Tibet and Himalaya

I've been there 6 times. Today's high level walk in the Alps brought back memories of treks in Nepal.

i was first in Ladakh in 1992, attempting a summit Stok Kangri near Leh. Although crippled at the start by a car crash into a petrol tanker, altitude sickness and diaorrhea I got to 18,500ft on the mountain, then at the end mountain biking from the base camp. A jeep safari to Himachal Pradesh and smoking dope in Manali picked from the roadside. Thikse monsatery and Hemis make spiritual experiences.

1995 the old British hillstation of Mussoorie above Dehra Dun where I visited Project Tiger HQ. Going to show tigers to my kids when they are older. Then a few months later from the Garwhal to the Kumaon Himal. A few days near the Chinese border waiting for Panch Chuli, one of Bonington's victories, to clear and view. Then a 12 hour bus journey across prepitous passes on buses. A jeep journey througha violent region and a bend in the road. An orange cloth covering what turned out to be a body. As the jeep circles the body something odd seems amiss. The atmosphere in the jeep turned somewhat nauseous as we realise he has no head later. fewmonths later I was in the other hill station of Naini Tal. Any Indians here will know it is the Blackpool of Bombay! My Dad was stationed there for RnR in 1947. I was there 50 years later.

1996 Jomsom Trail. The easy bit from Jomsom down thru Tatopani Pune Hill and Pokhara.

1997 Langtang up to Kjangjin gompa. Nice trip.

2002 Muktinath with wife and downwards.

Now I have family it will be years before I go back. But the hippy 60s thing has never left me from there. Sitting in Thamal you'd be forgiven for thinking Woodstaock never stopped, when you hear a band playing psychedelia and talk is of full moon partied on Thai islands.

just a few weeks ago it occurred to me as to where the poor chap's head was back in Kumaon. And you wonder why one cannot sleep at night.....

I lived in Kathmandu and roamed the mountains for two years. Also made it to Tibet years later. I still know Thamal like the back of my hand. If it weren´t for the kids....

hey what was that bar just down from the KGH? Ace tibetan lads playing cool rock. Once Upon a Time?

when I was last there 1997 The underground was the place to ask the rickshaws to take you.

PES I dunno if you know Ladakh but this vid from Banco is def shot in Leh....

I know the Palace inside out.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVM9M6i9ZoU&feature=related[/media]

You read Andrew Harvey?

I found KTM depressing. Durbar Square was a freak show, as was Pashtupati.

Ever get to Langtang gompa? Nearest Nepali equivalent to "Name of the rose".

hmmm... sounds like you smoked hemp

A few years ago, a few of my friends and I motorcycled through Manali to Leh on some old Royal Enfield 350 Bullets. The route is treacherous - high altitude mountain passes (17800 feet - 13300 feet), landslides, erratic streams of glacial melt, only curious vultures for company if you go off the "road", and intoxicated/sleep deprived jeep and truck drivers trying to force you off road.

At these high altitudes we discovered it was easier to get high.. hehe.. low oxygen, high hemoglobin etc etc. heady mix of adventure and dope.

Along the way we met this German guy on a bicycle. Doing the same high altitude route as us, but solo and on a bicycle. Funnily he could cover just about the same distance in one day as we did. And he managed to get to Khardung La (18380 feet) and back to Leh before we did.... different story that he liked to start early every day... cycling that is....

hic hic... time to go back to sleep... early to bed.. early to bed...

Hookey I am very envious of you! The Enfield is supposed to be the classic way round India isnt it? I came late to motorbiking, only starting it on small bikes round Vietnam. Went on a borroed opne round Angkor Wat in Cambodia with wife on the back.

I've done the Leh-Manali trip as a jeep trek. That campsite at Sarchu is awesome isnt it? The landscape there is fantastic, Baralacha/Rohtang La I remember them all.

Also awesome might be the trip over the Zoji La to Kashmir. When I was there Kashmir was out of bounds - I always wanted to stay on Dal Lake but it was too dodgy then.

Yeah it is fantastic... or so those who've done it have told me It was fairly dicey when we did that route - army junta everywhere, convoys overtaking us etc etc.

The route is truly fantastic. The parachute tents at Jispa, Sarachu, Bharatpur "City"... Sigh.. now i am nostalgic