Shisha Pangma Ski Expedition 2004: Update Two

There was about a four hour drive to the border. A landslide blocked the road for all vehicles so we had to carry our bags past the landslide and pack it in to new cars to continue. The border to Tibet lies on 1770 meters beside a bridge called Friendship Bridge. Crossing the border into Tibet was easier than expected. They scanned our gear with x-ray and we had to show our passports a few times and that was it. Instead of the original plan to stay one night in Zangmu, a town near the border,  we continued to Nyalam.

Nyalam is a small Tibetan town located on 3600 meters. That's where I'm now. We will stay here a few days for acclimatization, doing shorter hikes up the nearby hills. Normally you can see Shisha Pangma from the hills but so far it's been cloudy and no visibility. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a glimpse of the mountain. Monday we will continue our journey to Shisha Pangma Base Camp.

Fredrik

SVENSKA, Tibet

Efter att 12 Nepaleser blivit dödade i Irak sa bröt stora demonstrationer ut i Kathmandu. Av säkerhetsskal sa stängde myndigheterna i Nepal alla vägar och butiker och man utfärdade utegångsförbud i Kathmandu. Detta medförde att jag fick två dagar på hotellet och att vi inte kunde lämna Kathmandu som planerat för att åka upp till Tibet.

Till slut öppnades vägarna några timmar i fredags morse och vi kunde lämna Kathmandu. Det var en ca fyra timmars resa upp till gränsen på risiga grusvägar. På ett ställe hade det varit ett jordras som totalt förstört vägen. Som tur var så var Nepaleserna förberedda på detta och vi tog våran packning och bar den förbi jordraset till väntande bilar och bussar. Sen var det bara att fortsatta resan. Gränsen till Tibet ligger på 1770 meters höjd vid en bro som heter Friendship Bridge. I stället för orginalplanen att stanna i Zangmu, en liten by vid gränsen, så fortsatte vi till en by som heter Nyelam som ligger på 3600 meters höjd. Där är jag nu.

Jag kommer att stanna här några dagar för acklimatisering, göra kortare vandingar på kullarna i närheten. Normalt sett kan man se Shisha Pangma från dessa kullar, men än så länge har det varit moln och dimma så jag har inte sett något. Förhoppningsvis klarnar det upp imorgon så att jag far en liten vy av berget. På måndag fortsätter resan mot Shisha Pangma Base Camp.

Fredrik

Shisha Pangma Ski Expedition 2004: There are only 14 mountains in the world that reaches over 8000 metres. Shishapangma in Tibet is one of them. Skier Fredrik Ericsson is, during autumn 2004, going to Tibet to climb and ski descend Shisha Pangma.

The Mountain: Shisha Pangma is 8012 metres high and is located in Tibet. It’s the only 8000 metres peak that is entirely in Tibet. It was first climbed by Chinese climbers in 1964 and until this day no Swedish has sat his foot on the summit.

Team: Fredrik Ericsson is a skier and climber from Umea in Sweden who’s now living in Chamonix, France. He has spent a lot of time in The Hurrungane Mountains in Norway and has skied lines that only has been climbed before. 2003 Fredrik climbed and ski descended the Borodkin route on the 7495 metres high Peak Somoni in Tajikistan.

The Expedition: Fredrik will fly to Kathmandu in Nepal on the 29 of August 2004; thereafter he will travel with a jeep to Tibet via Zangmu and Nyalam to Shisha Pangma Base Camp at the altitude of 5000 metres. After a couple of days of acclimatization he will continue on foot to 5600 metres where the Advanced Base Camp is located. That will be his home for the next month and that’s where the climbing to Shisha Pangma starts. The next couple of weeks will be used for acclimatization climbs to higher altitude. Sometime in the end of September Fredrik will make a push for the summit via camps at 6700 m, 7000 m and 7400 m. He will climb fully on his own without help from Sherpas or supplementary oxygen. On the summit awaits the greatest challenge for Fredrik: to descend on skis.

Fredrik has the possibility to be the first Swede on the summit of Shisha Pangma. He can also be the first Swede to ski descend an 8000 metres peak. Expedition partners: Mountain Hardwear, Dynastar, Åka Skidor, Adidas, Eyewear, Osprey, Smartwool och Duracell 

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

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