Nicholas Rice: Xixabangma Dispatch

2007 Xixabangma Expedition

Dispatch Six: September 2nd, 2007

Day Six: Free day in Nylam

Today, we woke up at 10:00am Chinese time, and tried to figure out where we were supposed to get breakfast. After wondering up the street for 10 minutes we ran into our Nepali friend who told us where to go. We had an omelet, some tea and nan, and then decided to go pick up some things at the store up the street. I bought a few things there, exchanged some currency, bought a pair of fake mountain hardwear pants that were only $17.00 and then went to lunch. We ate with the Polish Cho Oyu team, in which one member had climbed Gasherbrum II with me in 2006. We stayed there and chatted while enjoying a few Lhasa beers and after a few hours, went down to the internet café. We checked our email for about a half an hour then went to get my 50 liters of petrol from the gas station up the street (for the generator). We hauled the 20kg loads back to the hotel, then returned to a small Tibetan house to pick up some bamboo sticks which we would chop up and use as snow stakes to secure our tents at high altitude. After this was finished, we relaxed in the room for awhile, then went to dinner with the Polish team. During dinner we were made aware that Thai Airlines had found Mike’s missing bag, so we were to stay another day in Nylam. The Polish and I chatted another few hours about climbs in the Karakorum, Pamirs, and Africa, had a few beers and then returned to our rooms to call it a night.