Trip Report: Leaping Tiger Gorge
Mike and I took a “two hour” bus ride to “Qiaotou.” I put “two hours” in quotation because it was more like three and a half. Our bus driver stopped a couple of times on the way to load some random cargo onto the bus (she made Mike help her lift things) and drop people off in random places. I put “Qiaotou” in quotations because we never actually went there. Instead, we went to a small gate where some guys demanded that we buy entrance tickets into the gorge. The tickets are a new thing and seemed very fishy. We were able to negotiate to half price for students but I couldn’t produce any plastic that would pass for an ID so it was 30 yuan for me.
On the bus ride, we met some other foreigners and ended up hiking with them. There was Robert, a recent college graduate, who was on his southeast Asia backpacking tour before getting a job/going to grad school. We also met Stephie and Anthea, two ex-pats, one from South Africa, the other from Germany, living in Beijing.
We also hiked with a guy and his horse. He started following us at the trail head, hoping that when we got to the steep part we would be discouraged and would pay him to let us ride the horse. We tried to dissuade him but he insisted on following us.
The gorge was spectacular. On one side were velvety mountains that rose up into jagged black peaks dotted with snow fields. On the other side was a narrow trail linking little villages. In between is a deep gorge that occasionally offered views of the rapids of the beginning of the Yangze river.
Impressions of the gorge on the first day of hiking:
The smell of cool, damp mud along the trail
The song of the rapids coming up the gorge
Small trees covered in delicate white or purple flowers
The hills on our side are a pale yellow brown, dead grass, dirt, rocks. The hills on the other side seem lush, covered in terraced fields
Taking a step, sharp cramp and moan, then using all my energy to control the muscles in my abdomen. (steep hiking gave me the trot)
Wind coming across the gorge, blowing through the pine trees
Jingling of goat bells (and smell of goats) coming out of the brush and across the hillside.
We spent the night at the Tea Horse Guesthouse. Beds were 10 yuan each and the most comfortable ones I’ve slept in since leaving Cambridge. I can only imagine someone lugging Swedish Foam us the steep trail.
The sun rose over the mountain peaks. Early in the morning, the whole world was wonderful shades of blue. It was bright for a few hours before the sun finally got over the peaks. Here are my favorite photos from the hike:
On the bus ride, we met some other foreigners and ended up hiking with them. There was Robert, a recent college graduate, who was on his southeast Asia backpacking tour before getting a job/going to grad school. We also met Stephie and Anthea, two ex-pats, one from South Africa, the other from Germany, living in Beijing.
We also hiked with a guy and his horse. He started following us at the trail head, hoping that when we got to the steep part we would be discouraged and would pay him to let us ride the horse. We tried to dissuade him but he insisted on following us.
The gorge was spectacular. On one side were velvety mountains that rose up into jagged black peaks dotted with snow fields. On the other side was a narrow trail linking little villages. In between is a deep gorge that occasionally offered views of the rapids of the beginning of the Yangze river.
Impressions of the gorge on the first day of hiking:
The smell of cool, damp mud along the trail
The song of the rapids coming up the gorge
Small trees covered in delicate white or purple flowers
The hills on our side are a pale yellow brown, dead grass, dirt, rocks. The hills on the other side seem lush, covered in terraced fields
Taking a step, sharp cramp and moan, then using all my energy to control the muscles in my abdomen. (steep hiking gave me the trot)
Wind coming across the gorge, blowing through the pine trees
Jingling of goat bells (and smell of goats) coming out of the brush and across the hillside.
We spent the night at the Tea Horse Guesthouse. Beds were 10 yuan each and the most comfortable ones I’ve slept in since leaving Cambridge. I can only imagine someone lugging Swedish Foam us the steep trail.
The sun rose over the mountain peaks. Early in the morning, the whole world was wonderful shades of blue. It was bright for a few hours before the sun finally got over the peaks. Here are my favorite photos from the hike:
posted by Michelle at 6:51 a.m.
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