1995 A

95-A #1

Todd & Gil on the streets of Hong Kong with their new friend and fellow expedition member - Christiaan Kuypers.

 

95-A #2

Gil, Todd, Troy & Christiaan having a gay old time in the, “Top Gun” bar. This did wonders for our jet-lag.

 

95-A #3

Buddha eyes on the Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu.

 

95-A #4

Watching bodies burn at the Pashupatinath Temple funeral pyres in Kathmandu on the edge of the Bagmati River.

 

95-A #5

Oy Kanjanavanit, Christiaan Kuypers, Troy Gillenwater, Todd Gillenwater, Gil Gillenwater

 

95-A #6

Bhakha Tulku appeases the Himalayan mountain gods with a two hour Puja Ceremony.

 

95-A #7

Photo taken in Tucson, Arizona of the Dalai Lama in front of a saguaro cactus. I had 100 copies laminated and smuggled them into Tibet.

 

95-A #8

Todd Gillenwater, Christiaan Kuypers & Oy Kanjanavanit. On our way to Lhasa, Tibet. Little did we know what lay in store.

 

95-A #9

Hamid Sardar pretending to eat a chicken foot while Ian searches for the elusive chicken breast.

 

95-A #10

Following a military convoy in the rain, the muddy road led us deeper and deeper into the land of Vajrayogini.

 

95-A #11

Slogging through the logging town of Tumbatse, not much had changed in 13 months.

 

95-A #12

Passing Pelung (Leaping Rat Lodge) the road conditions deteriorated.

 

95-A #13, 14, 15

“Landslide Alley” a lottery of luck. Some made it. Some didn’t.

 

95-A #16

Arriving at the 800 year old Bhakha Monastery we entered another dimension.

 

95-A #17

At the Bhakha Monastery, Ian Baker and our Chinese travel liaison - Geng Quanru - (AKA Mr. Gunn) negotiate with the monks and local Monpa tribal people to serve as porters on our pilgrimage. A few females were a must to balance the male energy.

 

95-A #18

At the Bhakha Monastery the local Monpa tribal people weave their own backpacks.

 

95-A #19

At the Bhakha Monastery. Left to Right: Todd Gillenwater, Christiaan Kuypers, Mr. Zang (seated in army camouflage), Mr. Gunn, Troy Gillenwater & Oy Kanjanavanit. Note nobody is swallowing the rancid Yak butter tea.

 

95-A #20

A lukewarm dinner at the “Carnage Cafe”. When we got back to our dumpy room Troy asked Todd, “Did that dinner taste a little weird to you?”

 

95-A #21

“Surreal” is the only way to describe a roller skating rink in the squalid frontier town of Pome.

 

95-A #22

The Communist Chinese forbade the Bhakha Buddhist monks to travel with us. Ian Baker counts the group’s cash. Certainly a bribe will change their minds.

 

95-A #23

The head Lama of the Taksham Monastery bore a remarkable resemblance to Yoda.

 

95-A #24

At the Taksham Monastery (the, “Tiger Skin Monastery”) we found a most unusual mural depicting five tigers devouring a corpse.

 

95-A #25

Conducting a divination ceremony known as a "prasena" the Buddhist monks manifested a rainbow to guide us to our trailhead. An elderly Ani (Nun) looks on in knowing devotion.

 

95-A #26

The Rainbow of “Divine Guidance”.

 

95-A #27

Driving out of Pome we passed this sign claiming the Communist Chinese as the protectors of the Himalayas.

 

95-A #28

The Himalayan scenery from our 1st camp was other-worldly.

 

95-A #29

Seemingly out of nowhere a Lama - Kaba Tulku (pronounced Kawa) - and his small entourage arrive. What a gift!

 

95-A #30

The enigmatic Kaba Tulku (the “Cloud Lama” ) with his tell-tale Red Hat. This represents his adherence to the Nyingma or “Old School” sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The ethereal Lama was to become an integral part of our pilgrimage and the mystery of our journey.

 

95-A #31

We were surrounded by massive Himalayan glaciers.

 

95-A #32

Double loads equal double pay. Here our “Gentle Giant” carries over 120 pounds.

 

95-A #33

Finally we were hiking! Our group moved as a multi-legged centipede wending its way along and across the glacial spillway.

 

95-A #34

Soon the climbing began. At first I felt bad – me carrying 25 pounds and the porters carrying from 60 pounds to double that. I soon got over it. That is what they are trained and paid to do.

 

95-A #35

It was a dream come true. Hiking the Himalayan “Hidden Lands” with the 2 people I could count on the most – my brothers Troy & Todd.

 

95-A #36

Camping at the base of the Dashing La Pass. At an elevation of 12,850 feet, we had half a mile of vertical climbing to reach the Pass. Then we would descend into the depths of Pemako’s “Hidden Lands”.

 

95-A #37

Following a dip in the glacial stream, Gil and his “Buddha Eyes” survey the Dashing Valley.

 

 

95-B #1

Finding a dead bear incurred no negative karma. Our food shortage was solved. We would eat like Kings! Kaba Tulku guided the bear’s soul to a better rebirth.

 

95-B #2

Gutting the bear in search of the prized gallbladder. Soon we would have meat aplenty.

 

95-B #3

Roasting the meat took all night. We had over 200 pounds of bear steaks.

 

95-B #4

The butchering and tribal incantations went on for hours. The Guardian Spirits were pleased. They’d given us this gift. The porters chanted their gratefulness.

 

95-B #5

The porters played with the bear’s head throughout the night hoping to embody its spirit. They kept the head for several days.

 

95-B #6

At 14,000 feet in elevation, climbing up and out of the Dashing Valley was a formidable task.

 

 

95-B #7 & #8

The Sherpas and porters were super-human.

 

95-B #9 & #10

Stopping to soak in the scenery. At times it was overwhelming.

 

95-B #11

Hiking the ice fields was treacherous. Especially with a 100 pound load.

 

95-B #12

One final look back into the Dashing Valley.

 

95-B #13

Todd reaches the Dashing La Pass.

 

95-B #14

Troy and Pasang Sherpa reach the Dashing La Pass.

 

95-B #15

A pony caravan emerges from the roiling Pemako abyss.

 

95-B #16

With Mr. Zang well ahead I offer Dalai Lama photographs.

 

95-B #17

Dropping off the Dashing La Pass and negotiating the ice fields at the head of the Chimdro Valley.

 

95-B #18

Waterfalls have special significance in Pemako. Hundreds were cascading into the Chimdro Valley.

 

95-B #19

Staring into the throat of the Chimdro Valley.

 

95-B #20

A steep descent off the Dashiing La Pass and into the Chimdro Valley.

 

95-B #21

This cabin had wall to wall porters chomping on putrefied bear meat.

 

95-B #22

Pemako was a Fairy Land.

 

95-B #23

Pemako weather vacillates from pounding rain to scorching sun several times a day. Here Todd crosses a cantilevered bridge.

 

95-B #24

The ground was so saturated with water our tent felt like a waterbed.

 

95-B #25

Our dropping elevation took us deep into leech country.

 

95-B #26

I love this photo. Here our Lama rests in meditative peace. Next to him, exhausted, is our Communist Chinese military escort – Mr. Zang. Mr. Zang was conflicted. He couldn’t square the spiritual magic of Pemako, he witnessed thru the Lama, with his atheistic Communist beliefs.

 

95-B #27

The Crazy Nun.

 

95-B #28

Poison witches in Pemako have tattooed tongues. Therefore, local etiquette requires the sticking out of tongues for all female introductions. Here the Crazy Nun is proving to us she is not a poison witch.

 

95-B #29

Two different rivers - 30 feet apart - flowing in opposite directions?

 

95-B #30

Troy won the “worst place to find a leech” contest.

 

95-B #31

Leech bites became common occurrences.

 

95-B #32 & #33

The hot and tangled Rhododendron forests became oppressive.

 

95-B #34

Troy and porters hope they’re on the right trail.

 

95-B #35

The tunneled bamboo thickets were very disorienting. Knowing the area’s large tiger population didn’t help.

 

95-B #36

With Mr. Zang in Ghutan trying to secure our permits, I had free license to hand out Dalai Lama photographs in the village of Samdrup. This man lost the sight in his left eye due to a leech bite.

 

 

95-B #37 & #38

The tribal people’s love for the Dalai Lama knew no bounds.

 

95-B #39

The local children would stare at us for hours. Inbreeding was taking a toll in these isolated villages.

 

95-B #40 & 41

Porters setting the lines for our cable crossing over the tumultuous Chimdro chu River.

 

95-B #42

The odds of surviving a plunge into the river were not good.

 

95-B #43, #44, & 45

Todd makes it safely across and promptly takes a nap. Next to the river was the only place we could escape the relentless heat.

 

95-B #46 & #47

Ian makes it across the raging river.

 

95-B #48

Hamid gets tied in.

 

95-B #49

Gil pulls himself across.

 

95-B #50

Once across the river, the trail to the PungPung La pass is almost non-existent.

 

95-B #51

Our trail steepened as we left the bamboo and rhododendron thickets on our wet climb up to the 15,150 foot high PungPung La pass.

 

95-B #52

Taking a break on the trail. “Was this our trail?”, we wondered as it disappeared into the clouds above. Nobody knew for sure.

 

95-B #53

We began to lose our light as the group got separated. The higher we went the more landslides we encountered. The earth was alive.

 

95-B #54

Finally daylight! Troy stands next to the makeshift camp. Todd, Gil, Troy, Christiaan, Oy, & Hamid spent the longest, wettest, most leech infested night of their lives under this crude shelter.

 

95-B #55

Pemba Sherpa could start a fire in an aquarium. These guys were the ultimate outdoorsmen. Right to Left - Christiaan Kuypers, Hamid Sardar, Troy Gillenwater & Oy Kanjanavanit. Pemba Sherpa is on the far left.

 

95-B #56

One misstep on the slippery log and it was “game over”.

 

95-B #57

Lobsong and his wife found dinner. Suspicious not to look at the camera, Lobsong carried his “Gau” with him at all times. (A Gau is a portable Buddhist shrine worn as a protection amulet).

 

95-B #58

Pemba Sherpa (far right) sliced the mushroom into the pot. Chombi Sherpa (far left) checks on its progress.

 

95-B #59

This was Beyul Pemako, “Hidden Land of the Blossoming Lotus”.

 

95-B #60

Left to Right: Todd and Troy pose with our senior porter – Puntsok. We had another 1,000 feet to climb to gain the PungPung La pass.

 

95-B #61

Dropping off the PungPung La pass. Todd is not looking real thrilled about continuing the steep, wet descent ahead. Through the mists on the far ridgeline, porters can be seen beginning their descent.

 

95-B #62

Troy & Todd resting with three of our porters. It was an uncharacteristically clear day for Pemako.

 

95-B #63

Carrying 2 loads, our “Gentle Giant” porter is enjoying the drier weather and firmer trails.

 

95-B #64

Todd negotiates a moss covered log.

 

95-B #65

The “Jolly Lama” was imperturbable.

 

95-B #66

The young, married, porter couple examine bear tracks on the banks of the animal spirit lake.

 

95-B #67

Our “Jolly Lama” often sat by himself in deep thought. This Vajrayogini pilgrimage in the “Year of the Pig” was his life-long dream come true.

 

95-B #68

Todd admires one of the many waterfalls cascading into the sacred lake.

 

95-B #69

Little could we have known the dangers that lay in wait in this idyllic spot.

 

95-B #70

Gil, Troy & Todd marvel over the paradisiacal landscape. Who made this place?

 

95-B #71

Gil walks through a scene from Hobbit Land.

 

95-B #72

Clouds begin to gather in Paradise.

 

95-B #73

The cantilevered bridges were primitive engineering masterpieces.

 

95-B #74

A sure footed porter crosses the cantilevered bridge.

 

95-B #75

The skies become foreboding as Gil says good bye to Paradise.

 

95-B #76

The forest was cold and wet as we slogged into a ferocious storm.

 

95-B #77

Todd deathly ill in the middle. Malevolent water spirits or food poisoning? At his point Todd didn’t care. He just wanted to die. It was an excruciatingly long night.

 

95-C #1

Ghastly ill, Todd somehow manages the 1,100 foot, rain drenched climb to the dreaded Adrothang swamp.

95-C #2

In a super-human effort Todd continues to move forward. But in his sickened condition we fall further and further behind.

 

95-C #3

As brothers we felt horrible for Todd but there was little we could do but try and encourage him onward. Waiting for him was difficult in the glacial cold and rain. We became chilled to the bone and could feel the insidious onset of hypothermia tighten its lethal grip.

 

95-C #4

Looking off the lip of Adrothang into the swirling abyss.

 

95-C #5

This photograph was taken at lower elevation of Chimed Gompo, the "Deathless Lord”. We are convinced he saved our lives.

 

95-C #6

Todd started feeling a little better. Gil didn’t.

 

95-C #7

Todd waits patiently as Troy continues to vomit. The high elevation exacerbated the symptoms of our illness.

 

95-C #8

The climbing continues. Far above timer-line, we knew the SangMen La Pass (14,200 feet) had to be close.

 

95-C #9

Chimed Gompo is carrying 2 of our packs at once. Our destination, Kundu Dorsempotrang Mountain, the “All Gathering Home of the Vajrasattva Mind”, (Vajrayogini’s heart chakra) reigns prominently on the distant horizon. We had a long way to go.

 

95-C #10

Kundu Dorsempotrang Mountain.

 

95-C #11

Chombi Sherpa sent 2 Sherpas back to us with hot water and noodles. Now we had 3 Sherpas to carry our packs and help us down to the day’s camp on the banks of another glacial lake.

 

95-C #12

Dropping off of the SangMen La Pass, we could see part of our group approaching the glacial lake.

 

95-C #13

As the others surge on, Gil looks for camp near the lake. “What was the hurry?” the Gillenwater’s wondered.

  

95-C #14

Close examination shows our vanguard porters, like ants, on the ridgeline in the middle left of the photograph. The ice caped peak on the right is the 25,531 foot Namcha Barwa.

 

95-C #15

Steep climbs up and steep climbs down. This is hiking in the Himalayas.

 

95-C #16

With her keen interest in botany, Oy was forever examining trailside plants. We felt that she, Christiaan, Chombi & Chimed Gompo were the only expedition members who had our well-being at heart. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Ian & Hamid had a different agenda that didn’t include us and that they weren’t sharing.

 

95-C #17

Guru Shugstrethang Lake. An extremely revered pilgrimage site.

 

95-C #18

To the porters, theirs was a living landscape.

 

95-C #19

Kundu Dorsempotrang Mountain (Vajrayogini’s heart chakra) was easily recognizable by the anvil shaped stone on its summit. We were getting close.

 

95-C #20

The climb up to our Kundu Dorsempotrang base camp was severe. Here our lagging
group inches its way up to the holy mountain.

 

95-C #21

Kundu Lha Tsho Lake, “The All Gathering Soul Lake". Photo by: Christiaan Kuypers

 

95-C #22

Vajrayogini’s essence manifests as sacred lakes dotting the landscape. Photo by: Christiaan Kuypers

 

95-C #23

The porters stare at the cliff face in veneration. Photo by: Christiaan Kuypers

 

95-C #24

The Jolly Lama and his young attendant join Scarface at a holy boulder. Photo by: Christiaan Kuypers 

 

95-D #1

Kundu Dorsempotrang offers us one final view as the porters labor below.

 

95-D #2

Ongel, the old Sherpa with his cheap rubber boots, was a stabilizing influence and a wonderful companion.

 

95-D #3

Matuk (on far right) and his companions are stunned at the manifestation of the, “Deities from the sky”.

 

95-D #4

The Gillenwater brothers can’t shake their dogged illness as evidenced in Troy’s expression.

 

95-D #5

We finally found a fallen log where we could inch our way across the rushing waters. 

 

95-D #6

Back in leech country.

 

95-D #7

The Rinchenpung Monastery translates to "Mound of Jewels”. It was a welcome sight.

 

95-D #8

The Rinchenpung Monastery. Vajrayogini’s naval chakra is arguably Pemako’s most revered pilgrimage site. Meditation in this power spot generates compounding benefits. 

 

95-D #9

Troy shares photos from home with an older lama. His left hand and all his fingers had been severed by Mao's "Red Guard".

 

95-D #10

Rang Rig Gyapo the "King of Self-Awareness” is a rare wrathful emanation of Padmasambhava.

 

95-D #11

A Garuda, representing the consciously awakened mind, hovers above the "King of Self-Awareness”.

 

95-D #12

The Old School of Tibetan Buddhism ingeniously incorporated many animistic traditions of the indigenous Bön religion seamlessly into its theology.

 

95-D #13

With our military escort, Mr. Zang, gone we could freely hand out our coveted Dalai Lama photographs. Here Gil hands several out to the porters.

 

95-D #14

The love and reverence they have for “His Holiness” is difficult to describe.

 

95-D #15

Our distribution of the Dalai Lama photos gained us great status at Rinchenpung. They truly were “spiritual currency” in this remote frontier - forgotten by time.

 

95-D #16

As Todd looks on, Troy presents our foam football to the caretaker’s sons.

 

95-D #17

The caretaker family at the Rinchenpung Monestary. Note the brother’s foam football and ball point pen.

 

95-D #18

By this time, the leeches didn’t seem to bother us that much. We learned that in Pemako it was just a way of life.

 

95-D #19

It was difficult for us to say goodbye to Kaba Tulku – our “Jolly Lama”. He was such a presence and living example of clear thought. It’s doubtful we could have ever located the magic mountain - Kundu Dorsempotrang - without his knowledge and intuition.

 

95-D #20

Visiting with the local villagers as we were leaving the Rinchenpung Monestary was fun. Their homes are perpetually filled with smoke.

 

95-D #21

Trading beads are a big part of the villagers’ lives.

 

95-D #22

The day’s hike to Medog began with an unexpected 600 foot climb.

 

95-D #23

It was a hot and muggy 4,000 foot descent into the military outpost of Medog.

 

95-D #24

At these lower elevations leeches were everywhere.

 

95-D #25

Medog. What a disappointment.

 

95-D #26

Even in this military pigsty with its Mad Max characters - the Dalai Lama photographs carried a huge significance.

 

95-D #27

Troy relaxes in our Medog luxury suite.

 

95-D #28

The Medog General Store. Todd purchases snacks for us and beers for our life-saving Sherpas.

 

95-D #29

Though beer and high doses of Flagyl don’t mix – we couldn’t resist. (Flagyl was our drug of choice for treating parasitic infections and amebic dysentery. We were popping the pills like M&M’s.)

 

95-D #30

At just over 2,000 feet in elevation the jungle heat was stifling. Bepuk lies in the background. Close examination of the photo shows the Doshong River flowing aqua green into the muddy Yarlung Tsangpo. We would cross the Yarlung Tsangpo and follow the Doshong Valley up to the 15,300 foot high Doshong La Pass – our gateway out of Pemako and on to the village of Pei.

 

95-D #31

Early outside of Bepuk we encountered a local Lopa tribal woman carrying ferns.

 

95-D #32

Close examination shows the “Liberation Bridge” and its shadow cast on the river in the left of the photo. The aqua green Doshong River flows in from the right.

 

95-D #33

The Doshong River.

 

95-D #34

Our trail virtually “tunneled” up the side of the canyon.

 

95-D #35

Close examination of this photo shows Troy on the trail in the far distance with his arms raised high.

 

95-D #36

Our well traveled trail led us by a few Lopa homes. There was a simplicity in their primitiveness we found alluring.

 

95-D #37

Little by little our climbing took us above and out of the stifling heat.

 

95-D #38

Pemako is a magic place.

 

95-D #39

Troy looks up the Doshong Valley. Our pass out of Pemako was a half mile above us.

 

95-D #40

Setting camp for our last night in Pemako.

 

95-D #41

Wet and cold at the “Doshong La Base-Camp”, we were ready to leave Pemako.

 

95-D #42

Here the climbing to the Doshong La Pass began in earnest.

 

95-D #43

Todd moves on ahead.

 

95-D #44

Todd filters water as we climb higher into the mists.

 

95-D #45

Chombi (shirtless) and fellow Sherpa climb on by. These guys were tough!

 

95-D #46 & #47

Our porters were unfathomably strong.

 

95-D #48

Porters inching their way up the Doshong La Pass.

 

95-D #49

Gil & Todd working their way up to the Doshong La Pass.

 

95-D #50

There was too much water in the streams to be close to the Pass?

 

95-D #51

Visibility was difficult as Todd disappeared into the clouds.

 

95-D #52

Precarious hiking in the ice fields.

 

95-D #53

The porters push on. It was near here that we saw the dead man.

 

95-D #54

Troy poses for a quick picture on the Doshong La Pass.

 

95-D #55

Leaving Pemako was just as dramatic as entering it three weeks earlier.

 

95-D #56

The road! Todd & Troy relish in the moment.

 

95-D #57

The end of the Pemako trail.

 

95-D #58

Todd, Gil & Troy. The outpost of Pei. Finally civilization!

 

95-D #59

In the village of Pei, Chombi Sherpa (right) had the thankless job of calculating porter wages. When nobody was around, Troy, Todd & I gave Chimed Gompo (middle) a large tip. He literally saved our lives.

 

95-D #60

As we ready for the long drive back to Lhasa, Christiaan has a celebratory smoke and entertains the residents of Pei with a juggling act.

 

95-D #61

Gil can’t stop smiling. “We made it. We made it. We’re finally out of Pemako!”

 

95-D #62

High on a hill just outside the town of Tsethang, sits Tibet’s oldest fortress/castle - Yumbulakhar.

 

95-D #63, #64, #65

Some of the interesting Tibetans we passed on our long drive back to Lhasa.

 

95-D #66

Left: Raktayamari & Vajravetali - Yab (father)-Yum (mother), Middle: (to follow), Right: White Tara

 

95-D #67

Eating in an actual restaurant. We were all smiles.

 

95-D #68

Known for serving American style food, we dreamed of eating at Mike’s for a month. Our breakfast lasted for two hours and ended with hot fudge brownie sundaes.

 

95-D #69

Still not feeling that well, Todd gets some fresh air atop our Hotel Marshyangdi overlooking Kathmandu. Later that evening he would have a severe intestinal relapse.

 

95-D #70

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and an unforgettable lesson in Buddhist Dependent Origination & Emptiness.

 

95-D #71 & #72

A final fun night in Kathmandu.

 

95-D #73

Three very strong shots of tequila were in order upon landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. We were home!

 

 

 

 

97 #125

The clouds briefly lift and we see our porters scattered in the background. With JamYang’s help we have located the elusive Sechen La Pass. On the right, Ken Storm, JamYang and Troy Gillenwater (on the right side of the photograph) celebrate reaching this long-sought landmark.

 

97 #126

With JamYang’s guidance we are finally able to reach the Sechen La ridge which leads to the pass. With the constant severe and unstable weather conditions, the porters want to descend into the gorge as quickly as possible.

 

97 #127

With the swirling cloud movement, the massive Himalayan landscape is displaying itself like an I-Max movie.

 

97 #128

From this vantage, Troy Gillenwater has a bird’s eye view of the deepest canyon in the world. The perpetually cloaked Inner Gorge is beginning to reveal itself as the veils of clouds are lifted.

 

97 #129

As the mists lift we can clearly see the Yarlung Tsangpo River on the left but what is going on down on the right?

 

97 #130

Ken Storm films the Yarlung Tsangpo River as it flows between Namcha Barwa Mountain situated on the Indian sub-continent and Gyala Pelri Mountain on the Asian continent. Ken has dreamed of this moment for years.

 

97 #131

It looks like an “S” turn on the bottom right. Is the river flowing back on itself?

 

97 #132

Are we looking at the “Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra”?

 

97 #133

The sun is blazing hot as we relocate our porters in the seemingly impenetrable rhododendron thickets. Earth fissures - well concealed under the thick underbrush - pose a constant threat. Troy Gillenwater is in the foreground and the porters are on the ridge in the middle.

 

97 #134

In the waning light, we have a magnificent view of what Ken Storm convinces us are the “The Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra”.

 

97 #135

With our camera’s telephoto lenses we can clearly see the pleated geography of two colliding continents. It is this unique twisted formation that has kept the Falls hidden for so many years.

 

97 #136

The porters camp nestles under the overhang of a giant boulder.

 

97 #137

Our tents are set on the most level area available – the top of a house-sized boulder. Our porters camp below.

 

97 #138

Awaking early, we know we have an exciting day ahead. The views from our perch are mystical. Magic is afoot.

 

97 #139

Gil Gillenwater looks upriver. As we worked our way farther and farther down into the Gorge, we can mark our progress by eyeing the slopes on the opposite side of the river.

 

97 #140

With a clear sight of both Rainbow Falls and Hidden Falls, Ken Storm insists we proceed north for another view angle.

 

97 #141

Instead of walking across the wet and slippery homemade bridge like the porters do, we opt for the more stable “butt-slide” maneuver. At this point we aren't taking any chances.

 

97 #142

As we worked our way horizontally down the Gorge we get an unobstructed view of Rainbow Falls (center) with the Hidden Falls just around the corner.

 

97 #143

Ken Storm can recognize Rainbow Falls by the large boulder at the Fall’s pour-over on river right (bottom left of the photo above & bottom right in the photo below). It is the same boulder as that featured in Lord Cawdor’s 1924 photo of Rainbow Falls. Kingdon Ward and Lord Cawdor got to within – what they estimated to be 1,800 feet upstream from Rainbow Falls and photographed their discovery. They never saw what lay just around the corner – Hidden Falls.

 

97 #144

Lord Cawdor’s 1924 photograph of Rainbow Falls shows the same boulder that Ken Storm pointed out to us. Close examination of Lord Cawdor’s 1924 photo (97 #144) and our 1997 photo (97 #143) also shows the same cliff markings where the river slams into the wall before its 90-degree turn into Hidden Falls. Stopped at river level in 1924, Kingdon Ward and Lord Cawdor never saw Hidden Falls.

 

97 #145

Convinced we have located the “Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra”, we estimate the Falls height at 100 feet.

 

97 #146

Today’s aerial photography allows a bird’s-eye view of the tectonic upheaval experienced in this section of the Inner Gorge. In several places tremendous geologic forces have pleated the earth’s crust and bent the river back upon itself. This aerial IKONOS image was taken from a commercial earth observation satellite on May 9, 2000, at a height of 423 miles.

 

97 #147

Our porters are exhausted. But we still have a dangerous 3,000 foot climb back up to camp.

 

97 #148

Trashipati (far right) clicks the auto shutter release for this photo. Next to him is Gil Gillenwater (kneeling) then Troy Gillenwater with the Buddhist hunter shaman kneeling to his left. Behind Troy is Matuk with JamYang looking over Matuk’s shoulder. Having completed the Rainbow Traverse of the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, we are on an explorer’s high. We have penetrated Pemako’s fabled Inner Gorge and photographed our discovery of the “Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra." A visceral sense of interconnectedness pervades our group. We are family. 

 

97 #149

Troy Gillenwater gives our porters a geography lesson. Left to right: the Buddhist-shaman hunter, Troy, Matuk and Trashipati.

 

97 #150

It is an afternoon of camaraderie and joy as Hominid Man and Matuk laugh out loud at the other porters’ antics.

 

97 #151

The porters are transfixed by Troy Gillenwater’s small book of photographs from home. Here our Buddhist-shaman hunter is looking at the Kentucky State Capitol building. Our guide JamYang is on the far right.

 

97 #152

While our Buddhist-shaman hunter holds the photo book, Matuk used Troy Gillenwater’s binoculars to see who is inside the building. Their innocence is priceless. It is an afternoon we will never forget.

 

97 #153

We watch the fading light in the world’s deepest canyon.

 

97 #154 

We hike the ridgeline for hours. The trail improve and we begin seeing prayer flags as we neared Payu.

 

97 #155

Slogging through the rain. This is a long day. Ken Storm, Gil Gillenwater and the porters are ready for home.

 

97 #156

Our hike along the ridge seem to go on forever. By this time everyone is ready to go home.

 

97 #157

The misty forests seem surreal.

 

97 #158

How our porters are able to negotiate this weather and terrain in cheap Chairman Mao tennis shoes and worn out socks we will never know.

 

97 #159

Finally our long-sought hamlet of Payu.

 

97 #160

After a long day of hiking Gil Gillenwater takes a rest while the others prepare for pay-day.

 

97 #161

They liked Troy Gillenwater’s watch but the concept of time eludes them.

 

97 #162

Paying our porters turns into a complicated and often times, frantic process.

 

97 #163

We are squarely back in leech country.

 

97 #164

When the clouds lift we can see waterfalls like sky-born ribbons cascading into the Yarlung Tsangpo.

 

97 #165

Seeing Zachu on the other side of the canyon gives us our bearings. We were there in 1994.

 

97 #166

Dropping into the Gorge we can see our bridge far below (bottom left of the photo) and our trail traversing up the other side. Zachu is in the saddle on the top third right of the photo with the earth slide next to it. We have a lot of climbing ahead.

 

97 #167

Our bridge crossing of the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

 

97 #168

Instead of thermal soaking pools, the Zachu hot springs offer only sulfur stench and yak droppings.

 

97 #169

The hanging bridge on the Po Tsangpo River.

 

97 #170

Back at the Leaping Rat Lodge we have a great feeling of accomplishment. Little do we know there is plenty of adventure still to come.

 

97 #171

Believing the road is closed due to a rockfall on “Landslide Alley”, primitive loggers are cutting old growth trees and tobogganing them down for easy pick-up. Had we been a single second faster we would have been skewered.

97 #172

We are reunited with Dawa and the porters from Ian Baker and Hamid Sardar’s group. We know several from past expeditions. We are greatly relieved to be released from house arrest with our 2,900 photographs miraculously intact. Some of our companions weren’t so lucky. Most importantly, we have over 300 photos of Hidden Falls documenting its long-sought existence.

  

#173

The Tibet we knew is forever gone. The four contiguous hydroelectric dams pictured above are located in the Yarlung Tsangpo’s, Upper Granite Gorge. This is the same gorge we rafted and hiked in 1994. 

 

#174

On October 31, 2013, the 73-mile road to Medog was opened. What took us 18 days of hiking can now be reached by vehicle in one afternoon. The city of Medog is now a bustling tourist attraction. Over 70,000 Han Chinese tourists visited Medog in 2016. Resort Hotels and restaurants are flourishing.

 

#175

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama looks at one of our photographs of a local Lopa tribesman in the Chimdro Valley lovingly holding onto his picture. Through a contact Gil Gillenwater has with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso’s niece—Khando Chazotsang—we were able to have her share our Tibet photographs with him. Like all Tibetan Buddhists, he is fascinated by these firsthand views of Pemako–the Hidden Land of the Blossoming Lotus. Our cover letter told of handing out photographs of him and the reverence and awe the photos elicited. We told him that to the residents of Pemako, he will forever be their “God King.” In a follow-up letter, he thanked us profusely for this unique glimpse into Tibet’s most sacred landscape and the people who live there.

  

 

1994

 

94 #1 

“Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss or tranquility, nor is it attempting to be a better person. It is simply the creation of space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deception, our hidden fears and hopes.”
Chögyam Trungpa

 

94 #2

On February 1, 1994, Gil Gillenwater sets his intention to go to Tibet. One week later, this article appears on the front page of Section C of The Arizona Republic, the local newspaper. The feature states: “Tucson resident Richard D. Fisher is looking for people to join his 21-day expedition in May to Tibet, where a team will explore the Namche Barwa Canyon.”

 

94 #3 

Landing in Hong Kong.
Left to right: Jerry Dixon, Troy Gillenwater, and Chris Grace.

 

94 #4

Chairman Mao welcomes us to the bustling Chinese city of Chengdu.

 

94 #5

Flying over the Himalayas.
Coming from the deserts of Arizona, we are all thinking: What the hell are we getting ourselves into?

 

94 #6

Our first up-close look at the river. We were told to expect a flow of around 5,000 CFS (cubic feet per second). What we find is a river surging at over 20,000 CFS. Left to right: Chris Grace, Mr. Changxun Luo (our Chinese liaison), Rick Fisher, Troy Gillenwater (looking up-river), Jerry Dixon (looking up-river), and Eric Manthey.

 

94 #7

Readying to launch. In hindsight, attempting an illegal first descent of Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangpo River (the “Mt. Everest of Rivers”) in a smuggled 12-foot paddle raft seems extremely naive. But at the time, it all makes perfect sense.

 

94 #8

Documentary film producer Bill Bacon records the departure on our un-permitted first-descent attempt of the Upper Granite Gorge on the world’s highest river – the Yarlung Tsangpo. Here the Himalayan river surges over two miles above sea level. Left to right: Rick Fisher, Gil Gillenwater, Troy Gillenwater, and Eric Manthey.

 

94 #9

Soon we begin “lining” the raft through the more difficult sections.

 

94 #10

Portaging rapids in the Upper Granite Gorge of the Yarlung Tsangpo - the world’s highest river. These water formations are simply gravity-driven liquids negotiating different terrains in a perpetual effort to seek their own levels. With a river this size and a drop this severe, that can only be achieved by racing to the most level place on earth - the ocean two vertical miles below. Left to right: Eric Manthey, Gil Gillenwater, and Troy Gillenwater.

 

94 #11

Gil Gillenwater holds a human mandible. “We’d been rafting with a bunch of sinners.”

 

94 #12

These recirculating hydraulic holes, or “keepers,” are to be avoided at all cost.

 

94 #13

Portaging rapids in the Upper Granite Gorge of the Yarlung Tsangpo - the world’s highest river. In many places the river is simply un-runnable. We come to accept that we are essentially powerless on the “Mt. Everest of Rivers.”
Left to right: Rick Fisher, Eric Manthey, Troy Gillenwater.

 

94 #14

Abandoning the first-descent portion of our trip, we stash our raft and all our river gear under a house-sized boulder. It's probably there to this day. We later regret leaving our life jackets.

 

94 #15

Though the hiking is difficult in river sandals, we never regret being off the river.

 

94 #16

Many times we have to swim around riverbank obstacles.

 

94 #17

A not-so-subtle lesson in impermanence.

  

94 #18

Rick Fisher takes a break. Altitude sickness and lack of food are depleting all his energy.

 

94 #19

Troy Gillenwater (on left in the shadow) scouts our next climb. Where is the hamlet Eric promised is just ahead? Where is Eric? Our energy is waning and our packs feel heavier.

 

94 #20

Multi-colored Buddhist prayer flags guide us to civilization. Standing on the roof, Troy Gillenwater and Rick Fisher peer into the courtyard. There must be food!

 

94 #21

Their minds - unadulterated by modernization and technology - welcome us as family.

 

94 #22

Rick Fisher and Gil Gillenwater revel in outside human contact. Gil can feel his energy return as he chokes down the tsampa and gulps the high-fat yak butter tea.

 

94 #23

Our host breaks out the homemade rice wine, poured from an old kerosene can, and the party begins. Though from opposite sides of the planet and cultural strangers, the human connection prevails.

 

94 #24

After Gil Gillenwater gives his river knife to the father (who is ecstatic to receive it),Troy Gillenwater shows him how to remove it from the plastic scabbard. The boys look on in wonder.

94 #25

The stacked-stone homes in the enchanted hamlet of Dabucun remind us of those we’ve seen on the Hopi Mesas in Arizona.

94 #26

“There is a peace here I have never found before or since.” – Gil Gillenwater

94 #27

Troy Gillenwater says goodbye to the village of Dabucun as we hike an ancient cliffside pilgrimage trail.

 

94 #28

Hiking out of the Upper Granite Gorge of the Yarlung Tsangpo River following our aborted rafting attempt becomes significantly easier when we have an actual trail.

 

94 #29

The Tibetan people we pass on our hike out always seem to be smiling. 

94 #30

Photograph by Rick Fisher. Here Troy and Gil Gillenwater cross Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangpo River in a traditional yak-skinned coracle. The RailRiders© outdoor clothing company included this photograph on the cover of its 1995 summer catalogue and ran an article on the Gillenwaters' Tibet adventures.

94 #31

The drive to Pelung is rife with obstacles. The days seem endless.

94 #32

The food at the roadside lunch houses are a challenge. Rick Fisher is still angry with Eric Manthey.

 

 

94 #33

The Chinese invasion took a tremendous toll on Tibet.

 

 

94 #34

On our long drive, we experience a traditional Tibet that is fast disappearing. Note: The Tibetans we encounter in rural areas are always smiling.

94 #35

Nomadic herders and their yak-hair tents.

 

94 #36

Gil and Troy Gillenwater at their first monastery – the Buchusergila Khang Temple (Buchu Monastery).

 

 

94 #37

Troy Gillenwater stands atop the 15,300-foot Dakmo Serkyim La Pass surrounded by hundreds of prayer flags and Mani stones.

 

 

94 #38

Tumbatse was the 1924 operating base for the British botanist explorers Francis Kingdon-Ward and Lord Cawdor.

 

94 #39

Troy Gillenwater deep in a game of Khampa Billiards.

 

94 #40

“The Monpa Mafia”

 

94 #41

Direct decedents of the warring Mishimi and Abor tribes, our local porters are an interesting lot. Their load-carrying strength is matched only by their nefarious behavior.

  

94 #42

We are continually amazed at the agility and durability of our porters. They are truly “people of the earth.”

 

94 #43

Left to right: Gil Gillenwater, Bill Bacon, Jerry Dixon, Eric Manthey, and Chris Grace take a much-needed break at the top of a small pass. Prayer flags denote the crest. For Gil, Troy Gillenwater, Jerry, and Chris, this is “buzzed hiking.”

 

94 #44

Gil Gillenwater winds his way through a combination of thick, jungled vegetation and hulking, old-growth forest.

 

94 #45

A false step on the hanging bridge would deliver one to the raging maelstrom below.

94 #46

Gil Gillenwater hikes the hand-gouged trail. Locals call these carved out sections the “Tiger’s Mouth.”

94 #47

Troy Gillenwater and Jerry Dixon take a break at a Mani stone shrine. Jerry’s turquoise shirt may have saved him from wandering into Bhutan!

94 #48

Cresting the ridge, it is a short hike down to Mondrong.

94 #49

Following the brutal hike to Mondrong, Mr. Luo cooks up soup on an open fire in a one-room log hut offered us by the village elder. Left to right: Gil Gillenwater, Jerry Dixon, Chris Grace, Mr. Luo, and Bill Bacon.

94 #50

Troy and Gil Gillenwater were serenaded by the sing-song harmony of these three Monpan nightingales.

94 #51

A leech! These repulsive creatures torment us day and night.

94 #52

Rick Fisher is obsessed with finding the fabled “Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra.” Left to right: Two porters, Rick Fisher, Eric Manthey, Troy Gillenwater, porter, and Jerry Dixon.

94 #53

The village of Sengchen. The term “village” is misleading. Two or more houses constitute a village. These are hamlets - small collections of log houses.

94 #54

Gil Gillenwater and Jerry Dixon lead the group down the ridgeline in hopes of fulfilling Rick Fisher’s dream – a glimpse of the “Lost Falls of the Brahmaputra.”

94 #55

Gil Gillenwater and the others hike the same Mondrong-to-Sengchen trail that Captain Francis Kingdon-Ward and Lord Cawdor first explored 70 years earlier in 1924

 

94 #56

Left to right: Gil Gillenwater, Troy Gillenwater, and Jerry Dixon in Sengchen.

 

 

97 #67

At Tsebung Rock, Matuk ceremoniously offers three full prostrations and then beckons us to follow.

 

97 #68

Takin skulls adorn mossy grottos along the shrine site.

 

97 #69

An unnoticed crack in the stone leads us to the inner sanctum of Tsebung - “Million Lives.”

 

97 #70

Gil Gillenwater and Matuk. The Tsebung “Long Life” ceremony includes carving a notch in a stick for each year you have been alive.

 

97 #71

Troy Gillenwater emerges from the birth canal of Mother Earth. 

 

97 #72

As we emerge from the womb of Mother Earth the storm abates and the skies miraculously clears - affording us unique views all the way into India.

 

97 #73

Our telephoto lens captures a distant peak manifesting from the clouds (see top of photo).

 

97 #74

Dorje Phagmo Mountain – our guidepost into the Inner Gorge.

 

97 #75

Leaving the trail, we climb up into the unknown.

 

97 #76

The climbing is difficult, but the porters don’t slow down, even though they are anxious. Entrapment by monsoon clouds is a constant threat.

 

97 #77

Hacking our way through the entangled rhododendron thickets slows our progress and zaps our energy.

 

97 #78

The geologic exposure is frightening. See Troy Gillenwater in the foreground on the bottom-right and the porters are dotting the top of the hill in the upper-left.

 

97 #79

Hiking on the edge of the rhododendron thickets is easier going. But the risk of a landslide and an endless fall is also heightened.

 

97 #80

Our porters gain the ridgeline.

 

97 #81

Fresh evidence of landslides and earth fissuring are everywhere.

 

97 #82

On the steeper sections we are reduced to crawling on our hands and knees.

 

97 #83

The higher we climb, the more spectacular the Himalayan views. Gil Gillenwater in the forefront.

 

97 #84

As the mists get thicker and thicker our group spread out.

 

97 #85

Every now and then the clouds would part and we would, with relief, see our porters traversing the same ridgeline.

 

97 #86

Who is this apparition manifesting from the clouds? With no pack he isn't one of ours.

 

97 #87

When the clouds lift, we see our porters scattered all over. Note Troy Gillenwater and Ken Storm are in the foreground and some of our porters are in the top-left on the distant ridge.

 

97 #88

Suddenly the apparition, with his flintlock, charges us.

 

97 #89

“Mystical Warrior from the Mists” - our guide for the next leg of our journey.

 

97 #90

Our porters are breakfasting after a long rainy night. Their plastic rain cover lies nearby. They are truly people of the earth.

 

97 #91

Namcha Barwa - 25,531 feet

 

97 #92

Kangla Karpo - 23,891 feet

 

97 #93

Gyala Pelri - 23,733 feet

 

97 #94

The Kangla Karpo peak (Sanglung) on the Indian sub-continent, looms large on the left of the photograph. The Namcha Barwa peak, also on the Indian sub-continent, is the pyramidical peak just to the right of Kangla Karpo. The Gyala Pelri peak, on the Asian continent, is situated on the far right of the photograph. Between Namcha Barwa and Gyala Pelri lies the deepest gorge in the world. With these landmarks revealed we know how to find our destination. The uncharacteristically clear weather allows these to be the first photographs ever taken from this vantage point. The spirit of Pemako is with us.

 

97 #95

We are miraculously granted clear skies and unprecedented views. Troy Gillenwater and Gil Gillenwater know a divine guidance is at play in revealing this once in a lifetime experience. Luminous Kangla Karpo is in the background.

 

97 #96

With the 23,733-foot Gyala Pelri in the center, Troy Gillenwater scopes out the Guardian Protector’s Dorje Traktsen Mountain on the left. This will be our gateway into the Inner Gorge.

 

97 #97

Mesmerized by the mountain, our porters revolt and refuse to continue. They understand that this is the Guardian Protector’s gateway into the Inner Gorge. To take Westerners into this most sacred place could incur the wrath of the local spirits. In this photograph Gil Gillenwater attempts to convince the porters to continue. His pleas, offers of more money and cajoling fall on deaf ears.

 

97 #98

Our Buddhist-shaman guide’s mystical dream the night before assured the porters that we can continue up and over the sacred mountain without incurring the Guardian Protector’s wrath, so Matuk and the others debate the surest route of ascent. This will be our gateway into the Inner Gorge.

 

97 #99

The porters can be seen as tiny specs on the ridge approaching the formidable Dorje Traktsen Mountain.

 

97 #100

Troy Gillenwater readies to ascend the almost vertical slope up Dorje Traktsen. Porters can be seen inching their ways skyward.

 

97 #101

Without ropes the exposure of this climb is daunting. Here we stop and take a break. Dawa is in the green shirt.

 

97 #102

Gil Gillenwater approaches the summit of Dorje Traktsen.

 

97 #103

Our Buddhist-shaman guide reaches the summit of Dorje Traktsen.

 

97 #104

On top of Dorje Traktsen our porters get a “bird’s-eye-view” of the region they live in but have never seen from this vantage. Dawa is in the green shirt with our Buddhist-shaman guide to his left in the photo and Bhim to his right. Matuk points from the tip of the hill.

 

97 #105

Rock solid Matuk on the left with a pair of socks I gave him, and our hunter/shaman guide who appeared from the mists on the right. Nobody can believe how clear the skies are. They tell us the Pemako Guardian Protectors are pleased!      

 

97 #106 

We are truly on top of the world.

 

97 #107

The sheer grandeur of Pemako is an acute lesson in the transiency of continual process. Troy Gillenwater is in the left-hand-bottom-comer.

 

97 #108

Troy Gillenwater and Gil Gillenwater realize this experience is a mystical gift. Pemako is revealing herself.

 

97 #109

Matuk points our way down and into the long-sought Inner Gorge. The porters are ecstatic to be on top of the mountain. 

97 #110

A porter marvels over the use of Troy Gillenwater’s binoculars. Bhim is looking at the camera. We are provided an unprecedented view into the Inner Gorge.

 

97 #111

Readying to descend into the Inner Gorge, Troy Gillenwater confers with our Buddhist-shaman guide as to which route to take. Unfortunately, our hunter guide from the mists have never been this far out of his territory and can offer no advice. We would have to proceed on intuition alone.

 

97 #112

With the clouds moving in, we begin our long descent down Dorje Traktsen.

 

97 #113

Our porters are rock solid as they descend into unknown territory. Note the line of porters tracing down the mountain in the upper-right.

 

97 #114

Sooner than expected our Buddhist-shaman guide calls a halt to the day’s march. He says the weather is too unstable to continue that late in the day.

  

97 #115

We pitch our tent on the platform constructed by one of our Gogden porters. The porters' camp is below.

 

97 #116

Troy Gillenwater surveys the scene from the tent porch of our platform perch.

 

97 #117

Our setting affords us miraculous views into the upper portion of the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The gorge is so steep we can't yet see the river.

 

97 #118

Our porters’ camp. There is magic afoot as we all know we are on the adventure of a lifetime.

 

97 #119

With clouds moving in and out we proceed to climb. In this photograph our porters can been seen in a tiny line on the left.

 

97 #120

Gil Gillenwater and Ken Storm look on as the porters gather crystals. They called the stones, “Vajrayogini’s tears”.

 

97 #121

We are startled to find that Buddhist pilgrims traveled this way many years before.

 

97 #122

Another hunter manifests from the mists.

 

97 #123

The hunter’s name is JamYang. We nick-named him the Gentleman Hunter.

 

97 #124

JamYang knows the way to a large waterfall. We negotiated a price and he agrees to guide us.