Konka Gompa 贡嘎寺

Taken in mid October 2013

Gongga Shan monastery trek in October 2013

It was cold ...

Going to Gongga Shan in October? Prepare for cold!

This is a view looking towards Zimei village from down the Buchu valley. The Konka Gompa monastery is round the corner to the left.

Kangding people - by Rolleiflex

Sitting outside the snack bar near the old bus station.

Yulongxi, Gongga Shan trek 贡嘎山 玉龙西

Here we are setting off from Yulongxi in pretty miserable weather - it got worse as the trek progressed and we arrived back here in heavy snow .

With my Rolleiflex on the Yulongxi Yakou, Gongga Shan 贡嘎山 玉龙西丫口

"We are from Batang"

As seen on the streets of Kangding: photo by Rolleiflex

If you go down to the woods today ...

Be sure of a big surprise. Well, I was surprised by the huge crowds at Yading.

Gongga Si (Konka Gompa)

As seen in the snow of mid October 2013:

Resting at the "Eco Lodge" shelter below Yulongxi Pass, Gongga Shan trek

Resting at the "Eco Lodge" shelter below Yulongxi Pass, Gongga Shan trek, originally uploaded by jiulong.

After walking over the pass we descended in an increasingly heavy snow fall to the Buchu river. On the way we came across an empty stone hut that was optimistically labelled an "Eco Lodge". On the way back up to the pass two days later we rested here for lunch. I think it was colder in the hut than outside!

On the Yulongxi Pass in snow

I'm now scanning my colour slides and B&W negatives. Will post images of my Gongga Shan and Yading trip when they are ready. Here's one to start with.

Crossing the Yulongxi Pass

This pass is a few km to the east of the more widely used Tsemi La. It offers better views of the other peaks of the Minya Konka range (on a clear day). There is only a faint track over the pass, but it is easily navigable when clear of snow. On our return trip there was more than a foot of snow underfoot right from the bottom of the trail. Fortunately we had a guide, Barder, who knew the way through the mist. I followed in his footsteps, otherwise we would have been totally lost in the whiteout.

By the way, that's not me on the horse - it's Monica, an intrepid Polish traveller who foolishly took me up on the offer of a trek to the Gongga monastery based on the prospect of wonderful views (that never materialised).

Oh dear, not a good trip ...

 Just back from Sichuan where I spent three weeks doing not very much and seeing even less. I'd planned to do the outer kora around the three peaks at Yading but unfortunately the weather was poor and the guides refused to even try go out. They said the snow was too deep on the passes and they would not risk their horses or themselves. I then reverted to Plan B, to re-visit the Gongga Shan range. Again the weather was poor - as you can see from this pic taken at the Gongga gompa. Heavy snow and no views due to the weather being socked in by cloud and mist. I did prove one thing, however - Joseph Rock's claim that this monastery is cut off from the outside world for six months of the year due to heavy snow is just rubbish. We made it over one of the less know passes (Yulongxi Yakou, due east of the usual Tsemi La) in deep snow - no probs. Ah well - lesson learnt: don't go trekking to Sichuan after Golden Week!

In Yading for three weeks - back in November

Jambeyang - end of the Yading trek, originally uploaded by jiulong.

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!

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.

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?

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.

Random photo: Muli in the green days of summer

This picture was taken with my old Leica M3 and colour print film, now both sadly departed.

Random photo: 冲古寺 temple interior, Yading

The ornate interior of the Chonggu Si monastery (冲古寺), Yading

Random photo: Chonggu monastery, Yading

This is where I'll be starting my Yading outer kora trek from in a couple of weeks.