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a travel blog by Clairesj




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tourist attractions and fast food

Jaipur, India


We were ready to leave Mount Abu, i hate to use the word bored, but i think most of us were! it lacked anything to do. the traveling took us a day rather than the predicted 2 days which was good.
Jaipur is the pink city, but it didnt seem very pink. I slightly unenthusiastically decided to join a group of 7 of us to do a sight-seeing day. We hired 2 tuk-tuks which would take us to the places of interest. First stop was a palace (or possibly also a crematorium, translation was a bit lost!) that was built 1600 years ago. it was very beautiful, all white stone with ornate carvings. Next was a factory outlet where they made materials and printed them. we got a short demonstration before being herded into the shop. a few rupees lighter we left for a tower that gave us a view of the city. the last museum was too expensive, so we headed back to the hotel. we failed to see any snake charmers becasue apparently it has now been made illegal which was a disapointment.
Food was pizza hut!! it was very expensive compared to local food but in my opinion definately worth it! although it was worrying how we all struggled to finish our meals, and cheese was a shock to the system! will i ever be able to eat rich western food in any quantity again?!
in the evening, we found a place claiming to be an English pub, so the whole group went. it was air-conditioned and in an expensive hotel, so i felt quite scruffy! back at the hotel, we decided to put some music on on the roof of the hotel, but Peters speakers were a bit quiet, so we went down to BiRT and played music there. we saw the sun rise before going to bed! So the following day was relaxing by the swimming pool of a nearby hotel. I also had a Macdonalds- i know... but i havent had meat for longer than i can remember! although they dont do beef burgers- only chicken. my chicken goujons were as bad as i expected, and my chips were more salt than potato, but somehow it tasted good!
There has been a bit of unrest in our group, as Danny went ahead to Dehli to get our Chinese visas sorted, so Lorraine was put in charge. Our food budget has not been enough, especially when in a big city, so we have had to chip in for our evening meals which soon adds up. it has created a bit of tention, along with most people getting frustrated about the lack of climbing we are doing and being stuck in cities (me included).
We have arrivced in Dehli today, and are here for 7 days which is a long time in an Indian city. But we are getting four newbies this week, which will change the group dynamic and will be a positive thing i think. Next we are going into the mountains to do adventurous trad multipitch and bouldering at Chattru, so i cant really complain! and then Leh after that for trekking and apparently its the most beautiful place! So i am sitting out the lul (as it was bound to happen at some point) and looking ahead to the next place.


permalink written by  Clairesj on June 8, 2009 from Jaipur, India
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Bad climbing, good climbing, new adventures!

Delhi, India


I have so much to say, so i need to remember all of it, and i only havea few hours before i am catching a bus to Manali!
On arrival to Delhi, we went to a restaurant for dinner and i got what i thought wouldnt be a spicy meal for a change- chinese style ginger chicken- it was the spiciest food ive eaten for ages! but it was chicken so i ate it! Danny then broke it to me that i would be on truck duty that night with Paul. Truck duty is basically sleeping in BiRT overnight when BiRT is not next to our camp, so if anyone trys to get into the truck (its quite easy to) then we will scare them off. Well id managed to avoid this duty until now, but it was the worst place to have truck duty. BiRT is parked in the train station car park. I felt quite vulnerable going to BiRT at 9 in the evening then being surrounded by the usual locals watching you open your locker and climb into the truck. It was also very noisy, as no one slept around there- they were all loading and unloading items from trains etc. So i managed to sleep a bit, but at 4.30am when it was light we headed back to the hotel to get a few extra hours sleep! I didnt feel too bad later after a bit of sleep. A group of us then decided to search for a local climbing area that was about a 10 min tuk tuk ride away. When we arrived, we had to pay to get in, and it was soo dirty. there was glass and rubbish everywhere. there were lots of easy slab climbs but as we arrived at midday, they were all in the sun. i did a very easy trad lead with Jeremy in the sun, but i could only hold a hand-hold for about 2 seconds before it started to burn! and my feet werent any better! so we resigned to trying the only routes in the shade which were overhanging and really hard- 7a and above. i couldnt get off the ground! the day was saved by finding bottles of frozen Limca (like lemon fanta) and Sprite. Ihave developed an addiction to Limca! i am a bit worried i might not have any teeth left at the end of the trip!
In the evening, i got dinner on my own which was nice, then we watched TV at the hotel.
Wednesday we got up at 4.00am to get a bus to a climbing area that takes about 3 hours to get to. the bus didnt turn up for a further hour and the agent was really difficult, asking for more money, even though Danny had pre-organised it, and we almos walked away. Jeremy (whos an American marine) got angry but took charge and sorted it all out! After getting a bit lost, we arrived feeling unpsyched until we walked up the steps to find some really nice looking rock. I led a route with Marita which was really good, followed by a couple more. i backed off a lead after a lot of attempts to get over an awkward move with no gear to protect it. by the time we finished the route it was 12.30 and 46 degrees! it was very unpleasant! i was drinking a litre of water after each route. we went back to a place that seemed to be some kind of school camp, and found they had a hose for washing blankets and clothes so we jumped in that and felt much better. it then started to rain, so we waited it out and started climbing again in the afternoon when it was a bit cooler. We did a route in the pouring rain, but the rock was dry again 10 minutes later!
after a sucessful daywe drove back. i was starving as i didnt bring any lunch so just ate some bread and bananas as breakfast.
Thursday we went back to the same place so it was another short night sleep, but agqin some really nice climbing. i felt much better about everything after a good days climbing! we also played volleyball with the locals at the camp, which was a very good game, even though we lost! and they gave us tea. the weather was slightly cooler than the day before with a bit of a storm in the afternoon.
Today, Gareth and I are leaving thew group and going to Manali early. Its in the mountains and a nice chilled out place apparently with some hiking and possibly some climbing.Its also only 6 hours bus ride from Chattru- the next climbing destination on the trip- at over 3000m altitude and multipitch trad aswell as bouldering. We will see what to do when in Manali. We booked a bus ticket with the hotel yesterday morning- but with no proof of ticket, lets hope we get on the bus! It arrives at 4pm, so i have a couple of hours to pack everything (including fleece and down jacket!!) and buy food. I am not sure its the best thing to do leaving the group when the new people are arriving and Alberto is leaving, but i have made the decision and im here to climb rather than stay in the city. there will be plenty more parties and time to get to know the newbies. It will be really nice to be organising things independently, becasue until now i have relied completely on Danny and the trip.
Sorry for such an essay! The next blog will be from the mountains!!


permalink written by  Clairesj on June 11, 2009 from Delhi, India
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mountains, hippies and crossiants!

Manali, India


So the gamble paid off! After an interesting and slightly nerve-racking bus journey to Manali, we arrived a bit late at 12 midday on saturday. We caught the bus, well waited inj the hotel to be picked up, 20mins late, then followed this man to the bus station, stopping at every hotel on the way. we were ushered to the back of the bus (we found out from another English girl that they send the foreigners to the back of the bus where its most bumpy and hot, so the locals can get the best seats!) then did a huge circle round the city to arrive at the same place as we had started becasue an Indian family had been late! so what should hve been a 30min journey to change buses, was 3 hours! we then got off the bus at this point, unsure whether to change bus, only to find we stayed on the bus, but had then lost our seats! we got seats right at the front which actually paid off becasue they were away from the crying baby and loud kids! We stopped for dinner, and breakfast the next day, and a few other stops in the middle of nowhere. The night driving was scary as it was endless hairpin bends that the driver went at full speed to turn the wheel at the last minute. Sleep seemed the better option, if only so i didnt have to watch! eventually morning came, and brought nice scenery, mountains and a river, and winding roads up to Manali. When we arrived at the bus station, we then got surrounded by tuk tuk drivers asking us where we wanted to go- Old Manali, New Manali? Old Manali is where the Westerners stay and its cheaper, so we got a tuk tuk up the very steep hill (Gareth got out and pushed the tuk tuk at one point!). We went down winding lanes until we found the cheapest hotel (about 1 pound 25 a night each) and met some crazy Israli guys who were staying there.
New Manali is where Indian tourists stay, where there are modern hotels, and a busy market. Old Manali is hippy central, with lots of shops selling crazy clothes and all the typical traveller bits. There are friendly cafes, and everyone is much more laid back than anywhere else we have been in India. you can walk down the street and not be asked to look at every shop as you pass, and tuk tuk drivers go past without asking you if you want a ride! Its very refreshing. The scenery is beautiful too- there are tree covered mountains and snow capped mountains in the distance. It feels slightly like Chamonix.
Yesterday, we went and explored a local climbing area that a guide told us about. Most of the climbing is part of a guided session here that you pay for, but this area was accessible after a bit of a walk. we did 2 routes until it started raining- yes raining!! both routes looked really easy until we got on them and all the jugs were slopers!
The bakeries here are amazing too- they have proper cakes and crossiants and nice bread- its hard to keep walking past them without buying anything!
The nights have been cold here- i slept in my down sleeping bag, even though its probably about the same as england, but im so used to the heat now!
A relaxing day today, then hopefully i will go para-gliding tomorrow if the weather is good.


permalink written by  Clairesj on June 14, 2009 from Manali, India
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I hate packing!

Manali, India


This will be my last post for 3 weeks. tomorrow we head to Chattru- the mountains, wild camping in a valley that has a village of about 3 people apparently! and it has no communications there. I have decided to stay there for the whole 3 weeks along with about half the group, instead of going to Leh where there is trekking and a 6000m peak. In Chattru there is multipitch trad (very adventurous apparently) and lots of boulders, with over 400 problems. I also recon that we will bump into Chris Sharma there becasue apparently he was in Manali a month ago..... well i can dream!!
today has been stressful as we are leaving BiRT in Manali and hiring 4x4s to take us to Chattru. the path can be a bit dodgy, so Pete isnt comfortable driving BiRT there. The bus service isnt working at the moment, but we should be able to hitch a lift back to Manali quite easily if nessecery, for more food etc. I am taking almost everything i bought to India, which seems a bit excessive, but its gonig to be cold and isolated. We also bought 3 weeks of food, or tried to anyway, because there may not be any shops there. we are cooking in groups this time, and im in a 5 with Ben, Paul, Dave, and Roscoe. we have Split peoples stoves to one each group- but our group ended up without one, so we have bought a local one- lets hope it works! Today has been a mad rush, and im feeling quite ill as Delhi belly has caught up with me. I just hope it doesnt rain or snow the whole time we are there!
Bring on the climbing!!


permalink written by  Clairesj on June 18, 2009 from Manali, India
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mountains, endless bouldering, hiking, sleeping in caves, eating in dabbas, what more could a girl want!

Manali, India


i apologise in advance as this is about 3 blogs that i wrote at the time accumulated into one- and there is so much to write!!

Chattru
Saturday 21st June

WOW WOW WOW, Chattru is stunning! A slightly nerve-racking drive out of Manali and up the surrounding mountains on dirt roads was fun, even when the mini bus driver insisted on overtaking every car and truck he could on the single track road! it took us 6 hours with a breakfast stop. the view is of mountains in every direction, snow caps in the distance, rock and glaciers. Chattru consists of a few tents the locals live in and a couple of bigger tents which are cafes (known locally as dabbas). we found a nice spot to camp, near the river which runs through the valley. the altitude is 3200m and a combination of dehydration from being ill and the altitude, i have been feeling a bit strange with a headache.
the bouldering is great. Walk a couple of minutes from camp and pick a boulder and find a problem. Most have already become projects becasue they are too hard for me?! the boulders spread for 17km either side of the river. today me and Jill walked a bit further along the boulders crossing a glacier which felt scary as we made footprints and inched our way across trying not to look down at the drop one slip would casue us to hurtle 20 metres down into the river. im bringing a walking pole noext time! then across a rickety bridge! a little further on and we hit the best bouldering area yet- Crytal Ship. There are so many nice problems here.
It is an amazing place to be bouldering in- with mountains, snow, springs and sunshine. the weather is great- it gets warm/hot in the day then cools right down at night (to being too cold in my opinion! thermals and down jacket are needed!).
i went hiking the other day with Gareth, Jeremy, Veronica and Jill. We walked up a snow patch as it was the easiest way up until it got steeper and steeper and we were in need of crampons and axes. Jill and i moved onto the grass and rocks and ascended a bit further to just over 3700m so we climbed a total of 600m. to my surprise i really enjoyed the hiking. the altitude seems to mean that the others slow down to walk at a pace that my asthma can stay under control. the amazing setting helps too! when i came back down to camp 4 1/2 hours later, the mountains seemed smaller and less imposing after having been half way up one.
Here in Chattru we are cooking in teams with normal camping stoves- i am with Ben, Paul, Roscoe and Dave. We bought lots of tinned food in Manali, so the food has been basic- not too exciting yet! but the dabbas also sell somne basic meals. i have discovered aloo paranthas- which are like chapatis but with potato, onion, garlic, chili and probably other things inside. Veg fried rice is also a treat for a night off cooking.
Some of the group have been exploring trad lines, but with mostly at least a 2 hour vertical walk in at altitude to unknown rock, it is a committment to finding a good do-able line. then there ius the risk of finding a good absail off the route too! so i am going to leave trad for the moment becasue there is so much hiking and bouldering at my fingertips.
I just have to say i am writing this blog in an internet cafe where the owner has been playing Backstreet Boys for the last hour and singing along- its pretty distracting!!


Monday 29th June
What a week! Things have got even better! i went hiking- this time up a grass hill- with Veronica and Jill. Veronica is now nick-named the mountain goat as she is so fast, so i soon found myself way behind Veronica and ahead of Jill. i paused for some 'Hide and Seek' (the best chocolate biscuits in India with chocolate chips!) and to see where Jill was. i could no longer see Veronica. as i approached the bottom of the crag, i started to feel a bit vulnerable as i had lost both girls! i think i reached around 4000m but couldnt be accurate. i decided to descend- to find Jill and becasue i didnt know how altitude would affect me higher up- or how to getdown! and not surprisingly i got completely lost on the way down! nearer the bottom i tried crossing a field on a path, and got scared off by an aggressive guard dog! i retreated quickly thinking about my lack of rabies vaccinations! i reached the cafe after a total of 4 hours and found some otyher hot rockers playing cards there. i want to go back up the mountain and reach the summit before i leave Chattru, i think its about 300 metres higher than where i reached.
Since enjoying the trekking so much i have been concidering going to Leh and up Stok
Kangri. I hate decisions! So when Samora asked if i wanted to join him, Ed, Shaggy and Jon to go to Crystal Ship and tehn walk the 14 km to Chota Dara on the side of the river with no road, but plenty of bouldering according to the guide, i thought why not!
the first night we found a nice cave in the area, put the bouldering mats down as sleeping mats and layered up for what could be a cold night. the guys had bought a feast with them- tinned ham, spaghetti, real pasta sauce with olives in it! fresh tomatos, onions, and peppers that we ate as a salad, and plenty of pasckets of Hide and Seek! we even had music from an ipod and mini speakers. the cave was completely open on one side, so the sky and stars were above me as i fell asleep. why have i been sleeping in a tent for so long?! it was even warm in my thick sleeping bag!

to be continued tomorrow as its dinner time and there is a film showing at the restaurant!........

permalink written by  Clairesj on July 9, 2009 from Manali, India
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Chattru continued....

Manali, India


the meal last nigth was great- chicken lasagne and the film was X-men original Wolverine- it was definately a DVD rip becasue half the graphics were missing from the second half- you could see the strings on Wolverine when he jumped in the air, and the explosions hadnt been created!

To continue... An early start the next day, we set off towards Chota Dara, knowing there was at least one river we had to cross, so the earlier the better. an hour or so later and we found the river! apparently the snow melt over the last couple of days has been much higher than normal. the river was wide and very fast. the current here is scary! after exploring, we accepted there was no way to cross, as one slip would send you hurtling into the main river and you wouldnt get out of that. we turned back, then saw a local shepherd walk past us from the direction of the river. using some sign language, we asked him to show us how to cross- the answer was to wade straight across with his walking stick as guidance on what stone to step on under the water. as the guys put it- it was a bit too 'Rambo' for us! the locals are tough here!
after a stop for everyones favourite breakfast- porridge, we headed back to Crystal Ship and bouldered there defeated. we met the girls there and had a relaxed day bouldering.
I have found much more psyche back recently. i have bouldered a lot with Jill, who is better than me but closer to my style than most of the guys. we have found good problems together and got on well. jill has been climbing for 26 years and used to climb with the British team and onsight 7b, redpoint 7c+. very close to my ambition of one day climbing 8a. its inspired me to believe its possible again. so back to bouldering hard!
Samora, jon and i camped another night in the cave and i had a good day bouldering with them the following day, finding 'easy' problems (their idea of easy is very different from mine!). i should also say that jon is a French guy that we met in Manali, so is not a Hot Rocker, but is a free spirit- staying on his own in a cave most of the time and a good climber, so he has fitted in with the group. a final night in the cave with a minor worry of rain that luckily passed quickly, and a morning bouldering where i found more projects rather than completing any of my existing ones! we returned to camp in time for lunch after running out of food. the snow field is melting so an unpleasant crossing may be the last for a while.
i am finally having a rest day. i weven managed to wash my hair in a stream (not very successfully but better than nothing). the Leh team left yesterday- 7 went and left 11 of us in Chattru. we may move camp to Chota Dara tomorrow by hitch hiking a lift there- for more bouldering.


Saturday 4th July
Things just get better and better- can you believe it! I love bouldering!! the first time ever that i actually love it! i moved from Chattru a couple of days ago with Ed and Jon. we got the bus- had to put all our bags on the roof, then stand in a very small space for most of the bumpy journey. we stopped the bus at Kyara which isnt a village but a boulderfield! it felt great to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere, so isolated! we searched around for a cave to sleep in. we found a nice one with a sand floor, so levelled out some good sleepig space!
it rained so we wanderwed around the boulders getting lost. the next day i tried some awesome problems. they were all quite hard- the guys warned me they were doing hard problems when i joined them. i tried a problem over and over so many times- it had a great toe hook move to a crimp just out of reach. eventually i did it, then Ed said do it again for photographic evidence- it took me 10 more goes to repeat it! another problem started with a sit start on 2 crimps and a heel hoook to a long reach to the right to get a mono (2 finger pocket for me!). i thought there was no way i could make the move, but after a lot of attempts i stuck the sloper as the mono was just out of reach. thats as far as i got but i was very happy! the guys tried a nails 7b+ before doing some 'girl' problems to finish (girl problems are balancy slabs!).
Jon left in the afternoon to go back to Manali then Thailand. Ed suggested we move to Chota Dara- 4 km up the road where everyone else was moving camp too, that evening. we set off in nice weather, but it soon turned and the rain started chasing us up the valley. no trucks or cars came past to hitch a lift so we walked the whole way up hill with way too much gear- perhaps my pillow wasnt really neccessary!
3 tents were set up in Chota Dara, and we found Pete, Lorraine and Peter in the Dabba (much more basic than the others- it was the guys house, consisting of one room, and he only made Chai, coffee and omlette chapatis!). Here we met Pil who is an old English guy who has lived in the area (going to Hampi for the winter) in caves on and off for 7 years developing the bouldering. he climbs font 8a. he also produced a basic guide to the boulders which is what we have been following. he was a little strange but friendly and full of stories. i slept in the Dabba- not a comfortable night sleep but better than finding somewhere in the dark!
Chota Dara has a lot of boulders too so some more exploring and some easy problems made for a rest day. some boulders have no friction which leads to slippery climbing. the area is at 3800 metres so we have increased 600m and it is noticable. im always hungry for a start! and walking around means getting out of breath, even boulder problems leave me sounding like i have just done a sprint!
regular trips to the dabba have become the norm. i am drinking a lot of Chai when its cold and eating omlette and chapati everyday (i actually like it!) plus chocolate! we have had some rain and sun but the wind makes it really bitter, especially at night when i have to wear all my layers to cook in. Tibet could be bad!!
i wanted some new projects here, and the first boulder we went to today is perfect! its a traverse so i broke it down to 2 parts. the crux is the move before the mantle. its font 6c+ so a bit hard for me but im going to give it a good go!


Friday 10th July
we had a party on the 4th as it was Gareth and Lorraines birthdays. the dabba was a unique party place! we did have fireworks as Paul had brougfht them for American Independence day, so we set them off outside and tehy were really good ones. im not sure what the locals thought!
the rest of the time in Chota Dara was the same- i wont bore you with more bouldering details! i didnt complete my project but got closer- with more time...! i started feeling tired aswell as i hadnt had enough rest days- actually im not sure if i had any proper rest days! and the other boulders were so frictionless they werent so inspiring. so it was the right time to return to Chattru on the morning of the 8th. we hitch hiked in groups of 2, and evetually all arrived by lunchtime. i got a lift in a decorated truck, which to my surprise had a CD/MP3 player with USB insert- i havent even seen those in England! it was a bone shattering ride back but food awaited us at the Chattru dabba. countless card games and chess were played that afternoon, and we slept in the dabba, before our prearranged lift came the following morning for Manali.
it was sad to leave Chattru, but a shower, good food, a real toilet and bed were all calling! and my fingertips could do with growing new skin- i have holes within holes!
im impressed if you have red the whole blog! i just wanted to record everything from Chattru becasue it was such a cool experience!

permalink written by  Clairesj on July 10, 2009 from Manali, India
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finishing India- awesome!

Amritsar, India


Amritsar was our last stop in India, camping in a nice guest house with a swimming pool. the water quickly turned black when we all got in there on arrival! We spent $ days there relaxing and waiting to go to Pakistan. i visited the golden temple- the only touristy thing i gave in to, and actually found it really nice. we went at 9pm, in time for the 10pm service. the water surrounding the temple made it very tranquil with the lights reflected in it. the temple itself is exactly as it says on the tin- gold! and it is covered in gold! with shanderliers inside. we had to remove our shoes and cover our heads, but could enter the temple. people were praying and the service had music in the form of accordian type instruments and a drum that accompanied the man saying/singing prayers.
other than the temple, we ventured into the town for pizza hut, and buying a few things. n border crossing day, we set off for Wagah early and got there with a few hours to wait for the border to open but first in the queue. it was a very hot nightmare getting the documents to get out of India, but we made it, and Pakistan was plesantly easy to get into! the difference in the two countries was obvious immediately- Pakistan felt cleaner and even wealthier than India. it was a breath of fresh air. Im glad to leave India- its an amazing place but also a difficult and dirty place. 2 and a half months is plenty of time before you feel ready to leave India behind in search of something new....


permalink written by  Clairesj on July 19, 2009 from Amritsar, India
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Pakistan, after driving driving driving and AK47s

Gilgit, Pakistan


four days of driving and i feel like i am still moving in motion. we had a couple of long days to get through the 'dodgy' parts as quickly as possible, but we actually had no trouble. there were plenty of police check points and police escorts along the way. we had a couple of men with AK47s riding in the cab of BiRT at various points on the journey. one of them sat on the roof of the cab and posed for pictures whilst we were driving along. he then fired a shot as demonstration! the first night we had beef for diner!! it tasted amazing, and was very exciting after so long living mainly as a vegetarian with the odd bit of chicken. we had an uncomfortable night sleeping on BiRT as it got too late and we couldnt find a hotel. this was made up for the next night, wih a nice hotel. the bouldering wall on the back of BiRT has also been completed while we were in Amritsar so we had a go and added some holds. a long next day- driving from 5am- 8pm to a smelly hotel, and finally arriving after lunch today in Gilgit. its not that nicer town, but we are heading straight to Skardu tomorrow- another 6 hours drive but this time without the truck as BiRT will meet us in Passu. Its unclear at the moment what is at Skardu as hot rock hasnt previously been there, but there are roomers of scary loose trad, bouldering and trekking. we shall see!

permalink written by  Clairesj on July 19, 2009 from Gilgit, Pakistan
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trad on loose dirty rock or bouldering...mmn

Skardu, Pakistan


I was going to upload photos as i have a good internet speed but i have lost my SD card with the photos i had selected on. i think i am jinxed against uploading photos!
ill have to get another card and get the photos again so it could be a while.

So we had a complicated journey to Skardu, that took about 10 hours, becasue of all the check points along the way. when we got to Skardu, we couldnt see the bouldering area which is supposedly obvious, so everyone thought we should continue to Kaplu where there is a 13 pitch trad route with 6b grade pitches. i wanted to stay in Skardu and spend a bit longer looking for the boulders. but we swapped taxis after they tried to rip us off, and we evetually made it to Kaplu at about midnight. we camped in a nice hotel and the rock is a couple of minutes walk away, through apricot farms. however we soon discovered the rock was very dirty and loose. it was hard to find any gear placements you could actually trust. on the second day, i started up a route but backed off at an awkward move. Jill took over the lead and just as she stepped up, the foothold broke, and she fell, ripping out what we both thought was good gear. she hit the ground, but luckily just had a painful shoulder that evening- nothing serious. it was scary though as it reminded me of my accident and seeing her on the ground. it was not nice. So after that i thought i would give the trad climbing here a miss! When a couple of the guys said they were going back to Skardu early to find the bouldering- i jumped at the chance. It has been me and the 2 mexicans, so its been frustrating when they speak in Spanish all the time, but the bouldering has been great. we have camped in the boulderfield- very dusty, and a long way from water or food! but the stars at night have been amazing! today we have come back to Skardu for a nice meal, and becasue we ran out of food. then we are going to another area the other side of the town that looked like it had good bouldering potential. hopefully we will then meet up with the rest of the group on their way through Skardu, to Passu.
Kaplu and here have both been really freindly. i have started wearing a head scarf and covering my shoulders as is expected here. we met a lot of friendly people in the town, who would ask if we wanted a cup of tea or needed help. i got my head scarf for free when the shop keeper said i was beautiful and could have it! i was a bit worried accepting it would mean i was accepting a marriage proposal! but luckily not!!We had some visitors to our camp site here and when we were climbing- people stop by the side of the road and come over for a chat! a lot of them just came to chekc we were ok- we must be a strange site, a couple of westerners in the middle of nowhere, when there are so few tourists here anyway! i find the men less threatening than India too, they still stare but keep their distance more. so all in all, im enjoying Pakistan!
time to go and get a luxury chicken burger i think!

permalink written by  Clairesj on July 26, 2009 from Skardu, Pakistan
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photos!

Skardu, Pakistan


Shock horror- i have new photos up! i just put the SD card in a different bag! enjoy!

permalink written by  Clairesj on July 26, 2009 from Skardu, Pakistan
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Clairesj Clairesj
1 Trip
122 Photos

The Arc of Asia 2009-2010. Bring on the climbing!

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