THE CLASSIC
CLIMBERS HOTELS
OF WESTERN CHINA
.
ON MANY TRIPS THE HOTELS ARE THE LEAST INTERESTING PART – BUT NOT IN THE PLACES WE GO. WE USE A RANGE OF HOTELS IN CHINA TO SUIT ANY BUDGET. BY DEFAULT, AND FOR THE SAKE OF TRADITION, WE STICK WITH PLACES WE HAVE USED FOR OVER 20 YEARS THAT HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH CLIMBERS. FULL OF CHARACTER AND MAINSTAYS OF THE CLIMBING COMMUNITY SINCE THE ERA OF THE FIRST TRAVELLERS THE WALLS HAVE SEEN THE GREATS OF OUR SPORT SINCE THE DAYS WHEN NO OTHER OPTIONS EXISTED, AND THE GENERATIONS OF STAFF DON’T EVEN BLINK AT THE THINGS CLIMBING TEAMS DEMAND. OVER THE YEARS THEY’VE FOUND LOST PASSPORTS, HELD GEAR FOR MONTHS ON END, TRANSLATED CRAZY REQUESTS, HOSTED ROWDY CLIMBERS BANQUETS, LET US ERECT TENTS ON THE ROOF, BEEN AVAILABLE AT STUPIDLY EARLY HOURS IN THE MORNING & MADE US WELCOME WHEN RETURNING BURNED OUT & EXHAUSTED. WE TRUST THESE PEOPLE AND IN SOME PLACES WE’VE SEEN A GENERATION GROW UP AND TAKE OVER.
OF COURSE IN THE BIGGER TOWNS WE CAN CATER TO ANY LEVEL OF COMFORT, BUT AS THE TOWNS GET MORE REMOTE THE CHOICES CHANGE. IN PLACES LIKE GANZI, BATANG & HOTAN THINGS GET PRETTY LOCAL, WHICH IS ALWAYS FUN. BEYOND THAT, AND BEFORE LIVING IN TENTS KICKS IN, WE ERR ON THE SIDE OF CHARACTER WHICH HAS INCLUDED STAYING IN GERS, MONKS HOMES, ABANDONED MONASTERIES, FUNCTIONING MONASTERIES & BORDER POSTS. MORE THAN ONCE WE HAVE SLEPT IN GAS STATIONS. WITHOUT FAIL WE HAVE HAD POSITIVE EXPERIENCES, AND REFLECT IT IN THE COSTINGS.
ON APPROACHES AND IN BASECAMPS WE STAY IN LARGE FIVE-SEASON TENTS, EITHER 1 OR 2 TO EACH. UNLIKE THE PRE-ARRANGED CAMPS ON THE BALTORO, THESE ARE NEVER REGIMENTED BY COMPANY.
UP ON THE ROUTES WE USE A MIX OF HIGH-ALTITUDE TENTS FOR THINGS LIKE K2, SNOW CAVES FOR THINGS LIKE GENYEN, PORTALEDGES FOR THINGS LIKE SE’ERDENGPU OR BIVYS WHERE NOTHING ELSE WORKS.
A SPECIAL MENTION HERE IS MADE FOR THE TUMARIS HOTEL IN URUMQI, THE FINEST HOTEL IN ALL CENTRAL ASIA. FROM THE TIGHT ROPE DANCERS TO THE STUFFED CROCODILES, THE PSYCHEDELIC ELEVATORS TO THE TATAR TRADERS, THE CAMEL & GOAT BANQUETS TO THE DANCING GIRLS, ALL OUR TRIPS EX URUMQI STAY HERE.
