At 5380 metres above sea level

At 5380 metres above sea level
Originally uploaded by Pete The Swede.

Lots to catch up on then.

First thing, I can't actually read this diary online. It seems the Chinese government has deemed me (or perchance someone else using the same service) undesirable, so the page is blocked. But I can still post. But if it looks wierd, its because I can't check it.

Since leaving Kathmandu, we've had the truck impounded at the Nepal/Tibet border for no apparent reason (they gave it back), gone up the best part of 2000 metres in one day (resulting in Acute Mountain Sickness), and basically driven around the mountains in Tibet. We've been camping at about 4500 metres mostly, but have been up at above 5000 metres a few times, most notably for our visit to Everest Base Camp, and a couple of days ago when we had to go over a pass although down below it was nice and sunny, up at that height it was covered in snow. Cue snowball fight.

Being up that high is strange, because of the incredible lack of moisture (snow notwithstanding). You have to keep drinking litres and litres of water. A plane is usually pressurised at about 3000m, and you know how you get dehydrated on a plane.