Gephel Ri, Complete East Ridge (5240 m)
Jerome found me as I was finishing breakfast on Sunday (8 October) morning about 7:30 AM. The sun doesn't rise until nearly 8 AM so I planned to leave at 7:30 AM so I could be at the base of the mountain at 8 AM. After he ate breakfast, he had to pack up his bag, and then find food for the day, so we were about 45 minutes past my planned departure time. But it was worth it for the safety of company. I found out he had just arrived in Lhasa the previous morning which really disappointed me as he was not at all acclimated and I knew he couldn't possibly make it to the top. We took the bus to what looked like the closest point that the east ridge disappeared into the flat town. After about a 10 minute walk through some decrepit neighborhoods, we found the 'base' and started up. The elevation where we started up was 3705 meters and it was just after 9 AM.
I wanted to contour around the north side of the begining of the ridge to avoid dropping down after reaching the first knob. So we made an ascending traverse around the north side of the ridge. The grassy and rocky slopes were quite steep to contour and to ascend. We finally gained the ridge proper from the north side some 450 meters and 1.5 hours later. Looking back east along the ridge I noticed that the drop we would have had to make from the first knob was only about 20 meters! So I thought we had made the wrong choice by contouring around and wasting a bit of energy and we decided to go straight down the ridge on the way back down. I was surprised that Jerome was moving as quickly as he was, but he confessed that he was getting a head ache. I felt great, besides a premature shortness of breath.
Upon gaining the ridge we saw some large birds, possibly eagles flying about us. After a short break we continued on. Shortly after, we saw some yaks. Then eventually the yak hearder! Of course he spoke no english but many smiles were exchanged. We continued along the ridge, dropping occasionally before rising more. It was a really long ridge! Finally at around 4500 meters Jerome could go no further. Shortly from here the ridge began to get steep again.
I didn't really like my odds of summiting at this point because of the distance, elevation, and being solo. I told Jerome I wanted to at least make it to the false summit which we could see from our point on the ridge. I told him to wait there about 2 hours for me and then to go down. My reasoning was if I wasn't back by then then I decided to push on to the summit. He would (might) be able to see me off and on along the ridge to the false summit.
So I pushed on, a little hesitant, but still feeling strong about 12:15 PM and left Jerome to nap in the sun. It was a really long ways to the false summit. About 4900 meters, still below the false summit, I stopped to take a look at the clouds. I thought I heard thunder at this point but the clouds above me didn't look like thunder clouds. Beyond in the distance, behind another ridge of mountains, I saw where I thought the thunder was coming from. I didn't see any lightning though, so I thought the sound could be blasting from the quarry far below. I just couldn't tell though but I was still more than a bit nervous at this point. After stopping for a while to assess the situation I decided to push on, staying off the ridge to the north side. Eventually I made the false summit at just over 5000 meters. I think it was almost 2 PM by this point. I only had 200 meters to go to the true summit at this point and it didn't look so terribly far away - under normal conditions. The 'thunder' had stopped, but I could see rain/snow in the distance mountains and a very few snow flurries also landed around me. There were also clouds low overhead but not low enough to obstruct any views.
The summit was not so much further in elevation but it was still a ways away distance wise along the relatively flat ridge. But I was so close at this point I had to keep pushing. That last 300 meters (as it turned out to be!) was some of the hardest I remember hiking in a long, long time. Maybe my rest had allowed the altitude to catch up with me but I was moving at a snail's pace over very easy terrain. Normally I would be running up this easy trail. I couldn't fathom how hard it was to walk on this trail. I had to go so slow and stop often, but I never sat down for fear that I couldn't get up! Luckily I was very good about hydrating all day or I don't think I would have made it even this far.
Finally, just after 3 PM I gained the summit of Gephel Ri, 5240 meters (17,187 feet) - although my watch said over 5300 meters so my starting elevation must have been incorrect. I hadn't seen a sole since I left Jerome. The summit was literally carpeted with pray flags and chortens (stacks of stones). I couldn't see anything from the broad flat summit other than pray flags and chortens. I had to move slightly down off the summit for the views. I took several pictures and videos and left my offering, half a Chinese Yuan.
I didn't stay long on the summit as I knew I had a really long way to go and I wanted to loose some elevation quickly, which I wouldn't be able to do for a while until I was off the summit to false summit ridge. I moved quickly though and I was back down at the place I left Jerome around 5 PM. He had left a pile of yak shit on a rock to indicate he had headed down, per our pre-arranged plan.
I continued on having to stop and rest more often than usual. It was a really long ways! I think I picked the longest possible route to the summit and a shorter route could have been found by taking one of the steeper south ridges that joined into the east ridge close to the false summit. I was a little worried about the final descent off the first knob since I was planning to go down a different way than I came up. That first section we hiked up was also the steepest of the whole hike. I proceded hesitantly but a path looked like it would go. It went but it was so steep and contrived I think that last bit took well over an hour to decend. I was finally back down on flat ground around 6:30 PM.
I walked a different path through the run-down neighborhoods (where so many people live) almost shitting my pants every time a rabid looking dog lunged at me only to be stopped by his chain. Finally I made it back to the main street but had to wait about 30 minutes to catch my bus. So many people stared at me as I was walking these 'back streets' where few tourists go that I just had to smile and wave. Nearly every time I got a huge smile and wave back. Fun stuff!
By the time I got back to my hostel bed I was completely knackered. Total elevation gain was 5,575 feet which is a big freaking day at 17,000 feet. 6 hours up, 3.5 hours down. Whew. I wasn't even carrying a heavy pack! I was so tired I could only manage to shower before going to sleep. I wasn't even hungry enough to eat dinner. But I felt a great since of accomplishment for some reason, even though in the Cascades this hike would have been no big deal....?? Maybe it was the altitude and solo aspect of the hike.
I wanted to contour around the north side of the begining of the ridge to avoid dropping down after reaching the first knob. So we made an ascending traverse around the north side of the ridge. The grassy and rocky slopes were quite steep to contour and to ascend. We finally gained the ridge proper from the north side some 450 meters and 1.5 hours later. Looking back east along the ridge I noticed that the drop we would have had to make from the first knob was only about 20 meters! So I thought we had made the wrong choice by contouring around and wasting a bit of energy and we decided to go straight down the ridge on the way back down. I was surprised that Jerome was moving as quickly as he was, but he confessed that he was getting a head ache. I felt great, besides a premature shortness of breath.
Upon gaining the ridge we saw some large birds, possibly eagles flying about us. After a short break we continued on. Shortly after, we saw some yaks. Then eventually the yak hearder! Of course he spoke no english but many smiles were exchanged. We continued along the ridge, dropping occasionally before rising more. It was a really long ridge! Finally at around 4500 meters Jerome could go no further. Shortly from here the ridge began to get steep again.
I didn't really like my odds of summiting at this point because of the distance, elevation, and being solo. I told Jerome I wanted to at least make it to the false summit which we could see from our point on the ridge. I told him to wait there about 2 hours for me and then to go down. My reasoning was if I wasn't back by then then I decided to push on to the summit. He would (might) be able to see me off and on along the ridge to the false summit.
So I pushed on, a little hesitant, but still feeling strong about 12:15 PM and left Jerome to nap in the sun. It was a really long ways to the false summit. About 4900 meters, still below the false summit, I stopped to take a look at the clouds. I thought I heard thunder at this point but the clouds above me didn't look like thunder clouds. Beyond in the distance, behind another ridge of mountains, I saw where I thought the thunder was coming from. I didn't see any lightning though, so I thought the sound could be blasting from the quarry far below. I just couldn't tell though but I was still more than a bit nervous at this point. After stopping for a while to assess the situation I decided to push on, staying off the ridge to the north side. Eventually I made the false summit at just over 5000 meters. I think it was almost 2 PM by this point. I only had 200 meters to go to the true summit at this point and it didn't look so terribly far away - under normal conditions. The 'thunder' had stopped, but I could see rain/snow in the distance mountains and a very few snow flurries also landed around me. There were also clouds low overhead but not low enough to obstruct any views.
The summit was not so much further in elevation but it was still a ways away distance wise along the relatively flat ridge. But I was so close at this point I had to keep pushing. That last 300 meters (as it turned out to be!) was some of the hardest I remember hiking in a long, long time. Maybe my rest had allowed the altitude to catch up with me but I was moving at a snail's pace over very easy terrain. Normally I would be running up this easy trail. I couldn't fathom how hard it was to walk on this trail. I had to go so slow and stop often, but I never sat down for fear that I couldn't get up! Luckily I was very good about hydrating all day or I don't think I would have made it even this far.
Finally, just after 3 PM I gained the summit of Gephel Ri, 5240 meters (17,187 feet) - although my watch said over 5300 meters so my starting elevation must have been incorrect. I hadn't seen a sole since I left Jerome. The summit was literally carpeted with pray flags and chortens (stacks of stones). I couldn't see anything from the broad flat summit other than pray flags and chortens. I had to move slightly down off the summit for the views. I took several pictures and videos and left my offering, half a Chinese Yuan.
I didn't stay long on the summit as I knew I had a really long way to go and I wanted to loose some elevation quickly, which I wouldn't be able to do for a while until I was off the summit to false summit ridge. I moved quickly though and I was back down at the place I left Jerome around 5 PM. He had left a pile of yak shit on a rock to indicate he had headed down, per our pre-arranged plan.
I continued on having to stop and rest more often than usual. It was a really long ways! I think I picked the longest possible route to the summit and a shorter route could have been found by taking one of the steeper south ridges that joined into the east ridge close to the false summit. I was a little worried about the final descent off the first knob since I was planning to go down a different way than I came up. That first section we hiked up was also the steepest of the whole hike. I proceded hesitantly but a path looked like it would go. It went but it was so steep and contrived I think that last bit took well over an hour to decend. I was finally back down on flat ground around 6:30 PM.
I walked a different path through the run-down neighborhoods (where so many people live) almost shitting my pants every time a rabid looking dog lunged at me only to be stopped by his chain. Finally I made it back to the main street but had to wait about 30 minutes to catch my bus. So many people stared at me as I was walking these 'back streets' where few tourists go that I just had to smile and wave. Nearly every time I got a huge smile and wave back. Fun stuff!
By the time I got back to my hostel bed I was completely knackered. Total elevation gain was 5,575 feet which is a big freaking day at 17,000 feet. 6 hours up, 3.5 hours down. Whew. I wasn't even carrying a heavy pack! I was so tired I could only manage to shower before going to sleep. I wasn't even hungry enough to eat dinner. But I felt a great since of accomplishment for some reason, even though in the Cascades this hike would have been no big deal....?? Maybe it was the altitude and solo aspect of the hike.
posted by Dustin at 9:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home