Trekking at Tiger Leaping Gorge

Lijiang and its surroundings were so fascinating that I decided to go one more time. With my friend and guide, Haba, I organized a 2-day trekking tour at Tiger Leaping Gorge. He knows a lot of hidden spots like this temple that enjoys a panoramic view of Lijiang.

After sunset, we enjoyed the cozy and nostalgic atmosphere of Lijiang Old Town before heading for dinner at a Naxi guesthouse before getting ready for our upcoming adventure.

Next morning started fairly early with a 2 1/2 hour drive to Qiaotou. There are two trails. We decided to go for the higher route, known as the 24-bend path which is about 30 km long overcoming more than 1500 meters altitude difference: a challenge for most but well worth it.

Its one of the deepest gorges in the world and it is an incredible 3900m from the waters of the Yangzi River to the snowcapped mountaintops of Haba Shan (Haba Mountain) to the West and Yulong Xueshan to the East.

Our first stop was a Naxi Guesthouse where we stopped for a tea. The family was extremely welcoming and their house offers a magnificent views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

From here the fun really began as we hit the trail's toughest stretch - a steep 600-meter switchback ascent known as the 24 bends. Even experienced hikers will likely need to take a break or two at some point on this ascent, which tops out at 2,400 meters.

Haba and I took the challenge and we rushed up the trail. I followed Haba as fast as I could and was completely soaked and out of breath when we finally reached the top. Haba looked at his watch and started smiling. He did this trail at least 50 times, but he never went this fast!

We stopped for a well deserved break at the Tea and Horse Guest house and the family welcomed us with a warm pork soup. The food was simple, but I truly enjoyed every bit of it.

Haba initially wanted to stay here overnight, however, as we were already half-way through the trek we decided to push on.

The path became narrower and it was easy to see why many people died here. A Korean tour guide lost his life 3 month ago as he dropped off the cliff while speaking on the phone.

It is a breathtaking hike amid soaring cliffs and waterfalls. The scenery was really incredible, unfortunately my camera skills really cannot do it justice...

We filled up our bottles at the waterfall. It was getting a bit dark and Haba said that if we hurry up we could already make it to Bridge Caffe Guest House which marks the end of the trek.

We reached there just before dawn. The guesthouse is Haba's favorite and is run by a nice Japanese lady and her Naxi family. The house is directly on top of a bridge and the homemade food was delicious.

The accommodation is basic, but the view is priceless: you are sitting on top of the Running Yangtze with huge mountains on both sides.

We enjoyed the day so much that Haba and I decided to walk back the next day! When we met the Naxi families again, they called us 'crazy'... At the end, I was completely exhausted, but it was an unforgettable adventure.

Little Potala Palace and Yi Village

In the afternoon, we drove to the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated 5 kilometres from Shangri-La at elevation 3,380 metres. Built in 1679, the monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace.

It was extensively damaged in the Cultural Revolution and subsequently rebuilt in 1983. It was a perfect day and we enjoyed the mystic atmosphere in this beautiful monastery backdropped by snowcapped mountains.

We saw a few monks strolling around the monastery and Evelyn took a very nice picture of one of them climbing down the stairs...
At its peak, 2000 monks lived here; today it accommodates in its rebuilt structures 700 monks in 200 associated houses.

We headed back towards Lijiang as we had to catch a flight back to Kunming from there. On the way, our driver spotted a remote Yi village in a valley and stopped the car.
On our travel we experienced many Chinese minorities and were truly fascinated by their traditions and lifestyles. We had visited Bai, Naxi and Zang people, but we had not been to an Yi village so this was our chance.

Yi people live very remotely and this village was not accessible by car. We had to climb down a steep hill on slippery stones and a muddy trail.

Yi people are one of the country's poorest and most isolated communities. They live in typical wooden sheds with the most basic living standards.
We were welcomed very friendly and we had a great time of getting to know the local families.
When we walked around the village, we saw an old Yi woman with a traditional costume and a large, black, five-pointed hat. The hats are made of four kilograms of knitted wool.
One of the farmers pulled us into his courtyard. He grabbed a big Yak and pulled it over to us. Evelyn took a few steps back. The Yak looked quite scary...

The man turned to Bastian and handed him the nose ring of the Yak... Wow, it looks as Bastian could be a really good Yak man.

After our excursion to the Yi village we passed by the towering peaks of the Haba Mountain range at over 5300 meters altitude.
Back in Lijiang, we made a final stop at Wenbi Lake to capture a few sunset pictures. It was a perfect finish to one of our most fascinating journeys.

Tibetan Family and Yak Tea

The next day we got up early as we wanted to explore the remote village of Ringha. It was a beautiful day and the valley was covered in snow.

The villagers were up already and we passed by a Tibetan lady herding a group of black pigs

In Tibet, men's work is usually done by women, who work in the fields. We saw many Tibetan women carrying heavy loads of fire wood, etc.

We followed the ladies who were selling goods near a stupa further up the mountains. The place was completely covered with colorful prayer flags.

Please note the pigs on the right side. They showed some really 'piggish' behavior!!!

Later that morning, we visited a 'rich' Tibetan family that our Naxi driver was related to. They had a huge Tibetan house with a huge courtyard.

The family invited us to their living room and the two sons made fire for us. Unlike most other Chinese people, Tibetan families are allowed to have two children.

The youngest, maybe 5 years of age, surprised us when he started smoking a cigarette... and it was not the last one he smoked that day. We were shocked!

The oldest son was 12 years old and when the mother came back from work, we were shocked another time...

Although marked by hard labor, she looked young. When we politely asked she turned out to be in her mid twenties so must have had the baby at a very young age...

She was very hospitable and instantly prepared Yak butter tea, a mixture of tea leaves, yak butter, barley flour and salt. It is always served to guests.

For the Tibetans it is one of the most important source of protein and nomads are said to often drink up to 40 cups of it a day.
For us it tasted... it's like luke warm watery oily rancid salty butter with a nice smelly finish similar to the odor of a yak's butt...
We took a few mouthfuls to show our 'appreciation' and smiled with grand relief when reaching the bottom of the bowls.
Unfortunately, we forgot that in China you automatically get a refill once finished. Bastian had two cups and was ready to go to the toilet...

Evelyn with a 'lets get out of here' smile.