June 14, 2008 - Deqin – Climbing to see the Glacier

This morning we were up and out by 6:00 am hoping to see the sunrise over Snow Mountain. Each morning, local and visiting Buddhists greet the sunrise with a religious offering ceremony at the nearby Stupa. Unfortunately for us after this early start, the mountain was shrouded by clouds, so we did not get to see the anticipated spectacular sunrise. Once again, we were the only Westerners in sight, but possibly when they finish the new five-star hotel, this will change

After breakfast, we left at 7:00 for a 45 minute drive to a trailhead near the glacier. This drive was on an even more rugged and death-defying road. As an option, horses were available to take us partway up the steep trail, but since it started raining, our guide decided this would be too hazardous due to the possibility that the horses might slip on the muddy and rock strewn trail. Because of our early start, we were among the first trekkers to start the five kilometer uphill climb. The climbing was difficult, but near the halfway point we arrived at a small temple and an adjacent shack where snacks were sold. We stopped briefly for refreshment then pushed on to the top of the glacier overlook. After gaining 4,000 feet in altitude to approximately 14,000 feet, we were rewarded with a spectacular view up the mountain valley. The glacier was beautiful with deep crevasses revealing deep blue ice.

We heard an ice crack and quickly looked to see a section calving off the main glacier. This occurred two more times before we descended. The rain didn’t interfere with our trekking; it wasn’t the best conditions, but since we’d likely never be back again, we made the best of the situation.

Facing a six hour return trip to Shangra-La over the same hazardous route, we needed to be on the road no later than 2:00pm. We completed the round trip trek by 1:00 pm, making excellent time and impressing our guides. Richard told us we could easily do Everest Base Camp and probably wouldn’t have a problem trekking around Mt Kilash in Tibet. We are now thinking about the Everest and Mt. Kilash trips and will certainly use Richard’s company, VisitTibet.com

On the road home, a section of highway we passed the previous day had experienced a rock-slide within the past 24 hours. This area is so unstable that one can expect rock-slides at any time. Again, a long line of vehicles in both directions waited for the road to be cleared in order to pass. We were stopped four more times along the way. The rainy season brings an increased number of rock-slides, and looking over the edge of the mountain, rock-slide debris is evident all around. Retaining walls are erected, but nothing can stop Mother Nature. Just hope you aren’t on the road in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rich, Garry, and Tamara