View of Everest’s peak from the plane between Beijing and Lhasa
On the road to Lhasa from Gonggar Airport
Nietang Buddha, on the road to Lhasa
On the Barkhor prayer circuit in Lhasa’s old town. As much smoke as possible is generated to please the gods.
Circumambulating with prayer beads, Lhasa old town
View of Potala Palace (seat of the Dalai Lama before his exile) from old Lhasa
Outside Jokhang Temple, old Lhasa
View from the top of Banakshol Hotel, Lhasa. This is where I listened to Fleetwood Mac on the roof of the world.
Potala Palace, Lhasa
Lhasa’s Great Mosque
Potala Palace, Lhasa
Inside Drepung Monastery, Lhasa. The hats belong to Gelug-pa monks (also known as the Yellow Hat Sect – the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism).
Monks debating at the Sera Monastery, outside Lhasa
Monks debating at the Sera Monastery, outside Lhasa
Monks debating at the Sera Monastery, outside Lhasa
Monks debating at the Sera Monastery, outside Lhasa
Monks debating at the Sera Monastery, outside Lhasa
Yamdroktso Lake, between Lhasa and Gyantse, 4990m above sea level.
Road to Gyantse, 5050m
Basum-tso Lake, 3700m
Basum-tso Lake, 3700m
Gyantse Dzong (Fortress)
Kumbum, Gyantse
View over Gyantse from the top of the Dzong
Working on Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shigatse
On the road to Sakya, going back over 4000m
Ruins at Sakya, 4300m
Ruins at Sakya
Highest pass of the trip at 5248m above sea level. Pieces of paper with prayers on were flying everywhere
Everest, or Qomolangma in Tibetan (pronounced Chomolungma)
On the road to Everest. Freezing cold, howling winds, crushing altitude sickness, yet still dragged, magnetised and hypnotised, onward towards the mountain.
Everest Base Camp, 5200m. Viewed from ‘Marvel Hill’
Everest as the sun starts to drop
Everest in full sunset, the light sliding down the west of the mountain…
…and Everest at sunrise, with the sun creeping back up its east side
The early-morning sun makes its way over the rest of the Himalayas
On the road away from Rongbuk Monastery, near Everest Base Camp
The Himalayas…
Coming down the mountain through the clouds, road to Zhangmou
Coming down the mountain through the clouds, road to Zhangmou
Coming down the mountain through the clouds, road to Zhangmou