Over the course of years since meeting Dorjè I’ve written and pondered much about him. “Part goat and a little part human” was how he was described to me. Perhaps sounds unfair but the goats’ abilities in the Himalayas are legendary and entirely positive. He was (and remains) one of the most feral and strong men I’ve ever encountered with DNA that must read like a fascinating spread sheet of strengths and small micro links between tendons, muscles, and reaction times. Whisky would always come before tea, and loyalty to friends and family before all else. He was integral in a 52-day trek portion along the Tea Horse Road from northwestern Yunnan across eastern Tibet, and I’ve seldom seen a stronger sense of honour and sheer physical strength in a mortal being. His other nickname was ‘Peter O’Toole’ for reasons that most would understand, though I needed to explain this reference to the other team members. This photo of Dorjè was taken during a rare moment of relative calm in his home in Yong Zhr, near Kawa Karpo. He remains one whose strengths lie in the doing and remaining true to his path. Amongst his many ‘Dorj-Moments’, many stand out. One such ‘moment’ was more like a series of moments when our team had arrived to a remote village along the Tsayuchu river valley. We needed supplies after having been so long upon the route, and we needed to information about the path ahead. Dorjè promptly announced that he didn’t like the “feel” of the place, and had his knife close at hand. He stalked through the minuscule town and pleaded with us to leave and not worry about food and directions through the nearby snow mountains, and that he would make it up to us somehow. He was relentless in his request, so after having secured a small bit of food, we were off. Dorjè would in fact guide us true over a nearby pass and find us a more inviting community to rest in and gather supplies.
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.
Hmm, makes you wonder what would have happened had you not walked away from that town with “the goat” eh?
It does…he was like an oracle of sorts for us.