For those who have been logging in the hope of seeing some news for me - apologies that it has taken so long for me to get something to you. The communications that we all take for granted evapourated soon after leaving the major metroplois of Kathmandu.
Russell and I knew before we set off that there had been problems with the access road from Kathmandu to Cho Oyo base camp. The road in fact had been washed away in parts by heavy flooding and rainfall and repairs were underway allowing us only to travel during the nightime hours when the workmen were resting. We were prepared for the worst and it certainly lived up to expectations.
On the way from Kathmandu, a swollen river had come across the road and no traffic could cross from either side. On the far side of the river, the previous night, a rock had fallen from the steep sided valley and killed the driver of a lorry and injured another man. A rescue attempt was underway when we arrived and they had backed up two lorries as far as they dared to try to breach the river and transport the injured from the far side of the river. They had made a makeshift bridge with some planks of wood bridging the gap from the back of one lorry to the back of the other and on a couple of occasions the force of the river was so great that it seemed that the lorries would be washed away. Despite the instablility of this arrangement, they then proceeded to walk the injured man accross from the far side so that he could be taken to hospital. The body of the deceased was ceremoniously burned by the river in front of us all.
Russell and I knew before we set off that there had been problems with the access road from Kathmandu to Cho Oyo base camp. The road in fact had been washed away in parts by heavy flooding and rainfall and repairs were underway allowing us only to travel during the nightime hours when the workmen were resting. We were prepared for the worst and it certainly lived up to expectations.
On the way from Kathmandu, a swollen river had come across the road and no traffic could cross from either side. On the far side of the river, the previous night, a rock had fallen from the steep sided valley and killed the driver of a lorry and injured another man. A rescue attempt was underway when we arrived and they had backed up two lorries as far as they dared to try to breach the river and transport the injured from the far side of the river. They had made a makeshift bridge with some planks of wood bridging the gap from the back of one lorry to the back of the other and on a couple of occasions the force of the river was so great that it seemed that the lorries would be washed away. Despite the instablility of this arrangement, they then proceeded to walk the injured man accross from the far side so that he could be taken to hospital. The body of the deceased was ceremoniously burned by the river in front of us all.
1 comment:
Hi chris - amazing stories...sounds like journey to BC was wild !the river crossing reminded me of "the long way round" with Ewan Magregor. and burning the poor driver ! was he then eaten !?? hope your headaches get better which i'm sure will....wish mine would go, but it was more to do with the 7 pints from last night than the altitude of Nutley !! take care and look fwd to more amazing stories - love john/barbara/wills/jimbo and charley
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