Nemo Hornet 1P Tent Review

I have been looking for a lightweight tent to do the Yading outer kora next month (I gave away my last crappy solo tent to a guy at Qiunatong on the Nujiang last year, when I urgently needed to lighten the load to get across the border illicitly into Tibet on the back of a motorbike).
For this trip I had in mind an MSR NX Solo 1-person tent. I already have an MSR 3-person Hubba tent and it's great quality. However, at around $770 retail the Solo ain't cheap. I almost managed to bag one on Gumtree for about $450, but someone else beat me to it.
While browsing at Paddy Pallin  I saw they had an alternative - the Nemo Hornet 1P. It seemed ridiculously lightweight - 910g, which is like a feather even compared to the Solo (which is only about 1.2kg).
Again, quite pricey at $580 when new, but I saw one on sale on Gumtree for $400 and snapped it up. I bought it from a Canadian cyclist who had only used it once and didn't need it. And bonus - he threw in a free footprint worth $60.

Well, I tried the tent out this weekend as a prelude to using it on the kora. I took it to The Basin at Pittwater to give it a gentle introduction to the great outdoors. The tent is pretty easy and self explanatory to put up - a Y pole that plugs into round slots, so that it is pretty much freestanding. However my main first impression is just how thin the tent material is - it feels almost paper thin. Apparently the Nemo Hornet is only 7 denier (whatever that means) fabric. It certainly feels flimsy and I wouldn't want to give it any rough treatment or hard wear and tear. A couple of times I panicked when caught the fabric while trying to do up the zip - and very carefully picked it apart, worried that it might rip.

The other thing that doesn't inspire confidence with the Nemo are the plastic hooks that connect the inner tent to the pole - they look fragile, but I haven't tested them out in a strong wind. Thirdly, the fly doesn't go all the way down to the ground - it has a kind of mankini effect, leaving exposed inner tent, where the groundsheet is extended about a foot above ground. I suppose in theory if you had anything less than horizontal rain you should be OK - but it doesn't look reassuring. Overall, I would be a bit worried about using this tent in prolonged gusty conditions.

When pitched, the tent seems solid and appears quite stable. There is capacity for an additional three guy lines to really anchor it. I'm taking the extra pegs, but hope I don't have to use them.
I had the campsite pretty much to myself and turned in at 10pm to give the tent it's first try out. The Nemo has enough space for one tall person to sit up with just enough head room. It's not a bivvy bag - but it's not a mansion either. When lying down there's just about enough space around your head for a few personal effects, and that's about it. Forget about bringing your pack inside unless you use it as a pillow, sideways. I managed to drag my Macpac Cascade into the vestibule between the fly and inner tent mesh - but it was a squeeze and had to put my pack on its side.

Once in the tent it was comfortable and very airy - as you would expect given that much of the inner is just mesh. That makes it OK for a cool Australian night, but not sure I'd be be taking this anywhere too icy.

I slept OK in the tent, it was warm and well ventilated in temperatures that went down to about five degrees - and there was no condensation inside the tent itself. However the fly got completely soaked with dew overnight and didn't seem at all water repellant - good job it wasn't touching the sides. The other thing I really noticed again was how gossamer thin the groundsheet is - you really need to have the footprint, especially if you are camping on anything vaguely sharp such as rocks, stones or twigs.

So my overall impression on this baby test is that the Nemo Hornet 1P is neat, well designed ultralight tent. It's amazingly lightweight and that's why I have chosen it. I'm taking a chance with it on the kora, but only because I know there are stone shelters at strategic points along the way that I can use for emergency shelter should the need arise. I'll let you know how it fares under those conditions once I'm through.

UPDATE: The Nemo tent worked out OK on the trek, though I was worried about the rain sometimes. Here the review that I posted on the Nemo site:

I was wary about taking my new Hornet 1P on a seven day trek into the Tibetan borderlands of Yading. The average altitude was 4200m and we experienced pretty much continual rain for the whole trip. I was surprised (and obviously relieved) to find that the tent stood up well to the continual rain - even during thunder and rainstorms. I had to move the tent at one point because our chosen campground became swamped - but that wasn't a fault of the tent, which stayed dry despite sitting in 3 inches of water. I found the tent a little cramped - just enough room for me and my pack in the vestibule. But it was comfortable and roomy enough to change gear in. Ii is well ventilated and so I wouldn't recommend it for camping in snow or icy conditions.

My only criticisms of the tent are: 1. Pitching in the rain means the floor gets wet as the fly goes up last. Fortunately I'd brought a sponge for cleaning pans and this helped wipe up the water. 2. The inner tent zip kept getting caught on the fly - I worried it would rip (but it didn't). 3. The extra guylines were hard to see - people kept tripping over them, so I had to stick walking poles around them as warning markers.

Yading Big Kora - planning on making a detour

On my forthcoming trip to Yading in June I hope to do a little detour on the final sections. Thanks to the wonders of Google Earth 3D I have discovered this side valley with some alpine lakes that looks like it's worth exploring. So on the final stretch, instead of the usual route heading over the  7th Pass and returning to Chonggu monastery (in blue) I'm planning a little side trip (in red). Of course it's easy to make plans on Google Earth and find that in real life on the ground it is not so do-able. I found this out to my discomfort when i tried descending alone from the Balagong pass above Dimaluo in Yunnan two years ago. Looks straightforward on Google Earth but the reality was very thick bush, followed by a series of farmsteads each guarded by a rabid Tibetan mastiff!
But anyway I shall give it a go. Nothing to lose in trying.

Starting to train for the Yading Big Kora ...

I am trying to improve my fitness for the forthcoming Yading kora, by doing a few preparatory treks and testing my knackered knees with some climbing of the fire exit stairs in my 14-storey office (complete with 10kg weighted backpack).

One of my main concerns for the kora is acclimatisation to the 3000-4000m altitude, especially as I have only two weeks in total, and little spare time to get used to the altitude.

The other worry is how I will carry enough food for six-seven days travel - it looks like my pack is going to be pretty heavy to start with. I'll be relying on my usual diet of salami/crackers with a dehydrated dinner supplemented with some mash potato. One possible solution is to arrange for a food stash to be left at the three way pass (day five). This can be reached from Luorong, via the two lakes, and I may even do this myself as a way of acclimatising.

And my other great fear is dogs: anyone who has walked in remote Tibetan areas will know what I mean. The dogs kept by yak herders and farmers are vicious, aggressive beasts. We didn't encounter any on our last trek, but that was because we didn't stay in any settlements. My concern is that if I go off track or there are new 'camps' up high then I may run into dogs. Eek.

For these reasons I will be looking to get a guide at Yading. Easier said than done, if last time is anything to go by. And even if i do find a guide, I'm also wondering what he/she will do for shelter. I'm planning to stay at the stone huts along the way, where possible - but they are very bleak shelters with no warmth other than the fire you can build if there' any wood to be had. I'm taking mt Nemo Hornet 1 person tent, which is incredibly light - but barely big enough for one.

Yading Big Kora preparations

I'm due to be landing in Daocheng around the 12th of June, flying in from Chengdu. This is a first for me as I've usually taken the bus in via Kangding and Litang. But with limited time, I'm hoping I will not be too much affected by the sudden arrival at altitude.
My other concern is finding a guide to help me round the mountain. I don't actually need a guide - I know the way pretty well by now ... but to help my carry my gear and provide protection. I hope I can find somebody good - not like the clowns we hired last time, who didn't know the way beyond the second day and didn't bring tents or sleeping bags. It's hard to find guides in May/June because it's the caterpillar fungus collecting season. The locals can make more money from chongcao than from guiding. Maybe I will just have to go it alone - which is a bit of an ask at my age. Ah well, we shall see.
It's been five years since my last trip and I hope there haven't been too many other ugly developments around the Yading site. Last time I was shocked to find that an eyesore of a concrete  road had been laid all the way up tranquil Luorong pasture to accomodate the electric golf buggy-style tourist transport carriers. With a bit of luck there still won't be any of the hordes beyond the 5000 first pass.
The picture above shows the stone 'bothy' above Luorong at the beginning of the ascent  to the first pass. This is intended to be my first night's stay.

UPDATE: I corrected this post to show that I'll be trekking in June, not July. The rainy season starts in mid June - by July it will be overcast and wet at Yading - not good for trekking.

Why did Joseph Rock lead such a solitary life?

It's often said that Joseph Rock was an eccentric. He was an irascible man who lived alone in the wilds of China. He never married and seemed to have few real friends. I've sometimes wondered what made him choose that kind of life - especially given he was an accomplished botanist who could have led a life of the well-regarded expert in the US. Was he a repressed homosexual or a tortured soul who never recovered from his strict Catholic upbringing? I don't think so.
Perhaps this musing from his diaries may explain what really motivated him:

Yading Big Kora - trekking in June 2016

They say you should never go back, but after a bit of thought I've decided to revisit Yading and do the outer kora of the three peaks again. I did it in 2010 (as you can see at this blog entry with photos) but I've always wanted to go back and 'do it properly'. The reason being is that on my first circuit we did it in a rushed way, taking five days to do what should have taken seven or eight. Part of the problem was that we were trekking blind, into unknown territory without decent maps and thus reliant on local guides to show us the way. They insisted on haring round the circuit - and they didn't even know the way too well themselves. We had some great weather but were too knackered and worried about minor hassles (such as our guides not having brought any shelter and having to sit round a fire all night on the mountainside)  to really make the most of the trek. This time around I'm going to take it 'easy' (relatively speaking) and go more slowly. This time I have the advantage of knowing the way and knowing the problems and the unknowns .. so I can focus on what I want to do, at my own pace. I also have the advantage of much better mapping via Google Earth, which now provides ridiculously detailed topographical info for the whole circuit. On our previous circuit we had only vague outlines of the mountains to guide us.

So my plan is to hike around the three peaks in mid June. I'm going to do the full seven passes over about eight days, so this will mean carrying a lot of gear to be self sufficient (there are no villages or shops en route, it's all up in the mountains). That means a tent, cooking gear and food for seven days. I hope to hire some local guides to carry my pack - if I can find them. May-June is the season when locals go fossicking for chongtsao fungus - a lucrative herbal remedy, and most of them are not willing to give up a week of their time to carry backs round the hills for 300 yuan a day. I'm not that fit, but I still reckon I can get my pack over the passes if need be and if I take it slow.

So if you're in the Sichuan area in June and are up to the challenge, let me know at: beijingweek-at -gmail.com

Here's my itinerary:

Day 1. Yading village-Chonggu monastery, ascend to below the First Pass, where there is a crude stone shelter in a hollow. Great views of Shenrezig.
Day 2. Shelter - First Pass - Chanadorje glacier.
The slog up to the first and highest pass is across some bleak rocks. The descent is equally bleak at first, but grand scenery. There is a small 'village' of temporary shelters at the bottom of the valley where Tibetans camp to pick the fungus worm chongtsao. From here you descend into a steep forested valley and turn 90 degrees left to hike up to a magnificent open space with awesome views of the south face of Chandorje, where there are great spots to camp.
Day 3. Over the Second Pass into a steep valley around the back of Chanadorje that leads up to a daunting rock wall. This is not as bad as it looks can be scrambled up to cross the Third Pass, known as Yaka. Best to camp before crossing the pass as the next day is a long one.
Day 4. Over the Third Pass and descend round the back of Jambeyang, over a scree slope and to the edge of yet another sunken valley, where you turn into a spectacular ampitheatre below the south west face and glaciers of Jambeyang. Good camping spot.
Day 5. Tough day, following the 'cliff walk' beneath the rock face to reach a shoulder that marks the Fourth Pass, where you turn north. Up a rocky bleak valley in the shadow of Jambeyang, many alpine lakes, then cross a small pass to descend to a grassy clearing where you can camp at 'Rock's rock' - a massive cube of rock where explorer Joseph Rock once camped.
Day 6. A gentle ascent to the Fifth Pass, where you gain views of Shenrezig, and descend steeply to Snake Lake. Can camp on the shore or ascend to the Sixth Pass, below Shenrezig - this is where many day trekkers walk up to from Chonggu monastery so you are back on the beaten track. Descend to tarn and shelter.
Day 7. Final day, on the route of the mini-kora, descend through woods round the back of Shenrezig and then up to the Seventh Pass. Long descent to Chonggu monastery.

[Might do a detour to some alpine lakes at this point to make it an eight day trip]

Chanadorje 夏诺多吉 Yading

This is the rarely seen south face of Chanadorje, Yading, with glacier field.

Muli kid

In the kitchen at Muli monastery, about 15 years ago. Taken with the cloudy lens on my old Leica M3 film camera.

Dali Cangshan

Here's one I took on the summit ridge above Dali with my Rolleiflex around October/Nov 2012:

Yading - should I go back?

Seriously thinking of going back to do the Yading outer kora again next year (May-June). What do you think? Should I go?

Chanadorje by Rolleiflex/Ektachrome:

Using Google Earth to track [over] development in Yunnan and Sichuan

I've long suspected that there has been a lot of development in the the areas I have revisited in the footsteps of Joseph Rock - but it's always been hard to put a finger on exactly what has changed. Recently I have been browsing some of my former trekking locations using Google Earth's archive feature - this allows you to switch between satellite views from different years.  You can see the changes in the split picture above.

This is just one example of the huge changes in Yunnan: compare the Fei Lai Si viewing area outside Deqin in the decade between 2002 and 2012. I first visited the place in the late 1990s - or was it early noughties:

As the top photo shows, there was already a little viewing area at Fei Lai Si and  line of specially erected stupas from where the Meili Xueshan/ Kawakarpo could be viewed. There wasn't much else there - a couple of shops selling tourist trinkets and a noodle shop, if I remember rightly.

Fast forward to 2012 and Fei Lai Si had grown into a small town with scored of shops, restaurants bars and guesthouses - plus several rather grand hotels. The viewing area had been massively expanded and there was a big wall around it - with a ticket office now charging 70Y admission:

There's quite a few other examples of this kind of massive development. It's sad that some beautiful and quiet places have become over-run with tourists and spoiled by development - but that's the way of the world, I guess. This used to be a quiet road down a forested hillside - now it is lined with bars, shops and hotels:

More Google Earth then-and-now comparisons: Kangding

Yulin, near Kangding, 2002 (top) and 2014 (below)

When I did the trek to Gongga Shan (Minya Konka) in about 1996 the starting point was small village outside of Kangding called Yulin. It was just a few farm buildings along a dirt track about 5km out of town, in a narrow valley. I found a friendly local Tibetan called GerLer who was willing to guide me on the four day round trip to the Konka Gompa monastery.

Yulin was a quiet place with just a few Tibetan stone buildings and some strips of arable land next to a river rushing down from the Minya Konka range. There was a hot spring which had a baths built into a small brick building. That was about it. You can read about my adventures here.

I tried to find the village of Yulin again about three years ago but it had been completely overbuilt with what is now the New Town area of Kangding. It had literally been obliterated. In its place was an array of concrete civic buildings such as Law Courts and local administration buildings, in the usual Chinese government megalomaniac style. You can see in the top photo from Google Earth how the development has spread right up the valley, over what used to be rustic farmland and grazing land.

There was also a huge triple block of 12 storey  condominiums. you can see them in the Google Earth pic, but they don't look as tall on that as they are in real life. The Tibetan farmhouses and fields of old Yulin has just been swept away under roads and concrete. I didn't stick around and I didn't take any photos of the New Yulin. It was ugly.

I'll leave you with a picture of Yulin (looking back towards Kangding) from 1996, before the bulldozers moved in:

Cangshan Dali

No updates for a few months, I know. I've been in Heilongjiang - opposite end of the country from Rock's territory. Here's a picture of the horse pool from the mountains above Dali.

Jambeyang and Chanadorje 夏诺多吉 : by Rolleiflex (Kodak Ektachrome)

Not sure if I've posted this before but here it is: a great picture of the two mountains Jambeyang (left) and Chanadorje. Taken in late may on the third day of the kora around the three Yading peaks. It's taken from the 'cliff walk' just before crossing the high shoulder pass and heading up the Yetchesura valley. It is looking back at the way we have just come, on the right you can see the valley leading down from the Yaka pass and Chanadorje.

A treasure trove of reading material on Kham and western China

If you are like me and love reading the accounts of explorers in SW China and Tibet I have a nice little resource for your perusal - a whole load of online books by some of the notable names in this field. I'm talking about the likes of Frank Kingdon Ward, Sven Hedin, Ernest Henry Wilson and Eric Teichman. Scans of these old book have been uploaded by someone in India as part of a much wider website on the Himalayas: pahar.in. They are to be found in the Tibet section in that link. I have spent many weekends browsing second hand bookshops looking for many of these books, and now they are all there for the downloading. It takes all the fun out of it really!
I would recommend the book by Nakamura, which has a brief account of th Kawa karpo kora that he did when it was still an unexplored route in 1996 - and some excellent photos (see above).
Well, to accompany this discovery I will also include a photo taken with my Rolleiflex camera on my most recent trip into Tibet - this picture taken from Aben/Abing village (the north end) overlooking an eastern tributary of the Nujiang. It looks a lot wilder than I remember. Enjoy.

P-40 fighter, Kunming, 1944

I haven't posted in a while because i don;t have much to report. Since my last trip to Yunnan in October I have updated a chapter in my e-book about Joseph Rock's expeditions, which is still in the process of being edited by the guys at Camphor Press.
So in the meantime I will post some beautiful colour pictures of wartime Kunming, taken in 1944 for a US air force guy called H. Allen Larsen. He has published many more in a book called China in the Eyes of the Flying Tigers - I bought it at the Flying Tigers Museum in Kunming.
The photos give an impression of what the city would have been like in Rock's time.

Kunming 1944

Photo by H. Allen Larsen

Kunming 1944

Photo by H. Allen Larsen

Kunming canals, 1944

Interesting to see how the canals  - and the centre of Kunming - have changed so much in the last 80 years!.
Photo by H. Allen Larsen

Kunming street scene, 1944

Photo by H. Allen Larsen