Like many tourists on the Dali - Lijiang - Shangrila tour a stop to hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge was a must on the list. A beautiful 15km walk that is usually done in two to three days. Along the way you have Jade Dragon Snow mountain on one side and Haba Snow mountain on the other. Between the two is a deep canyon with rapids at the bottom.
Along the way you pass through villages of the Naxi people, some of whom opened guesthouses that you can stay at. The hike itself is not too difficult, though it does have some moments of strenuous effort and slippery near-dangerous paths. I ended up hiking it in one day as I thought the people I was meeting up with were ahead of me but it turned out that they actually started after me. So I kept chugging along and trying to pick the pace up to catch up with them.
There is a reason why so many people love this hike and I hope the pictures below give you some hint of why this is. Though they don't do it nearly any justice.
I started the day late as I was waiting for this pot of water to boil so as to make tea.
The beginning of the gorge, with low flying clouds.
looking down the belly of Tiger Leaping Gorge with snow capped mountains in the distance.
How the trail is near the start of it.
terraced rice fields and a village around the trail
beautiful mountains that we'll continue to see along the day..
The water running beneath
A beautiful blue sky with white clouds day
The path has changed slightly.
sometimes you come upon unexpected travelers on the path.
we had a staring contest. he wanted to head butt me and i wanted to eat him.
the first of many suspect bridges
one of many beautiful waterfalls
This really is an amazingly beautiful walk
lunch time. Naxi bread, bowl of kimchi, yaks butter tea (more tea than butter) and eggplant. A delicious way to break up the day
not a bad view for lunch
my guess was that these were old burial grounds of sorts but truthfully am not sure what they are
magestic
Along the way was tons and tons of fresh lavender. It would be so refreshing to breathe it in. I'd constantly pick some and just bring it to my nose to smell it. There also was a ton of marijuana growing around the path. pot and lavender.. a new age freaks ideal trail.
one small part had this little beach of sorts. It was pure sand, I'm guessing that it was just where rock was constantly eroded or wore down.
another surprise visitor along the way
The bathroom at the hostel in the middle of the trail, The halfway house. They say that this is one of the worlds best bathrooms. I think having just squat holes would prove that statement incorrect. :)
various types of cocks mingling with each other.
Another beautiful waterfall, only this one is a bit different. See the next picture to understand why
the water from the waterfall, all muddy and definitely not drinkable.
a view up
we had a staring contest to pass each other. He was afraid i'd hurt him, I was afraid he'd kick me as I passed.
grasshopper sex
A huge and beautiful waterfall. I filled my water bottle up here and I have to say that it tasted delightful
a daring path to cross as if i slipped I would fall down a steep slope to my death
looking up the waterfall
a small Tibetan Buddhist temple on the trail
inside the temple
inside the temple
The view arriving at the hostel I'd stay at that night
The view from the hostels patio as night falls
What I see as I open the door from the hostel in the morning.
Same as the night fall view but as sun rises
walking down the path to the actual rock where the tiger supposedly leaped from
The water below was rushing by at intense speeds
another rickety bridge I am to cross, with a slight fear for my life
The rock in the distance with the red flag on it is the rock from the tiger leaped from.
Teacher Zhang's wife and grand daughter. I gave the grand daughter some food and she thanked me and kept bowing to me, it was very adorable.
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