Tiger Leaping Gorge
I’m coming off an incredible week of travel. Last time I wrote I was relaxing in Shangri-la, buying warm clothing for the days ahead in the Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Tibetan borderlands. Leaving most of my things in Shangri-la, I took a 7am bus to the Gorge, driving through pouring rain that was turning to sleet at the higher elevations. It was not looking good for the start of a two–day trek. I had breakfast at Jane’s Guesthouse where I picked up beta on the trail and decided to zip up the rain jacket and take off walking. Fortunately, the weather improved slightly, allowing me to enjoy the day, meandering through the gorge, walking past small villages, farms, all the while looking at beautiful vistas of the river below as I ascended the trail. The trail was a bit confusing as it winded around houses and fields and I did get lost a few times. Once a villager came running after me to tell me I was on the wrong track. How nice!The first day I walked a total of about 16km or 12miles, reaching the famed Halfway House lodge early in the afternoon. Slowly, other trekkers trickled into the lodge and we all congregated over beers and dinner, the evening culminating with a 30 minute episode (caught on camera) of a group of us trying to remove a MASSIVE spider from the dorm room. The next day I joined a small group and headed along the trail, ultimately making it back down to the road. Two of us decided to take the steep trail down to the river, where legend has is a tiger leaped 25 feet from a rock to escape a hunter and hence the name of the place. The water was raging after the rain and quite a powerful site. The path up included some hairy scrambling and 100 foot ladders. Not for the weak of heart or those with a fear of heights!Tiger Leaping Gorge is listed as one of the must-do’s in Yunnan, and despite the fact that it is highlighted in many guidebooks, the 26km high-route was spectacular and rather isolated, as most tourists come in on the bus and stay near the road. See some of my photos here under Sichuan: http://picasaweb.google.com/kmcguinnesMy next post will include detail my amazing road trip through the Tibetan borderlands. Teaser: It was the most amazing road I’ve ever driven on in my entire life!