Tiger Leaping Gorge

  Qiaotou, China
Friday, August 10, 2007

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Everyone I met told me I had to go to Tiger Leaping Gorge.  They were so right.  I planned to stay 2 or 3 days and instead stayed for 4.  As soon as you round the first corner into one of the world's deepest gorges, the volume of the water and the incredible height of the peaks on both sides (about 5300 m) blew me away.  Timo, who I had met in Dali, and a German couple and I enjoyed clear skies and no rain, a real treat for Tiger Leaping Gorge this time of year. 

Along the hike I chatted with a Swiss man that I also met in Dali who was coming the opposite direction.  I asked about accomodations at his recommendations.  He said the Halfway House wasn't that great.  Well, we ended up at the Halfway House and all I can say is that it is the best place I have stayed in all of China.  I lingered for 3 nights at a cost of 20 yuan a night (just under $3).  My second day I hiked out of the gorge about the Halfway House and made it, I think, to a workers camp at 5000 m.  I can't really be sure what was going on up there, but between about 3500 and 4000 m there was massive construction.  I wondered if it might be related to the damn rumored to be built in the gorge in the near future, thus flooding this incredible place.  I also walked past nearly a hundred small scale mining operations.  I don't know what they were mining...I tried to ask an English speaking guide but he didn't know the word in English.  

Half Way House

The third day it rained.  By that time a gang of 7 Americans had taken over the balcony overlooking the gorge with a full view of the mountains across the gorge.  After lunch we hunkered down and played hearts, drank tea, beer, and hot chocolate for 10 hours.  Blissful.  We watched the clouds come and go creating an endless array of mesmerizing whisps amongst hiding and appearing in the ridges across from us.

On the fourth day the rain increased and I realized I needed to get moving.  The 7 of us eventually all met up again down near the river, had some warm drinks and food at Tina's Guest House, and hired a mini-van to take us on the low road back to Qiatou. 

12-Tiger Leaping Gorge

With two days of pounding rain, the drive back became one of the biggest adventures.  Waterfalls pounded in from the gorge walls above us, sometimes pouring right into the middle of the road.  We oohed and ahhed, mouths agape, at countless waterfalls streaming in on both sides of the river and gripped the seats in anticipation as our tiny, compact, mini mini-van blasted across sections of the road damaged from recent landslides and flooded in water.

They dropped me back in Qiatou and headed back to Lijiang.  Luckily the rain let up a little and I fell right in with an English speaking Tibetan guide who had just finished up with a group and also needed to head back to Zhongdian, my next destination.  We attempted to flag down a couple dozen busses headed that way to no avail.  During that time I also met a Croatian fellow who had been doing the same for over an hour with no luck.  Luckily, again, a two young Chinese guys had hired an SUV to drive them to Zhongdian and invited us to join to lower the price.  At 25 yuan it cost us only 5 yuan more than a bus.  

Rock slide, still sliding

What we didn't know was that our driver hadn't slept much lately.  My eyes remained on permanently when I realized he was banging himself in the head and rubbing his eyes to stay awake.  Add to this that we're crossing over 4500 m passes in a torrential downpour along a cliff about 400 m above a fierce class IV and V river at flood level.  Add to this that twice we came upon landslides with rocks still pouring onto the highway.  The Croatian and I shared a deep sigh when the SUV finally pulled up in front of the hostel in Zhongdian.

I have to say that Qiaotou, the gateway to the downstream entrance of the gorge, reminded a lot of Aguas Calientes in Peru at the base of Machu Pichu.  I felt especially reminded when, like at Aguas Calientes, I met a local guide and who assisted me in arranging travel the local way rather than the tourist way.  Those moments both yesterday and in '98 in Peru, really make me glad that I choose to stay low and stay as local as possible.  The experiences and interactions are so much more real and genuine.