The Tiger Leaping Gorge was my first time doing a long multiple-day climb with a heavy pack. Despite the challenges, there’s something exhilarating, humbling, and calming about upland travel.
We started the hike late afternoon, so we raced the sun up the mountain and arrived at the Naxi Guesthouse just in time for a sunset dinner.
The local Naxi people’s homes and rice terraces
The small family-run guesthouse
A simple dinner for two: sauteed eggplants, stir-fried shredded pumpkins, salted peanuts, Dali beer, and hot mint tea
After a good night of rest, we woke up bright and early to continue our journey. The new day started with the most strenuous part of the trail, named 28 bends for its steep twists and turns. After few hours of climbing, we were rewarded with a beautiful view. And the rest of the hike almost felt like breeze, in comparison.
On this narrow path, the horse and I were both very weary about falling off the mountain..
Taurin!
We saw so many mountain goats along the way.
I slipped and stepped into the water!
We caught a mini-bus out of town and stopped by Lijiang. Since over 800 years ago, the Naxi people have resided in Lijiang’s old town. Unfortunately, once the town was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site, the tourism industry caused a huge displacement of its original residents and replaced homes with overpriced souvenir shops. Nonetheless, I was grateful for the break before the trip back to Kunming.
Can’t complain about cold beer: Tibetan barley beer and Lijiang’s own “Happy Hours”
A Mongolian throat-singer + ensemble
“When you ride your bike, you’re working your legs, but your mind is on a treadmill. When you play chess, your mind is clicking along, but your body is stagnating. Climbing brings it together in a beautiful, magical way. The adrenaline is flowing, and it’s flowing all the time.” – A quote by Pat Ament
