Changtang Silence - June 2017

Changtang Peaks notes. 
There is something beyond what I have seen. I am in Delhi now after completing the 2017 Changtang Peaks Exploratory. It was a well rounded trip complete with cultural interaction with the Changpa nomads, a 6000 meter remote summit climb, an introduction to multi-pitch rock climbing (for those that were interested), and a downhill mountain bike trip from the 5300 meter Khardung pass.

Phuntsok, Kunsang, and Gomba trekking to base camp. We have worked together as a team continuously for four years now.

Approaching base camp with thunderstorm skies one afternoon.

Making Italian bruschetta with freshly made bread, yak cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, and sauteed garlic.

Peak objectives that still await for future seasons.

A snowy morning at base camp.

Pema and Gyatso. It is our second season working with them and their team of twelve horses. Sometimes we work with Ram Lal and Sanjay from Kullu.

The team celebrating with a glass of wine at the end of the expedition in our simple dining tent.

The horsemen stay in their own parachute tent. Here they are getting ready to walk towards the start of our next trek in the Stok range.

Beautiful mountains to the East of Lake Tsomoriri, with Changpa nomads camping with their flocks in the foreground. This is Peldo, one of our camps while on the Changtang Peaks Exploratory.

Loading up camp to head back to Leh. Here you can see our gear truck, the green tents that each trekker gets on our summer lightweight trips in Ladakh, and views of Lake Tsomoriri in the background.

Chris Trafford making friends with shepherds.

An introductory rock climbing day during one of the trip days.

Mountain biking from the Khardung La (5300m)

Our interim camp on the way to base camp.

I saw the following species during the trip:

Tibetan Sand Grouse
Citrine Wagtail
Common Tern
Common Raven
Ladakh Pika
Marmot
Horned Lark
Plain-backed Snow finch
Black-headed Gull
Ruddy Shelduck
Bar headed Goose
Rock Pigeon
Wooly Hare
White crowned redstart
Kiang (Tibetan Wild Ass)


Peldo, Tsomoriri, Ladakh | 4544m | 6:36PM |

The wind is kicking this afternoon. Yesterday, the Tibetan Buddhist monks that passed through our camp said the wind would persist for another ten days. I recall over the years in this same spot how the wind persisted in October. Most people visit Tsomoriri and the Changtang in July and August. We are early. There is more snow in the mountains, yet not too much. It is giving definition to the ridgelines, showing off the true climbing around this massive high altitude lake. I'm enjoying seeing Tsomoriri with such snows in this cold desert, this perhaps my tenth visit to the region.
       Today is purposeful. Acclimatization. My guests arrived three days ago to Leh, Ladakh at 3477 meters. They spent two nights there, trekking with Gomba Sherpa on their second day over a nearby pass to acclimatize. Next we drove here, a massive jump to 4544 meters. Everyone in the team feels fine, and this is the fourth trip we've run this way, always taking the textbook rest day after such a large gain in altitude. Today we spotted 8 bird species, including the rare Tibetan sand grouse and the Plain-backed snow finch. Being a climber and skier, I've learned to enjoy Himalayan expeditions because of their variety.
One day I'm viewing rare bird species, the next we're boulder hopping up a perennial stream to base camp, and then we're climbing unclimbed faces, seeking out new experiences, yet everyday just high quality in a pristine environment.
Tomorrow we'll walk into the Lublung river valley, closer to climbing objectives and have higher ground. :/:

Lublung Nala Camp, Tsomoriri, Ladakh | 5272m | 4:33pm

Underpromise, Overdeliver. Chris Trafford says today. Storm clouds pass by overhead, some threatening to drop rain and snow on us, yet it remains dry here in camp. The Lublung creek we are next to was dry until about half a kilometer below us. If you haven't been here before, it gets you thinking. 14kms from our lake camp in Peldo to here. Locals pronounce Peldo (Beldo). It's early summer here, there are many nomad camps around, white canvas with blue trim and the classic brown yak hair tents stretched between poplar poles worn smooth from the years of movement, of storms, of the hands of work.
     The winter snows are starting to melt during the warming days, yet it still isn't full summer here on the high plateau. Two days prior I noticed the monsoon has arrived to Rishikesh, an Instagram photo posted by a friend.

15 kilometers
4 hours 26 minutes of walking
6 hours of travel 
5284m

Lublung Nala Base Camp, Tsomoriri, Ladakh | 5592m | 5:41pm

The snow showers come and go, in pulses throughout an otherwise mild day. Yesterday, we acclimatized at a lower camp, and shifted up here today, 1046 feet higher. The weather continues to appear unstable, yet tomorrow morning we will start at 4 am, for a nearby 6000 meter summit. Everyone feels healthy, and some of us will climb to 6000 meters for the first time in their life tomorrow. That's exciting.

Lublung Nala Base Camp, Tsomoriri, Ladakh | 5592m | 6:03pm

We all reached a 6200m Himalayan summit this morning.  Guests say it was fulfilling. Gomba, Chris, and Chuck climbed together on a large ridge. Will wasn't feeling well last night so we planned a rest day today. He woke up feeling strong and we went for a walk into a nearby cirque to scout new climbing routes. Halfway up the valley, with clouds covering the peaks we'd planned to scout, I asked him, "what do you want to do today Will?" There was a clear route straight to the summit of the peak the others were already climbing. I gave that option, and he was up for it. We began climbing, reaching the group an hour later. We all summited together in brilliant sunshine, descending to camp for lunch. Evening, we'll shift our base camp tomorrow, and climb another 6000 meter peak in the coming days. Snow showers and marginal weather continue.

There is something heavily comforting to all in the room. No one had much to eat for  dinner tonight, and silence is our moniker. Yet I can tell that something is in the air. And everyone seems ready for sleep.

We are down from the high mountains. A monk came by, asking for the fee to sleep on his monasteries land. We paid it politely, opening a bottle of South Australian Cabernet to share amongst ourselves. We are nine, two horsemen, Phuntsok, Gomba, and Kunsang.

Back to Leh, we have gone multi-pitch rock climbing and downhill mountain biking the past two days. A great trip. We will return to this region in 2018.

Tibet - Lhakpa Ri Base Camp and Acclimatization - Lhakpa Ri Expedition - May 2017

Rongbuk Valley, Tibet | 0916 | 5144m/16,820ft | 12 May, 2017 | Lhakpa Ri Expedition

    Hello from our base camp. We arrived here on the morning of 9 May, using the first day to review multi-pitch alpine climbing skills. We will be climbing 7045m/23,037ft Lhakpa Ri in alpine style as a team of 5. I will be leading the pitches where it is needed and otherwise we will be traveling as a roped team with running belays.  We are Luke Smithwick, Gomba Sherpa, Charles De Courval, Wilmars Mikelsons, and Francis Lawrence.  Charles and I are also carrying skis on our backs to the summit, with intentions to ski from the summit.  Over the past days the weather has continually changed throughout each day. Cloudy mornings, clear afternoons, snow showers, sunny skies. Continually changing. This forecast will continue while we are here. It is manageable and we will be climbing in this weather. We have not had the opportunity to look at Lhakpa Ri this season, but I do know from Kyajo Ri a few weeks ago that we need snow. The snow showers we are getting will help in the icy sections of the route up to the summit of Lhakpa Ri, and may enable a complete ski descent.
    Everyone finally got a good nights sleep last night. It’s a big jump to drive directly into a 5100 meter base camp. For most other base camps you take a slow approach to reach such an altitude.  Each day we’ve made forays onto the hills around base camp here, reaching 5700 meters as a high point.  Tomorrow we will walk to an Interim camp on the Far East Fork of the Rongbuk glacier, and then onwards to our Advanced Base Camp at 6200 meters, very near Everest Advanced Base Camp.  We will have several days to acclimatize around Lhakpa Ri ABC, with plans to ski tour and walk up to the Rapiu La for views of the Kangshung Face of Everest and a walk up to Everest ABC.  When we feel ready and the time is right with the weather, we will walk over to a camp 1 on Lhakpa Ri, and then climb the following morning to the summit. The purpose of a camp is to ensure we have time to deal with in difficulties on the summit day.  Gomba and I will carry tents and some equipment over to the camp 1, giving us an opportunity to check out the upper mountain before we bring the team over for the summit day. Wish us luck. I’ll send an update when we return to base camp, likely on 22 May 2017.

-Luke Smithwick, guide, Himalaya Alpine Guides (www.himalaya-alpine.com) 

2016 September Stok Range Alpine Climbing

Will Porteous on the summit of Shuku Kangri. We were the only team on this peak.

The Stok range is the prominent skyline of peaks seen from Leh, the capital of Ladakh. The Stok range is most often visited for a climb of the popular trekking peak, Stok Kangri.  The focus of this trip was to seek out new climbing objectives on adjacent peaks and on North facing slopes.  The north facing slopes of this range hold stationary ice bodies and glaciers and do present some degree of climbing challenge, and at the 5500m+ elevation.
      From 25 September - 8 October 2016, we made our way into Stok Kangri base camp via Shang Sumdo and the Matho valley.  There are a lot of tour companies offering climbs of the standard route on Stok Kangri. It is possible to come to Leh and organize a climb of Stok Kangri for about US$400. You go into base camp, sleeping in pre-established camps, and walk up the route with a local boy, under good conditions. This trip has nothing to do with this experience. Our goal was to do alpine climbs of more aesthetic routes, including learning to climb on ice with crampons, and covering other skills for moving in technical rock and ice terrain in the mountains, with a western mountain guide teaching these skills (Luke Smithwick).

Blue sheep cross a glacial stream on approach to base camp.

     Our first day of training for these skills was in Matho Phu, where we covered ascending and descending a fixed rope in steep rock terrain, moving together in alpine style on a rope, basic knots for mountaineering, objective hazards in mountaineering, communications while traveling as a rope team, and how to transition into multi-pitch rappels from upward progress.  Each of our trips is catered to the participants involved. Mahesh wanted to trek and try climbing, Amit wanted to learn to mountain skills, and Will wanted to climb new routes and summit 6000 meter peaks. More images of the trip below. We will return to the Stok range in July 2017. Interested? Contact Luke
    

Himalaya Alpine Guide Luke Smithwick putting up the rope to belay guests during the ascent of Golep Kangri in alpine style.

Will Porteous on the summit of Stok Kangri.

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The team making their first multi-pitch alpine rock climb. Two of these climbers had never been rock climbing before.

Views on 5000 meter Matho La.

Looking into Matho valley from the top of Matho La.

Amit with Stocky the dog while hiking Stok Kangri.

Mahesh on trek.