Monday, December 12, 2005

"Rock's rock" - Yading (Konkaling), 1928

This is a huge boulder where Joseph Rock sheltered on his circuit of the Konkaling peaks in 1927: here is what he said about it at the time:

"Where pilgrims stop for tea flavoured with yak butter and salt"

The expedition camped here on its first visit around the mountain. The rock, at an elevation of 15,000 feet, is a huge block of schist which has evidently fallen from the lower slopes of Mt Jambeyang. In the foreground are the Nashi boys with the lama official from Muli and a few Tibetans.

"Rocks rock" - the same rock in 2005

Here is exactly the same place almost 80 years later. Not much has changed, excpet a part of the boulder has split off on the right hand side. And the modern day trekkers seem a lot more messy.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Yalong river gorge, Sichuan


Yalong river gorge, Sichuan, originally uploaded by jiulong.

This is the bottom of the Yalong river gorge, a bit further downastream from where I looked down on it from above at Mongdong. This section is between Jiulong and Mianning - but it gives you an idea of how steep and narrow the gorge is.

Yalong river


Yalong river, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Yalong river road


Yalong river road, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Yalong river, Sichuan


Yalong river, Sichuan, originally uploaded by jiulong.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Roni (Lawaling) aunt and uncle


Roni (Lawaling) aunt and uncle, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

This couple are the aunt and uncle of my companion, guide and sponsor, Zago Tsering, who took me to Mt Maidi Gonga. He is the head of education in Jiulong country, and he himself is Pumi nationality. His ancestral village is Sanyanlong, which we passed through on the way to the mountain. For this reason, he was related to or knew most of the people we met in the villages on the way.This is his uncle's village, which is perched high on a ridge above the Yangwe Kong valley.

Two Pumi men at Roni (Lawaling) - near Maidi Gonga, Jiulong, Sichuan

I went through Roni (Lawaling) on my way back down to Sanyanlong after visiting the mountain called Maidi Gonga (Muti Konka) in October 2004. It's hidden in a deep valley, two days travel from the town of Jiulong in Sichuan, close to the Yalong river.

Roni (Lawaling) grandpar


Roni (Lawaling) grandparents, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Roni (Lawaling) men


Roni (Lawaling) men, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Mt Jambeyang, Yading National Park, Sichuan

A great picture from a Chinese website (no author mentioned) of Jambeyang - very similar in appearance to the photos Rock took, except this one is in colour.



From 1928 by Joseph Rock:

Luorong pasture, with Mt Chanadorje, Yading

The view from the Chongu Si (The "Bandit monastery" that Rock visited in the 1920s) towards Chanadorje, on a rare clear day.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Pictures from Maidilong and Maidi Gangga


couple2, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

THESE ARE NOT MY PICTURES. I found all these pictures on a Chinese hiking forum called doyouhike.net They were taken by a guy called Kenneth, but I can't read the rest of the information - it's all in Chinese. All I know is that these pictures were taken when he and his friends hiled up to the mountain lake called Chang Haizi, beneath Maidi Gangga - the same place I visited last year. They had cloudy weather so missed out on views of the peak itself. But they took some good pictures of the surrounding countryside and the local Pumi people. See for yourself.

Pumi woman and daughter at Chang Haizi


woman, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

This is the family I stayed with at the lakeside below the mountain Muti Konka (Maidi Gangga). She must have been visited by a few other trekkers since my trip there last year.

Pumi farmer at Chang Haizi


feller, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Pumi man, near Maidilong, Sichuan


bloke, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Pumi couple above Maidilong


couple, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Pumi girl near Maidilong


girl, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Chang Haizi (Long lake) near Maidi Gangga


lake4, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Cows and yaks at Changhaizi


pen, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Yak milking at Chang Haizi


milking, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Farmer's shack near Chang Haizi


farm, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

High farms near Muti Konka


farms, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

High forest in fog, Chang Haizi


fog, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

High farm near Chang Haizi


high, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Alpine lake near Maidi Gangga (Muti Konka)


lake, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Autumn flowers near Maidilong


flowers, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Guide and his gun


hunter, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Goats on the road to Maidilong, near Muli


goats, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Hamlet on hillside near Maidilong, Sichuan


cluster, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Crossing the Yalong river near Maidilong in 2005 and 1928


bridge2, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Crossing by bridge in 2005.


Rope crossing of the Yalong river, 1928
Crossing by rope wire in 1928. Picture by Joseph Rock.

Yalong river canyon


canyon, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Tree lichen known as muliuxu


muliuxu, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Looking down on the Yalong river canyon, near Maidilong


mts, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Trees near Maidi Gangga


trees, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Track up from Yalong river to Muti Konka (Maidi Gangga)


track, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Village en route from Maidilong to Sanyanlong


village, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Yalong river valley in 2005 and 1928


Yalong river valley, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

All the following photos are from a hike between Maidilong and Maidi Gangga/Sanyanlong in Jiulong couonty of Sichuan province, in China. They were taken by a guy called Kenneth from Guangzhou. He posted them at: www.doyouhike.net/forum/160269,0,0,2.html


Mutirong (Maidilong) in colour, 1928
Yalong river valley in 1928 - hamlet near Mutirong.

Yalong river, 2005 and 1928


niceriver, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

This is the Yalong river near Maidilong (Mutirong) in October 2005.


Canyon of the Yalong river, 1928
Here is a picture taken of the Yalong river by Joseph Rock in 1928.

Yalong river, Maidilong


riverwind, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Help with crossing the Yalong river.


Yalong bridge engineers, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

In 2005 it is engineers who help keep the link across this mighty river open. In 1928 there were no bridges. Joseph Rock found that men with inflated pigskins helped travellers across the rivers like the Yangtze and the Yalong.


Pigskins help cross the Sichuan river

Yalong river, Maidilong in 2005 and 1928


river, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

This is the place that Rock called Mutirong.


Yalong crossing at Mutirong (Maidilong), 1928
This is almost the same place in 1928, when Joseph Rock crossed the river on his way to Mundon, Minya Konka and Kangding from Lijiang

Village near Muli


shacks, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Old camera from a crashed US transport plane


oldcamera, originally uploaded by jiulong.

This old KOdak Retina camera was recovered from the wrekage of an old US C47 plane that crshed in the Gaoligong mountains near Deqin. It belonged to the crew of the plane that was flying the Hump route from Assam to Kunming/Lijiang.