Hikingthe Roof of the World

by Wu Xia

Last October， I spent two days hiking through a 26-kilometer section of Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon， the highlight of the canyon trek route， with the Outdoor Association of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Beautiful Snow Mountain

As we crept over Segrila Pass at 4，700 meters above sea level， someone in our Jeep shouted， “The mountain at two oclock is Namcha Barwa Peak！”

The Jeep parked at Baifengtai Pass where we would begin our trek.

At first， I didnt mind the dizziness caused by the altitudes thin air， nor did I slow my pace. I threw a lump of chocolate in my mouth and kept going， but walking became increasingly difficult. Soon， I couldnt even hear the wind over the thunderous thumping of my own heart. In the distance， layer upon layer of navy blue mountains extended as far as the eye could see， with the white rapids of Yarlung Zangbo River snaking through them. However， I was in no mood to appreciate the scenery. I could only see and feel the road under my feet stretching endlessly before me.

After crossing a mountain pass， we discovered a tranquil lake sparkling light bluish green across its 50-meter-wide surface. Before we could reach it， icy balls of hail suddenly began falling from the sky， and the lakes peacefulness disappeared. I pulled down the visor of my hat， lowered my head and inched forward carefully. As soon as I became comfortable walking that way， I found myself bathed in warm sunlight — all within 15 minutes. I looked back and found the lake once again as peaceful as before.

When dusk approached and the sun dipped behind the mountains， the roar of Yarlung Zangbo River became louder and more distinct. The mountain road became harder to hike since more and more fallen trees blocked the path.

We didnt reach our campsite until 10 oclock in the evening. Stars twinkled above as we sat around the warm campfire， and I used my last ounces of strength to timidly sip some hot soup. All I felt like doing was stumbling into the tent to pass out.

Searching for Mushrooms

I woke to strange noises early the next morning. Apparently a yak decided to graze right next to our tent. I quickly jumped up and dressed. The canyons morning air was fresh， and the obscure features of Namcha Barwa covered in a “golden veil” seemed to urge our journey on.

According to the schedule， we would depart from Triba Village and reach Darlin Village that day. This leg was the easiest of our trip. We passed a forest with sporadically arranged beechwood， Chinese pines， bamboo groves， wild walnut trees and other lush greenery. The air was brimming with oxygen and the ground felt even， soft and resilient， due to so many layers of rotting leaves.

Rotting wood along the way was covered with green fluffy sunglow， fragile lichen that can only survive in areas with zero air pollution. Its presence can be regarded as a sort of ecological “quality label.” They also enhance the environment for mushrooms and other fungus. “Its too late in the year now， but if you come in August or September， you will find tricholoma matsutake here，” our guide Tashi Tsering noted.

As soon as the words left his mouth， Tashi dug up a mushroom from the root of a large tree and handed it to me. “This is Qinggang mushroom，” he revealed， pointing to its light brown canopy as big as half of my hand. “If you came in June or July， you could gather morchella conica. I heard that morchella conica dishes in Beijing restaurants cost as much as 200 or 300 yuan each.”

A Hunters Home

The noon sun was scalding the plateau. My canteen was bone dry by the time we reached Gyalha Village. A local named Rinqinciring， led us into his house accented by a green lawn and blooming bright yellow dahlias. The two two-story stone buildings were painted white， and each corner of walls and eaves were decorated with intricate and elegant Tibetan patterns. The first floor lacked many furnishings. A wooden staircase led to the second， where the primary living quarters of the family were located： a large living room and two bedrooms. The living room， which doubled as the kitchen， featured a square copper stove in the middle， in which glowing coal burned briskly. The black smoke-stained fireplace was also adorned with elegantlycarved patterns.

Rinqinciring dug up a lump of black smoked pork from the top of the kitchen range and put it in my hand with chopsticks. It was so hot that I kept blowing on it， but my host just wandered off to prepare butter tea. His wife， Drolma， remained busy at the stove. Large bunches of red peppers hung around her， which seemed highly convenient for the cook to grab while preparing dishes. Peppers are a local favorite， and theyre added to virtually every dish.

In their utility room， I discovered rabbit fur resting on a wooden frame. Drolma explained to me that Rinqinciring was formerly a hunter known far and wide in the Yarlung Zangbo River area， and his prey included bears， deer， rabbits and a few other animals. When he went hunting， he would leave home for more than 20 days and walk more than 100 kilometers through the mountains. Later， as the wild animal population decreased and policies were implemented to protect them， Rinqinciring became an “Anjila，” a doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine.

Before leaving， Rinqinciring and I agreed to meet again so he could share stories of hunting in the forest along the Yarlung Zangbo River.

Tips

Located in Nyingchi and Medog counties in Nyingchi Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region， Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon stretches over 500 kilometers. Its ample rainfall and moderate temperatures provide advantageous conditions for vertical distribution of plants. About 60 to 70 percent of the species found on the QinghaiTibet Plateau are concentrated in the canyon area.

The best hiking season is early June to mid-October. On the trail， hikers can appreciate snow-capped mountains and hidden villages preserving mysterious Tibetan culture. However， be careful of high altitude conditions and low oxygen. When first arriving， avoid strenuous activities， walk slowly and talk quietly to reduce possible adverse effects. Some suggest that hikers take rhodiola rosea three to five days before the journey， which will help adaptation to low oxygen conditions.