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May Go to Xueliang Feng from the North

PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:10 pm
by kbc
Hi:
Xueliang Feng, a high peak in Tienshan Mountains, lies in Aksu prefecture Xinjiang
China.
The trodational route to Xuelian Feng is from the south, but it was cloesd to any groups to enter there years ago. Some groups gave it up before when they go to the mounth of the mountain.
Last August we arranged a group to Xuelian Feng. They reached BC after we helped go though all the formalities.
Now it becomes possible if you use your mind.

:?:

kbc

Expeditioning in Xinjiang

PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:46 pm
by 7999
What Kong writes is true. Xuelian is a fantastic area with lots
of potential on big, hard, beautiful, untouched mountains; also,
the approach from the north, which was our idea not his, is easy.
Look out for an article in the 2009 AAJ.

However, don't deal with Kong. He is a liar, cheat and extortionist.
He expects to make a 200% profit off every trip he runs, and he
does this all the time on Muztagh Ata. His technique is to keep you
completely ignorant of the true costs. If you ask, he lies. If you know,
he reverts to extortion, threatening to cancel your trip. Once he had
our money (5000EUR on actual costs of 1600EUR + fee) he cheated
us further, cancelling one of the staff we'd paid for. He also underpaid
the other staff member. Ours is not a unique case -- I have heard
from people he has cheated on Muztagh Ata and on other peaks. An
"endorsement'' for him in the 2008 AAJ reads "dishonest, difficult
to deal with, and manipulative,'' and we will write something similar
in the 2009 edition. Many agents in Xinjiang behave this way, and
most Chinese are shocked and ashamed if they learn how foreign
climbers are being treated in their country.

Look out for Kong Baocun in lots of guises, including Xinjiang Tourism
International, China Xinjiang Mountaineering Organisation (not to be
confused with the governmental China Xinjiang Mountaineering Association,
whose name he often invokes), China Alpine Organization, run by his
nephew Kong Genping, and websites including http://www.chinalpine.org,
http://www.7546m.com and http://www.muztaghata.com.

So you know, the cost of a permit for 6000-7000m in Xinjiang (Xuelian)
is 10000RMB. For 7000-8000m it is 15000RMB (Muztagh Ata). See
http://www.china.org.cn/sports/news/200 ... 638044.htm
This number is for up to 11 climbers, and beyond 11 there is a supplement
of 1000RMB per person. There is a huge additional fee for unclimbed peaks.
The regulations say that the CXMA will provide a liaison officer and you will
have to pay his salary in addition. Salary for guides is normally 200RMB per
day. In China there are many options for transport, food, equipment and
horses or camels to transport gear. In general it is completely unnecessary
to arrange these things in advance, and you can do them all yourself on the
spot. Even when the agent tells you it is necessary, and you pay a lot for
advance treatment, you will find your guide winging it when you get
there.

You have no knowledge of China

PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:57 pm
by kbc
You didn't tell the truth. Every group has to pay over 1000 Euro for a liaison officier besides the pay on the climbing permit.
You are lying here.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:18 am
by 7999
The outside observer should analyse Kong's technique here. You will see
his statement contains accusation, indignation and a lack of hard facts.
It also focuses in on only one of many statements in my post, to distract
attention from all the others to which he has no reply at all. Recall the
words above, ``dishonest, difficult to work with and manipulative.''

Now look at the last paragraph of my post again. i) It is written that
``the CXMA will provide a liaison officer and you will have to pay his
salary in addition.'' This is a true fact, repeated by Kong, and which
makes his statement ``You are lying'' rather curious. ii) It is written
that ``Salary for guides is normally 200RMB per day.'' This is another
true fact, although agents like Kong will only pay them for days in BC
- they will have to trek, drive and work on all your organisation days
for no salary.

I don't state the exact salary for a LO because I don't know. This is
one of the pieces of information people like Kong work very hard to
hide from you. Then when they say it is 1500EUR, you have no choice
but to pay; in fact the LO might see 800EUR (for a long trip), and the
rest goes into the agent's pocket, maybe with a little extra for the
CXMA. If I do ever find out the official CXMA LO salary scales, I will
of course post them here.

Bear in mind at this point that there is a very good chance that no LO
will appear at all for your expedition, while there is no chance that
the salary money will reappear - who profits when this happens (the
agent or the CXMA) remains, to me, lost behind the smoke and mirrors.