Journey Across the Wild Frontier Western Sichuan to Yunnan

- Walk around the sacred aquamarine Mugecuo Lake, which sustains thousands of rare and endangered plant, animal, and bird species

 - Relish Tibetan culture in Litang, one of the highest towns in the world, where you can see nomads stocking up on food or congregating in teahouses

 - Watch the rising sun illuminate the snow dusted peaks from your tent atop Yading, and later ride horseback along three lakes in dazzling shades of emerald

The wild, untamed scenery of Western Sichuan, with average elevations often exceeding 3,000m, regularly evokes the Chinese proverb: "The sky is high and the Emperor is far away." In many respects, this is China's most dynamic Wild West frontier, seldom traveled, heartbreakingly beautiful (with endless horizons of white peaks and primal forests), and the clear signs of a heavily Tibetan-influenced culture nearly everywhere you look (including specifically the Khampa variety - Tibetans renowned for their tough exteriors and warrior ancestry). On this journey, we take you on a long and extraordinary journey from the Sichuan capital of Chengdu to the northern Yunnan town of Zhongdian. Along the way, we push deep into the remote mountains of Sichuan's western region to view some of the province's most inspiring natural scenery, from sunrises across holy mountains to the alpine majesties of Yading nature reserve. We also speak with a living Buddha, trek with local Tibetans, and visit many of Southwest China's largest and most renowned Buddhist monasteries outside Tibet. This is a journey filled with epic moments of nature, coupled with unique cultural insights into the Buddhist communities found on the fringes of the Tibetan border. In the process we also help you navigate through and make the most of the amazing passage through the Sichuan-Yunnan corridor, a route described by more than a few travelers as one of western China's most difficult.

We begin in the Sichuan capital of Chengdu, where we make stops at several sites of early Communist Party importance before moving on to the outpost city of Kangding - regarded as the "Gateway to Tibet." Surrounded by towering mountains, Chinese Muslims, Catholics and Tibetan Buddhists all co-exist peacefully. We then take a detour to Mugecuo Lake, whose aquamarine brilliance and wealth of rare plant and animal species make it an area special to Buddhist pilgrims, naturalists and photographers alike. For the next several days we continue our push westwards, viewing Tibetan herdsmen on the Tagong Grasslands, visiting remote monasteries and nunneries en route, and passing through high mountain passes. By the time we reach the town of Litang, we have reached a razor-thin elevation of 4,010m (which puts this town higher than Lhasa and amongst the highest cities in the world). This city is also the home for Changqingchunker Temple, one of the Tibetan Buddhist's most prominent monasteries (at one point seized by the Yellow Hat sect, making it a hotbed of Tibetan dissent), and here we are given an extremely privileged personal audience with a living buddha. The next day, we arrive at Yading nature reserve, regarded by the few who've managed to make it this far as some of China's most wildly spectacular scenery. We spend several days soaking in this unspoiled magnificence - hiking and trekking through luscious meadows and forests, exploring hidden glacial lakes and gazing at spellbinding morning sunrises that set the holy mountains around us ablaze. We also visit the reserve's Tshonggo Gonpa, a small temple whose rough and tumble frontier feel led early 19th century explorer Joseph Rock to nickname it "Bandit Monastery." After some R&R from our hiking excursions, we hit the road once more, heading towards the town of Daocheng, where we relax in volcanic hot springs, and a few hours later come across Gongpung Monastery, a remote but lively temple with a resplendent 900 year old history. After another full day of driving, we arrive at our final destination of Zhongdian in Yunnan, where we spend an extra day local touring (visiting Songzhanlin monastery and a nearby Nixi pottery village) before our long but immensely gratifying journey comes to an end.

Featured Trip Plan:

Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu; free-explore city

Day 2: Wang Anting's Mao Museum; drive to Luding site; arrive & overnight in Kading ("Gateway to Tibet")

Day 3: Ngachu monastery; Mugecuo holy lake, hiking; Tsedo Mountain Pass; Xinduquiao village; arrive in Tagong Grasslands & overnight in guesthouse

Day 4: Tagong monastery & local nunnery; drive to & overnight in Yajiang

Day 5: Drive to Litang (4,014m); Changqingchunker temple, audience with living buddha; overnight in Litang

Day 6: Drive to Daocheng; arrive in Yading nature reserve & overnight at local inn

Day 7: Hike to foot of Mt. Chanadorje; Tshonggo temple ("Bandit Monastery"); free-explore & overnight camping

Day 8: Sunrise viewing; hike to Milk lake, Five-color lake, Pearl lake; finish pilgrimage route; return & overnight in Yading inn

Day 9: Drive to Daocheng, hot springs bath; Dagon & Gongpung monasteries; arrive & overnight in Xiangcheng

Day 10: Drive scenic route to Zhongdian, enter Yunnan province; overnight in Zhongdian

Day 11: Songzhanlin monastery; drive to Nixi village, pottery workshop; return & overnight in Zhongdian

Day 12: Depart for airport, end of journey