting the animal market, we had an uneventful 4-hour drive from Kashgar to Karglik on the Kashgar – Lhasa Highway. We could see the mountains in the heat haze in the distance for the first time (not Karakorum, perhaps part of the Pamirs).

Karglik was much more militarized than Kashgar, apparently because it is close to the China Pak border. We walked around town that was just a massive open-air super busy bazaar as the next day there was a Muslim holiday and everyone was out shopping. The main square area had a great old mosque with prayers in progress as we entered. The square and the area around the mosque were jammed packed with people shopping for foods, sweets in particular. The place was hopping.

We stayed at a sleazy hotel with a karaoke bar. In my room, I had an assortment of disposable underwear, condoms, lubes and all paraphernalia for a good time.

September 13, 2016 Karglik – Ilik

Today at 9am we left Karglik for Ilik that is around 300 km away. The drive started in the rain and a thick layer of clouds covered the mountains we drove through. We were divided into 3 jeeps. At first, the drive was through the flat desert-like outskirts of Karglik. After 70 km or so, it became quite dramatic and we started to climb up a steep series of switchbacks to a 4,000m pass with great views over dramatic rocky crags. We were following a massive Chinese military convoy consisting of at least 100 trucks. I admired their truck and how rugged they were to handle such challenging roads.

The scenery could rival the Karakorum Highway (KKH) in Pakistan in its drama and grandeur. From the high pass we descended into the Kun Lun Mountains through a series of serpentine switchbacks. The further we drove, the better the scenery became. We drove through deep and steep canyons, steep mountains with extremely rugged peaks, dry and inaccessible. In some places, the scenery was even more dramatic than the KKH except it did not have the Indus River raging below us.

As we drove further south, the scenery became even more dramatic. At a rundown truck stop called Mazar we left the main Xinjiang – Tibet Highway and turned south towards the Karakorum mountain range. We drove in a deep canyon of the Yarkand River surrounded by steep and massive mountains of the Karakorum Range. After the last military checkpoint, we arrived in Ilik village.

We settled into the house of the village Imam Daniel. We all slept in a large room on a sea of carpets. After a good dinner and a beer, we were off to bed at 8 pm. I felt like I was on a high school trip sharing a big communal room with my trek mates.

September 14, 2016 walk from Ilik to Susukoshulush Alt 3,750, 20 Km, 35C, 22,470 steps

We got up early and David and I went for a great walk up the Yarkand River valley. The rising morning sun provided us with great light for photos. The area felt wild and remote. It was a great feeling that we were finally on the doorstep of the Karakorum.

After the walk, we watched the camel men arrive and assemble the loads for the camels. We had 10 camels (including a baby camel in training), a dog and couple of donkeys. The camels were handled by 3 men who took care of them. The men were:

Ushukar or Ushur who was 60 years old and as agile as a cat, he had been a camel man since K2 was first opened to foreign expeditions by the Chinese in the late 70s early 80s,

Amed – 31 years old,

Idris – 19 years old.

The name of the head camel was Karbugra. The head camel is important as he sets the tone for the entire caravan. As the head camel goes, the other camels follow.

The name Karakorum means Great Rock in the Turkic language (Kara means great and Korum means rock).

Our chef was a Kirgiz man and his name was Abdul Karim. Our guide, Waheed, was the owner of the agency that organized this trip and he was a Uyghur from Kashgar. The name of the agency was Silk Road Expeditions. David and I used their services just a few months prior on a trip through the Taklamakan Desert.

The camel caravan was a unique part of this trek. Such mode of transport is not found in the Pakistani Karakorum or in Nepal. I like these graceful animals and walking along the caravan made us feel like true explorers. I was looking forward to taking great photos of the caravan along the way. The caravan of camels in the rugged surroundings of the Karakorum Mountains made for a fine combination.

The great walk of today started at 9 am. We walked up a broad valley with dramatic scenery of the river below. We could see glaciated peaks not too far away.

The sandstone cliffs above the river were at least 50m high. The weather was very nice: scattered clouds, blue sky and a lot of hot sun. Everyone in the group was gelling very nicely. We all walked at our own speed.

We arrived at a good campsite located at the bottom of a dry river channel. The sandstone cliffs towered at least 50m above the campsite. These cliffs are an interesting feature of the dry landscape of the north side of the Karakoram and are not found on the Pakistani side.

I was quite tired at the end of the day too. It was hot and being the first day, I did not feel quite acclimatized yet to handle all day of walking at 3,700m. I had a little headache all night but it disappeared in the morning. Fiume, a Chinese lady from Vancouver, fell flat on her face at the end of the day, dead tired.

September 15, 2016 walk from Susukoshulush to Aghil Pass camp at 4,250m 14 Km, 18,680 steps

The day started with crossing of numerous small streams and rivers. For the first 2 hours we continuously crossed water: sit, change boots to crocks, back to boots and repeat. At some point I just gave up the boots and walked in the crocks. The trail ascended a river valley up to a narrowing in a deep canyon. Then, the trail took a sharp turn to the right and climbed up a tributary stream coming down from another narrow valley. Rugged mountains surrounded us and the dark rain clouds on the horizon indicated that it could start raining at any time. The weather was unsettled and it did snow later that night.

The walk seemed longer than it really was. Eugenie had a mental breakdown in the camp and Fuime was totally done (maybe from altitude issues). She actually arrived at least two hours behind everyone else. She was sent down with one of the camel boys back to Ilik the following day. Although the terrain was relatively flat, it was very rugged. Combined with the heat and dust, the effort was just too much for Fuime.

Once we arrived at the camp, I went for a little acclimatization climb. The hill turned into vertical red rocks quite fast so I could only go up a few hundred meters. The view from the highest point was great never the less. The stormy sky provided great ambiance for photos. From the high point I watched Waheed and Fuime arrive in the camp late and very slowly.

The night was quite cold and it rained and then snowed. The rain clouds descended all the way to the bottom of the valley and it did not look good for the pass crossing. The tent was covered in frost inside and it was totally wet. Since we were sheltered from the sun by high mountains, nothing dried in the morning.

September 15, 2016 Aghil Pass camp – Aghil Pass – Shagskam River camp 1 3,940m, 30km, 39,000 steps. Cold and windy on the pass.

We got up at 6 am (before sunrise). Due to the altitude I woke up a few times during the night. It was difficult to sleep at 4,250m since I was not yet fully acclimatized. From our camp, it took 2.5 hours to get to the Aghil Pass at 4,750m. The pass is quite broad and open but vey windy. It is flanked by mountains with hanging glaciers on both sides. It felt really special to be there given the history of exploration associated with it. The view from the pass was excellent to the north Gasherbrum Glacier and peaks that I mistakenly thought were the Gasherbrum.

The famous Shakskam Valley was down below and I was happy to be finally here. The scenery was very grand but different from the Pakistani side. Although we were not on glaciers, the dry river valley flanked by needle like mountains was very dramatic. The descent from the pass to the Shakskam River was very, very long. By the time we descended to the river itself through a weakness in the sandstone cliff, it was late afternoon. We crossed the Shakskam River on camels for the first time, the experience that I found to be quite unnerving.

The camels were attached to one another forming a long train with the camel man riding a donkey in front, pulling the head camel by a spike in the camel’s nose. We all sat on top of loaded camels on unstable bundles of bags tied to each of the camels by ropes. Once the camels started to move, the entire pyramid of stuff with us on top swayed back and forth and sideways and shook, making it feel very unstable. We arrived at the sandy camp quite tired and late. It was a very long day.

September 16, 2016 Shakskam River camp 1 to Shakskam River camp 2 plus hike to K2 viewpoint. 40,000 steps 3,950m.

In the morning we were told that today we would have many camel assisted river crossings. Somehow, the camels went ahead. I separated form the group and crossed the Shakskam River myself following the camel train. During the day I crossed many channels but only once I felt uncomfortable with the murky cold water of the Shakskam River. The experience of crossing many rivers in the Arctic came in handy today. I actually found the experience of crossing the river fun, as I had to look for the best place to cross, like a puzzle.

Once I got to the other side of the main Shakskam River channel and caught up with the camel train, I realized that there was one more main channel to cross and it looked too deep for my comfort. I hopped on the camel and before I knew it, I was on the other side. Once I dismounted, I saw our group in the distance in great agitation running up and down by the riverbank. Obviously someone fell in the river. I alerted the cook who had a minimal understanding of English to ask the camel men to go and help. They however, had prayers to take care of first. They dropped to the ground in the middle of the stone covered valley of the Shakskam and started their prostrations to Allah. After 15 minutes or so, they went back to retrieve the group from the other side of the river.

As the camels with the group members made their way across the main channel, I watched as David fell of his camel backwards and landed in the river on top of his backpack. Then Mike almost fell off too, hanging by his fingernails. He looked very precarious and he was barely hanging on. It turned out that Eugene fell in the river while trying to cross it and was swept away. Walid and Gilles jumped in and helped her out of the water. After the adventure, it was another hour to the camp.

As we were approaching the camp, I saw a trail snaking up a hillside in the distance. After arriving in the camp at 15:30, I asked Walid if he wanted to go up and see what was up there. On the map it looked like we could get to the top of one of the mountains flanking the river valley. We climbed up to a series of ridges that formed a pass between the Shakskam River Valley and the Muztagh River Valley where the Chinese BC was. From the top of that pass, we got our first incredible view of K2. It looked impossibly steep and high. It was partially covered in swirling clouds. We could also see the entire area around the Chinese BC, the surrounding mountains and up the Sarpo Lago Valley. A grand panorama in a great late afternoon light. As it was getting late and quite windy, we turned around and made our way back to the camp. It was a fine hike.

Along the way I found a skull and horns of a Himalayan Blue Sheep. I took it, although it was quite heavy, to give to Gilles. He was not too keen on taking it, but Walid wanted it. He put it in his duffel bag only to later drop it from fear of an airport search.

September 17, 2016 Shakskam River Valley2 to Shipton Camp (Chinese BC) 20 km, 3,850m

We started in brilliant sunshine and beautiful weather. It was supposed to take only 3 hours to the Chinese BC but it actually took us 7-8 hours with a river crossing at the very end. The last few hours were on the flat never-ending stone plane. It was quite tiring and boring, like walking across a massive gravel pit.

We had to cross the Shakskam River a few more times. Once we rounded a corner, the beautiful pyramid of K2 appeared again in the distance. As before, K2 was towering over the entire range and the glacier below. After we turned from the main Shakskam Valley, the Muztagh River stretched before us on the large gravel plain. Three large valleys feed the Muztagh River Valley: the K2 Glacier Valley, the Sarpo Lago Glacier Valley and the Crevasse Glacier Valley. The Sarpo Lago Glacier is very long and terminates at the Trango Pass in Pakistan (the very pass used by Shipton to enter this region from British India). The Crevasse Glacier leads ultimately to Shimshal Pass, also in Pakistan. The K2 Glacier is the one we were supposed to explore. The rivers draining each of the massive glaciers are large. The Sarpo Lago Glacier and the Crevasse Glacier flow from large ice fields at their upper ends. This is the wildest and the most rugged high mountain area in the world. The best area in the world for trekking, climbing and exploration. It remains the least explored mountain range in Asia.

After today's walk, I was quite exhausted. The walk was much longer than expected and the heat that was beating us down added to the tiredness. The river draining the K2 Glacier was the last obstacle before we reached the camp. It was fast moving and turbulent but not too wide or deep. One of the camel men was waiting for us at the river with a donkey and a camel. Mike crossed on the donkey without a problem. When I got on the donkey, my long legs basically dragged under the donkey in the water, hitting the boulders in the river. It was quite amusing to everyone. I probably could stand up straight over the donkey and the small donkey could just walk under me. I should have just walked across the river with my boots on and the result would have been the same.

Once we crossed the river, it was another mile or so to the camp proper. We were getting increasingly impatient to arrive at the camp as we run out of energy. We walked by the memorials dedicated to climbers who died on the K2’s north face: Chinese, Japanese and Russian.

Finally we reached the camp that was situated in a large oasis full of small bushes with lush green grass and a clear stream flowing through it. The Sarpo Lago Valley and the Crevasse Glacier were visible from our camp. Shipton and Tillman used the same camp during their exploration of this region in 1937. It was a beautiful spot with green grass and wonderful views all around.

September 18, 19, 20, 21, 2016 K2 Glacier 25 km each way 4,700m

We started the walk to the K2 glacier after lunch and walked to the Pakistani BC at 4,000m over a large hill right behind the camp. We walked in beautiful weather. As we reached the top of the hill, the view to the K2 glacier and K2 at the end of it, opened up. The black snout of the K2 Glacier with the K2 River emerging from under the glacier was right below us. The descent to the Pakistani BC was down a steep moraine on a very narrow path with a 100m vertical drop to the rocks below. It took us 3 hours to get there. At the Pakistani BC a German group set up their kitchen tent that we borrowed to eat dinner and breakfast the next day. In the evening we had a fabulous view of the sunset on the K2 pyramid. The night was clear and cold.

The following day, Mike and Eugene decided to return to the Chinese BC and after they left, we continued on to the Italian BC. At first, we had to cross a field of very large wobbly boulders, then up a rotten moraine that partially collapsed in a recent landslide. We finally reached the Italian BC after 3 hours of uphill walking. The Italian BC is situated at 4,350m. The view from this spot was magnificent. K2 was visible from the bottom to the top towering over the K2 glacier directly in front of us. We pitched our tents on an elevated platform above the glacier and facing K2. After lunch we went for a two-hour walk further up the valley to scope up the way for the following day. The passage forward looked shaky, the moraine was steep and partially covered by recent landslides. The glacier was quite broken up. Gilles and Walid went ahead and scoped up a route for the following day of exploring.

The next day we left at 9am and started walking up the narrow valley beside the K2 glacier. The terrain was quite challenging, as we had to negotiate numerous landslides with the broken black K2 glacier to our left. The towers of ice above us were 20-30 m high and were becoming more and more jumbled the further we went. After 3 hours we finally reached a moraine and the side glacier that blocked any further passage.

On the right hand side there was a large hanging glacier descending steeply over a rock cliff ultimately connecting to the K2 Glacier. This side glacier consisted of huge jumbled crevices that were impassible. In front of us, the K2 Glacier was heavily broken up and was joined by other large glaciers in the distance flowing down from the Chongtar Amphitheatre. The peak of Chongtar II South, 7,180m and Chongtar I, 7,315m was right in front of us. We were now 155km from the starting point of our trek and 7 to 10 km from the base of K2. Yet, the mountain was huge and seemed to rise vertically in front of us. As Tillman said: “attracting with its grandeur and repelling with isolation”. We spent a good hour with Walid admiring the views.

After some time, the rest of our group appeared in the distance: Gilles, David, Janik and Waheed were sitting 800m away and not moving any further. Finally, Walid and I decided to go down and meet with them. Once we got to them after 25 minutes of walking, they were quite upset that we run ahead of them. We offered to take them back to the viewpoint where we were a short while before. It was a good thing that we went back as the lower afternoon light was much better for photos. We lingered there until 4.30pm and then went back to our camp at the Italian BC.

On the way back to the tent I saw a good photo op that required me to descent a steep moraine to a pool of water reflecting the pyramid of K2. Once I got down, it was impossible to get back up and I had to continue down in a narrow water filled gully squeezed between the steep moraine and the glacier itself. I got back to the tent just before it got dark, wet and quite tired. Waheed and Janik got stuck in the dark without headlamps and we had to guide them with lights and shouting indicating the location of the camp in total darkness.

The following day, we almost run out of gas for cooking before we started our descent back to the Chinese BC. All in all, we had great 4 days of exploring and definitely it was the highlight of the entire trek. After all, this is why we came here: to see the K2 and the K2 Glacier. We were very lucky with a spell of such fine weather and awesome views of K2. I was not so lucky in Pakistan in 2001 when the entire mountain was covered in clouds. When I was at the K2 BC on the Pakistani side, it rained.

As we were descending down to the Pakistani BC, the K2 was hidden behind a thick cloud cover. It looked like it was snowing further up the K2 Glacier where we came from.

The forecasts that Dreena sent me via the sat were quite accurate. I really wished that I had more time to explore this fantastic region and I felt rushed to had to go down so soon.

Once we arrived back at the Chinese BC we were quite tired. We had 9 days of nonstop walking over the distance of 200+ km. I took the afternoon to wash up and wash some of my clothes as well.

September 22, 2016 Rest Day – Hike to Sarpo Lago Valley

Today was a rest day for some but I decided to go and check out the Sarpo Lago Valley that we saw in the distance. This basin is such a great area to walk around and explore. The entire area is huge and it would take a couple of weeks to properly see it. The entrance to the valley looked near but once I started to walk, it did not seem to get any closer for a long time. I walked for 8km by myself to see if I could get to the snout of the Sarpo Lago Glacier but I clearly underestimated the distances. I could see the Crevasse Glacier across the Muztagh River and a sea of massive peaks lining its sides. It all beaconed to me and I wished so much that I had more time to go there. Later I asked Waheed about a possibility to do an exploratory trek there and he told me that the Chinese would not issue a permit for it.

I was surrounded by distant storms that provided excellent backdrop for some dramatic photos. One of the mountains had a dark cloud forming on its summit that made it look like a steaming volcano. I enjoyed the walk very much, the silence, the solitude and sense of exploration. There were no people around us for at least 100km radius. It was a true mountain wilderness. I returned to the camp at 6pm just in time for dinner.

September 23, 2016 Chinese BC to Shakskam River camp 2. 17.8 km, 28,000 steps

Today felt like a long day mainly because I was getting tired. We were now approaching 200km mark (with my extra 20km walk the day before). The morning weather was brilliant allowing us to get the last view of K2 in the morning sun and blue sky. From the distance, K2 looks much higher and steeper. It is like a giant tooth, steep, almost vertical.

At lunch David and I caught up with the group and Walid was missing. We shouted and looked for him and got quite worried. Waheed, the guide, went looking for him and while he was gone, we spotted Walid far away with binoculars. Mike got really angry, as it was not the first time that Walid just took off without telling anyone.

As I am writing this at the dinner table at the camp, the two Ws are not here yet and are at least 1.5 hours behind. We had to cross many rivers today and ride the camels that were wobbly and unstable. The camel men would not wait for no one and we basically had to follow them leaving Waheed to look for Walid. During one of the river crossings, I fell of a camel and jumped back just in time avoiding a wipe out. The second time, the old camel man plopped me on the most unstable load in the caravan. I ended up sitting on a blue plastic crate that was tied to the mountain of bags 15 feet off the ground. Just when we reached the edge of the Shakskam River, the crate rolled throwing me off and again I jumped off just in time. Had it been a few seconds later, I would have ended up in a fast flowing river. I was officially done with the camel riding.

When the camel begins to cross the river, it steps down from the bank into the river channel. The bank is 1 - 2 feet high. The camel moves down and forward stepping off the bank, making the cargo shift forward as well. One has to hold on for dear life in order not to fall forward. When the camel exists the river the motion is repeated in reverse and the movement is backward. One has to hold on very tight not to slide off the camel. The entire process is like riding a rodeo horse in slow motion but sitting on a mountain of unstable cargo and surrounded by a fast flowing river.

When Waheed finally found Walid, they realized that they were left without a donkey or a camel for river crossings. It was now late afternoon and the river’s volume increased. Walid’s legs are quite long but poor Waheed is like a blue expedition barrel: round and maybe 5 feet tall with short legs. Any river crossing without a camel would be quite a challenge for him. When the river was swollen, it was almost impossible. It took the two Ws a few hours to find shallower channels to cross without the aid of the animals. Walid arrived first and was pretty shaken up. He damaged his phone by getting it all wet in the deep river. He did apologize to everyone though and all was forgiven rather quickly. Mostly, we were just happy that no one was hurt.

After the arrival and reconciliation, we were watching one of the determined camels escape his captivity and run down the valley almost the entire distance covered by us today. We were rooting for the camel and cheering him to run all the way to Pakistan where he would be free and could roam the valleys. Unfortunately for him (but good for us) he was captured and brought back were a lesson of submission was waiting for him from the head camel man. It was established who was in charge. The camels are quite feisty and have big personalities: aloof and proud but stubborn. Every one of them is different.

September 24, 2016 Shakskam River camp 2 to Shakskam River camp 1

After making up and group hugs (mainly spearheaded by our acting morale officer Gilles), we were all friends again. We had many river crossings again but I was dead set against getting back on one of the camels. I decided to cross the river on my own and David followed me. He was done with camel riding as well. At one point we got to a spot that seemed impossible to cross. The main channel of the river was fast and deep. I managed to get across but poor David lost his footing and I had to catch him before he floated away. We were quite fashionable walking down the Shakskam Valley in nothing but our underwear.

After a long day and many river crossings, we made it out of the Shakskam Valley to a new campsite overlooking the massive jagged peaks across the river. Right next to our campsite, there was an entire hill made from red and gold sandstone. It was a great contrast to the white snow higher up making for some great photos.

September 25, 2016 Shakskam Valley camp – Aghil Pass – Aghil Pass camp

The walk up the Aghil Pass was tiring and long. At the top of the pass I decided to wait for the camel train to take photos with the views of the camels and the mountains behind. The wind was blowing like hell and it was bitterly cold. I parked myself behind a rock wall and enjoyed the magnificent view from the pass sheltered from the fierce wind. I waited for at least 40 minutes in this bitter wind and froze my ass off. When the caravan arrived, I saw Janik and Brigitte riding the camels. I was wandering how could they stay warm sitting atop a camel in this wind?

The pass, although wide, is surrounded by steep mountains and hanging glaciers. Just across the crest of the pass, there is a small lake that was mentioned in the Shipton’s book. The plateau around the Aghil Pass is very scenic. The descent seemed longer and I walked most of the distance by myself. I was surrounded by such grand scenery on all sides. It was sad to leave this place behind.

September 26, 2016 Walk down to River camp 1

Today we started yet again in beautiful weather. We left the Aghil Pass and the valley behind. We stopped at a Kirgiz herder’s hut and purchased a young sheep to cook later in the evening. It was quite expensive ($100 US). The two Kirgiz girls manning the camp stay there for 8 days until a replacement comes up from the village. They live in a very basic stone hut with minimal provisions. We had tea and watched the camel man kill the young sheep in a fast and efficient manner.

Later that evening we had a great fire with skewers of mutton from the sheep. The meat was excellent. We ate under the sky filled with magnificent stars and the Milky Way stretching across the firmament. The trek was almost done as the following day we would reach the road and meet our ride back to Kashgar.

This side of the Karakorum is very different from the Pakistani side: it is lower in elevation (4000m as opposed to 5000m); it is warmer and much drier. It is nice not to sleep on ice and glaciers.

September 27, 2016, finish and drive to Karglik

We walked for an hour to reach the waiting jeeps. We had a beautiful drive over the Kun Lun Mountains with fantastic views in great weather again. The drive through the mountains rivals the Karakoram Highway on the Pakistan side. It is almost better as there is no danger from terrorism. I remember when Ghulam (our guide in Pakistan) hired a driver to take us from Islamabad to Skardu. The driver looked like Osama Bin Laden and was hired for our protection. Ghulam reasoned that if any thug or a terrorist would see him driving, we would pass safely without being stopped. This was all that Ghulam could do at the time.

On the way to Karglik we stopped at a 5,000m pass for some spectacular photos over the Kun Lun range. The road we were traveling winds down the mountains like a giant serpent. The drive to Karglik took 9 hours over the distance of almost 300km.

The following day, we drove from Karglik to Kashgar via Yarkand. Yarkand is a famous Silk Road town that we wanted to see since we were driving by it anyway.

In Yarkand, we drove to the historical center and walked around the old town. It was worth seeing due to its historical significance. We walked by the Royal Tombs, the main Mosque and through the old alleys. After the short visit we left for a rather boring drive back to Kashgar through flat desert. Kashgar was 550 km from Ilik.

In Kashgar we took care of some last minute shopping and then everyone left to his or her respective destinations. I had another short excursion planned: Pamir and Tashkurgan. When we visited this area in 2001, I felt like we did not spend enough time along the Chinese stretch of the Karakoram Highway. Since I was already in Kashgar, I wanted to revisit it.

Summary of the trek:

278 km total distance walked plus 20to Sarpo Lago Valley and 5 to K2 view point = 300km

20 km a day on average

8,000m total ascent and descent

Temperature range from plus 38C to minus 8C

4,900 maximum altitude

40 river crossings

K2 Glacier is 43 Km long

Derek Boniecki

September 1, 2016

Chinese K2 (BC North), Shaksgam Valley - Chinese Karakoram

Derek Boniecki

September 1, 2016

Incredible Western China - Xinjiang home of the Karakoram Mountains and the mighty K2 — The incredible Western China - Xinjiang home of the Karakoram Mountains and the mighty K2

Xinjiang and on the horizon the Tien Shan Mountains of Kirgistsan

Beautiful mountains near Urumchi. Bogda Peak or Bogda Feng is the highest mountain in the Bogda Shan range, in the eastern Tian Shan mountains, China, at 5,445 m and the northernmost 5,000 m or higher peak in Eurasia.

For information regarding the Aghil Pass see here

Kunlun Mountains and the "Kashgar - Tibet" Highway

The road from Mazar to Ilik though north Karakoram Mountains

Start of our trek - the north Karakoram mountains

The awesome deep gorges of Northern Karakoram

The camel caravan in the river bed of North Karakoram mountains

The gorges of the north Karakoram - near Aghil Pass

The view from the top of Aghil Pass towards the Shagskam River Valley and the main Karakoram Range

Our caravan in the Shakskam River valley

Crossing one of the main channels of the Shagskam River

In the summer, the entire valley is filled with water

The view of the Shagskam River Valley that we followed to get to K2

View of the Chinese Base Camp - the last non glacier camp before K2 glacier

Looking west down the Shagskam River valley - the area is closed to trekking by the Chinese army

The confluence of the Shagskam and the Sarpo Lago RIvers

K2 Glacier and Italian BC, K2 in the distance

A side glacier flowing into the K2 Glacier

Skyang Kangri 7545m at the end of the side glacier flowing to the main K2 North Glacier

Unnamed peaks 7174m and 7152m. On the right, Peak 6639m

The memorial to disappeared climbers of K2 north

At the memorial to the climbers who died on K2’s North Face

Looking down the Sarpo Lago River valley

The lower section of The Crown is visible on the right

We stopped for tea at a local herder’s hut

Derek Boniecki

August 11, 2016

North Peru Chachapoyas Trip Report

Derek Boniecki

August 11, 2016

August 2/3, 2016 Lima/Callao Peru

We arrived in the port of Callao on a cold and gloomy morning by ship from New York. The sky was overcast and the misty low clouds shrouded the coastal mountains with fog. The port of Callao is far from the city center by bus or taxi. It is thankfully close to the airport and that’s where I was heading. At the airport I met Keith and his girlfriend Kathy, my companions for this part of the journey to Northern Peru. Our plan was to explore the lesser know archeological sites near the city of Chachapoyas.

The city of Chachapoyas is named after an ancient culture of the Chachapoyans that inhabited this region of the Andes. Little is known about them and what is known comes from the accounts of the Spaniards who made the first contact with the Chachapoyans during their conquest of the Inca Empire. The region contains many undiscovered archeological sites that are less known than those around Cusco but not less fascinating or interesting. The region is also not as developed and the tourist infrastructure is in its infancy. English is not spoken and some knowledge of Spanish is necessary.

The city of Chachapoyas is located 450km inland from the Pacific northern coast of Peru. To get to it, one needs to travel by bus through the Andes. There is no airport or railway line so the bus is the only way to go.

After an uneventful flight from Lima to Chicklayo, the starting point for our bus journey, we landed at the half civilian and half military airport. There were many military jets housed under concrete canopies to protect from the ever-present dust and the hot sun.

We were met by a friendly driver who was waiting for us on the instructions from Ernesto, the agency owner from Chachapoyas who was organizing this trip for us.

The driver took us to the bus terminal (a small one for one bus company only). We checked in for our journey to Chachapoyas, left our bags and went for dinner in the center of town. Our first impression of Chiclayo was that is was not a tourist town although the nearby Llayanbeque is where the famous museum of Sipan and Moche Cultures is located. We would explore it on our way back from Chachapoyas.

We walked around Chicklayo in the diminishing daylight. The town was busy with the evening rush hour traffic. The main square had a beautiful municipal palace and a colonial church, which were nicely restored. It was a typical South American Plaza de Armas: old men sitting around, ladies walking arm in arm for an evening stroll, homeless dogs waiting for scraps and vultures circling overhead. As it was getting dark we headed to the recommended restaurant for dinner. We had a good local food as recommended by the driver.

We got back to the bus station at 9pm for the overnight bus to Chachapoyas, located 450km inland and 10 hours away. The bus was surprisingly very good. We sat in the lower deck in the executive class with reclining seats. It was clean and comfortable and after the obligatory loud movie and food we dosed off until we almost reached our destination.

August 3, 2016 Chachapoyas and Kuelap

We arrived in Chachapoyas quite tired after the overnight bus journey. At the bus station we were met by Ernesto and his driver. He took us to the hotel “Villa de Paris” where we checked in and left our bags. The hotel was a beautiful property consisting of a few small buildings with rooms. Flowers and green trees surrounded the property. We had two hours to unpack and rest before we would start our explorations.

After two hours Ernesto collected us to go to the ancient fortress of Kuelap. The fortress is located at an altitude of 3,000m on top of a ridge. In the Peruvian Andes, high ridges and mountaintops are the usual location of ancient ruins. It is often the location of the ruins that makes them so special. Kuelap was no different. The mountain road leading to the citadel of Kuelap snaked along a valley with steep mountains on both sides. The bottom of the valley was at least 1000m down the steep drop-off from the road. Along the way, we passed by a construction site of the Swiss made cable car that will take tourists to the fortress bypassing the road. Although it will make the trip faster, it will also diminish the feel of remoteness, which makes thus place special.

We arrived at the ridge top around noon under gray sky and rain-threatening clouds. There were no other foreign tourists at all, only a few Peruvians. From the parking lot we had to hike up to the imposing 30 feet high walls surrounding the citadel of Kuelap. The site has only one accessible entrance through the ancient gate to the city. The site is not thoroughly excavated and hides many mysteries and secrets under the tick vegetation.

The citadel of Kuelap was built between 600 and 900 years before Machu Picchu. It’s located on a higher mountain and is a larger than Machu Picchu. Just 30 years ago the trek from Kuelap to the nearest road took a staggering two months to complete.

The citadel is surrounded by steep walls and has only two entrances allowing access. One of the entrances is crumbling and the walls in this area were reinforced with timber beams. It is not safe to use so only one access point remains. In its glory days, it is estimate that 5000 people lived inside the citadel. The inhabitants were known as the Cloud Warriors. The Cloud Warriors were conquered by the Incas in 1470 (who in turn were conquered by the Spanish 70 years later).

The citadel of Kuelap was very interesting. Not much is known about the Chachapoyans and to this day, the exact purpose of the citadel is not known. The Chachapoyans had contact with the Spanish and the Incas. They actually aligned with the Spanish to fight against the Incas. We wandered around the ruins and the rebuilt circular houses of the Chachapoyans. There is also one Inca structure of unknown origin and purpose. One distinguishing feature of the Chachapoyan architecture is the geometrical pattern on the circular houses symbolizing the jaguar and snakes (the animals which were revered for their strength).

After Kuelap we stopped for late lunch in a small town where Keith had his first coy (Guinea Pig, also the food of the ancient Chachapoyans). Later that day we ended up in a local coffee shop in the main square of Chachapoyas for excellent coffee, pisco sour and an apple pie.

August 4, 2016 Chachapoyas and Karaja

Today we went to a mountain burial site of Karaja. The journey from Chachapoyas took 2 hours by car followed by an hour walk through cornfields.

Karaja is an old burial site located on a steep ravine. The sarcophagi of Karaja are often used as a symbol of the tourism in the region. They are very striking in their design. They are 2.5 meters tall effigies of human figures with characteristic faces reminiscent of the Rapa Nui Moai statues. They are painted in white and red and adorned with human skulls.

Unfortunately, the sarcophagi located on the cliff have been looted – a common occurrence in Peru. It was hard to see the sarcophagi from the bottom of the cliff and I had to use my log telephoto lens to get a better view. This was probably the least interesting of all the sites around Chachapoyas. It is a long drive from the city and the site is actually very small. Never the less, the story surrounding the site and the difficulty of access to the sarcophagi is worth seeing. At the bottom of the cliff we saw a bundle of human bones that were dropped by the looters as they opened the burial sites on the cliffs. It was interesting to see the country site along our drive and to see the small town near the archeological site. We had a chance to meet some locals and have lunch at one of the local eateries. The site is not developed for tourism at all and does not offer any amenities.

After our excursion we had a nice dinner in an asado restaurant in Chachapoyas. We ate some mystery meats, drank cold beer and listened to live Peruvian music. All that for $15 for 4 people! Obviously the mass tourism and its prices have not arrived here yet. The town of Chachapyas does not have any visible signs of affluence, no fancy shops, no expensive restaurants or fancy cars. Everything is inexpensive and the people here are very nice, down to earth and friendly. It is more similar to Bolivia and very different from Cusco. It is also safe with almost no violent crime. The city of Chachapoyas was established at the same time as Lima. Wile Lima grew to a multi million metropolis, Chachapoyas stayed at 30,000 people. It is the administrative capital of the province of Amazonas although due to its altitude of 2300m it does not feel very tropical.

August 5, 2016 Revash and The Museum Leymebamba

Today we took another 2-hour drive to Revash. Revash is another interesting burial mausoleum. On the way to Revash we spotted many burial sites dotting the high cliffs. Revash is located on a high, long escarpment overlooking a broad valley. The road to Revash is very spectacular climbing up among the mountains. The views got progressively better as we gained altitude. I found it remarkable that the locals cultivate all mountain slopes sometimes at a steep angle with no terracing so common in the Inca territories.

The parking for the archeological site of Revash is in a non descript village with no souvenir shops of any kind. Again, a clear sign of little tourism in this area.

We had to hike to the cliffs along a large sidewalk built by the locals.

The Revash mausoleum reminded me of the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi Indians in the Canyon de Chey in Arizona (apparently there is no real connection). The site is very spectacular with imposing views to the valley below. Not much is known about the Revash culture. The mausoleum had nothing left in it after it was looted. It is actually closed to intruders and the visitors can only admire it from below from the specially built platform. The mausoleum consists of small house-like structures with symbolic roofs located in a cave on a steep wall of a long canyon. The walls of the mausoleum’s houses are adorned with paintings of animal figures and some geometric shapes. At the time of use, mummies were placed inside the houses. Again, it is the location of the mausoleum and the spectacular surroundings that make this place so special.

After Revash, we drove to the village of Leymebamba to see the fantastic museum of the mummies found in a site called Laguna de Condores. The museum contains amazing artifacts that were found along the 220 mummy bundles by the lake called Laguna de Condores in 1997. The mummies were found by the local farmers who attempted to sell the mummies for $200 a piece. The local authorities intersected the sale and thankfully retrieved the remaining artifacts intact. The find was so spectacular that an entire museum was built to house it. This was the first major site that was not looted and it gave many clues to the mysteries of the Chachapoyan culture. It also legitimized the Chachapoyans as a distinct culture in the scientific circles.

“This museum was built to provide a place for the preservation of the mummies and archaeological materials recovered from Laguna de los Cóndores in 1997. This work was conducted by Centro Mallqui with contributions from the international community from Austria, Finland, Italy and the U.S., as well as significant contributions from the Institute for Bioarchaeology, the von Hagen family and the Discovery Channel.
The local community contributed with building materials and labour. The people of Leymebamba own the museum and are represented by a civil identity. Centro Mallqui runs the professional and administrative work of the facility. It was inaugurated in 2000 with the presence of the Minister of Education of Austria, Dr. Elisabeth Gehrer. The museum was built using local construction techniques like packed earth with wood and tile roofs. These were complemented by modern technical resources to meet the conservation and exhibition requirements for archaeological materials.
Most of the cultural remains on display are Chachapoya and are from the time of Inca domination in the area. It also has a room dedicated to traditional cultural continuity in the region.” From the museum webpage www.museoleymebamba.org

When we arrived at the museum there was no one around. Ernesto had to find the key keeper to open the museum for us. Later, we met 3 French travelers who made their way from the French Guiana up the Amazon River. They had lots of time, little money and many interesting stories. One of the highlights of their trip was hiking the Roirama on the Venezuela/Brasil border.

We were not allowed to photograph inside the museum but I could not resist sneaking a few photos of the mummies and the most interesting displays. It was one of the most interesting museums in Peru. The mummies were all housed in a special temperature controlled chamber in the exact state that they were discovered. They were placed on shelves 4 levels high. Only a few bundles were unwrapped and analyzed. Given the massive amount of material from this find, the archeologists will be busy for many years. Some of the unwrapped mummies were on display as well. The mummy bundles had effigies of human faces pained on them and their grotesque expressions looked spooky. It was difficult to imagine that these were once proud living beings with their own dreams and ambitions. They all must have been well to do as the peasants and commoners do not get mummified and placed in mausoleums. Asi es la vida – literally!

“The Mummies of the Laguna de los Cóndores

The preservation of the human remains from the Laguna de los Cóndores is extraordinary. What could account for such preservation in an area of high rainfall and humidity? In spite of the rainy climate and the water, which often falls in sheets from the overhand protecting the chullpas, the dry ledge where the chullpas are located harbors and dry and cold microclimate that contributed to the preservation of the organic remains. The Chachapoya appear not to have embalmed their dead; rather, they deliberately chose burial sites whose microclimates enhanced preservation. The evidence suggests that it was the Inca who introduced the Chachapoya to procedures such as embalming and evisceration.

Preliminary studies point to the skill of the Laguna de los Cóndores embalmers. The skin of the mummies has been treated and appears leathery, while unspun cotton placed under the cheeks, in the mouth and in the nostrils, preserved facial features. They controlled decomposition by emptying the abdominal cavity through the anus, sealing the orifice with a cloth plug. The bodies had been reduced to their minimum volume and weight: joints are strained to the point that the flexed position is almost unnatural. Finally, the bodies were wrapped in layers of cloth, creating a microclimate that promoted conservation.”

The Laguna de los Cóndores

Deep in the cloud forest blanketing the eastern slopes of the Huallaga watershed, a row of stone burial houses perches high above a lake. Tucked into a ledge on a limestone cliff 100 meters above the Laguna de los Cóndores, the structures stood untouched by humans for almost 500 years. Composed of six intact chullpas or tombs and the foundations of a seventh, the burial site is one of 18 funerary sites documented on the limestone cliffs looming above the Laguna de los Cóndores. Although the farm hands who had discovered the burial site in late 1996 churned through the tombs, slashing mummy bundles with machetes and destroying valuable contextual information, the more than 200 mummy bundles and a wide array of burial offerings indicate that the finds date to Chachapoya (ca. AD 800-1470), Chachapoya-Inca (ca. 1470-1532) and early Colonial (ca. 1532-1570) times.

The tombs’ builders took advantage of a natural ledge in the limestone cliff. The tombs are nestled against the cliff, which serves as their back wall. The builders modified the ledge by levelling the floor and carving smaller ledges into the cliff onto which they built low masonry walls set in mud mortar that supported the back roofs of the chullpas. Each tomb is about 3 meters high and divided into two levels by a platform of small logs. The structures are roughly quadrangular in shape and built of limestone blocks set in mud mortar. All the chullpas face the lake and the ancient settlement of Llaqtacocha.” From the museum’s website

It makes me wander what the life’s struggle all about – looking at these forgotten people, forgotten nation, nothing is known of them. Who were the Chachapoyans? All that is left is the room full of dead and many mysteries.

The museum also contained fine Inca weavings preserved in excellent condition and beautifully displayed. Also, there were many items of Inca pottery, headdresses with plumage from the Amazon and Inca knot writing.

After spending last few days looking at various archeological sites, ruins, excavated mummies and looted sarcophagi, I concluded that Northern Peru is fascinating. The sheer number of interesting places, the history, the mysteries and the enigma surrounding these people was mind-boggling.

August 6, 2016 Gocta Waterfall

Gocta Waterfall is the 3rd highest waterfall in the World. In order to get to it, we drove for a short distance from Chachapoyas in the opposite direction from Kuelap. On the way we stopped at a small site with ancient petroglyphs that are a few thousand years old. Another mystery as not much is known about them. We drove down a spectacular river valley with high rocky cliffs towering above us on both sides. In some places, the canyon was so narrow that the road builders had to blast a near tunnel though the rock. It was very scenic and reminded me of the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan.

After a short drive (40-50km) we turned onto a gravel road that took us uphill to the trailhead to the falls. The hike to the base of the falls is 6 km through a temperate forest full of palms, coffee plants and other tropical vegetation. The waterfall consists of 2 separate parts: the upper falls 300m high and the lower falls 500m high. Only from far away both parts of the waterfall are visible. The slender white ribbon of water cascades from the high cliff to the lush valley below. The water comes from a series of lakes fed by rainwater. The ground surrounding the lakes is like a sponge so the water continuously seeps through feeding the lakes and the waterfall.

Once we got closer to the waterfall the upper part disappeared from view. The hike was surprisingly strenuous with the total elevation gain of 800m through s series of ups and downs some of which were quite steep and long.

Ernesto and I conversed in Spanish surprisingly well and I managed to get my point across on variety of subjects.

The waterfall is located at the head of a long valley and is surrounded by a circular escarpment. Due to almost constant mist from the falling water and spray the vertical cliffs are overgrown by moss and vegetation. The green walls give the cirque a tropical look with the water of the Gocta Falls falling from great heights and other numerous smaller falls dripping down all around. Apparently during the rainy season, the waterfall is so powerful that it is impossible to approach it. I wanted to stay longer and take it all in but everyone wanted to go back.

After returning to Chachapoyas we ended up in the now familiar coffee shop. We were lucky to see a great performance of local musicians playing fusion of great Peruvian traditional music and modern tunes. We were the only spectators and the musicians had as good or better time than us.

August 7, 2016 Chachapoyas

Today was our last day in the beautiful Chachapoyas. We started the day with a drive to an awesome canyon with sweeping views to the valley down below. The sky was metallic grey with angry clouds and strong wind. The surrounding country looked wild, cold and uninviting although beautiful and mysterious. It was difficult to believe that we were so close to the Amazon rainforest. We were alone on the edge of this deep canyon looking down at the the river over 1km below. Near the parking lot there was a concrete observation tower where a lone lady from a nearby village was selling souvenirs and gave us a pottery making demonstration. It was quite interesting to see especially considering that she did not use a wheel to turn the pottery. The pottery was baked in an open fire and not in an enclosed kiln.

We drove on to another high viewpoint even more spectacular. The view extended over the entire region from this high point. We could see various villages that we passed on our way to see many archeological points of interest during our stay here. In the distance we could even see the Gocta Waterfall. All these high ridges (some are 4000m high) are criss crossed by a network of old tracks that the ancients and the contemporary inhabitants used to get around. The weather was not the best for photography but it was an incredible place to see and admire. We passed through some overgrown and unexcavated ruins waiting for future excavation.

After the tour of the various viewpoints we stopped at a local fair with numerous stalls selling local products such as chocolate, coffee and vine. The air also had performances by local dancer and musicians. We then returned to Chachapoyas for the overnight 10-hour ride back to Chicklayo.

August 8, 2016 Chicklayo – Sipan

We had some time in Chicklayo before our flight to Lima so we hired a car and a guide to take us to the nearby Huaca Rajada, famous for the tombs of the Lord of Sipan. The flat desert plain of coastal Peru was home to the Moche culture (among many others). The tomb of the Lord of Sipan was discovered in 1987 and I remember reading about it in the National Geographic magazine. The find contained the most amount of gold ever found in the Americas and only second to the tomb of Tutankhamen in the quantity of gold found in the world.

“Scientific analysis of the skeleton of the Lord of Sipán show that he was approximately 1.63 meters tall and was about 35–45 years old at the time of his death. His jewellery and ornaments, which included headdresses, a face mask, a pectoral, (the pectoral was gold and had the head of a man and the body of an octopus) necklaces, nose rings, ear rings and other items, indicate he was of the highest rank. Most of the ornaments were made of gold, silver, copper and semi-precious stones.

The Lord of Sipán was wearing two necklaces with beads of gold and silver in the shape of maní (peanuts), which represent the tierra (earth). The peanuts symbolized that men came from the land, and that when they die, they return to the earth. Peanuts were used because they were an important food crop for the Moche. The necklaces had ten kernels on the right side made of gold, signifying masculinity and the sun god, and ten kernels on the left side made of silver, to represent femininity and the moon god.

Buried with the Lord of Sipán were six other people: three young women (possibly wives or concubines who had apparently died some time earlier), two males (probably warriors), and a child of about nine or ten years of age. The remains of a third male (possibly also a warrior) was found on the roof of the burial chamber sitting in a niche overlooking the chamber. There was also a dog, which was probably the Lord of Sipan's favourite pet. The warriors who were buried with the Lord of Sipán had amputated feet, as if to prevent them from leaving the tomb. The women were dressed in ceremonial clothes. In addition to the people, archaeologists found in the tomb a total of 451 ceremonial items and offerings, and the remains of several animals, including a dog and two llamas.”

The site is 70km from Chicklayo on a dusty desert plain. It is vary hot here! The villages that we passed on the way to Huaca Rajada (the site of the tombs) were very poor. The tom was discovered by one of the peasants from the nearby village who was looking for gold. The existence of old burial sites was known to the locals and they were actively looking for them. After the villagers discovered the tomb, the local police raided the house of the man who found it, killed him and sold the gold to a private collector.

The site consists of 14 gravesites. The gold and artifacts were removed and placed in the nearby museum. The bodies and the artifacts were replaced with replicas to show the exact state and condition they were found in. The replicas show all the gold, position of the bodies of the kings and the people that were buried with them. Each gravesite has a display describing in great detail the contents and composition of each site. Among the gravesites are two adobe pyramids that were used as a burial platform by the Moche people.

At the site, there is a great museum showing actual contents of one of the lesser tombs. Even this lesser tomb filled up the entire museum with the actual skeleton, gold, copper, pottery and other items. It was all very interesting and difficult to fathom that in the middle of such poverty, there was so much gold and opulence of the royals.

The contents of the main tomb of the Lord of Sipan are in the museum in Lambayeque. Unfortunately it was Monday and the museum was closed. We did visit another museum of Bruning. The museum was based on a collection of a German man, Bruning, who purchased many artifacts from the locals (most likely looted). The museum was filled with so much gold that it did not seem real. In the basement of the museum, newly discovered contents of a burial site of a Moche Queen were on display. The tomb was discovered in 2015. It was discovered intact and was not looted.