…. Lol jk there's no way in hell one could hike this trail without just a little bit of struggle. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know. Point of the matter is: I survived hiking the high trail of Tiger Leaping Gorge! *self-five*
I've looked forward to hiking this trail ever since I found out about its existence. First time I've seen the pictures and read people's blogs I've decided that I will hike this trail and I will survive it. It wanted it to be the highlight of this trip and it was indeed the highlight of my trip.
I started off from Lijiang early at 7.20am, ready for a 2.5 hour bus ride to Qiaotou, where the trail starts. Everyone always said that the first day of the trail will be the hardest, and indeed my physical fitness was severely tested on this day. It was all steep hills and narrow rocky tracks all the way up. After about two hours of walking through villages, I made it to Naxi Guest House, where I stopped by for food.
I made the mistake of barely eating before starting the track, so a plate of fried rice was really needed. Especially because the 28 bends was waiting for me.
I really thought the 28 bends would be death of me. And I guess it did felt like it for a while, and it got worse as it started to rain quite nastily.
We walked up after Naxi for quite some time and thought we had past a few bends, but nope apparently we haven't started. So, that didn't go quite well. Oops.
Anyway, what follows was a really physically testing ascend up the 28 bends. With every step I took I thought I was going to collapse. But with every step I took, the view got more and more beautiful. When I finally reached what was supposedly the top of the bends, I was greeted by a man who insisted that I pay 8 yuan and take a picture at what he claimed to be the best spot in all of the gorge. I hesitated for a while and finally gave in, after a fellow trekker convinced me it was indeed worth it. It did turn out to be amazing up there though, despite the dangers one has to cross.
After resting for a bit and a lady continuing to harass me to buy her bamboo stick, I figured it was time to moved on. After the bends, the trail got slightly less strenuous, though. It was all downhill, but I still needed to be extra careful, since it was really muddy and slippery after all the rain. But, other than that, the trail began to be fairly flat and the view just got even more amazing.
At first I intended to maybe stop at the Tea Horse and rest there for the night, but I thought it was still quite early and I might as well walk another two hours to the Halfway House. It seemed to be the most popular stop for trekkers, as it was full of people when I got there. They're the biggest guesthouse in the trail, and offers the most rooms. So if you prefer a quieter atmosphere, there's the Five Finger Guesthouse not far from there, but I wouldn't have a clue of what it's like.
I paid 70 yuan for a double room, figured I splurge a little and reward myself with privacy and a big bed after all that struggle.
I woke up the next morning and had breakfast with a view. It was absolutely stunning to watch the sun shine through the peaks as the clouds rolled in. I took my time with breakfast (which was a stale pancake and mediocre coffee), because I really just wanted to stay there forever and marvel at nature. But, finally at about 9.30am I made my way down.
Despite the fact that the trail didn't involve any steep hills or ascend, it doesn't mean that it got any less dangerous. Had I lost my focus or balance just a little bit, I'd have rolled down and fallen into the end of my life as I know it. It got worse as I had to pass through waterfalls and the rocks were slippery. I was shaking as I crossed the slippery rocks and had to stop for a while to regain my composure. Such an adrenaline rush it was.
I really took my time with my descend, especially since there were mountain traffic, i.e. goats blocking the way. Plus, the trail just got more and more slippery as I go. Regardless, I finally made it to Tina's and plonked myself on the sofa and downed ice-cold water.
Most of the hikers continued on to walk down to middleleaping gorge, where the mythical tiger jumped onto the rock to escape from the hunter. But, I was being a bit of a noob, and decided not to walk down in that heat.
I also made a rather impromptu decision to stay another night at Tina's (which I then realise wasn't such a good decision at all, more on that later). There's just something about the majesty and peacefulness of the gorge that makes me want to linger just a little while longer.
While staying another night wasn't such a bad decision after all, but staying at Tina's was. I booked a dorm for a measly 30 yuan, but other than the fact that I have a bed, everything else at Tina's were pretty much shit. The bathrooms were awful, stank and its staff weren't friendly at all. I would have been better off walking down a few km to Sean's or Woody's. They didn't have dorms however, and I would have paid twice the price, but it would probably have been worth it.
As most people have left for either Lijiang or Shangri-la, the village was really very quiet. There's a mixture of eerie-ness and peacefulness to it, though. I walked down the road to see what the Walnut Garden village is like and check out other guesthouses. It really was very quiet and the only signs of life were villagers going about their day, preparing supper and stuff. After the quick glimpse of village life, I had a quick meal at Sean's and got back to Tina's before dark.
The next morning, I made my way down to the middle leaping gorge. I met Xia Yi, who is apparently the celebrity of the gorge. She sets up a shop right at the bottom of the infamous Sky ladder of death, and have been selling goods there for 40 years. I met her on the way down, and she continuously reminded me to be very careful and don't attempt to cross the bridge onto the gorge. She's a really kind and wonderful woman, and I decided that I will pay her a visit on the climb back up.
Oh, decisions decisions…
Frankly, I didn't really get to the gorge, but just close enough to take a good picture. I really do enjoy looking at the rapids crashing into the stone, and couldn't fathom what a painful death it would have been to have fallen into those treacherous waters.
After snapping a few pics I climbed back up and stopped for a bit at Xia Yi's. I topped up my water and lingered for a bit while contemplating whether I should attempt going up the sky ladder of death or take the "safe way". Whilst I contemplate, Xia Yi gave me grilled corn fresh from her farm as my first meal of the day. She also managed to convince me that the sky ladder of death is very safe after all, and I just have to be slow and careful when climbing up. I thanked Xia Yi, said a few prayers and climbed up.
I've never really been scared of heights but, boy this ladder is really something else. I didn't dare to look anywhere but up towards the end of this goddamn ladder. My palms were sweating and I was shaking as I got up top.
I still had quite some way to go, so I quickly brushed up and made my way back to Tina's. By the time I ascended, a lot of people who just came down from the high trail came rushing down. I'm glad I did the trail early in the morning when no one was in sight.
I went back to Tina's to book my bus back to Lijiang. And with that, I ended my misadventures at Tiger Leaping Gorge. It was by far the most physically challenging thing I have ever done in my life, and I didn't regret a single moment. The high trail of the gorge really is something else. I can't really find words to describe how beautiful and incredible that place was. I just knew that when I hiked that trail, all I can do was marvel at how majestic nature is.
- Trips to Tiger Leaping Gorge can be arranged from most hostels in Lijiang. Bus from Lijiang to Qiaotou costs 40 RMB one way, and from Tina's back to Lijiang is 55 RMB.
- There are 2 options to do the gorge,
Option 1: do the high trail, which normally takes 2 days, where you can spend overnight at one of the guesthouses on the trail.
Option 2: 1 day trip straight to the middle leaping gorge. Depart Lijiang at 7:20 am, and leave at 7pm - Hiking the gorge is not an exactly easy feat. You need to be in good fitness to do this trail. However, if you are a beginner hiker like me, don't be deterred, as it is very much doable as long as you stay focus. Also always make sure to stay energised and hydrated.
- Don't worry about going solo. You will most definitely meet people on the bus to Qiaotou, so there is no way you'll be totally solo on the trail.
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The heart of Tibet's capital. At its end is Jokhang Temple, considered the holiest temple in Lhasa. As I walked to the temple in the morning, many locals were already gathered to pray at the gate of Jokhang and many more were lining up to pray and give offerings to the temple. Surrounding the square are numerous shops selling touristy stuff. Despite the mafan-ness of having to go through a security checkpoint, the square is where you'll enjoy Lhasa and all its colour.
