#38 - Bhutan: Gangkhar Puensuum Trek (October 2011)

I have wondered if persons who join a hiking trip or trek think about being out on the trail somewhere remote and the guide or leader has a problem and cannot continue with the group.  This situation was never on my mind when I was younger, but an aging body leads one to not only consider the abilities and skills of the individual group members but also oneself.

It is my privilege to introduce today's guest blogger, Bruce Bagley, with whom I have enjoyed sharing treks in Nepal, Bhutan and Patagonia as well as day hikes in Bhutan and Iceland and a cultural/wildlife safari in India.  After my short introduction to Gangkhar Puensum, Bruce will tell you about Folkway's Gangkhar Puensuum Trek in 2011.

Since 1994, climbing mountains higher than 18,000 feet is prohibited out of respect for the local spiritual beliefs.  Since 2003, climbing mountains in Bhutan has become forbidden.

Gangkhar Puensuum (White Peak of the Three Spiritual Brothers) at 24,836 feet lies on the border with Tibet and is the highest mountain in Bhutan and the highest unclimbed mountain in the world.

In October, I accompanied David Christopher and four other travelers on a trek to Gangkhar Puensuum in the Asian kingdom of Bhutan.  It was memorable, demanding and exhausting but also one of the best adventures I've ever had.

I left Seattle on October 17 and flew to Bangkok, the usual transfer point to Druk Air for the flight to Paro, Bhutan.  I spent a day in Bangkok, resting from the flight and seeing the sights.

Flying into Paro is, uh, exciting, as the plane winds in and out of the mountain valleys, sometimes even below the surrounding ridges.  I found it's best to not look out the windows.

Once in Bhutan, the group spent several days visiting schools, fortresses and an old monastery called Tiger's Nest.  This was the only time in four trips to Bhutan that I've managed to see the inside.

After a drive over several high passes to Trongsa we continued on to Dhuur village and met our pack horses for the start of the trek.   The horses would carry tents and camping gear while we carried our day packs.

At the end of the day, however, disaster struck at camp.  David's legs were hit with severe muscle cramps and Jill's digestive system rebelled completely from the change of diet.  The next morning, David still couldn't walk and Jill was utterly incapacitated.  The two of them evacuated back out on horseback, leaving four of us to go on.

The next days were a succession of up and down hikes along increasingly broad valleys as we gradually gained altitude.  Mostly I remember walking slowly in mixed rain and snow with occasional sun breaks.  The mud was deep in some places.  Looking back on my pictures, they give a false impression of sunny days since I only took the camera out when the precipitation stopped.

When we camped, it would snow overnight and I was so grateful I didn't have to be the one to strike the frozen tents in the morning.  It was nice, too, to be greeted in the morning by the cook with coffee and hot water while still in my sleeping bag.  Fortunately, my tent didn't leak, although that was not the case for others.

One day, while we were steeply climbing over a pass, a large herd of yaks came thundering down in front of us.  We quickly got out of their way but it was a sign that time was short as the herders were bringing their animals to lower pastures for winter.

Finally, after a long morning's hike, we reached the top of a lateral moraine for lunch and could look down on the glaciers and the braided ice-melt streams coming out of the Gangkhar Puensuum massif.  It was very cloudy with what looked like a storm coming down from the heights.  I remember that as we sat there, Darrell reached into her pack and brought out a large Cadbury's Chocolate bar which she gave to our guides.  She had brought it all the way from her home in Canada and I hope that they appreciated the long journey that it had had.

The next day it was time to start the trip back.  The snow at night was getting heavier and it was necessary to get out of the mountains before winter set in.  Also, the mud was even deeper than on the way in.  The rain was coming down hard when we finally got back to Paro and the flight home.  Out guide gave us the news that David and Jill had gotten back safely to the United States.

Darrell wrote a series of haiku inspired by her experiences on the trip and combined them with photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_qBH0VLIio

 

#37 - Pakistan: K2 Expedition Fund-Raising Trek (1986)

Ken Wanderer returns to the blog for a description of the American K2 Expedition Fund-Raising Trek that he led.

The 1986 American K2 Expedition was sponsored by the Mazamas, the American Alpine Club and others.  The accompanying Folkways trek walked in with the climbers, as we did in 1985 with the Gasherbrum climb, stayed at the K2 base camp for a couple days and returned on the same trail.

The route to Concordia was the same as with the previous year's trek, but we started about one month earlier and the difference was inescapable.  Temperatures were much cooler and it snowed several days.  The towers and mountains were even more stunning and the glacier itself was not covered with rock but glistened with snow and ice.

There were two emergency room doctors on the trek who set up a clinic for villagers at each of our camps below the glacier.  News of the clinics spread quickly so they were very well attended.  With trekkers helping, the docs did tooth extractions, abscess treatment and minor amputations (parts of fingers and toes with unattended wounds).  The Baltis, who farm and herd in the area, eat a lot of wheat and barley ground by local granite, which leaves a lot of stone in the flower so that the average 30 year old has worn through the enamel leading to tooth decay.

Pakistan is one of the few countries that require that those who hire porters equip them for the conditions they will be working in, provide them with a reasonable quantity and quality of food and carry accident and life insurance for them.  So, with new sunglasses, boots, socks, jackets, bags of flour, five gallon tins of cooking oil, each carrying a government prescribed maximum weight, the porters headed up the Braldu River.

The ER docs were tracking the trekker's calorie consumption and weight as we hiked from 10,000 to 16,000 feet.  We each consumed about 8,000 calories per day and the average person lost 5 pounds over the twelve days it took to get to the base camp.

The going was slower with the snow and ice, but once we arrived at Concordia and turned north on to the Godwin-Austen Glacier we had K2 in sight, and what a sight.  During the day and a half march to base camp we could see most of the great pyramid of K2 and most of the climbing route that the American team would use.

There were a number of high profile climbers preparing to attempt various routes on the mountain that year.  One of the American climbers, Dr. Steve Boyer, took it upon himself to take the trekkers around to meet all of these mountaineering luminaries.

1986 was a tragic year on K2.  Despite the talent and experience of the American and other teams, there were 13 deaths.  About three weeks after the trekkers left base camp, John Smolich and Alan Pennington were carrying supplies to a camp on top of a long steep ridge when the unpredictable happened and they were killed in an ice and snow avalanche. Understandably, the American team withdrew from the mountain and headed home. 

Approach to K2 Base Camp

K2 Base Camp

Trango Towers

#36 - Pakistan: Gasherbrum Expedition Fund-Raising Trek (1985)

Today's guest Blogger is Ken Wanderer, who led our Gasherbrum Expedition Fund-Raising Trek (you were introduced to him on the Circle South Sister Backpack).  Ken describes the trek as follows: 

In the fall of 1984, I was offered the chance to co-lead the joint Folkways-Mazama Gasherbrum Expedition Trek in the Karakoram sub-range of the Himalayas.  I jumped at the opportunity.  The trek, planned for June and July of 1985, would accompany the Mazama climbing team to the base camp of Gasherbrum I.

Nine trekkers flew into Islamabad, Pakistan, traveled overland north by bus to the Braldu River and spent the next thirty days following the river to the Baltoro Glacier, then along the huge glacier up to Concordia and on to the Gasherbrum base camp.  We returned  via the same route.

We began the walk by crossing the enraged and milky Braldu River on a flying fox, a low-sided simple box suspended from a cable.  Two trekkers per load were pulled 150 yards across the water, praying they wouldn't fall out of the flimsy box 50 feet down into the torrent.

For several days we walked along the river through villages, past barley fields and apricot orchards, meeting farmers and kids along the way.  Then onto the Baltoro Glacier, the third longest sub-arctic glacier in the world, where we went to sleep at night listening to the groaning and creaking of the ice.  We were in sight of the vertical and massive Trango and Muztagh Towers.   In another five days we were at Concordia, the confluence of the Baltoro and the Godwin-Austen Glaciers, deep in the monochromatic heart of the Karakoram.  We were surrounded by Mitre, Broad, Marble and several of the Gasherbrum peaks with K2 majestically framed several miles away.

In another day and half, we found ourselves at the Gasherbrum base camp at 17,500 feet elevation.  While there, we volunteered to carry supplies through the Gasherbrum Glacier ice-fall to Camp I, a rare opportunity for trekkers.  After celebrating July Fourth in that rarefied atmosphere, we retraced our route back to color and civilization from the most awe-inspiring living museum of rock and ice.

View to Concordia (1985)

Looking Around Concordia (1985)

 

Children at Askole (1985)

#35 - New Zealand: Wool & Weave (March 1980)

I did not guide all our overseas hikes, treks and cultural journeys.  I was blessed with knowledgeable and professional office staff who were able to enhance their interests through guiding small groups in exploring our global community.  Today's guest Blogger is Marilyn Miller who describes the New Zealand Wool & Weave which she organized and led. 

Working for David at Folkways, I dreamt of traveling.  When David asked me where I would like to go, I said, New Zealand; so an adventure was planned with the National Woodcraft Festival as the focus.  A small group joined together in Christchurch on March 15, 1980 and we ventured out in a van traveling through the country.

In Christchurch we visited an art show, strolled through the Botanical Gardens, visited the Cathedral, and enjoyed an evening with the local spinner's and weaver's guild where we met an author writing a book on weaving.

After we left Christchurch, we stopped for a tour of the Ashford Handicrafts that still makes top quality spinning wheels.  We arrived at Mt. Cook in the evening after making stops at a pottery shop, grocery store, a chapel and a sheep dog statue honoring early settlers to that part of New Zealand.

At Mt. Cook, we hiked 2 hours to Kea Point, to see the glacier and returned in only 45 minutes.  You could hear the rumble of the glacier movement.  One evening meal was at the lodge where I ordered the fish entree, not expecting to have a whole fish laid before me.  Mt. cook was in full bloom with a multitude of lupines in a large variety of colors.  What a thing of beauty.  Yes, I tucked a few seeds in my pocket and, the next year, had them growing in my garden.

Then we were on to Queenstown where we took the gondola up the mountain for a beautiful view, enjoyed a day trip to Milford Sound and cruised across the lake to Walter Peak to experience a working farm with sheep demonstrations and tea time.

Leaving Queenstown we had a long and bumpy drive over Haast Pass.  I took a sigh of relief once we reach Fox Glacier.  It was a difficult driving day, but we made it without a problem.  Along the road we met a herd of sheep and at the glacier we spotted the whimsical Kea birds.

Continuing along on a 7 1/2 hour drive to Nelson, we arrived just in time to have an afternoon tea with the Nelson Weavers and Spinners Guild.  The next day we visited the Poly Tech School where many crafts are taught, then on to the South Street Gallery where we met another group of weavers.  Next, via ferry to Wellington on the North Island and the New Zealand National Woolcraft Festival in Palmerston North.

The next three days were spent enjoying the ceremonies, the art show, classes in weaving, spinning and embroidery along with a tour of a wool scouring mill and to Lhanbryde Ranch for a shearing demonstration.

After leaving the festival and saying goodbye to new friends, we headed to the Waitomo Glow-worm Grotto near Otorohanga and to the Kiwi House to see live Kiwi birds.

Rotorua was next on our itinerary and we stopped at the Agrodome en-route for a show of sheep herding.  That evening we met with the Rotorua Spinners and Weavers Guild.  The next day's activities included Whaka Village, Forest Center and a Maori church and meeting house.  In the afternoon we saw a demonstration of Taniko and basket making at the Arts and Crafts Center followed by tea at the Colonels Retreat.  Our evening entertainment show was at the Maori Cultural Theater.

Our last stop before returning home was Auckland where we had time for shopping and exploring the city, including the War Memorial Museum which had a lovely Maori display.

What a special adventure for someone who had never traveled before to gather this small group together and explore another part of the world.  I learned that if I could successfully do this and drive a van on the other side of the road, I could do just about anything.

Agrodome Farm Show - Rotorua (1980)

Arrowtown Lunch (1980)

Maori Craft Presentation (1980)

#34 - New Zealand: Town & Country (February & November 1976 - 1982)

I cannot find any notes on my New Zealand journeys, but I have some photographs which may help my memory.  Between 1976 and 1982, I organized 10 - 28 day visits during the months of November and February (Spring and Fall visits) through the North and South Islands.  Our group of 8 - 10 travelers explored the country in a 12 passenger rental van and spent our nights in cabins and motels that provided kitchen facilities which enabled us to prepare both breakfasts and dinners.

Our group came together from another Sunset magazine "Things To Do" column as well as some former Hawaii members.  I began researching on the New Zealand Town & Country program while working at the Western Forestry Center, so about a year and a half went into the planning and organizing.

My initial visit was the biggest challenge.  Fortunately, all the travelers were congenial and cooperative, so riding with a driver in a 12 passenger van traveling down the wrong side of the highway was not overly stressful for them.  Their leader made all attempts to look natural and confident, experiencing a lapse of judgement, mainly, when leaving gas stations or grocery stores and finding ourselves facing oncoming vehicles.  The good news, there was not much traffic in those days so we might drive awhile before encountering another vehicle.  The bad news, anyone approaching straight ahead could become totally confused and swing into the other lane, the lane in which I was suppose to be driving, which lead to a few minutes of chaos and all calmness and confidence by the driver became lost.

Then there were the weekend closures.  Saturday afternoon, most stores, restaurants and petrol stations closed for the weekend.  We had sufficient petrol that first weekend, but our planned Saturday/Sunday food shopping couldn't happen.  We prepared a simple Saturday evening meal, but without groceries for Sunday evening, we found a 1* fish and chips place and ate very local.  Lesson learned, complete all shopping before Saturday noon.

The concept for the New Zealand Town & Country was to explore the cities and small towns, enjoying museums, local markets and restaurants then spend some time in their wonderful National Parks.  It would have been nice, in those early years, to hike the length of the Milford and Routeburn Tracks as well as some of those lesser known tracks, but a taste is better than nothing.  During my multiple visits to these tracks over the years, our members were introduced to the many on day hikes.   Always included in our schedule were hikes in Egmont National Park, hiking the side of Mt. Taranaki, the meadows of Mt. Cook, the UNESCO and Natural World Heritage site of Tongariro National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site of Mt. Aspiring.  Not to be left out, Mitre Peak, situated in the famous Milford Sound, was spotted on many clear morning cruises - no, it doesn't always rain in the Sound. (Note - Rudyard Kipling described Milford Sound as the eight wonder of the world.)

One of the real joys of those New Zealand years was meeting local folks in the National Parks, on the ferry between Wellington and Picton, scenic cruises in Milford Sound and the Bay of Islands as well as dining in the small local restaurants.  On my return visits, our members would gain insights from these local folks when we would join them for dinner, a BBQ or afternoon coffee at someone's house.

Did all our New Zealand travels run smoothly?  In the end, nothing seriously happened and some of those early travelers became friends for years.  But, there was one memorable person, a heart surgeon from Los Angeles, who tested the patience and mental endurance of the young driver/guide.  We will call him Dr. Wizard, referring to his ability to magically disappear and reappear throughout our road trip.  Sometimes, Dr. Wizard would leave a note in the morning on his door that he would see us at dinner with no information regarding where he was going.  As our journey continued, he would disappear for a day and night, then reappear the following morning for our drive onward.  I did not know what to do about him.  He insisted that I not feel responsible for his safety, but I did have Dr. Wizard's family Los Angeles phone number in case he did not reappear.  Upon the completion of the New Zealand Town & Country, Dr. Wizard's name was removed from our mailing list.

 

Glow-Worm Grotto - Waitomo Caves (1979)

Suspension Bridge Crossing on Day Hike (1979)

South Island Road Hazard (1979)

Mt. Cook Hike (1979)

#33 - Crater Lake National Park (August 2019)

Crater Lake, situated in Southern Oregon at 1,943 feet in depth, is the deepest lake in North America and the third deepest in the world.  The lake is surrounded by sheer cliffs that are nearly 2000 feet high at an elevation of 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,100 to 2,400m).  Native Americans witnessed it form nearly 7,700 years ago when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama, which lies dormant at this time.

Crater Lake National Park is comprised of 183,224 acres of mountains, peaks, evergreen forests and the lake.  The Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it and all water that enters the lake is lost by evaporation or seepage and filled by rainfall and snow.  The National Park is open all year, but there is a lot of snow during the winter months with accumulation reaching 10 - 15 feet.  The abundance of water sources make it a natural habitat for a variety of animals, including black bears, coyotes, bobcats, lynxes, pronghorns, foxes, hummingbirds, hawks, chipmunks, squirrels, pika, deer, elk and marmots.

Crater Lake with Wizard Island

Garfield Peak Trail (3.4 miles & 1,069 feet ascent)

Crater Lake from Garfield Peak summit

Wildflowers along Garfield Peak trail

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Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.

All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.

John Muir

#32 - Circle South Sister Backpack (August 2019) Part II

Wildflowers Below Pass #2

Mesa Creek Meadow Campsite

Moraine Lake Lunch Stop

River Crossing on Broken Log Bridge

Middle and North Sister from above Park Meadow

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If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are.

For where you are pleased with yourself there you must remain.

Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.

Saint Augustine