bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid


IT ALL BEGAN IN YUNNAN I was born in Tokyo and grew up during the second world war. My interest in the outdoors started as a teenager but it took until university before I could join my friends in mountaineering. From early on I was fascinated by the exploration of unknown territories and, in the 1960s, I was lucky to be part of a Japanese expedition to South America. There we undertook several first ascents of peaks in the Cordillera Blanca, in Peru, and in the Bolivian Andes.
No porters, no maps: Hong Kong adventurer in first climb of remote China peak 
A key turning point in my life was moving to Hong Kong (Nakamura was sent to the city by the tunnel-building company he worked for and lived in Sheung Wan from 1989 to 1994). It was on holiday in Lijiang, Yunnan province, that I experienced a deeply touching moment: I saw for the first time the Yulong Xueshan, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The mountain was the spark for my personal odyssey through western China, which lasted for more than two decades.

PEAK PERFORMANCE In the beginning I travelled mostly to the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, then gradually moved my interest to eastern Tibet, where a lot of areas remained blank spots on the map. I found hundreds, maybe thousands, of unknown and unclimbed peaks bordered by the Himalayas in the west, the deep gorges of the Yangtze and Mekong in the south, and the Chinese plain in the east. In search of new discoveries I have returned to this area again and again on more than 37 expeditions in the past 25 years. The uniqueness of the area lies in the variety of its landscapes: many peaks tower into the sky, not unlike the Alps; others are glaciated and resemble the mountains of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. I was also fascinated by the minority people that live in these remote valleys – the unique cultures of the Khamba, Kongbo and Pome people on the eastern Tibetan plain or those of northwestern Yunnan that live along the Mekong and Salween rivers.
Climbers drawn to uncharted China mountain range 
The main reason this area has remained so remote is that the logistics to get there are often very complicated – Chengdu, Kunming and Kathmandu provide the main access points. But the tricky part is the red tape; permission has to be obtained from up to four organisations and often there is no official procedure or tariff and the process is subject to negotiation and the goodwill of the local government representative. In 1999, my partner and I were arrested in Nyingchi prefecture, in east Tibet, for not having a travel permit, despite having obtained all the correct papers. We were released a day later but the incident put me on a black list for more than a year and a half and it took a lot of effort, money and good contacts to get the travel ban lifted.

PRINCIPLES OF AN EXPLORER In my opinion, an excellent mountaineer or explorer has to do three things: practise (visit the places), read (build on other explorers’ work) and write (publish articles and maps). “Slow and steady” and “continuation needs power” are my key mottos. It’s important that all my expeditions are self-funded. I have never had any sponsors or financiers. This has allowed me a free hand, but not always made it easy to publish my work. My journeys of discovery through eastern Tibet have provided me with a second life after retirement.
After conquering Everest at 80, Yuichiro Miura eyes next challenge 
While I am way too old to climb all these untouched peaks – I am 82 – I see myself more as a source for other mountaineers. I provide information, maps, photos and knowledge freely to anyone interested in the region. Climbers such as Mick Fowler, Mark Richey, Richard Jenkins and a recent expedition by Hong Kong-based mountaineers have followed my information and suggestions.

TERRA INCOGNITA The 2009 expedition (to Tibet) stands out. The objective was the exploration of four valleys across gorge country: two in the upper Yigong Tsangpo, one in Botoi Tsangpo and one in Kangri Garpo West. One day, my team attempted to cross a pass by horse, but heavy snow blocked our way. We were probably the first people for almost 90 years to attempt this feat. British explorer Brigadier-General George Pereira recorded that pass in his journal in 1922: “There was a regular jumble of high mountains in every direction. But towering over the rest was one in shape like the Matterhorn, which must have been well over 18,000 feet in height.” I was deeply moved by the breathtaking prospects of the snowy peaks – range after range to the east and south – from the pass and was very excited. I was entering terra incognita.
Japanese climber who lost nine fingers in 2012 Everest attempt abandons fresh bid for summit because he ‘wouldn’t come back alive’ 
We climbed up to an ideal lookout point, at 4,070 metres, from where I looked down onto a beautiful lake. What a magnificent view! Lake Jambo Tso was born in recent years due to the receding Maraipo Glacier and is surrounded on all sides by unclimbed stunning 6,000-metre peaks. A Russian topographical map, more than 35 years old, does not show the lake. I was probably one of the first people to see it.
They used to venture there on horses but nobody is accessing these valleys any more as there are no motorcycle tracks. Technological advancement has lead to certain areas becoming even more remote.
Tamotsu Nakamura
 
 
MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB There has been immense change to the region, which I have had to witness over the past 25 years. New roads and access to electricity have changed the local life in these remote areas rapidly. Horses are being replaced with cars and motorbikes. Locals watch TV and video, through which news of the outside world can be learned. On one of my last expeditions, we had problems accessing a remote valley as no local herders had any knowledge of the area. They used to venture there on horses but nobody is accessing these valleys any more as there are no motorcycle tracks. Technological advancement has lead to certain areas becoming even more remote.
In January, I published most of my findings, maps and photographs in the book East of the Himalaya Mountain Peak Maps – Alps of Tibet and Beyond (in English, Japanese and Chinese). It’s the culmination of my work for all these years and should be the new reference for the area. But I am not stopping yet. Later this year, I am going back to Yunnan. There are still a few mountains that need to be checked out.


Japanese climber's mission to fill in blanks on China map 

Glacier and farmland near Ranwu Lake in Basu County of Chamdo City, Tibet. Photo: Xinhua

Tamotsu Nakamura with a nomad family in China.

The Cordillera Blanca.

Local performers from the Naxi, Yi and Bai ethnic minorities perform the cultural production 'Impression Lijiang' beneath the 5596-metre peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang.  Photo: EPA

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Tamotsu Nakamura, 82, a businessman turned explorer, has spent his retirement scaling unclimbed peaks in China's west and south. And the adventure is not over yet, he tells Paul Niel


Tamotsu Nakamura, 82, a businessman turned explorer, has spent his retirement scaling unclimbed peaks in China's west and south. And the adventure is not over yet, he tells Paul Niel.


Asia travel