Everyone we'd spoken travelling in the reverse direction (that is from the high altitude towns of Zhongdian 3,200m above sea level and Litang 4,000m) warned us about bad experiences they had adjusting to altitude, so we were cautious to plan a gradual accent to 4,000m+. By the way 'bad experiences' ranged from vomiting, to 6 days in bed with bad headaches - this is serious stuff.
So we planned 3 days in Zhongdian (Shangri la) to acclimatise, and ended up hanging out with some great people we'd met in Tiger Leaping Gorge (see Ros's Blog for more about this amazing place). One of these new friends, Jane, suggested that we climb a near by mountain. Well why not? A bit of exercise is a great way to test ourselves at 3,200 before rising further, so a plan was hatched.
First, let me show you the mountain - it's the one on the right.
View from a small hill behind the old town
Now let me show you the view from the top.
The small hill where the other photo above was taken is in the far left. Note the Prayer mound and flags to the right
Now the best bit - we 'flashpacked' it! We were mostly Aussies, pining wine, cheese, and great picnics, so we improvised. A few bottles of local wine (quite good actually), some 'to die for' yak cheese, and all the other accouterments you'd expect of a tip top picnic. If I was Leighton I'd say "Yeah, we do alright"
Jane and Stuart in the background (those who suggested the trip). You can't see the wine as it was being drunk!
No comments:
Post a Comment