Wednesday, October 09, 2013

In Yading for three weeks - back in November

I've taken my Rolleiflex and a few rolls of 120 film to Yading. Hoping to do the outer kora again - this time in autumn (nicer colours, more people?) and at a more relaxed pace. See you there!

Friday, October 04, 2013

Random photo: Mosuo women at Renjom Gompa monastery, near Yongning



These two ladies were at the tiny Renjom Gompa monastery, which is located half way between Yongning and Muli monastery. The monastery sits atop a hill just down the river from Wujiao, which is actually a settlement of 'Mongolian' descendents of the Genghis Khan invasion of Yunnan many centuries ago. I stayed here overnight while walking from Lugu Lake to the old monastery at Muli (Wachang town) in 1998. This photo was taken with my treasured Leica M3 camera with a slightly foggy Summicron 50mm lens.

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Random photo: horse carving on stone en route to Gongga Shan



I came across this engraved stone on a high ridge above the Yulong Xi valley while trekking from Kangding to the monastery below Gongga Shan in 1996. It was with a pile of mani stones, but I don't think many people would ever come across it as this was in a very remote, unvisited spot, literally very much off the beaten track. We only came across it because one of our horses had wandered off and we climbed the hillside in search of it. Not sure why it was put there. I wonder if it is still there?

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Yading outer kora: the difficult bit



This is a picture taken looking back from 'the shoulder' - the pass that skirts around the cliffs below the south side of Jambeyang. It was a steep and fraught scramble up a scree and snow slope - I didn't like it! It felt a lot steeper than it looks on this photo and I was petrified that I would lose my footing and slide/roll down the mountainside and over the edge (not shown) into the abyss. Glutton for punishment that I am,  I will be facing this again in a few days when i return to Yading for a second time, to do the kora in a more leisurely fashion.