TOP 5 EXPEDITIONS
Nepal Journals
Tracking Rhino's - Chitwan National Park - NepalOur Mahout (elephant driver) surveyed the ground for any signs of the beast. I had seen it cross the river to this island the day before and suggested we try crossing too as our previous attempts elsewhere, had failed. There were definite indentations in the sandy beach that clung to the end of the small island. The other Mahout found something and we followed.
After a few minutes, the two elephants parted company and we turned head long into thick jungle and undergrowth. From atop an elephant the jungle didn't seem so threatening. The elephant removed obstacles and stomped on thick vines. Branches swung into us and over our heads leaving us saturated from this jungle tramping. Just as we started to be lulled into a false sense of comfort and inevitable failure, the Mahout stopped and listened. We stopped and listened.
In the early morning, we could hear hundreds of birds and thousands of insects but it remained surprisingly peaceful. Then crunch. Crunch, crunch. There was something big through the thick foliage. We could hear something and we could see the occasional tree move 40 meters away but what was it? Was it the other elephant or was it the beast.
We plodded on, towards the mystery noise. I thought to myself there is no way we will see the beast with all this noise we are making. More vines torn apart. Another small tree pushed aside.
I whisper to myself, "There it is!" We stop again as the Mahout sees it too. I can hardly make it out. The jungle is still dark and the beasts skin is dark too. Yes, I definitely see it now. Its small ears and eyes and then down to its nose I see a large black horn.
We move closer, and as the jungle starts to brighten I can now see its body. It is enormous, with what appears to be armour plates on its body. Now I can see the entire picture. We have successfully tracked down an Asian Rhino. He or she, I am not sure, would be at least 2 tonnes and absolutely enormous. They have very poor eye sight (10 to 15 feet vision) and from all the noise we have made, potentially poor hearing. There are only 500 of these Rhino's left in the wild and I was only 15 feet away from one.
It stood there chewing on some grass, unsure what to do. As the other elephant came in from the other side, the Rhino turned its massive body with amazing agility and then tore through the undergrowth at speed. I could feel the earth thud as it ran and I could see all the plants shudder as it bulldozed its way to safety. It was the last I saw of the Rhino. What an awesome experience and one I will never forget.
We stayed at the Island Jungle Resort inside the Chitwan National Park. The resort has basic rooms, with toilet and hot water and three great meals per day. It also conducts excellent activities such as elephant rides, jungle safaris, canoe trips, jungle walks and bathing with the elephants (a must do before you die activity). Everything was included in the price.
Footnote: The resorts within the Chitwan National Park are dedicated to preserving the natural environment they work in. While it appeared the elephant was destroying the jungle, they were infact very careful and do not return to areas for some time, so that regrowth can occur.
Mera Peak via Amphu Labtsa - Nepal
On the 23rd of April 2005 a No Roads Expeditions team successfully reached the summit of Nepal’s highest trekkable mountain, Mera Peak.
Mera Peak rises 6654m above sea level, some 4400m higher than Australia’s tallest mountain, Mt Kosiosko. The expedition team set out from the small Nepalese town of Lukla for the initial 9 day trek to Mera Peak High camp, a precarious rocky out crop 700m below the summit. Arriving at Mera High camp on the 21st of April they set up camp and prepared for the summit attempt the next morning. The next morning the team woke to find that high winds had blown up from the Hongu valley to the east. Although not technical, the climb is still dangerous and these high winds would make a summit attempt far too dangerous. Due to these winds they were forced to spend an extra day at High Camp in below freezing temperatures and the uncomfortable conditions high altitude presents. The spare day was spent exploring the immediate area around high camp soaking up the awesome views of the Hongu valley area. Their mountain goal visible from their cramped and uncomfortable camp keeping the excitement levels at a high. Although the day had been an easy one they were all in bed trying to sleep by 6pm, the thoughts of the ice capped peak of Mera running through their altitude affected minds.
The next morning at 2am the group arose to near perfect conditions, a slight breeze and a full moon. As they prepared for the ascent it became evident they were all not going to make it. Michael, an adverting professional from Melbourne was suffering from a pounding head ache, the first signs of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). For Mike to try for the summit would be suicidal. Only a week after their attempt on Mera, a Japanese man ignoring the obvious symptoms, attempted the ascent, only to die from Pulmonary Oedema, the latter stages of AMS. Leaving Mike to rest at high camp with one of the expedition Sherpas, the team set out for the summit, all were connected to the climbing Sherpa via a rope line, carabineers and harnesses. This was required as the ascent would pass over many crevasses both visible and hidden as well as over icy slopes that, if one of them slipped on, would see them slide several hundred meters to their death or at least sustain severe injury.
By 10 o’clock the team had reached the summit after an arduous and soul destroying climb. Even though it was the hardest climb that most of the team had ever done, both physically and mentally, the reward at the top had made the struggle worth it. Views of Everest, Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu and many other notable peaks of the Everest region could be seen under the cloudless blue sky of Nepal.
After a successful ascent the team returned to High Camp, packed up and headed off back down to Base Camp just below Mera La. The next day they would trek into the remote and beautiful Hongu valley with the High pass of Amphu Labsta (5845m asl) in their sites.
Spending a night back at Base Camp provided a much needed rest before the expedition headed off to finish their 25 day trek. Dropping down into the Hongu valley the team were greeted by an awesome corridor of snow capped peaks disappearing into the distance. After three days walking through the towering mountains of the Hongu the expedition team were greeted by the Amphu Labtsa high pass looming above the valley floor. From a distance the team could not work out or even comprehend how they were going to pass over the mountains at Amphu Labtsa as it appeared to be impossibly steep and impassable. Even as they drew closer to the final camp at the foot of the Amphu Labtsa Glacier it still seemed as though there was no way to cross this impossibly steep pass. Throughout their doubts the climbing Sherpa was assuring them it was not only possible but quite easy.
True to his word it was passable but ‘easy’ it was not. Scrambling up the steep icy Amphu Labtsa glacier to the knife edge peak of the pass was the most nerve racking part of the whole expedition. On from the initial scramble the team were then required to absail down a 100 meters of near vertical ice and snow then traverse along the face of the mountain to a loose rock fall. This loose rock fall would then allow them to decend onto the lower Amphu Labtsa Glacier and the final walk out to the first Lodge at Chukhung. At the bottom of the pass the team reflected on the adrenalin rush they had just felt on this amazing part of their expedition.
From the Chukhung the team trekked up to Kalapathar and Everest Base camp for awesome views of the mighty Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Lhotse Shar. Travelling from the Everest region the expedition travelled south back to Lukla via Namche Bazaar for their flight back to Kathmandu.
