ActiveforAdventure

A delayed part II of the China Adventure visual diary. Zhangjiajie - Guilin - Yangshuo bound for Hong Kong.

Travelling through China on a three week high speed train adventure is not the usual criteria for an active for adventure post. However, on reflection, it is a prime example of all I believe in. China is big. It’s busy. It’s mountainous. At an average of 20,000 + steps a day in temperatures hitting high 30’s, it requires reasonable base fitness, a sense of resilience (or acceptance of discomfort), and good mobility to enjoy a full packed, fun filled exploration of the narrow strip of mainland China from Beijing down to Hong Kong. Aside from the explosion of cultural, historical, geographical and gastronomical education, the trip reinforced the benefits of daily health and fitness as an enabler to maximising all that life and travel can offer. China has changed a lot since my last trip in 2004. The high speed rail network narrows the geographic expanse, we covered over 3000km of changing landscape, travelling at 250-300kph in clean, affordable comfort. Key stops and sites boasting many a UNESCO listed area, worlds largest, longest, highest of something (!) and incredible cuisine included Beijing, Datong, Xian, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Yangshuo. A visual and textual summary (part I) below aims to capture 3 weeks in a short ‘ish’ post for interested followers!

Cliff Top Track - Braeside - Grand Canyon Loop. 13.3km. 640m elevation.
Autumn in the Blue Mountains and a day on one of my all time favourite trails in the mountains, Cliff Top and Grand Canyon hike. Taking in both Govetts Leap and Evans lookout showcasing the expanse of the Mountains, it’s a spectacular hike for skyline views and deep valley greens. From Evans lookout we could see the remnants from the landslip in August 2024 when 200,000 cubic metres of rock fell. A reminder that nature is fragile, and ever changing. What steps can each of us take to protect it for the generations coming through. Descending into the Grand Canyon in late afternoon presented dark eerie passages and moments of golden glow as the lowering sun penetrated patches.

Mustang Trail Race Day 9 / Stage 8
Chuksang to Muktinath 17.2km
1220 ascent.
3300m - 4100m above sea level.

The final stage. It was a strange feeling this morning. Excited to be reaching the finish line, relieved that my mind and body had thus far held up, could everything hold up for one more day. We weren’t quite there yet! The team had once again been grouped in varying start times with the aim to have us all crossing the finish line, not only for the day, but for the full event, within a similar time frame. Hats off to Roman who put the daily stats together to achieve this! A small group of 3 took off first with the rest of us there to cheer them off at 6:30am. The first challenge of the day was breakfast. Having been fed and watered for 8 days now without a thought to food preparation, shopping, menu choices etc (quite a luxury) we were suddenly confronted with a choice for breakfast. Pancakes, porridge, eggs?! Brain fog alongside building fatigue made for some humorous moments, and some odd breakfast combinations. Through the starting gate and it was straight up a 1000m climb over 9km with a dramatic change in landscape as the familiar sandy dusty trails and ochre landscape became a white blanket of snow with muddy winding roads cutting through the almost blinding glow of the land. The trail in parts hard to define, made easier by runners who’d passed through before me, leaving calf deep tread as the snow continued to fall, alongside the temperature (-7C) Reaching the 9km mark it was evident from the incessant upward trajectory and small moving dots edging towards the ridge line through the falling snow that the passe would not be at 9km. At just over 11km I popped over the passe and began the homeward stretch. The trail was a mix of new snow, slush, and frozen mud. Picking my steps wisely and feeling more like a puck on an ice rink I made my way down towards Muktinath. The conditions played havoc with one of our team who displayed early signs of hypothermia. Those of us nearby shared layers and a call was made to the finish, soon after which our trusty support team ran up with the gear needed to get her home safely. Crossing the swing bridge into Muktinath signified the final push to the finish, of the day, the race, and a bucket list dream. The village was absolutely packed with pilgrims heading to the local monastery. It was a humorous few minutes as the swarm of people, in bright pink ponchos obscured my view of our trusty pink trail ribbons that would guide me home. Was I going to find myself lost at the final turn?!! Then, there it was. The Bob Marley Cafe, the familiar cheers and welcoming finish crew. An overwhelming feeling of emotion overtook me as I crossed under the orange finish flag wavering above. Head in hands, a quiet moment of almost disbelief before heading inside to a roaring fire, around which the team gathered. Emotions were high with the collective acknowledgement of what we had achieved. An immense gratitude was felt and shared by the group. Far away from the lives we know, life was quite simple right now, and yet so very rewarding. Back in Jomsom (by vehicle not foot!) we gathered for a celebration dinner and awards. Our support team of 16 were thanked and presented with a scarf, the khata, which holds significant cultural importance in Nepal, symbolising purity, compassion, and respect. Then it time for us. A khata, certificate, and medal was presented to everyone who completed the event, in age order! Then came awards for the age groups. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard my name. I’m not sure if it was because I heard my name, or if it was the name of the award.. grand masters winner?! What a surreal moment. If you’ve made it to the end of this post, thank you for coming on the journey with me. Thank you to my family whose love and support enable me to chase my dreams and challenge my potential. Feeling grateful.

Mustang Trail Race Day 8 / Stage 7
Tanggye to Chucksang
25km. 1280m ascent.
3300m - 4200m above sea level.

A clear night made for a cooler start under blue skies. A crispness in the air helped ignite the senses and spark us up for day 8

The group had now been split into a staggered start to help manage the flow of traffic on trail and keep us a little closer as a pack for our incredibly caring and kind management and support crew who diligently walked the trails before and after us to set and collect the trusty pink ribbons that became our beacon, our guiding light, our way home each day.

Today would gift us a good 5km climb covering 900m of elevation early on, rewarding us with a 10km undulating traverse above 4000m before descending homeward over 7km to the finish. Very palatable I thought. Get the climb done early, enjoy a less intense mid race and embrace the downhill home.

I was joined on trail by a Tibetan mastiff who I have since learned are considered protectors by the Nepalese. He ran alongside me for an hour or so before dropping back to join another member of the group.

The key to the climb today was patience. With fatigue kicking in, a tightening chest, and a general feeling of heaviness it was definitely good practice in being present in the moment, and grateful for all it presented.

Reaching Paa Pass at 4183m I could now relax into the mid race. Looking ahead the exposed ridge top was a stark contrast of earthy tones and a fresh dusting of snow. Stunning to the eye, less so on the trail. Slip sliding our way along the thick muddy path, trail shoes no longer providing tread as they gathered a new layer of mud firmly secured to the soles.

The trail was narrow at times, winding its way across the landscape and in parts threatening to drop away all together.

Deep gorges with incredible moulded peaks and pinnacles, fresh snow highlighting their uniqueness were a constant feast for the eyes, whilst in the distance Dhaulagiri (‘white mountain’) and Nilgiri (‘blue mountain’) continued to dominate the horizon.

Finishing the day with a 7km boulder hop into Chucksang, home for the night, it for a while seemed a little like a mirage.. green pastures that never seemed to get any closer. And then there it was, the sound of the familiar cow bell signifying the finish.

Oh, and my 4 pawed Tibetan trail friend.. he also finished!! Coming in alongside one of our group. Puppy love is global.

Mustang Trail Race Day 7 / Stage 6
Yara to Tanggye.

5km and 500m ascent to the start line!
Plus.. 21km and 1000m ascent

Today is a value add day! Not only would we enjoy the trails of the upper mustang for 21km.. today we would also have the opportunity to hike 5km to our start line.. uphill of course!

The morning kicked off with a clockwise loop around the stupa, a ritual carried out by local monks known as Kora, an active meditation demonstrating devotion. Whilst normally accompanied by chants and prayers, our experience was a little more social as we all mused over the day ahead.

Leaving Yara we head ( uphill ) towards to Ghara (3800m). A short stop here for tea and biscuits before arriving at the extraordinary cave-complex of Luri Gompa. Dating back to the 14th century, it holds presence over the landscape, carved into a cliff face 100m above the ground. 212 steps up said cliff face to find an exquisitely painted stupa and a lone monk studying his manuscripts.

The inner chamber is circular with hand carved and smoothed walls. One small window allows just enough natural light to highlight the 6m high chorten and surrounding artwork. An ornate domed ceiling is decorated with eight painted images of Mahasiddhas, circling above the chorten. Along one wall, a set of painted figures, amd above them a row of nine small portraits of lamas.

We officially start ‘race day ‘ at the foot of the cave and head down the same route to Yara, across the southerly plateau towards our first river-crossing. The views constantly changing yet familiar. Windswept cliffs carved over time shadowed by the snow covered Himalayas

Ascending 500m over 4km whilst navigating the thinning air at 4000m gave me cause for reflection of a great book, The Sweet Spot, by Paul Bloom, on the necessity of choosing challenge, and a little suffering to find purpose and fulfilment.

As the day moved on, the sun moving across an increasingly grey sky, and the knowledge that snow was a distinct possibility I was keen to come across the final challenge of the day, a decent downhill into our village.. not on green grassy plains but across unstable boulders that I am certain the local yaks would choose to avoid.

Another fabulous day on trail.

Mustang Trail Race Day 6 / Stage 5 Lo Manthang - Yara 13km 500E. 3500m - 4100m above sea level.

Slowly emerging from the cocoon that is my sleeping bag I acknowledged the day and promptly attended to my alarm, on the brink of disturbing the slumber of my roomie. Sitting up to gauge the weather I was thrown into a sudden awareness as I stared out at a white blanketed landscape. Snow had fallen overnight. The what’s app was a flurry of messages from team management and athletes keen, and curious, of what the day would hold. Only once in 13 years have they had snowfall during the Mustang Trail race.

A long loungy breakfast was enjoyed by the team with the usual plentiful spread of lunch snacks and treats lined up for the taking to ensure no runner would be left hungry on trail.! Meanwhile, Jeeps pulled into the driveway, magically sourced within the Kingdom (!) ready to transport us to our re-routed trail start. A Tetris ensued, I can now confirm that 9 people do fit into a small jeep.. seatbelts and seating surplus to requirements!

It was after 11:00am before we lined up under the now familiar start flag with Roman counting us down to a start.

Moving through local villages, criss crossing our way up an ‘almost’ dry riverbed we wound our way to Yara.

The day finished with a short dance performance by the local village women before returning to the cocoon from which my day began.

Mustang Trail Race Day 5 / Stage 4 - Lo Manthang Loop 29km. 1120E. 3800m - 4100m above sea level.

We are now well into our daily rhythm of questionable sleep, 6am to brekkie for a 7am sprint off the start (fluid and flexibly defined but for this non sprint specialist it certainly feels as such!). Loaded up with eggs, porridge, pancakes (is it possible to gain weight on a stage race!) and a rest day behind us, we were ready (ish)! Sprinting through the alleyways of Lo Manthang behind the 6m earthen walls we finally popped back out into the valley and began our upwood trail through the undulating landscape.
Interesting fact from yesterday… if we had been 100 metres higher at our highest point we would have been closer in altitude to the summit of Everest than we would have been to sea level. Anyway, back to today..

Two check in - check out options lay before us today. The chance to stop the clock and enjoy, explore two local sites. If only that option was on the table in day to day life.. stop the clock… stop time.. start again when you are ready!

The first of these was at roughly 10km. A small familiar Mustang checkpoint flag strung amidst the eroded cliffs and gullies came into site. We clocked off and continued through the most surreal landscape, climbing down into, and out of gullies, across ridge tops, weaving a path to a small cave decorated with ancient paintings and offerings. A vulture soured through the valley, most likely scouring for lunch options! It was an amazing site to sit and take in. The air clean (albeit thin!) the landscape a visual story of nature over time. Windswept gullies, sedimentary landscapes engraved and shaped by the wilds of time. The hues of yellows, sands, and ochres, replicated in monastery art. It is beautiful to see the natural connection and respect between man and nature in these lands.

Check in- out two was Shija Jhong cave. A 5 storey sky cave, open to the public for exploration. No fences, warning signs, or safety fences.. we were free to explore. Just some shaky wooden ladders to snake our way up and around.

An absolutely amazing day on trail today. Hard to take it all on or capture in a Facebook post. Feeling extremely grateful to be here and for my health to keep me plodding along at these crazy heights.

Mustang Trail Race Day 3 / Stage 3
Ghami - Lo Manthang
21km. 1180E. 3500m-4300m above sea level.

Creeping towards the clouds we covered 21km across the arid Mustang Valley towards the Kingdom of Lo Manthang. The thinning air becoming more apparent but over ridden by the continuous visual display of vast arid lands morphing in design as clouds moved across them (or maybe this was an internal response to lack of O2)!

On our travels we skirted alongside the red Drakmar Cliffs, upon close inspection you could spot ancient sky caves, dating back 2000 years. We passed the longest mani (prayer) wall in Nepal at approximately 400 metres, the Tibetan culture remains strong in the land in which Buddhism found its way to Nepal. Ever present throughout the day the snow capped mountains of Nilgiri North (7061 metres) and the Annapurna range lit up the blue skies above for a sensational feast for the eyes.

The finish line today was Lo Manthang, an ancient, walled city founded in 1380 and former capital of the Kingdom of Lo (Upper Mustang). This remote Tibetan Buddhist kingdom was restricted to outsiders until 1992. Known for its high-altitude desert landscape, 15th-century monasteries, and the 5-story royal palace, Lo Manthang is a center for preserving ancient Tibetan culture. The community still practices Tibetan Buddhism, and to some extent, polyandry today. While it was an autonomous kingdom for centuries, the monarchy was formally abolished by the Nepalese government on October 7, 2008. We have 3 nights here including a rest and acclimatisation day. Sleeping at 3800m makes for interesting REM!

The NSW coastline is brimming with hiking opportunities. Taking a road trip home from QLD, the Yuraygir National Park beckoned. Forming part of the longer Solitary Islands Coastal Walk, we jumped on at Angourie for an out and back down to Shelly Beach. Powerful surf kicked at the shoreline, obscuring (almost!) a pod of dolphins enjoying the ride. Roos basked in the sun, cunningly sheltered from wind in the coastal scrub, whilst still visible and well poised for passing trail goers. The beaches littered with blue bottles and Lions mane jellyfish made for hopscotch like movement across the sands whilst the skies above waxed and waned from blue to grey to black and back again. 14km return and a fabulous cafe to finish off! Very doable trail, keep an eye on the tides for beach walking!