any kizz fanz out there??
theze guys rock!! they took me in and we walked for hrz thru the streetz of pokhara, spreadin colour and mayhem... good stuff!! muzt experience holi to believe it!!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Happy Holi!!
Hey y'all.... running bout 3 weeks behind w/ tha blog updates, but had ta write a lil somethin and get some pics up from the crazinezz going on in india and nepal today.... they call it holi, the festival of colour, and itz a trip!! think halloween, a huge waterballon fight, and religious holiday all rolled into one.... it's been the single most fun day i've spent in nepal, bar none.... i think you'll be able ta tell why from tha pics....
Sunday, February 14, 2010
a few more pics....
sunset views from the high camp below ganja la... a cold, cold night ta come...
... so, when last we left ya, the storm was blowin in, and mr. glen was about 5000m up, trying to cross over ganja la pass... here's tha rezt of the day, visually....
... so, when last we left ya, the storm was blowin in, and mr. glen was about 5000m up, trying to cross over ganja la pass... here's tha rezt of the day, visually....
hmmm, tha skiez not quite so clear and blue just now... headin down the moraines and scree fields to base camp...
a very happy hiker, back safely to low camp, w/o a lot of daylight to spare! more slippin and sliding down than walkn, this bit was...
the view from ganga la base camp, the morning after the big storm.... 
peaks in the background are the border between tibet and nepal, prime yeti sighting country in the '50s accordin to the early explorers....
heading back down the langtang valley, looking back on the high country... amazing how warm 30 deg can feel after a few days up high...
goofing around with my buddy Tenzing Lama at "lama hotel" one of the stops along the trip up langtang valley. Tenzing runs a lodge there and might come visit in the us in the next couple of yrs if we can get a visa approved for him. its quite a bit more difficult for nepalis to come to the states than for us to come here...
peaks in the background are the border between tibet and nepal, prime yeti sighting country in the '50s accordin to the early explorers....
heading back down the langtang valley, looking back on the high country... amazing how warm 30 deg can feel after a few days up high...
goofing around with my buddy Tenzing Lama at "lama hotel" one of the stops along the trip up langtang valley. Tenzing runs a lodge there and might come visit in the us in the next couple of yrs if we can get a visa approved for him. its quite a bit more difficult for nepalis to come to the states than for us to come here...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Zee Boys B Back in Town....
Namaste', Ola, How ya'll doin?
Back in good 'ol Kathmandu, dodgin motorcyclez, givin tha stiff-arm to hash dealerz n' scammerz and just generally soakin it all in, folkz. Got back into Boudda (upper NE corner of Kath), bout 2 nights ago, after 12 hrs of walkin, with my buddy Voytek, another solo hiker, who I met on the way outta Syabru. We've covered some amazin territory, from the high altitude sacred lakes of Gosakunda, to the traditional villages of the Yangri valley, hitting some amazing viewpoints along the way....
Too much to describe in words, so lets see if the pics can do some talkin..
all these pics from upper Langtang valley, above Kyanjin Gompa...
This is base camp for Ganja La, the high altitude pass from Langtang valley to the south.... a nice way to make a circuit out of the Langtang, Gosakunda and Helambu circuits.... but, whadda bout them cloudz?
Lil bit o tea to warm thangz up in the mornin hrz...
On the next installment.... what happenz when big puffy white cloudz touch high, cold immovable granite thangz...
peace, yall-
Back in good 'ol Kathmandu, dodgin motorcyclez, givin tha stiff-arm to hash dealerz n' scammerz and just generally soakin it all in, folkz. Got back into Boudda (upper NE corner of Kath), bout 2 nights ago, after 12 hrs of walkin, with my buddy Voytek, another solo hiker, who I met on the way outta Syabru. We've covered some amazin territory, from the high altitude sacred lakes of Gosakunda, to the traditional villages of the Yangri valley, hitting some amazing viewpoints along the way....
Too much to describe in words, so lets see if the pics can do some talkin..
all these pics from upper Langtang valley, above Kyanjin Gompa...
This is base camp for Ganja La, the high altitude pass from Langtang valley to the south.... a nice way to make a circuit out of the Langtang, Gosakunda and Helambu circuits.... but, whadda bout them cloudz?
Lil bit o tea to warm thangz up in the mornin hrz...
On the next installment.... what happenz when big puffy white cloudz touch high, cold immovable granite thangz...
peace, yall-
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Down frum zee mtz... sorta...
Howdy Folkz! Thank you all so much for the encouragin' and entertaining posts from the last couple o weeks. Its great to know you are enjoying the pics and vid and I've some great onez to share from this last bit (once I get to Kathmandu and have a connection that isn't dialup).... the last 14days have been spent on my own, up the Langtang Valley (it means lost yak... apparently a lama lost his yak and tracked it all the way to the end of this valley where he located it, skinned it (guess he was pissed??), laid the carcass out on a rock, and then the yak and rock merged together, hence tha big red/brown rock at the far end of the valley.... while i can neither confirm nor deny all that, i can tell ya that Langshisha Karka, where the rock is, be a darn cool place, figuratively and literally! Spent 3 nights/4 days up there, exploring the glaciers, moraines, and cirques. It is just indescribable, really, tho hopefully the vids will give ya(ll) a little taste of it. The immensity, ruggedness, and harshness of this high country is like nothing I have ever experienced before.
After the time up the Langshisha (which HW Tillman, one of the early western explorers, in the '50s, found to be prime Yeti habitat), i dropped back down to Kyanjin Gompa, the highest permanent settlement in the Lantang Valley, at 3730M.... still a pretty chilly spot, but with a stove, hot dahl bhat, ruckche (tha nepali moonshine aforementioned... ;-) ), and hospitable folkz to hang out with.
as the wx had been picture perfect for nearly a month, i decided to have a go at Ganja La, the 5000M pass to the south of Gompa that allows you to make a nice circuit out of the Langtang Valley trek (and one of the steeper and more difficult of the major passes in Nepal). Got myself off the trail and XC travellin within the first kilometer, and made a grand day out of what is usually a 4-5 hr trek to base camp for Ganja la (good vid on this forthcoming...:-) ). Anyhoo, next night found me camping at 5000M, just at the base of the pass, tryin to melt snow for h20 with a stove that was freezin up, skosh weather conditions, and just an all around COLD night. Next morning brought more clouds, clouds brought snow, and snow brought me back down the mtn... pronto! Twas an invigorating adventure, lemme tell ya. (another good vid to share w. ya, meebee one pic for today from this?)
Anyhoo, headed back down the low route to Syabrubesi, where I started my Langtang trek, taking a couple of days to get there, stopping in to see many of the great folks I'd met on the way up (one meets so many more locals w/o a guide and really gets a taste for the culture, learns some language, and just all around melds betta with the experience, i'm finding).
Writing you here from Syabrubesi, where the weather is warm (30deg. can feel really warm, believe me ;-)), the food is cheap, and green things grow. One more rest day here, then its back up the trail a bit to Gosainkund Lakes (a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists and just all around beautiful area, I'm told), over Laurenbina La pass (only 4600M, this one, and much easier going), and walkin back down twd Kathmandu... bout 8 trail days in all and it avoids the 9 hr bus ride that brings one to Syabrubesi (over some rds that really aren't made for buses, or anything beyond a jeep or mountain bike, actually). Excited to be back out in it all, and for some serious grub in Kathmandu in a weeks time. Until next time, folks- eat some beast and take a really long, hot, nice shower for me... (it'd been 15 days w/o when I rolled into town last eve.... mmmmm hhmmmm, smellin good!) ;-)
After the time up the Langshisha (which HW Tillman, one of the early western explorers, in the '50s, found to be prime Yeti habitat), i dropped back down to Kyanjin Gompa, the highest permanent settlement in the Lantang Valley, at 3730M.... still a pretty chilly spot, but with a stove, hot dahl bhat, ruckche (tha nepali moonshine aforementioned... ;-) ), and hospitable folkz to hang out with.
as the wx had been picture perfect for nearly a month, i decided to have a go at Ganja La, the 5000M pass to the south of Gompa that allows you to make a nice circuit out of the Langtang Valley trek (and one of the steeper and more difficult of the major passes in Nepal). Got myself off the trail and XC travellin within the first kilometer, and made a grand day out of what is usually a 4-5 hr trek to base camp for Ganja la (good vid on this forthcoming...:-) ). Anyhoo, next night found me camping at 5000M, just at the base of the pass, tryin to melt snow for h20 with a stove that was freezin up, skosh weather conditions, and just an all around COLD night. Next morning brought more clouds, clouds brought snow, and snow brought me back down the mtn... pronto! Twas an invigorating adventure, lemme tell ya. (another good vid to share w. ya, meebee one pic for today from this?)
Anyhoo, headed back down the low route to Syabrubesi, where I started my Langtang trek, taking a couple of days to get there, stopping in to see many of the great folks I'd met on the way up (one meets so many more locals w/o a guide and really gets a taste for the culture, learns some language, and just all around melds betta with the experience, i'm finding).
Writing you here from Syabrubesi, where the weather is warm (30deg. can feel really warm, believe me ;-)), the food is cheap, and green things grow. One more rest day here, then its back up the trail a bit to Gosainkund Lakes (a sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists and just all around beautiful area, I'm told), over Laurenbina La pass (only 4600M, this one, and much easier going), and walkin back down twd Kathmandu... bout 8 trail days in all and it avoids the 9 hr bus ride that brings one to Syabrubesi (over some rds that really aren't made for buses, or anything beyond a jeep or mountain bike, actually). Excited to be back out in it all, and for some serious grub in Kathmandu in a weeks time. Until next time, folks- eat some beast and take a really long, hot, nice shower for me... (it'd been 15 days w/o when I rolled into town last eve.... mmmmm hhmmmm, smellin good!) ;-)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ka-Ka-Ka-Ka-Kathmandu.....
you know it, you love it, Bob Seeger..... guessing it was a pretty hip place, back in tha day, and its still got its character, but man, there are ALOT of two leggedz running round thiz place, folks, lotz uv em!
gotta say the return to Kath, after being in country for bout a month now, was a bit less shocking than the initial visit, but not seein any permanent roots in this place.
Spent the day wandering around the city, finding my way to a supermarket (not so easy when the street signs (when they exist) are in Nepali script, and not a lotta folks speak english, once you're outta the tourist ghetto...
good people tho, and thru a combination of gesturez, mime-ing (is that the same thing??), and repeating thiings in english 10x (why don't they understand?? don't ya'll speak american? ;-) ) i mananged to find my way around (and escaped gettin my camera confiscated for pulling it out to take a picture of the apocalyptic traffic in what was apparently a no photo zone near the police headquarters.... i later saw the sign 200m down the rd.... silly tourist).... managed a ride on tha back of a motorbike (wasn't planning that one, and don't plan ta repeat it... walkin in this place is bad enough!)
on that subject, just read that one is 30X more likely to die in a traffic accident in nepal than any developed country, which, i figure, means I'm safer climbing the south face of annapurna than hangin out in this melee for any length 'o time. :-)
my three week search for a Nepali equivalent for Heet (methyl alcohol) finally paid off today as well... tried every hardware store, motorcycle shop, supermarket, you name it between here and Annapurna with no success....turns out all ya gotta do is go to the drugstore- distilled spirits... pure alcohol... schaweet! (tho ya don't wanna drink it, methyl, not ethyl... remember curious george?? - its for primin my stove... the kerosene here is pretty crude) Apparently the mtn folk make their own "loose alcohol" (draw yer own conclusions as to the orgins of namesake) ... similar to tha moonshine back home, and just as illegal, but the Nepali lawdawgz have their hands full keepin more pressin matters at bay.... might have to switch to tha white lightnin once i burn thru this... would be a lot more versatile in staying warm, eh??
'nuff ranting and rambling for tonight, ya'll got a few more loose ends to wrap up before headin out to Langtang/Helambu/Gosakund circuit on Thurs. Gonna be a 18ish day trek, lotsa mts, lotsa cold mtn air, very few oxygen wasters.... ahhhh.....
Until when-
glen
gotta say the return to Kath, after being in country for bout a month now, was a bit less shocking than the initial visit, but not seein any permanent roots in this place.
Spent the day wandering around the city, finding my way to a supermarket (not so easy when the street signs (when they exist) are in Nepali script, and not a lotta folks speak english, once you're outta the tourist ghetto...
good people tho, and thru a combination of gesturez, mime-ing (is that the same thing??), and repeating thiings in english 10x (why don't they understand?? don't ya'll speak american? ;-) ) i mananged to find my way around (and escaped gettin my camera confiscated for pulling it out to take a picture of the apocalyptic traffic in what was apparently a no photo zone near the police headquarters.... i later saw the sign 200m down the rd.... silly tourist).... managed a ride on tha back of a motorbike (wasn't planning that one, and don't plan ta repeat it... walkin in this place is bad enough!)
on that subject, just read that one is 30X more likely to die in a traffic accident in nepal than any developed country, which, i figure, means I'm safer climbing the south face of annapurna than hangin out in this melee for any length 'o time. :-)
my three week search for a Nepali equivalent for Heet (methyl alcohol) finally paid off today as well... tried every hardware store, motorcycle shop, supermarket, you name it between here and Annapurna with no success....turns out all ya gotta do is go to the drugstore- distilled spirits... pure alcohol... schaweet! (tho ya don't wanna drink it, methyl, not ethyl... remember curious george?? - its for primin my stove... the kerosene here is pretty crude) Apparently the mtn folk make their own "loose alcohol" (draw yer own conclusions as to the orgins of namesake) ... similar to tha moonshine back home, and just as illegal, but the Nepali lawdawgz have their hands full keepin more pressin matters at bay.... might have to switch to tha white lightnin once i burn thru this... would be a lot more versatile in staying warm, eh??
'nuff ranting and rambling for tonight, ya'll got a few more loose ends to wrap up before headin out to Langtang/Helambu/Gosakund circuit on Thurs. Gonna be a 18ish day trek, lotsa mts, lotsa cold mtn air, very few oxygen wasters.... ahhhh.....
Until when-
glen
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Pokhara day 4....
yeppers, still here gang, feeding my face and living tha easy life that is big city pokhara, home of cheap internet, yummy grub and awesome mtn views.
figuring to get outta town tamara, possibly the next, enroute to Kathmandu (via 7 hrs on the bus) :-0 then on to trekking in the Langtang valley region a day or so after that.
last couple of days have been a rollercoaster ride.
on one end, the highs of bike riding on the crazy rds here, climbin some cool singletrack on a really, really crappy mt bike (its probably been around longer than i've been riding), and having as much fun as one possibly can cycling. (here's some video that'll give you a little glimpse of the ride and general chaos here).
THIS IS THE RIDE OUT TO THE TRAILHEAD LEADING TO POKHARA PEACE PAGODA, ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE CITY AND FEWA LAKE
HERE WE ARE ON THA TRAIL....
HEADING BACK DOWN THE RD FROM PEACE PAGODA....
On the other end of things, been dealing with payment for my guide (he's not diggin the goin rate that guides get here), general tourist scams around town, and all that other stuff that comes along with travel in another culture of which one has only the slightest understanding, and a grasp of none of the nuances.
all in all tho, i find myself learnin lots, diggin the experience, and jones'n to get back in the mts soon. BTW, PUT UP SOME PICS ON THE OLDER POSTS "MANANG MADNESS" AND "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM JOMSOM"-
until next time...
the next generation of guides, and my accomplicies in finding the peace pagoda (in the far background). they seemed satisfied with a cold drink and few rupees at tha top...
figuring to get outta town tamara, possibly the next, enroute to Kathmandu (via 7 hrs on the bus) :-0 then on to trekking in the Langtang valley region a day or so after that.
last couple of days have been a rollercoaster ride.
on one end, the highs of bike riding on the crazy rds here, climbin some cool singletrack on a really, really crappy mt bike (its probably been around longer than i've been riding), and having as much fun as one possibly can cycling. (here's some video that'll give you a little glimpse of the ride and general chaos here).
THIS IS THE RIDE OUT TO THE TRAILHEAD LEADING TO POKHARA PEACE PAGODA, ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE CITY AND FEWA LAKE
HERE WE ARE ON THA TRAIL....
HEADING BACK DOWN THE RD FROM PEACE PAGODA....
On the other end of things, been dealing with payment for my guide (he's not diggin the goin rate that guides get here), general tourist scams around town, and all that other stuff that comes along with travel in another culture of which one has only the slightest understanding, and a grasp of none of the nuances.
all in all tho, i find myself learnin lots, diggin the experience, and jones'n to get back in the mts soon. BTW, PUT UP SOME PICS ON THE OLDER POSTS "MANANG MADNESS" AND "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM JOMSOM"-
until next time...
the next generation of guides, and my accomplicies in finding the peace pagoda (in the far background). they seemed satisfied with a cold drink and few rupees at tha top...
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