Tiger Leaping Gorge (December 5 - 6)

Our next trip would take us through Zhongdian (otherwise known as Shangri-la) to Qiatou, at the base of Tiger Leaping Gorge. The trip was once again an amazing one, full of beautiful scenery into the southern more sub-tropical province of Yunnan.

After transferring buses in Zhongdian and making our way into the "village" of Qiatou (no such thing as a village in China), we were at the base of one of the deepest gorges in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge.

That night we stayed at a great cottage style guesthouse run by a lady-boy named Jane. It was one of the friendliest and most comfortable guesthouses we had stayed at up until that point. That evening we had a large supper and got to bed early in preparation for a big hike the next day.


Valerie near the base of the Gorge



One of the lovely (and unusually strong) villagers of the Gorge

The next day's hike was an 8 hour affair, mostly uphill. It was challenging for all five of us but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. The path you walk along is about a foot and a half wide and is usually abutting the edge of a cliff that falls hundreds of meters down to the river below. It was nerve racking for the first hour or so but we all quickly adjusted. As for the view, it is impossible to describe the sheer size, depth or beauty of the gorge and no photo could ever do it justice.


View at the beginning of the trek



Massive rock structures all along the gorge



One of the many waterfalls you have to get across along the gorge trek

We spent one night on the gorge at a stunning cottage-like guesthouse called Halfway House and then finished the gorge the next day, crossing many waterfalls and humble abodes, and caught a minibus back from the other end. All in all, it was an unforgettable two days which we will highly recommend to anyone and everyone with the opportunity to venture into this part of the world.



One of the best times in our lives!