China: Great Gorges and Sacred Peaks Photos

Visit the Great Wall before or after your visit to Yunnan.

Sunrise on Kawagebo from Yubeng.

Our guide leads the way to Kawegebo base camp.

Crossing Peacock Pass near Mt. Biluoxue at about 12,000' we were surprised to encounter sefvewral local villagers traveling in the opposite direction.

Even in late May, snow lingered on the high ridges of Yunnan. We had to hike carefully along the steep trails in the fir forests.

Our campsite in the Shinco meadows below Peacock Pass.

Some of the communities in the high mountains of Yunnan grow wheat as the staple crop.

We met this friendly mother and daughter along the trail near Yubeng.

Early morning restauranteurs in Liuku show off fried breads ready for breakfast.

These are the participants of the 2005 Great Gorges and Sacred Peaks Trip.

The viewpoint toward Kawagebo from near Dechin offers a panoramic view of snow peaks and a context in which to worship them.

Rice planting is a communal activity in the Salween River Valley.

The trail to Peacock Pass begins near this point. You hike two days up through this gorge to Peacock Pass.

The three parallel gorges of the Salween, Mekong and Yangtse are extremely steep, but small farming communities thrive on the tops of ancient landslides.

The Bai people of Lijang still wear traditional clothing in some areas of the Old City.

You will visit Lijang where many of the merchants sell medicinal herbs to Chinese tourists.

The Salween valley is spectacularly beautiful in the upper reaches where it crosses from Tibet into Yunnan.

Villagers in the trekking areas see very few visiting foreigners.

Yubeng you will be very close to the glaciers of Kawagebo, the most sacred peak in the area.

The hiking trail near Tang Dong follows a valley used a s a seasonal pasture.

If you trek in May or June, you will likely pass through meadows of wild irises like these en route to Peacock Pass.

Even within the protected areas, there are few hikers.

The steep terrain holds many waterfalls