Monday, August 31, 2009
31st August 1999 - 10 years ago today, i was involved in the organization of the Passage to Tibet 1999 expedition;
excerpt from : www.petronasadventure.com/pastexpedition/tibet.htm
On 31 August 1999, the Team left Kuala Lumpur on what was billed the adventure of the millennium. It would be a journey of determination and perseverance - across 16,000 kilometers of rugged terrain and extreme weather - through Thailand, Myanmar, China, and Tibet to the Himalayas, up to the base camp of Mount Everest.
Enroute, the Team would chalk up at least three world firsts in the People's Republic of China. They became the first foreigners (except Myanmares) allowed entry through Daluo. They were also the first to travel along the Xincheng-Litang route to Tibet, and the first international convoy to enter the square in front of Llasa's Potala Palace, the highest palace in the world.
Another landmark achievement was their successful bid to enter Thailand from Tachilek, Myanmar - across a border that had been closed, following the Myanmar Embassy seige in Bangkok. Other high-lights included reaching a peak 6,168 metres above sea level along the Litang-Jiangda route, over-coming muddy Myanmarese off-road tracks, and negotiating steep Tibetan trails, ravines and gorges. The winding and slippery route along narrow cliffs proved the most taxing, with altitude sickness a compounding factor.
On average, they travelled 12 hours a day, against a backdrop of snow capped mountains. They drove across lofty plateaus, rivers, streams, deserts, and the occasional landslide. The tricky terrain capped their advance at 30 km per hour.Sixty percent of the journey was off-road, across 40 streams and rivers. They were delayed by five days - two at the Monglar Autonomous region in Myanmar, awaiting clearance to enter China through Daluo and another three for their temporary Chinese driving licenses and number plates.
Despite the setbacks, the Team proceeded with true grit and determination.After 40 gruelling days across some of the most challenging and exotic trails on earth, they returned triumphant to Kuala Lumpur on 24 October 1999.
