THE AREA WE HAVE DEFINED AS THE TIBETAN THIRD POLE IS ACCESSIBLE BY SEVERAL WAYS DEPENDING ON THE EXPEDITIONS OBJECTIVE. FROM THE NORTH, EAST & WEST ARE ROADS INTO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE POLE, FROM WHICH WE DETERMINE HOW TO FURTHER PROCEED.
ON FOOT
EXPEDITIONS SOLELY BY FOOT TEND TO FOLLOW VALLEYS, CONNECTING OVER HIGH PASSES THAT CAN INVOLVE SIMPLE ALPINE SKILLS UP TO 5000m. FOOT TRAVEL IS PLANNED AROUND CONNECTING WATER SOURCES – AND NOT ALL WATER IS DRINKABLE – WHICH OFTEN FOLLOW THE SAME PATHS SET BY THE NOMADS OF THE REGION.
WITH BOATS
BOATS IN THESE CONTEXT REFERS TO EITHER PACK RAFTS OR FOLDING KAYAKS, THAT CAN BE USED ON THE WATERWAYS & ALSO AS PULKS TO HAUL OVER FROZEN LAKES. THOUGH NO EXPEDITION USES BOATS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE APPROACH (UNLESS IT’S RELATIVELY SHORT), IT’S AN INTERESTING & EFFICIENT WAY TO COMBINES WITH FOOT TRAVEL.
BOATS OPEN UP ACCESS ROUTES TOO LONG TO BE CONSIDERED BY FOOT ALONE, BUT WHEN THE DISTANCE & WATER SUPPLY ISSUES ARE RESOLVED CAN BE THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL ON THE HIGH PLATEAU. AS MANY LAKES ARE FED STRAIGHT OFF GLACIATED MOUNTAIN SIDES, ROUTES USING BOATS CAN BE VERY DIRECT WAYS TO CLIMBING PEAKS.
USING HORSES
HORSES (AND TO SOME EXTENT CAMELS) ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU, AND MOST HUMAN TRAFFIC OVER THE COURSE OF THE CENTURIES HAVE USED THIS. INDEED WILD HORSES ARE OCCASIONALLY SEEN, WITH NEW SPECIES OF HORSES EVEN BEING FOUND WELL INTO THE 20th CENTURY.
HORSES CONNECT THE MOST SUSTAINABLE WAYS INTO THE INNER PLATEAU, LIMITED ONLY BY THEIR ABILITY TO CROSS HIGH OR COMPLICATED PASSES. THIS CAN MAKE SOME ROUTES USING HORSES LONGER THAN BY FOOT, BUT OFTEN BRINGS WITH IT THE SECURITY OF FOLLOWING KNOWN ROUTES THAT HAVE RUDIMENTARY PLACES TO USE AS CAMPS NEAR KNOWN WATER SOURCES.
