May 2006 - I took a trip to Tibet, Nepal and India. The primary reason for the trip was to run the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon www.everestmarathon.com at Base Camp of Mt Everest. I was the first Canadian to Finish the highest marathon in the world. The race started at Everest Base Camp which is at 17 560' above sea level. From there I ran a full marathon (26.2 miles) to a small town of Namche Bazaar which is at 11 283'. We ran an altitude difference of over 10 000'.
I would like to thank Stephen Jagger, from Ubertor (the guys who put up this site) www.ubertor.com for there support and assistance. I also need to thank Fred Massé and Seana Wade, founders of Survivor Boot Camp www.survivorbootcamp.com and the rest of the crew for whipping me into shape before I left. Finally, to friends and family for their love and support, I will thank each of them personally.
Below is just a few, I mean few, photos from my trip. I have over 1000 photos which I would not even thinking about boring you with.
I arrived into Kathmandu, then did an eight day overland trip in a Toyota Land Cruiser to Lhasa in Tibet. From Lhasa, I flew back to Kathmandu where I met up with the Marathon Crew. We then had a crazy flight into Lukla where for the next three weeks I did not see a vehicle, electricity or running water. We spend roughly (pun fully intended) the next two weeks slowly trekking to Base Camp allowing our bodies to acclimatize to the 1000'+ a day climb until we reached over 18,200' overlooking Base Camp at Kala Patar. After two restless nights at Base Camp with rocks in my back, feeling claustrophobic in my mummy sleeping bag, the constant THUNDER of avalanches on the mountain, the creaking and groaning of the Khumbu Glacier, and the lack of oxygen at 17 600' race day finally arrived. It took place on May 29th to celebrate the summit of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary back in 1953. The race start was at Base Camp and returned back down the trail that took us 15 days to climb. It was an amazing day from start to finish, every emotion that you have and didn't know you had comes to the surface. From mountain highs to forcing yourself to put one leg in front of the other to "just take one more step until this "bleep"ing race is over"
The following day, with very sore legs, we had to trek 7 km back to Lukla where we were to fly back to Kathmandu the following day. Sounds simple enough. Our flight was to leave around 6:00 AM in the morning, so we arrived at 5:30 AM. We were still sitting at the Lukla Airport at 1:30 PM, along with approximately 150 other summiters, climbers, trekkers all who were backlogged from the past days as no flights had flown all because of the heavy fog. By the grace of God, one flight got out of Kathmandu and landed in Lukla, Since our flight was scheduled that day, we were first in line. The planes engines did not turn off, a simple get off, unload gear, load gear, get on, "Lets go". Once we left, I heard that we were the only flight out that day and some of our crew took six more days to arrive into Kathmandu.
Once back in Kathmandu we sat in the sun for 48 hours before I said goodbye and flew off to Delhi to hit 48 degree weather. Spend the next week with a car and driver seeing Delhi, Agra (and the Taj Mahal) and then Jaipur (and the Pink Palace).
Please take some time to enjoy the photos I have added.
Namaste
Eric Grant
Sitting at summit of Kala Patar 18 200' overlooking Everest at 29 035'.
A day in the life in Kathmandu. I had just arrived, literally after the king had stepped aside from total rule. There were 24 hours curfews, a lot of violence around the country. The entire trip was actually in question until 10 days before I left. Stayed in Thamel, where in my Guest house, I was one of two staying there. By the time I returned 5 weeks later, the place was again very busy.
On my first day of my Tibet tour, heading to the border. The local bus?
Do I have to say anything. The roads were crazy.
The border town heading into Tibet. We had to say good-bye to our Nepal guides as they could not or never will be allowed to visit Tibet. We were only 50 km from Kathmandu, but it took us four hours to get there.
Rush hour.
These trucks would fly around the corners of a 1-1/2 lane road with us on the other side....and nothing beside us, except down.
My first look at Everest. One of the most amazing things that I have ever scene. The North side here in Tibet is a lot different then the South side on the Nepal side. You can actually drive (almost) to base camp on this side. Most climbers summit from the South side, but the North side is apparently more challenging.
Seeing the sights of Western Tibet in our Land Cruiser with a couple from the UK and Australia.
The locals "working the land". The average ANNUAL income in Tibet is $ 224 us.
A typical tea house on the way. Heated with cow dung. I am sure that we were all "smelling like roses."
Gyantse (elev 3950m) Playing pool outside. I don't know why. The tables were taped up with duct tape.
Baiju Temple in Gyantse
The Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse (elev 3900m)
The people Of Shigatsi
The Yamdrok-tso, (elevation 4488 m) beside the Friendship Highway that we took from Kathmandu to Lhasa is one of Tibet's holiest lakes. The lake is a dead lake with no outlet or no perennial source of water, so water drained from it can never be replenished. In typical Chinese fashion, the Chinese build a hydro-electric dam in 1997 using the water. Note the line to where the water is falling.
Arriving in Lhasa (elev 3595m), we went on a tour to visit Drepung Monastery, which was at one time was the world's largest monastery The local monks rehearse scriptures in front of fellow monks. They then "attack" him with questions in which the monk claps his hand in an "attack" back with his answers. Lots of laughter amung them as they "performed".
The Potala Palace. The former home of the 14th Dali Lama. He was forced to leave by the Chinese in 1959 and has never returned. He is not allowed to be talked about at all, as well as no photos of him are present. If caught with a photo or speaking of him could end you up in prison.
Our tour group at our final stop, the Jokhang, is the most revered religious structure in all of Tibet. Many pilgrims will travel 1000's of km kneeling up and down (prostrating) for years to reach here as their final destination.
Slowly loading more photos.
I flew from Lhasa back to Kathmandu, met up with the marathon group and then hopped on a plane to Lukla a few days later. The start of Everest for all that choose to take it on.
The airport in Lukla. It is only 550 yards long and on a 14 degree angle.
Crossing the bridges back and forth over the glacial river. The prayer flags are tied in the wind to release the words written on the flags.
The town of Namche Bazar teetering on the edge of a mountain.
Daily life to pick up any last minute things before heading off to Everest.
Everest (on the left at 29 035') and Lhotse (25 646' on the right) with the wind howling at 5:30 in the AM. By 5:35 you could not see a thing as the clouds rolled in that fast.
The life blood of the Himalayas. The Sherpa. This pack is most likely more than 100 lbs. moving everything up and down the down the mountain.
The other driving force. The Yak. Talk about slow and steady. Not sure how they did it but the would constantly be climbing over rocks like these.
The rocks heading up (as well as having to run on this back down for the Marathon) with the Khumbu Ice Fall in the back ground.
Hanging out at Base Camp at 17 600' Basically sleeping on a rock garden on the Khumbu Glacier. Very cold and VERY uncomfortable. There is no permenent structures here as we are "living" on a moving glacier.
The start of the Khumbu Ice Fall. The Southern COL is at the top with Everest tucked around the left hand corner (cannot see it). If you look closely near the bottom right corner, you can see a person treking the Ice Fall. Kinda puts it in perspective.
Race Day - May 29th. This was about 5 hours into the race running through the Rhododendron Forest. I was really starting to hurt at this point, both physically and mentally. The first five km had taken me just over an hour as I was "rock climbing". I twisted my ankle just past the halfway point. Sometimes a "single moment" as a photo is a good thing. I didn't feel as good as I looked.
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My face says is all. "Thank God I am done" Amazing day but truly the hardest thing that I have ever accomplished. (Funny, I get choked up just thinking about it) I finished in a time just over 7 hours becoming the First Canadian to run the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon.
The next week of the trip was extremely relaxing. My body and mind were spent. It was just sooo nice to have electricity by turning on a light, running a bath or shower and best yet... A/C.
I would like to think that I left the Himalayas a bit better then when I arrived, both the Himalayas and myself.
The Taj Mahal is truly the ultimate symbol of love. All I can say is WOW. Everyone needs to see it at some point in their lives.
Hanging out for several hours just taking it all in. It was somewhere around 45 degrees C. Hot to say the least. But everyone wears long pants and shirts. The power and energy of this place is truly amazing.
Construction started in 1631 and took 22 000 men 22 years to build. Semi-precious stones for inlay ornamentation were brought from distant regions of India, Ceylon and Afghanistan. Each of the colours is an individual piece of stone, hand carved to fit into larger slab of marble.
This family came running up to me all smiles and asked "Where are you from? We are from..." Funny how when I took the photo, they all stopped smiling. They then asked if they could "see" the photo, but I had a film camera not a digital so no they could not. Then they said "thank you" and ran off.
Slowly more photos will be added so please come back.
Eric