Expedition February 2012 – Ancient Trade Route to Sacred Mountain

One of the sites our eyes will take in upon the trek

Back to the comforting cold and silence of ‘Shangrila’ here in northwestern Yunnan in preparation for another Outpost Magazine exclusive. Revo Polarized sunglasses, Mountain Hardwear, and our own Jalamteas are sponsoring (and happily fuelling) a ‘western first’ along an ancient trade route here in Yunnan. Unusually intense snowfall this winter is going to make this a very winter-heavy expedition. Departure date is mid-February and the journey will include two venerable mountain guides who are local ‘mountain goats’. Updates to follow as well as an official press release…another journey to trace what are fast becoming disappearing legends – the ancient Himalayan trade routes.

Never far away in this part of the world are the crucial 'people' and their memories of the trade routes. It is the memories that give any journey its lifeblood.

About JeffFuchs

Bio Having lived for most of the past decade in Asia, Fuchs’ work has centered on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories with an obsessive interest in tea. His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in award-winning publications Kyoto Journal, TRVL, and Outpost Magazine, as well as The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, Silkroad Foundation, The China Post Newspaper, The Toronto Star, The South China Morning Post and Traveler amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America and Asia and he serves as the Asian Editor at Large for Canada’s award-winning Outpost magazine. Fuchs is the Wild China Explorer of the Year for 2011 for sustainable exploration of the Himalayan Trade Routes. He recently completed a month long expedition a previously undocumented ancient nomadic salt route at 4,000 metres becoming the first westerner to travel the Tsa’lam ‘salt road’ through Qinghai. Fuchs has written on indigenous perspectives for UNESCO, and has having consulted for National Geographic. Fuchs is a member of the fabled Explorers Club, which supports sustainable exploration and research. Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures. He has spoken to the prestigious Spanish Geographic Society in Madrid on culture and trade through the Himalayas and his sold out talk at the Museum of Nature in Canada focused on the enduring importance of oral narratives and the Himalayan trade routes. His recently released book ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’ (Penguin-Viking Publishers) details his 8-month groundbreaking journey traveling and chronicling one of the world’s great trade routes, The Tea Horse Road. Fuchs is the first westerner to have completed the entire route stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the Himalayas a dozen cultures. He makes his home in ‘Shangrila’, northwestern Yunnan upon the eastern extension of the Himalayan range where tea and mountains abound; and where he leads expeditions the award winning ‘Tea Horse Road Journey’ with Wild China along portions of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. To keep fueled up for life Fuchs co-founded JalamTeas which keeps him deep in the green while high in the hills.
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8 Responses to Expedition February 2012 – Ancient Trade Route to Sacred Mountain

  1. Peter says:

    Good to hear you are off on another adventure along an ancient trade route. I look forward to getting more details, as well as following your postings as you make the journey!

    Best wishes,
    Peter

  2. Mikey says:

    Looking forward to reading more about this trip!

  3. Happy New Dragon Year, Jeff …

  4. WildChina says:

    We can’t wait to document this trip– it’s going to be an exciting trip! Stay safe! From everyone at WildChina, have a blast!

    • JeffFuchs says:

      With tea, a little help from the fates and some good mule-power all should progress. Thanks to the entire gang at Wild China for the generous and courageous support.

      Jeffers