Stage 3
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Hot Rock: the arc of asia
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Pakistan |
China |
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PakistanThe rock climbing in Pakistan lies on the Karakorum highway, our route from Lahore to the Chinese border. For rock other than the main big walls (often with expensive peak fees, permits and liaison officers) there are endless granite walls down every side valley in the Karakorum. Mostly untouched, these 100-500m sheets of granite await new routes. In areas like this there are simply tons of boulders, crags and walls. They are almost always overlooked, however, as climbers and magazines tend to focus on the huge peaks and spires that dominate above. Based on the rock and trekking we found on the Silk Route, we've planned a range of climbing options in the Karakoram. |
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We'll spend some time bouldering in Skardu before offering the chance for some folk to head for the legendary Nangma Valley, and the most serious walls of the trip. Here we’ll have a chance to see many of the world’s best in action and to climb alongside them.The guidance from John & Anne Arran is that E4 climbers and above will find substantial routes within their ability here, and E7-8 leaders will of course have plentiful opportunities for epics on the biggest lines. If this is your grade, there's quite enough to keep us busy. You should note that the truck does not generally have portaledges and other big walling equipment on board; If you have specific objectives on these lines in Nangma, ring me to figure out these logistics. |
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But the Karakoram is rightly most famous for its trekking and on the Silk Route we scouted a number of multi day treks with 6000m summit potential from a base at Passu, a small village on the Karakoram highway. Passu has some climbing potential - and Hot Rock has put up a number of routes here - but most heads will be looking upwards. If you haven't yet ticked the 6000m mark, and you're not in the Nangma valley, this is most definitely your chance. There is also the opportunity to visit the travellers mecca of Karimabad, and a pleasant camping spot below the mighty 7000m peaks of Ultar I, II and III, and the rocky spire of Mount Lady Finger. |
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Alternatively a K2 basecamp trek is a possibility. With 25 odd people on the truck, there’s bound to be a group taking this option. A trek up the beautiful Baltoro glacier rewards you with sensational views of the world’s second highest and most coveted peak. Whatever and wherever we choose to climb, our time in Pakistan will be memorable and we’ll exchange epic tales (getting more and more epic by the pint) in pretty Karimabad where we’ll chill out for a while before we begin the most remote stage of the expedition. From Karimabad we set off on the greatest highway in the world; the Karakoram highway to China. |
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The road follows the Hunza river, climbing gently almost all the way to the Khunjerab Pass at 4800m. In ancient times it was a very perilous pathway and indeed more than 400 people died building this modern road. Happily now it is well sealed and, following border formalities, we’ll speed the 450km to Chinese Kashgar. |
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China |
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As we enter China we will be in the extremely rare position of being in our own vehicle. Officially you are not allowed to take a foreign vehicle into China and not able to drive a Chinese vehicle. However by re-registering the vehicle as Chinese, obtaining special permission from Beijing and getting a Chinese driving license, we will be about the first climbing trip at large in China with the massive advantage of our own transport. This will mean we are able to go places independent travelers simply can't get to and we will save massive amounts of time that would be wasted on public transport getting between climbing areas. We will be the first people to explore some of the areas visited and will really be breaking new ground. |
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Some visiting American climbers in the 1980s reckoned that “Compared to China, Europe and the US are like a wheatfield in Dakota.” Hold on to your hats, China is going to be special. Kashgar, China’s westernmost city, sparks images of a remote desert trading outpost, an oasis of civilization lying between the vast Taklaman desert and the mighty himalaya, a silk road town trading with nearby Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Pakistan and Russia. We will perhaps explore the bazaars here, vibrant hives of activity selling everything from carpets and kebabs to AK 47s. |
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Kashgar is the base for one of the principal objectives of the expedition: an exploration of the vertically walled granite canyons and walls surrounding “Shipton’s Arch”, the highest natural arch in the world (it dwarfs the empire state building!) The arch lies in the Kara Tagh mountains and following Eric Shipton’s account was lost for nearly a century. Redicovered in 2001, I believe that just one climbing expedition has visited in recent years. We’ll spend a week here, cragging, exploring and enjoying the friendly Uighur hospitality. |
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Alternatively, and again at extra cost, folk that like to get high can pick up permits for the highest climbing objective of the expedition: Mustagh Ata (“Father of Ice”), 7000m and one of the most coveted ski mountaineering or trekking destinations on the planet. Its relatively gentle snow slopes make it accessible for all grades of mountaineer, and it is here that the acclimatization we’ve got from our time in India and Pakistan will really pay off as you trek or ski four kilometers vertically above the Subashi valley from beautiful Lake Karakul, allowing 10 days for the complete trip.
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The road up to Karakul is littered with granite. About three hours from Kashgar, just past the check point, is an amazing canyon that has probably never been climbed. Karkul's shores are dotted with fine grained, quartz infused boulders too. When our weatherbeaten mountaineers descend, they’ll find us in an idyllic campsite on the lake amongst these boulders, or developing the canyon, or more probably both. We’ll also work on Birt here to iron out any problems before the most arduous and adventurous driving section of the expedition: the trans-Himalayan route across Tibet. Much of this road lies above 5000m, including one pass at an extraordinary 5700m altitude, so the down jackets will be well used for the next few weeks. |
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Heading into Tibet, our schedule will be very flexible as the existence of good quality rock, weather, road conditions and security restrictions are all factors that will necessitate constantly changing plans. What follows is our ideal plan… and will be adjusted in light of the experience of the 2008-9 Hot Rock Silk Route expedition. In the unlikely event that Tibet is completely closed, a northerly alternative route exists with cragging potential.
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Our first major stop is the holiest of all pilgrimage spots, Mount Kailash, the “navel of the world” and source of four of Asia’s greatest rivers: the Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali. Hindus, Buddhists, Jain and Bon followers all treat Kailash as sacred. Indeed, according to legend, immortal Shiva lives atop Kailash where he spends his time “practicing yogic austerities, making joyous love with his divine consort, Parvati, and smoking ganja”. For a Hindu, to make the arduous pilgrimage to Kailash and have the darshan (divine view) of Shiva's abode is to attain release from the clutches of ignorance and delusion. Oddly, Buddhists and Hindus walk round the mountain clockwise. Followers of Bon do it the other way round. Each to their own I guess, and we’ll complete our own circuit as we see fit. Probably not touching our foreheads to the ground with every step as our knees will never stand it (and we need to get to Singapore this decade.) |
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There are fine views of Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma as we pass Tingre, with a rough camp in the wild expanse of the plateau. A couple of days’ side trip to Everest Base Camp at Rongbuk will have us gazing up at the highest point on the planet and doubtless making plans to return… After a brief stop in Shigatse, Tibet's second holiest city and home of the Panchen Lama, we cross the Karo La pass at 4,570m and then arrive in legendary Lhasa which until recently few foreigners had laid eyes on. The former home of the Dalai Lama, Lhasa is the heart and soul of Tibet, a city of wonders that fascinates western visitors. The first sign you are near Lhasa is the mighty Potala palace, former seat of the Tibetan government. Passing dark winding streets, wafting incense and prostrated pilgrims we enter the city and spend a couple of days taking in the sights. |
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There may be the opportunity (depending on current travel restrictions) to visit some of the limestone karst formations that lie to the west of Lhasa and to the east of Sera monastery, to explore for cragging potential. Some of these have been bolted by visiting French climbers. Is oxygen ethical on sports routes at over 5,000m? We may also be able to arrange a trip to Nam Tso Lake to the North, a turquoise blue sacred lake surrounded by 7,000m mountains. From here we embark on one of the great journeys in the world: the 2140km Tibet – Sichuan highway to Chengdu. In the words of Lonely Planet: “The route takes you through vast, open landscapes with horizons of majestic peaks. Tibetan homes dot the landscape like small stone castles. Huge vultures soar overhead whilst roaming yaks munch on frosty grass…” |
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Here, in Sichuan province, we find one of the highlights of the entire expedition. Leaving the truck in the village of Rilong, we will make our way into the heart of the Siguniang Shan mountain range. Camping in green valleys, we’ll have a huge choice of objectives. These range from Siguniang itself, a 6,000m fang of rock and ice, to Celestial Peak, a stunning rock pyramid first climbed in 1984 and likened to the rather more famous Torres del Paine in Patagonia. Other peaks in the area – the stunning Mount Fourgirls, Mt Fattening Sheep (yes, really), or Mt Abi, go at much more accessible grades and there’s plenty of valley cragging potential as well. Little known by western climbers, the area – the “Goddess of SW China”, is home to friendly nomadic Tibetan yak herders who are likely to share tea and stories with us well into the evenings. |
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For those that don’t want to climb here, we will send Birt off for a fantastic side trip, to a city that once rivaled Rome and Constantinople for the title of Greatest City in the World. Xi-an, in Shaanxi province, was the end of the ancient Silk Route linking east Asia with Europe and Africa. In 1974, peasants digging a well outside Xi-an stumbled onto the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century, possibly of any century: the army of the Terracotta Warriors. 6,000 lifesize footsoldiers and cavalry stand in battle formation in 3 underground vaults that simply have to be seen to be believed. It is one of the (informal) wonders of the world. |
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But now it’s time to flex those pecs, as we head to Song Shan, centre of the Shaolin tradition of Kung Fu monks. Whether you spend your time watching novices sparring with the force of an express train, or seeking out the local rock, a unique and memorable visit is guaranteed before rejoining the rest of the group and hearing their tales from Siguniang Shan. Reluctantly leaving this tranquil spot, we next go in search of the region’s most famous creature: the Giant Panda. After a brief stop at the Giant Panda research and breeding base in Chengdu we’ll get back on the road for the 2-day drive to one of the top destinations of the entire trip: scenic Yangshuo gorge in Guilin. But that, of course, is the subject of the next stage... |
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