Bullseye’s Blog

We were all at least a little concerned about going into Pakistan – after all, the whole Taliban in the Swat Valley thing is very recent (if not ongoing, depending on if you believe the Pakistani government).  We aren’t going to the Swat area, but the Karakoram Highway goes within 100 km of it on the drive between Islamabad and Gilgit.

All that said, we’re now in Gilgit and the drive was completely without incident.  In fact, the people here are almost nice to a fault.  As we drive through towns everybody waves, and when we stop to eat or stay in a hotel, people are really excited to see us.  Not only that, but this area is really beautiful!

The truck parked along the Karakorum Highway, on the way to Gilgit

Even the police are quite excited to see us, as I imagine tourism has pretty much ground to a halt over the last six months (we haven’t seen a single westerner since we’ve been in Pakistan).  We got several police escorts, but one guy was particularly colorful.  I was sitting up front, and all of a sudden he pops up out of the hatch on top of the cab with his AK-47 and started posing for us to take pictures!

He even indulged our curiosity and fired off a couple of rounds into the wilderness, and then passed his gun off to our trip leader, Danny, who also took a shot.  I would have liked to have had a go at it, but unfortunately I wasn’t riding in the cab with them…

I’ll update again once we’ve done some climbing here – we’re driving tomorrow to Skardu to check out new routing possibilities around there.

Now that I’ve finally gotten photos collected from the group, here’s a post about what has so far been not only the best part of the trip, but the best climbing I’ve ever done anywhere – Chatru and Chota Dhara in the Indian Himalayas..

View of the mountains from Chatru

Chatru and Chota Dhara are known (or at least they should be known) for the vast supply of boulder problems that litter the valley in which they lie. A British fellow has spent quite a lot of time there and put up hundreds of really high quality problems mostly in the higher grades. That said – I’m not much of a boulderer. After a couple of days of getting thrown off really hard problems and rubbing my fingertips raw, I decided enough was enough, grabbed Jeremy and decided that even though the nearest hospital was six hours away, this would be a great time to try two things for the first time – new routing, and leading multipitch trad.

Rather than recounting that particular epic in full detail, I’ll just throw in this picture of me and Jeremy huddling in cave – cold, wet and with yet another rappel to go.

We probably would have looked even more unhappy had we known that while yes, the ropes did BARELY reach the bottom on the last rappel, they would then get stuck and require not one but TWO trips back up a full 60 meter pitch to fix.

Luckily the rest of my climbing went significantly better (and Jeremy is still willing to climb with me). Not counting that first route, I lead seven first ascents. Most were not anything particularly special, but on one trip into a nearby canyon I saw a line that immediately called out to me – a really fantastic looking corner crack. At first I was hesitant – on the con side it was definitely two pitches with a hanging belay and definitely looked difficult. On the pro side, it looked like there was fairly good protection the whole way up save the crux, it looked like great climbing, and most of all, I just really wanted to be the first one to send it.

Luckily Danny was on hand to sit back and take pictures (or go run for help). In the end it was fantastic climbing, definitely pushed my limits, and Dave and I went up and down without incident.

Pulling hard on Black Widow (5.10c) in Chatru

On the crux of Black Widow (5.10c) in Chatru

Now I’m back in Manali, relaxing for two days before we drive to Amritsar. We can’t legally bring any alcohol into Pakistan, so before we leave we have to deplete the stock of the truck bar and celebrate Ed’s birthday. I’m looking forward to that, but not the fact that yesterday in Amritsar it was 100 degrees!

Over the last three weeks I had some opportunities to venture out with my camera and capture some of the awesome beauty of the Indian Himalayas…

Bridge over the Beas River in Manali

On the road from Manali to Chatru

Me on the first ascent of Spliff and a Chowmein (5.9) in Chatru

Jeremy leading Blood on the Rocks (5.7) in Chatru

Me messing around after a day of climbing in Chatru

Chatru is really just a river crossing that happens to have a couple tea shacks – pretty rustic

Moonrise in Chota Dhara

Moving on from Jaipur, we drove for a day to reach the capital of India, Delhi.  Delhi is the busiest city I’ve ever been in by far – always chaos, always something going on.

A couple days  I stepped outside the hotel to find some sort of Hindu parade coming down the street of the bazaar where we are in Pahar Ganj.  I’m not really sure what it was about, but it was pretty interesting to watch.

We also got out for some climbing yesterday, just outside of Delhi at Dhauj rocks (near Faridabad).  It was really nice rock, with loads of trad routes between 10 and 30 meters tall.  I bagged my first too legitimate trad leads, which was really fun.  Without a guidebook I can’t say for sure what grade they were, but I would guess around French 4 or in American grading 5.6 – easy but good for starting to lead.

Anyhow, now I’m in Manali, waiting for the rest of the group to catch up and relaxing in the cool mountain air!

105 degrees and humid.  Too hot to drive, too hot to sleep, too hot to do anything but sit in a restaurant and order cold drinks – welcome to Jaipur.

We moved on from Mt. Abu yesterday, which while still fairly hot, was cool in comparison to where we are now.  I didn’t get a chance to take any photos in Mt. Abu so I won’t linger on it long, but it’s known as a place to get away from the heat in Rajasthan, and is a popular honeymoon spot for newly married couples.  We had hoped to do some climbing in Mt. Abu, but unfortunately all we found were some unprotectable slab climbs that weren’t worth the effort.  We spent the three days lounging around, walking around the town, and generally being pretty bored.

Now we’re in Jaipur, which is about 500 km northwest of Mt. Abu, but much hotter as it’s at a lower elevation.  Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” but really it’s another hot, dirty Indian metropolis.  We hired an auto-rickshaw for the day today and drove around to see a few tourist sites – the best of which was a palace complex:

We also stopped by a factory where they make textiles, and I got some presents for my family (getting Christmas out of the way early).  We also hiked to the top of a really (too) tall minaret so we could get a view of Jaipur

That pretty much leads me up until right now – we are here tomorrow as well, which I plan to spend reading by the pool and trying to keep reasonably cool.  Then on Monday we drive to Delhi, which is supposed to be slightly more hot than here, if that is even possible.  We had a whole week alotted for Delhi, mostly because the a good portion of the group needs to hang around the Chinese embassy and work out their visas.  Seeing as how I don’t need to do that, I plan to spend a day or two climbing, a day to see Delhi, a day to go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal, and then I’m going to hopefully take the first bus to Manali and take it easy in the mountains while I wait a couple days for the group to catch up.  It’s a cool 56 degrees there today, which sounds GREAT.

I’ve arrived safely in India, and have been with Hot Rock for the past week or so.  The journey over here was not as bad as I expected, the whole thing was more than 24 hours of traveling, but the plane was about as good as you can get in coach and the rest went without any major hiccups.  The first thing I had to do when I got to Mumbai was to find the train station and get a train down to Goa – I took a taxi from the airport and stepping out of the air conditioned passenger lounge was like stepping into a completely different world.  The most striking thing about India is how dirty it is, and how many people live in what we would consider really poor conditions.  I’ve traveled quite a bit in the third world – Egypt and Syria were pretty dirty and the people quite poor, but this is really a whole new level. 

The train ride itself was fairly enjoyable, although I was dead tired.  Luckily I shared a compartment with a middle-class Indian family, they seemed pretty trustworthy so I was able to go to sleep for four or five hours without having to pay close attention to my luggage.  Riding an Indian train is a different experience – I road in sleeper class which isn’t air conditioned and is where most middle class Indians would travel.  As you sit there looking out the window there’s a neverending procession of people selling food, drinks, toys and whatever else you can imagine.  Unfortunately the one wallah they did not have was the beer wallah, much to my dismay, because a cold brew after a 24 hour plane ride would have been JUST the ticket.   If I was more awake I would have been all over the food offerings, but the couple things I did get were really good – thats definitely an upside to this country – the food is delicious even in the worst places.  Finally we got to Goa and I got off and took a taxi to my hostel (at which I seemed to be the only guest), and then immediately passed out for about 12 hours.

Finally the next day I got an Indian cell phone and gave Danny, the trip leader, a call and took a five minute drive to meet up with the truck – which was looking as beautiful (or as dingy) as ever.

I spent the next couple days doing pretty much nothing, just relaxing and sitting on the beach, which was really beautiful – and with warm water!  It was almost a surprise when I went in, since I’m used to the cold Atlantic in New England.

One awesome perk of our hostel was that they rented out scooters and motorbikes by the day, for only $3 dollars.  Indian driving is chaotic, but I got used to it pretty fast and zipped around the nearby beach towns to go to restaurants and shops with other people from the group.  Unfortunately I also wiped out on it once, and had to pay the guy about $10 for it to get the paint touched up (in the end that was still a steal, India is so cheap!).

Finally we left Goa, and that’s where I’m going to leave this post.  We’ve traveled north about 1200 km to Mt. Abu to do some climbing – but I’ll get to that next time.  Here’s a parting picture that pretty much sums up how relaxing Goa was:

About a year ago I got back from traveling through Egypt, Jordan and Syria with Hot Rock, which was without a doubt the best trip I’ve ever taken.  A really great bunch of people, fantastic scenery and some of the world’s best climbing destinations – how can you go wrong?

Now that I’m graduating, it’s almost time to go into the real world and start working and be limited to three weeks of vacation a year.  Luckily I made arrangements with my job to delay my start date until late August – giving me a great opportunity to take off and see some more of the world.

This time instead of the Middle East, I’m headed for India and Pakistan (I was never one for traditional destinations).

I’m flying into Mumbai on May 25th, and then taking a day train down to Goa where I can meet up with the expedition.  Goa is supposedly full of beautiful beaches like this:

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better way to unwind than to sit on a tropical beach with a cold beer!

After Goa we have a long list of destinations, including the Ghats, Mumbai, Rajasthan (Jaipur, Agra), Delhi, and then towards the Himalayas and Ladakh.  After heading through northern India, we head into Pakistan for some time around Lahore and then into the beautiful mountains of the Karakoram:

Finally, after being abroad for 11 weeks I return to Islamabad and fly back to Chicago.

I’ll try and update this blog as much as I can, including lots of pictures and climbing reports – so keep me on your blog list and start looking for entries come the end of May!

After leaving Damascus, we headed for the two biggest sites in Syria – the ancient ruined city of Palmyra and the crusader castle Crac De Chevalier.

The area of Syria around Damascus is less arid than you might imagine, it isn’t a real desert environment at all – loads shrubs and trees (although plenty hot). On the other hand Palmyra is a true oasis in the desert – driving away from Damascus we soon left greenery behind in favor of vast, expanding sandy wasteland, only eventually broken by the palm forest that gives Palmyra it’s name. On the way to Palmyra we had a quick reminder that although Syria is relatively stable, we aren’t but a half-day drive from somewhere much more dangerous.

Arriving in Palmyra, we had the afternoon to wander around the ruins in the scorching sun. It’s hard to imagine that at one time this place would have been a bustling city providing a stopping point for silk-route caravans weary from the heat of the desert. While they don’t inspire the same awe as the city of Petra, Palmyra is relatively intact – especially the main road which is lined with rows and rows of columns.

After leaving Palmyra, we spent the night bush camping in the desert, enjoying a night away from the sounds and lights of the city. In the morning we headed onto the road again to visit the massive crusader castle of Crac De Chevalier. Arriving at the castle you’d as much think you were on mainland Europe as in Syria – the farther north we go the greener this country becomes (although the heat doesn’t seem to abate at all). The castle itself is an amazing site, unlike castles in Europe, there aren’t too many tourists, and health & safety concerns haven’t prevailed – leaving plenty of interesting dark and ruined passages to explore on your own.

Looking out over the landscape surrounding the castle, it’s easy to see why the spot was chosen, as it is virtually impenetrable due to steep hills on all but one side. We spent the afternoon wandering the ruins, before driving the truck just a few kilometers to a local football pitch where we spent the night. Sometimes in the Middle East it seems as you are the attraction instead of the country – and this was one of those occasions. After we stopped and started cooking, flocks of children and other locals surrounded the truck, looking on curiously as we went about preparing dinner. The people here are incredibly kind, asking us all kinds of questions, showing us the town, and letting us into their homes.

After spending the night near the castle, we’ve driven today to Aleppo, the other major city in Syria besides Damascus. I spent some time wandering around earlier, and the markets here have much the same feel as those in Damascus – and theres still plenty of tasty street food. Tomorrow we’ll head to the Turkish border, and that will signal nearly the end of my trip with Hot Rock. We’ll reach Adana on the 26th, and on the 27th I’ll catch a night bus to Ankara where my flight back to London leaves on the 28th.

It’s been an interesting and strange experience overall. Most people I know at home react in surprise that I took such a long vacation – but on Hot Rock five weeks is almost no time at all when many of my new friends have spent months on board (some since South Africa). I’m definitely better (and a bit tanner) for the experience, and I hope that I’ll have the chance to come back to Hot Rock in the future for more than a holiday. That’s about all I’ll be writing in this blog on my Hot Rock trip (though I’ll still write occasionally about other traveling and such) – so I’ll talk to everybody when I’m back and settled in in London.

Cheers,
Paul

Links to Albums for Syria:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2389913&l=bca87&id=1928719

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2392150&l=00ce4&id=1928719

Well, today is my eighth and final day in the Damascus area as tomorrow we will be moving on to Palmyra. Of the three Middle Eastern countries I’ve visited on this trip, Syria is without a doubt the best. The people here are friendly and welcoming, there is no hassle to speak of (even for the girls), and everything is quite cheap.

Half of my time here I’ve spent wandering around the old part of Damascus, which is an amazing section of the city filled with winding souq’s housing an incredible variety of shops and eateries. You can (and I did) spend a whole day just wandering from one food cart to the next sampling the cheap and delicious cuisine – an experience that only really sets you back about US $10. With the food and shops out of the way, another must-do is a trip to a Hammam (bath). Me and some of the guys headed here for an afternoon of relaxation, complete with a wash, sauna, scrub-down, massage and an hour sat drying off and drinking tea. Today should be another relaxing day, wandering the rest of the old city – seeing the famous mosque (supposedly second only to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, which I recall was quite spectacular), and of course filling myself with some more food.

The Umayyad Mosque

Damascus Souk

The other four days I’ve indulged in the newly developed Syrian sport climbing – which to be honest isn’t really anything special. The largest and only crag I’ve visited is Monte Rosa, which consists of several dozen bolted single pitch routes on sharp limestone. The grading here is very modest, to the point where anything French 6a or above is a real struggle for me even on a top-rope. The climbing mainly consists of 15-20m routes that ascend razor sharp limestone with mainly tiny crimps for holds (a combination that has lead to quite a few cuts and scrapes). I spent 2 days working through leading many of the grade 5 climbs, and another 2 days top-roping some of the more difficult ones. Overall an interesting crag, but in no way more exciting than taking a couple hour drive from London down to sport climb in Portland (certainly nothing compared to Wadi Rum!).

Climbing in Monte Rosa

I don’t have an SD card reader at the moment, so I’ll post Damascus photos along with ones of the ancient city at Palmyra when I get a chance. Only another 6 days left on the trip!

After leaving Petra behind, we headed towards Amman, the capital of Jordan. In terms of sights, there really is nothing to do in Amman – but it is one of the few cities in the Middle East where half-decent nightlife can be found. Having not had a proper night out for my birthday, and it being Duncan’s (truck owner) last night, we decided to go out to (of all places) an Irish bar – quite a good night of drinking and dancing, and my first Guinness in quite a while (I really do miss a cold pint).

A reasonable night, but not to be compared to the bizarre experience we had the night before our drive day to the Syrian border. Some of the group had met up with some local (but not Jordanian) girls while they were drunkenly running a 10k marathon in womens clothes and climbing gear the day before (that is another story entirely) – and for our last night in Amman we figured we’d meet up with them at a bar not too far from our hostel. Lots of games of pool, beers and shots later we met a Middle Eastern guy about our age (not Jordanian either) who invited us back to his house after the bar closed. Never ones to refuse an invitation, we all hopped in a couple cars and drove to residential Amman where we quickly realized that this guy was, to put it lightly, very well-to-do. After refusing any money, he bought loads of take-away kebabs and booze and we hung out in his posh basement until about 7am when we had to go back and get on the truck to leave Amman.

Crossing into Syria was less exciting than you might imagine – being a group, the others had no issues securing visas and after we jumped through all the right bureaucratic hoops we were let into Syria without any trouble.