Tiger Leaping Gorge

After poking around the aforementioned unknown mountain, I spent the next couple of days hiking on the stunningly beautiful Tiger Leaping Gorge trail with Alec, Phil, Jacob, and Andrea. The trail neatly followed the gorge basin for a couple dozen kilometers and the views were spectacular the entire way. We were sandwiched between two relatively steep mountain faces with the water beneath us. The trail was remarkably well-marked (my expectations for Chinese trails are quite low at this point) and well laid-out. The journey reminded me of hiking the trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. Here are some pictures...

Part of the gang at the trailhead

Taking a break and admiring the views

View from the bottom of the gorge

Getting back out of the gorge the "dangerous" way, almost completely vertical

Tina's = best hostel ever

View from the end of the trail

The thing that surprised me most about the trail was how relatively empty it was. I think we only passed by 15 or 20 people during our 2 days walking. In China, that is unheard of... My hypothesis is that the arduous nature of the trail dissuaded most Chinese tourists from hiking and instead they chose to take the buses following the low road. Regardless of the reason, it was incredible to have the trail to ourselves. It was very relaxing and calming to just be able to walk around without the constant commotion of other people going about their lives. It's the first time in China that I've been able to relax this way outside of my apartment. It was wonderful :)

- Jon