I've heard the phrase "Himalayan in scale" used quite often when describing various mountain routes. Generally climbs that get up towards 10K in vertical relief register on this scale. Here was our first view of - Cho Oyu, at 8,188m (26,864 ft), the sixth highest mountain in the world. We spent our first night in Tibet near this view in the town of Dingri. With the summit standing well over 10K above us wrapped in clouds, and only visible for a brief moment, we focused mainly on our humble dirt floor abode, wood fired hot water, and roof top squatter outhouse that I still claim to be the most amazing in the world. We were damn happy about it all. There was a time when mountains like Cho Oyu held my fancy but it was short lived as I discovered the realities of mountain climbing in the Sierra Nevada of California, and began to extrapolate them outward and upward and sensed that I was not interested in the task of tackling such difficulties. Sunshine and golden granite scrambles was where my heart lay. But at this moment, on this trip, getting to travel around the foot of these giant peaks, my mind got to rambling back—perhaps there are some “easy” ones—the “trekking peaks” I’d heard about? I still haven’t returned since this trip in 2001, but many of the unknown summits along the way continue to hold places in my memory offering a soft call now and again, questioning me as to why I haven’t been back or when I plan to get back to the rivers and valleys, the smoke rising from a distant chimney fading into an even more distant glimmering frozen summits—and I think—don't we always say: "we'll be back"—and we mean it then when we say it, but it never happens. Life takes over, other fancies rise up on the horizon, time is limited. Alas, I knew this was the case then, and tried to absorb every waking minute as much as possible. May you stay slowly, and allow us to pass along your long bumpy roads this time Tibet, Kali Shu, So-so-so-so-so…. . #tibet #chooyu #trekking #kailash #mtkailash #tibetanplateau #endupnowhere #nowheremagazine #backofbeyond #travel #himalaya #highestpeaks #adventure #adventuretime #adventuretravel #thejourney (at Tibet Autonomous Region) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnsa90pBNvl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=e7fufo38yc28