Tiger Leaping Gorge part 1

Continued from ; Elephant Hill

1.The first stop - The Naxi

5th May 2004

The intrepid four catch the 08.30 bus to Qiotou. For once , there are no billboards or hawkers. No cable car lifts nor rows of diesel buses. Infact we are not even sure where the start of the 22 kilometre trek begins. We take directions up an unmarked track into a school playing field. Then make a small climb at the boundary up onto a path that rises upwards. Is this the right path we begin to wonder ? We are directed onwards and can now see the ravine open up below us, to our right. We stop for lunch at the Naxi guesthouse. It offers us simple noodles and meat. We have other supplies as well - Like our yak jerky. Tough dried strips of Tibetan bullocks which eventually soften in the mouth and become tender like beef. It's light to carry and will provide enough energy to live through a mild Himalayan nightmare, or so we hope. We meet one older gentleman having lunch at the Naxi and he seems to be trekking alone. He tells us he's off way up deep into the mountains with his solo pop-tent. "Do it all the time", he adds, "just to spend some time away from the wife". I must say she sounds charming.

2.Early on along the higher trail

The scenery from here is becoming more alpine . There are enormous sides of sheer granite on our right plummeting down a vast chasm to where the infant Yangtze river gathers pace. There is steep forest to our left. Onwards now with the spur of some competition. Not just the other trekkers we left at the Naxi but donkeys with bells around their necks. Donkeys for hire. By people not fit enough to climb the '28 bends'. The scorching heat overhead is a pain. And I have to stop every so often to get my breath and focus on the summit. I'm wearing boots, my Saint Petersburg specials. Completely unnecessary here really although they may save a twisted ankle on the downhill sections later. I'm carrying only the small knapsack I bought in Chengdu, about 5 kilos in all. Todd has taken off like a hare. Mark and Katie are with me and far behind us are a larger group with one person on a donkey already. I reach a steep hairpin bend and see an old Chinaman sitting at the end of a small outcrop of rock that hangs precariously like a finger above the huge chasm.

3.The main route for locals

He asks if I would like to sit there. Where the tiger leapt across the gorge. The distance to the other side is supposed to be 25 meters. Legend has it that the tiger was fleeing a hunter. My answer is no anyway, I am definitely not sitting out there. We continue on in a knee wrenching climb up a narrow path of S-bends with loose material underfoot. Mark is clearly shattered now carrying a double pack. We climb again, our backs almost breaking with the effort. And collapse at the top to see a carpet of pine trees unrolling ahead of us. We are too tired to throw a celebration at conquering the 28 bends. We all sit panting for breath. Then break out the yak jerky.

4.Faces in rock

The Yangtze river has become a fury of white water rapids now, some 2,000 meters below us. The river here is considered un-navigable. In the 1980's, four brave rafters attempted it and were never seen again. It is possibly the world's deepest river canyon. We pick up a long rocky trail across a plateau with the solid grey wall of stone still to our right. Divided from us by the ever present chasm of doom. The trail narrows to about a metre wide as it clings to an opposing rock face with some tight bends and waterfalls to cross. This section of the trail has been cut into the rock by years of traffic. The traffic of little boots worn by the Naxi people for whom this is the main road. We elect to stay at a small inn after cursing so many hand painted signs quoting optimistically small distances to the next suggested place of accommodation. A little ploy no doubt by competing establishments ! You can imagine incidents of 'sign rage' on the mountain, with them all repositioning each others markers to gain an advantage.