The Chiru of High Tibet

Day 13 - May 30, 2006 The Aru Basin is so quiet this morning a frying egg sounds like an explosion; the whirr of crows flying is sound enough to fill our space and a tent zipper is a loud statement of human activity. We have few places in the US of such quiet. It's cloudy here this morning. We can't see the peaks … [Read more...] about On the Road to a New Campsite

We woke up to 3-4 inches of snow on the ground so we decided to camp here one more day. We had breakfast around 10:00 a.m. Then Jinpa and Heinrich went to see if they could purchase a skin for Heinrich to sleep on as his air mattress has a leak. When that was done Heinrich headed up over the hill behind our camp. I … [Read more...] about Day 12 – May 29 – Seeing the Chiru!

Day 11 - May 28, 2006 This morning Jinpa and I walked over to Aru Tso. We left at about 10:00 a.m. and returned at about 1:30 p.m. I was exhausted. Everything is so much more work at this altitude. I don't know how Rick Ridgeway and the others managed to pull those carts. [One secret is that they do not live at … [Read more...] about Covering the Miles – Catching Up

We covered many miles since May 25 and the camp by the river. I want to fill them in because the scenery was varied. Day 8 - May 26 We are in the Chang Tang Reserve! The wind is blowing so hard it moves my tennis shoes inside the tent, which is rather dicey because I have a can of pop sitting in one shoe. And it's a … [Read more...] about Many Miles

Even at the time, I didn't think my photos of the Himalayas would be adequate. And, though it's hard to miss their grandeur, I couldn't quite get the feeling of standing across from the mountain that has captured the attention of so many climbers. I remember feeling very small and quite overwhelmed, almost puzzled that … [Read more...] about Standing Across From Everest

Day 5 - May 22, 2006 Writing about this trip, like photographing, is in some ways limiting. It is hard to get around such an overwhelming experience. And to pick out a few things to write about leaves out so much. First--physical assessment. No headache. I wonder if part of it is lack of caffeine. No chest pains. I … [Read more...] about Getting on the Road