After over a year of rehabilitation, he took a trip to Taiwan's Mt. Hohuan, where he found he was still able to handle high altitudes. Returning to the embrace of the mountains left Gau feeling overjoyed, and in 1998 he decided to try returning to Tibet. Traveling some of the way by vehicle and some on foot, he returned to Everest's base camp, 5340 m above sea level.
休養一年多後，他先到合歡山，發現仍能適應高海拔，重回高山懷抱更令他欣喜異常；緊接著 1998 年就嘗試回到西藏，半坐車半走路重回海拔 5,340 公尺的聖母峰基地營。