TRANSPORT HAS
COME A LONG WAY
SINCE OUR FIRST
TRIPS TO THE REGION
.
TRANSPORT FOR TRIPS TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM & TIBET IS UNLIKE WHAT YOU SEE FOR OTHER 8000m TRIPS. HUGE 8 LANE TOLLWAYS CARRY US IN COMFORT ACROSS DESERTS, THROUGH MOUNTAIN TUNNELS & OVER 4000m PASSES TILL THEY TURN OFF ONTO DUSTY MINOR ROADS THAT THEN GO OVER GRADED GRAVEL WAY OUT INTO WILDERNESS. ALL OF THIS WE DO IN COMFORTABLE SUVS & VANS WITH DRIVERS WELL-BRIEFED ON SAFETY (WE HAVE TERMINATED DRIVERS ON THE SPOT FOR REPEAT DANGEROUS DRIVING). AN UNCOMMON LUXURY ON THE WAY IN, THE COMFORTABLE CARRIAGE WAYS SAVE TIME AND ARE SAFER, AND A MUCH APPRECIATED FACTOR ON THE WAY OUT AGAIN.
BEYOND THE TRAILHEAD WE USE LOCAL HERDERS TO RUN HORSE, YAK OR CAMEL CARAVANS, RIDING THE CAMELS FOR RIVER CROSSINGS WHEN NEEDED. WE CARE THAT THE ANIMALS USED ARE TREATED WELL, AND BY BEING THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE HERDERS HAVE AS YET NEVER SEEN A PROBLEM.
EVENTUALLY ALL PACK ANIMALS REACH THEIR LIMITS, EVEN THE YAKS, SO FROM THERE IT’S HUMANS, AND BECAUSE OF CHINA’S ECONOMY & THE TRADITIONS OF THE LOCALS, THOSE HUMANS ALMOST ALWAYS ARE US. THE CROWDS OF LOWLAND PORTERS OR HAPS WORKING THE SEASONS ARE ABSENT IN XINJIANG & TIBET.
