Day 21. April, 30. Puja. The expedition is completed. We start our way back home
Yesterday everything became clear: by order of the authorized body of the PRC all mountain peaks on the territory of China, including Everest, are closed for visiting by mountaineers in connection with the high seismic activity and ascents hazard to life for the whole year of 2015. All expeditions members are ordered to leave the places of their stay and to descend down.
Yesterday the liaison officer and the staff of the Chinese mountaineering service came to our camp for the meeting. They do not make any decisions, but came to calm us. Those, who used to deal with Chinese officials, know that this meeting was meaningless; and their faces' expressions speak for themselves.
Now we need to get our stuff from ABC down to BC; we plan to start now, if yakmen with yaks will come. This procedure will take us three days. After that we are waiting for the road to Lhasa; the primary plan - to leave Tibet for Katmandu by cars - is now impossible to be implemented, since the road to Katmandu is destroyed by an earthquake, and its renovation will take month or two. We'll get from Lhasa to KTM by plane, if KTM will accept flights: at the present time Nepal airport works unstable.
It is also difficult to fly via China, because you need to have a Chinese visa: Lhasa airport serves only flights to KTM. All other flights arrive to domestic airports of China and if you take an international flight you have to have a visa. We have a group visa - 'the list', which allows us to travel only all together. We also do not know how soon will it be possible to fly from Katmandu, when will we get there, since it's not clear for what date it will be possible to change our flight back: there may be problems with free seats in planes, because of the emergency situation in Nepal.
Since yesterday Internet almost doesn't work; we tend to think that it is because Chinese authorities want to 'force' us to leave. Since only one station serves the whole canyon - it is not a problem to drown the signal out.
Nevertheless the Puja religious procedure, which had been previously paid and pre-planned for today, is conducted. The monk came, incenses burn, prayers are recited, the needful things are sanctified. The primary meaning of Puja was to sanctify our ascent of Everest; now it has been transformed into something else.
It is early to make the final conclusions on expedition - at first we need to get out from here, which is not easy. For now, I can only say the following: on the one hand it is disappointing - much time, money and efforts are wasted; the acclimatization went well, we are in a good condition, we aim to the summit. On the other hand, the tragedy, which happened on the southern side is a very serious reason to think about. By a lucky chance no one on the northern side was hurt; according to the forecasts of seismologists an underground activity in our area in the near future will continue with a displacement of the center in the direction of Tengri, there may be incidents in mountains in the vicinity of our route.
Whatever happens - happenes for the best.
Yesterday everything became clear: by order of the authorized body of the PRC all mountain peaks on the territory of China, including Everest, are closed for visiting by mountaineers in connection with the high seismic activity and ascents hazard to life for the whole year of 2015. All expeditions members are ordered to leave the places of their stay and to descend down.
Yesterday the liaison officer and the staff of the Chinese mountaineering service came to our camp for the meeting. They do not make any decisions, but came to calm us. Those, who used to deal with Chinese officials, know that this meeting was meaningless; and their faces' expressions speak for themselves.
Now we need to get our stuff from ABC down to BC; we plan to start now, if yakmen with yaks will come. This procedure will take us three days. After that we are waiting for the road to Lhasa; the primary plan - to leave Tibet for Katmandu by cars - is now impossible to be implemented, since the road to Katmandu is destroyed by an earthquake, and its renovation will take month or two. We'll get from Lhasa to KTM by plane, if KTM will accept flights: at the present time Nepal airport works unstable.
It is also difficult to fly via China, because you need to have a Chinese visa: Lhasa airport serves only flights to KTM. All other flights arrive to domestic airports of China and if you take an international flight you have to have a visa. We have a group visa - 'the list', which allows us to travel only all together. We also do not know how soon will it be possible to fly from Katmandu, when will we get there, since it's not clear for what date it will be possible to change our flight back: there may be problems with free seats in planes, because of the emergency situation in Nepal.
Since yesterday Internet almost doesn't work; we tend to think that it is because Chinese authorities want to 'force' us to leave. Since only one station serves the whole canyon - it is not a problem to drown the signal out.
Nevertheless the Puja religious procedure, which had been previously paid and pre-planned for today, is conducted. The monk came, incenses burn, prayers are recited, the needful things are sanctified. The primary meaning of Puja was to sanctify our ascent of Everest; now it has been transformed into something else.
It is early to make the final conclusions on expedition - at first we need to get out from here, which is not easy. For now, I can only say the following: on the one hand it is disappointing - much time, money and efforts are wasted; the acclimatization went well, we are in a good condition, we aim to the summit. On the other hand, the tragedy, which happened on the southern side is a very serious reason to think about. By a lucky chance no one on the northern side was hurt; according to the forecasts of seismologists an underground activity in our area in the near future will continue with a displacement of the center in the direction of Tengri, there may be incidents in mountains in the vicinity of our route.
Whatever happens - happenes for the best.
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