9/8/2001: It's dawn. The drovers fiddle with our packs. At 7:30 they peck at their breakfast (campa: i.e. some pulpy "thingummy" with yak butter, salty tea and raksi which is a sort of local brandy with the taste of stain-remover), by 8:30 they've already collected all yaks and at 9:30 the whole traveling circus is on the move. Miki and Konyi dash out of the camp and disappear leaving a condensation trail on the horizon: they're the exploratory team and their task is to find the place for the Base Camp. For two days we'll only be in touch on the walkie-talkie with them. We climb up to the Langma La Pass that lies higher than 5000 meters and climb down on the other side. The yaks slip on the wet, rocky ground, the slope of the mountain is frighteningly steep. Before the pass one of the yaks falls ill and feels like a wet rag - Tibetan women take its packs over and we send the ailing beast back to the village. The landscape is breath-taking: we camp at an azure lake at the height of 4653 meters. It's getting dark. We're worn out -" and we only dream and muse" - to quote Jesenin. We talk to Miki and Konyi -they're fine. Tonight we won't need any rocking to sleep. (David)

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Background of the Expedition