Monday, September 04, 2006
Level Six in Tibet
In July 2006 Level Six U.K. team members Sammy Robinson and Tom Hughes escaped the never ending drought that is U.K. paddling and paddled in the "Abode of Snows"; Tibet. In the course of a five week expedition they, and fellow team members Darryl Sergisson, Andy "Rrrroundy" Round, "Crazy" Dave Thomson, and "Dapper" Daz Clarkson, knocked off over twenty different rivers including nine first descents. In the interests of brevity we bring you one...
The Rong Chu flows down the north side of a large lump of rock we know as Mount Everest. We'd kayaked down the South Side ( Dudh Khosi in Nepal)in 1999 and 2004 so were keen to paddle down the North (Rongbuk) side so that we'd become the first people ever to kayak down both sides of a large, but well known, boulder.
Getting to the river required some alternative transport. Much better than walking though.
Arriving at Everest Base Camp with inconveniently shaped backpacks tends to draw a crowd. It was here that we came to understand that paddling at altitude is something of a problem; being hairy side up is barely essential when the air has no oxygen in it but a nasty side effect means that all the foam in your kit expands to crazy proportions... lifejackets get tight, pillars distort hulls and helmet linings crush skulls. Even changing to put on the water is an exertion!
The river, happily, exceeded all expectations. Constant Alpine class four, five and for those willing at nearly 19 000 feet class 5+ ( I walked). Here's some images to tempt your pallet...
Dave narrowly avoids an early bath on the Rong.
Tom and Dave fight for an eddy. There are no actual eddies in Tibet, merely slightly less fast water.
Sammy Robinson on the Rong Chu.
For those of you interested in paddling in Tibet here's some golden rules;
1) Don't expect eddies... there aren't any
2) Any eddies you find will be occupied by a yak
3) Everything you find in Tibet is bigger than it looks from the side
4) Evereything you find in Tibet is faster than it looks from the side
5) Everything you find in Tibet is two classes harder than it looks from the side
6) Follow the orange kayak
7) There are plenty of yaks already in Tibet ( punning is no substitute for a sense of humour!)
Many thanks; Level Six, Big Agnes, Liquidlogic.
Logistics provided by Chris Jones, Windhorse Tibet.
Words: Tom Hughes
Pictures: Tom Hughes, Andy Round, Darryl Sergisson
In July 2006 Level Six U.K. team members Sammy Robinson and Tom Hughes escaped the never ending drought that is U.K. paddling and paddled in the "Abode of Snows"; Tibet. In the course of a five week expedition they, and fellow team members Darryl Sergisson, Andy "Rrrroundy" Round, "Crazy" Dave Thomson, and "Dapper" Daz Clarkson, knocked off over twenty different rivers including nine first descents. In the interests of brevity we bring you one...
The Rong Chu flows down the north side of a large lump of rock we know as Mount Everest. We'd kayaked down the South Side ( Dudh Khosi in Nepal)in 1999 and 2004 so were keen to paddle down the North (Rongbuk) side so that we'd become the first people ever to kayak down both sides of a large, but well known, boulder.
Getting to the river required some alternative transport. Much better than walking though.
Arriving at Everest Base Camp with inconveniently shaped backpacks tends to draw a crowd. It was here that we came to understand that paddling at altitude is something of a problem; being hairy side up is barely essential when the air has no oxygen in it but a nasty side effect means that all the foam in your kit expands to crazy proportions... lifejackets get tight, pillars distort hulls and helmet linings crush skulls. Even changing to put on the water is an exertion!
The river, happily, exceeded all expectations. Constant Alpine class four, five and for those willing at nearly 19 000 feet class 5+ ( I walked). Here's some images to tempt your pallet...
Dave narrowly avoids an early bath on the Rong.
Tom and Dave fight for an eddy. There are no actual eddies in Tibet, merely slightly less fast water.
Sammy Robinson on the Rong Chu.
For those of you interested in paddling in Tibet here's some golden rules;
1) Don't expect eddies... there aren't any
2) Any eddies you find will be occupied by a yak
3) Everything you find in Tibet is bigger than it looks from the side
4) Evereything you find in Tibet is faster than it looks from the side
5) Everything you find in Tibet is two classes harder than it looks from the side
6) Follow the orange kayak
7) There are plenty of yaks already in Tibet ( punning is no substitute for a sense of humour!)
Many thanks; Level Six, Big Agnes, Liquidlogic.
Logistics provided by Chris Jones, Windhorse Tibet.
Words: Tom Hughes
Pictures: Tom Hughes, Andy Round, Darryl Sergisson
