Tiger Leaping Gorge 14th - 16th May
Amazing experience and excellent company. There where 6 of us that walked the gorge together Kate, Steph, Matian (soz for spelling!) and Bus. At 10.00 we left for a 2 and a half hour ride over the mountains to the gorge, we were quite worried about the amount of rain that had fallen but were ashored by the locals that the gorge has its own climate and we would be fine - how right they where. After being sneeked in on a scam for cheaper entrance we started walking 12.30, walking up hill, walking that would not stop until the first house!
Luckily the first house was not far, at 14.30 we made it to the Naxi Family for lunch, we where made very welcome and served excellent food. As usual when presented with great food, I ate too much and made the rest of my days walking uncomfortable. This was bad luck as this was the afternoon that we would asend the 28 bends up to 2490m. We (me not being an unfit loner) felt the bends in every part of our body and experienced our hearts throb in our heads, apart from Dave, Matian and Bus who attacked the bends and destroyed them! The path up was not a path but a distrubance of rocks and dirt from other travellers, animals and waterflow.
Once up tho, the views where astounding and we all appreciated the effort we had put in. Our Guest house for the even was the Tea Horse, we arrived at 18.00 ready for a seat, food and beer! Steph was our meal planner for the trip and choose an excellent dinner for us all. They put the showers on to warm as soon as we arrived but we never made it, instead Kate had introduced us all to the game "Four Kings". Its a drinking game and wow! does it make you drink - for those who want to try at home ask, I bet you'll regret it! Some evil rules were made and we stumbled to bed at 12.00 (that was after playing paper sissors and stone for 2H with the family who didnt understand us - they loved it!).
Waking up was a little painful but extremely rewarding, the view from our window was unbelieveable. We where in the clouds and back on the trail for 10.30 after great egg, onion and cheese pittas. On leaving we walked though damp clouds and watched them pass us by. At Five Fingers Guesthouse we had lunch where we met the most fantastic little old lady - the original mama Naxi. The G.H was so called because of the Five Fingers of the mountain that loomed over the adjacent side of the gorge. The path after Five Fingers took us past and through many powerful (ok so some where a trickle) waterfalls and down the Sky Ladder. Yes it was as terrifying as it sounds. It consisted of very steep winedy paths, clinging on to the edges of sheer drops and metal cliff ladders. It was then a short walk up to the Gorge itself where legend has it that the tiger leaped to the safety of the opposite side of the gorge, from a hunter. That's the story anyhoo. There was a rainbow in the crevice of the gorge where the water thundered through, it was from all the spray, beautiful.
From here we had a decision whether to continue by road to Sean's G.H or follow more crazy paths. Before we where informed we'd had to pay for this choice we made the crazy path choice. The locals had worked hard to make the path tho, they had blast a path, high up above the gorge out the cliff sides ooowwaa - we did feel the height at times with a little wobble at the knees! So after more climbing up rocks and weaving thro farmers fields we finally made it to Sean's knackered and fulfilled from our shared adventure, dispite the last set of evil steps to the G.H. At Sean's we where informed that anything on the menu could be made happy! Great! Physically and mentally drained (oh I can feel it now all over again) we sat and drank beer and ate masses of happy food. Matian particulary got in to the happy burritto's! Another night lost to Four Kings.
At 10.00 we had breakfast under brillant blue skies, we where back at mama's for lunch and spent the time gabbing till dinner. Bus was leaving that night and these rest of us went to an English bar, Frosty Jacks, to play pool for the evening - great relax but, bloody achey legs!
Luckily the first house was not far, at 14.30 we made it to the Naxi Family for lunch, we where made very welcome and served excellent food. As usual when presented with great food, I ate too much and made the rest of my days walking uncomfortable. This was bad luck as this was the afternoon that we would asend the 28 bends up to 2490m. We (me not being an unfit loner) felt the bends in every part of our body and experienced our hearts throb in our heads, apart from Dave, Matian and Bus who attacked the bends and destroyed them! The path up was not a path but a distrubance of rocks and dirt from other travellers, animals and waterflow.
Once up tho, the views where astounding and we all appreciated the effort we had put in. Our Guest house for the even was the Tea Horse, we arrived at 18.00 ready for a seat, food and beer! Steph was our meal planner for the trip and choose an excellent dinner for us all. They put the showers on to warm as soon as we arrived but we never made it, instead Kate had introduced us all to the game "Four Kings". Its a drinking game and wow! does it make you drink - for those who want to try at home ask, I bet you'll regret it! Some evil rules were made and we stumbled to bed at 12.00 (that was after playing paper sissors and stone for 2H with the family who didnt understand us - they loved it!).
Waking up was a little painful but extremely rewarding, the view from our window was unbelieveable. We where in the clouds and back on the trail for 10.30 after great egg, onion and cheese pittas. On leaving we walked though damp clouds and watched them pass us by. At Five Fingers Guesthouse we had lunch where we met the most fantastic little old lady - the original mama Naxi. The G.H was so called because of the Five Fingers of the mountain that loomed over the adjacent side of the gorge. The path after Five Fingers took us past and through many powerful (ok so some where a trickle) waterfalls and down the Sky Ladder. Yes it was as terrifying as it sounds. It consisted of very steep winedy paths, clinging on to the edges of sheer drops and metal cliff ladders. It was then a short walk up to the Gorge itself where legend has it that the tiger leaped to the safety of the opposite side of the gorge, from a hunter. That's the story anyhoo. There was a rainbow in the crevice of the gorge where the water thundered through, it was from all the spray, beautiful.
From here we had a decision whether to continue by road to Sean's G.H or follow more crazy paths. Before we where informed we'd had to pay for this choice we made the crazy path choice. The locals had worked hard to make the path tho, they had blast a path, high up above the gorge out the cliff sides ooowwaa - we did feel the height at times with a little wobble at the knees! So after more climbing up rocks and weaving thro farmers fields we finally made it to Sean's knackered and fulfilled from our shared adventure, dispite the last set of evil steps to the G.H. At Sean's we where informed that anything on the menu could be made happy! Great! Physically and mentally drained (oh I can feel it now all over again) we sat and drank beer and ate masses of happy food. Matian particulary got in to the happy burritto's! Another night lost to Four Kings.
At 10.00 we had breakfast under brillant blue skies, we where back at mama's for lunch and spent the time gabbing till dinner. Bus was leaving that night and these rest of us went to an English bar, Frosty Jacks, to play pool for the evening - great relax but, bloody achey legs!
posted by David at 11:25 am
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