Departure date looms, white falls from above
One of the little towns that border our departure point
With three more days to go until departure on the Kawa Karpo expedition we’ve had a more than intense dump of snow from above, turning our town into something I wish it would be all year round: almost perfect.
We will leave the valley close to hear heading west
Beautiful as it is, it does add an edge and that natural wonder of unpredictability to our departure. What comes down hard here, will be coming down far more intensely upon the mountain passes that await us.
The way west on a day that does not relent
We will leave from a small “v” of a valley heading west out of the highland valley of Shangri-La (known to Tibetans as Gyalthang). Walking out to the area of our departure point, the entire floor of the land is a white sea, with only a few scattered yak hoofs dotting the floor.
And it clears briefly. One of the wonders of any day in the heights is that a change in the elements can come in minutes
The snow has in its eternal and rather welcome way muted all of the world’s sharp noises, barring the loyal canines.
Houses, mortals, four legged creatures and those that fly all welcome some white back...at least for the moment
Regardless of the departure day’s weather, the white brings a welcome reprieve from the dry sand coloured days. For myself it bodes well for a expedition through the mountains.
As the old traders of the Tea Horse Road used to say, “everyday begins and that is all you know when you wake up”.
About JeffFuchs
Having lived for a decade in Yunnan, Fuchs’ work has centred on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories along with an obsessive interest in tea.
Fuchs is the author of 'The Ancient Tea Horse Road' (Viking-Penguin) and he was the subject of 'The Tea Explorer' documentary based on his exploration of the Tea Horse Road.
His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in publications such as 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 UNESCO amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America, and Asia. Fuchs served as Asian Editor at Large for five years at award-winning Outpost magazine.
Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures.
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.
Fuchs partnered with Wild China to create a journey along the Tea Horse Road which National Geographic Traveler called one of the "50 Trips of a Lifetime".
He is co-founder of Akahiao Nature Institute on the island of Hawai'i along with his wife, Julie Rogers.
Safe journey, Jeff. Looking forward to reading the blogs.
Thanks as always Lauren. We’re very keen on getting the legs moving and getting the wind in the teeth.
Jeff