Genie Crossing | Average altitude 4000m+, 9 hours of crossing, meet the "goddess" of Kangnan

△ The Holy Lake on Genie Snow Mountain / photo by qujiong

TIPS

Schedule time:

September 26-October 5, 2009

route:

September 26 | Arrive in Chengdu at noon and stay overnight

September 27th | Go to Kangding at 5:00 in the morning, Kangding-Yajiang at 14:00, and stay overnight

September 28th | 7:00 am Yajiang—Litang, 14:00 Litang—Zhangna Township, accommodation

September 29 | Zhangna Township—Hupi Dam—Gechai Chindo Dam—Lenggu Temple (17 kilometers in total)

September 30 | Lenggu Temple, surroundings, Genie main peak glacier, departure from Lenggu Temple at 14:00 - 10km - Naiganduo Village, accommodation

October 1st | Naiganduo Village-6km-Zetong Village-4km-Lazai Pass-4km-Lama Ya-71km-Litang, accommodation

October 2 | Litang-Yading Village Accommodation

October 3 | Aden-Kangding Accommodation

October 4 | Kangding-Chengdu Accommodation

October 5 | Chengdu-Beijing

"Episode 3" Meeting the "goddess" Kangnan for the first time

Genie Snow Mountain, a secret place in western Sichuan that was written into "Lonely Planet", is also the first dream place of our trip. Coincidentally, the cover article of the 9th issue of "China National Geographic" in 2009 was about Genie Snow Mountain.

Genie, known as "Sama Ripa" in Tibetan history, is a holy mountain in the hearts of Tibetans. Tibetans believe that she is the thirteenth goddess among the 24 sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism, and is also the holy place of the Eight Great Vajras of Chakrasamvara. one. In Tibet, the only holy places for Chakrasamvara are the Himalayas and Mount Genai. According to legend, 2,900 years ago, Buddha Sakyamuni once praised Genie Mountain as a special and pure place for meditation.

There is currently no direct road from Litang to Genie Snow Mountain. You can only go through Lama Ya Township to Zhangna Township, and then choose to enter on horseback or on foot. There are many self-operated buses near the bus station in Litang County. The models are generally Changan. The cost of chartering a bus is about 600 yuan one way. It is said that if you are lucky, it is very possible to get 450 yuan. (This is the charter price in 2009)

△ I met the children at the intersection of Lama Ya Township Road. When I saw the children, my sister was pushing her sister along the roadside with a wheelbarrow like the one used to load sand on construction sites. The younger sister is barefoot and the shoes on older sister's feet expose her toes. What was particularly impressive was that my sister dropped the candy I gave her on the ground, immediately picked it up and stuffed it into her mouth. I quickly said that the ground was dirty and she couldn’t eat it. But when I saw my sister's small black hands, I suddenly felt very sad. / photo by qujiong

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, we rented two vans and set off towards Zhangna Township. Soon after passing through the Maoya Prairie, the road began to become bumpy, and the scenery outside the window began to change. The meadows gradually disappeared, and large and small strange rocks Scattered across open land. Shangpa Tenzin Living Buddha told us that this is the famous Blacksmith Mountain and is the only way to go to Genie Snow Mountain.

Genie Snow Mountain, which was originally hidden deep in Kangnan, has begun to attract many domestic travel enthusiasts to explore its secrets, including us, due to the recommendation of "Lonely Planet". This also directly prompted the Lama Ya Township government to rebuild this section of the road. In this case, it will take more than 4 hours to successfully drive from Litang to Lama Ya Township. You can imagine how the car had to drive hard between these rugged rocks before repairs were made.

Not long after we reached Blacksmith Mountain, snowflakes started to fall in the sky, the view out the front window became blurry, and the car slowed down. Suddenly, Shangpa Tenzin Living Buddha pointed at the three mountains in front of him and said: "Look, the three blacksmith brothers." Out of the car window, three bare stone mountains towered in front of us. Their appearance and height were almost the same, like the three brothers. Same as the fetus.

When writing this blog, I searched online for information about Blacksmith Mountain. I discovered that this mountain also has a beautiful myth, but the protagonists of the myth are not the three brothers, but the father and two sons. Whether it is brotherly love or father-son love, these three stone mountains looking at each other will definitely leave a deep impression on everyone who comes here, because this place is so barren and barren, with almost no grass growing, and the ground is full of stones of different sizes. , it feels like I have mistakenly entered a strange planet in outer space.

While going around Blacksmith Mountain, Genie Snow Mountain loomed in the thick dark clouds in the distance. The main peak of Genie Snow Mountain is more than 6,200 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by dozens of beautiful peaks such as Shoza and Kemeron. These peaks protect her like devout believers.

△ I borrowed the Assassin's filter lens. Which is better, the era when there was no one-click filtering method, or now?

After crossing the pass at 4,770 meters above sea level at Tiejiang Mountain, we entered the river valley. Dusk gradually set in, and we could already see smoke rising from the cooking pots as we passed through Lama Ya Township. As we passed through the village, children who had just finished school greeted us excitedly outside the car window.

In the evening we arrived at Zhang Na Township and stayed at the home of a friend of Shampa Tenzin Rinpoche. We were also going to leave the horse rental matter to this friend. (Interestingly, the wrong message was sent for some reason. From the beginning in Litang, we thought that this friend was the head of Zhangna Township. So when this friend later volunteered to serve as a groom, everyone thought we were very good. To save face; this friend later kept explaining to us that he was not the mayor, which was really funny.)

Although many outdoor enthusiasts have visited Genie Snow Mountain, it is still a scenic spot that has not been fully opened. Therefore, as an important accommodation point to go to Genie Mountain, Zhangna Township’s awareness of tourism services is basically zero, and everything is done It all depends on what the villagers say. As soon as we arrived, someone from the township police station came over to inquire about accommodation and horse rental. At night, a villager who looked like the leader of a "horse gang" chased us into the room and "forced" us if we planned to rent a horse, regardless of whether we still had a horse. Friends who suffer from severe altitude sickness need a quiet environment to rest.

After a "confrontation", we still broke up with the caravan on bad terms that night, and the caravan even threatened that we would not rent a horse. As a result, early the next morning, the leader of the caravan was waiting at the door with his horse. After all, for them who make a living by growing highland barley and raising horses, we are still a big business.

However, the scheduled departure at 7 o'clock was delayed for more than two hours due to the issue of how to distribute the profits from the business within the caravan and the village. Two typical characteristics of the local Tibetans are very obvious from this: one is the lack of time concept; the other is the straightforward and simple way to deal with problems - they will not work until the profits are clearly distributed (there is no meaning of "regional blackness" here) , just discussing the matter based on the situation at that time). Afterwards, we concluded that the problem might be simpler if we did not rent the horse through a friend.

△ The wooden bridge at the entrance of Zhangna Village

We had previously estimated that it would take about 12 hours to walk from Zhangna Township to Lenggu Temple at the foot of Genie Snow Mountain. In fact, we set off at around 9 a.m. and arrived at Lenggu Temple at sunset. Including resting and taking photos, it took us about 12 hours. It took less than 9 hours. We rented a total of 8 horses. In addition to one horse for each person, there were also two horses specially used to carry luggage. We traveled lightly throughout the trip. So, when we met three backpackers from Nanjing in Hupiba and saw each of them carrying a large bag of almost 60L, we immediately felt that we were too luxurious and enjoying ourselves.

This was also my first time riding a horse in my life. Although the horse I chose was not tall, handsome, and had a gentle personality, I was still a little scared, and I thought about riding a horse and losing the experience of hiking, so I finally gave up on the horse. "Road 11".

In fact, walking on rugged mountain roads is much faster than riding a horse. After getting a taste of it, the assassin started hiking like me, with the goal of catching up with Shangpa Tenzin Rinpoche, who had already left us far behind. By the way, Shangpa Tenzin Rinpoche and his brother walked too fast. Here we were still talking sweet words to communicate with the horses, but they had disappeared.

Walking along the Rediqu River Valley, the altitude rises very slowly, there are very few steep slopes, and many places are flat roads. It is really a very suitable route for hiking and camping. This really made me, a "pseudo-hiker" who gets out of breath when going uphill, very excited, and I couldn't help but speed up my pace a lot. Of course, we did not forget to appreciate the scenery along the way. Local Tibetans use the open space beside the river valley to grow highland barley. This is also the season when highland barley is mature. Tibetans tie the harvested highland barley into bunches and hang them on special wooden racks to dry.

Finally at noon, the assassin and I caught up with the Living Buddha Shampa Tenzin in Nakando Village. Unexpectedly, the Living Buddha's first words when he saw us were: "We have been waiting for a long time." It was really shocking!

Waiting for the large group to meet us in Naiganduo Village, we will have a piece of fruit for lunch, and then drink a bottle of cool stream water and continue on our way. After walking for more than an hour, we arrived at a flat grassland. Genie Snow Mountain stood quietly in front of us, as if we could reach out and touch it.

△ Haizi at the foot of Genie Snow Mountain

△ Genie Snow Mountain and my black “pearl”

Compared with the Xiaozha Peak that I saw when setting off from Naiganduo Village, the majestic aura of Genie Snow Mountain blows in my face. It is said that in 1877, after William Gill saw Genie Peak for the first time, he wrote in his diary: "There are no words to describe this tall mountain. Here travelers can feel the mood of the Tibetan people and can't help but feel the mood of the Tibetan people." Call it the Holy Mountain."

Probably thinking that people like us from the city don’t look too “strong”, the young horseman Ding Zeng who was traveling with us (hahaha, I suddenly realized that his name sounds the same as Ding Zhen) kindly invited me to ride a horse for the rest of the journey. Walk. The pony I was assigned was very well-behaved, but it just didn't like to walk on the beaten track, which is a bit like me.

Our groom boy Ding Zeng is really a very good child. He has a cheerful personality, is sincere to others, diligent and enthusiastic, and always has a shy smile on his face (hey, it seems that he is very similar to Ding Zhen). They took great care of us along the way, holding horses, carrying backpacks, boiling water, and washing dishes. They also pay special attention to protecting the environment and remind us and help us collect garbage at any time. I really need to praise them more.

After getting on our horses, we soon arrived at the famous local "Tiger Skin Dam", which is said to be the most charming place at the foot of Genie Snow Mountain, and indeed it is. Green and clear streams meander among the huge meadows. Due to seasonal changes in the surrounding mountains, the trees appear in colors of green, dark green, lemon yellow, orange and deep red. The colorful colors are indeed as rich as tiger skin. Layering.

△ Genie Autumn Color / photo by qujiong

At this time, Genie Snow Mountain was getting closer to us, and the beautiful scenery in front of us made us unable to move forward. Shangpa Tenzin Rinpoche seemed to have noticed our little thoughts and told us that he would make tea here. So we responded positively, took out butane gas cans, instant noodles and coffee from our backpacks, and decided to have afternoon tea on the plateau. By the way, in Tibetan areas where food and housing conditions are relatively difficult, a pack of instant noodles can make everyone feel happy and happy; and drink a cup of fragrant coffee, and it feels like heaven is just like this...

"Episode 4" The most beautiful rainbow in life

After dinner and tea, we looked up at the sky. The sun seemed to be ready to go to work on the other side of the earth. We packed up and set off for our final destination, Lenggu Temple. From Hupi Dam to Lenggu Temple, you need to climb a mountain on the way, and then pass through the Gechai Qinduo Dam where you can "view Genie on the left, Xiaozha on the right, and Lenggu Temple in front". When we were climbing over the mountain, Shangpa Tenzin Living Buddha took us to a sacred spring on the mountain, and each of us drank a glass of sacred spring water.

According to the locals, speaking is forbidden when you enter within 200 to 300 meters of the sacred spring. No matter what situation you encounter, you must not speak. The spring water in the cup has a light purple color and tastes like soda water. It is said that the sacred spring water here can cure stomach problems. After leaving Shenquan, in order to rush for time, Shangpa Tenzin Rinpoche also led us to take a shortcut and climb through an almost vertical cave. After drilling in and out of the small hole, we finally got a bit of adventure.

Finally, we arrived at Lenggu Temple before the last sunset. Because the temple was holding a religious ceremony these two days, many nearby villagers came to the temple to chant sutras. At night, we stayed with the villagers in an empty house outside the temple. Classmate Xiaoqiang donated his military tent, and Sister Mo Yu and I set up a girls dormitory in the house and enjoyed the luxury single room treatment.

After finishing the sleeping arrangements, Sister Mo Yu, Cang Hai, and the assassin carried the tripod and cannon barrel outside the house to prepare to take pictures of Genie under the moonlit night. I then worked as a photography assistant for Sister Mo Yu, and successfully learned a trick: It turns out that with an exposure time of only 4 or 5 minutes, I can take photos of the starry sky with the effect of shooting stars.

Genie Snow Mountain at night is less majestic than during the day, but more charming under the moonlight. Light clouds are like veils covering the peaks of Genie Mountain, giving it the beauty of a girl who is ashamed to see her. The Milky Way is crossing overhead on an autumn night, and the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are looking at each other from a distance; the moon is about to be full, waiting for lovers to share the beauty of the moon thousands of miles apart. I really can't help but sigh deeply. It is natural, luxurious and environmentally friendly. Where can there be a more beautiful environment than this? ! Haha~~

By the way, while we were taking photos, classmate Xiaoqiang who got into his sleeping bag to meet Duke Zhou immediately became the target of onlookers from the villagers and monks. According to his own description later, because the villagers and monks were very curious about the new sleeping bag, he was shocked to find five or six heads and more than a dozen eyes staring at him after waking up from a nap. Lo and behold, it made him feel a lot like an alien.

To be honest, if I hadn’t considered that I might need it later, I would have given my sleeping bag to a groom friend who was traveling with me. Because there was not enough room to live in, they used blue and white woven cloth to set up a small tent and slept outdoors at night. I had a thick sleeping bag in the indoor tent and it was too cold to sleep well. I really don’t know how they survived with only a layer of woven cloth covering them outdoors.

Early the next morning, I woke up to the sound of chanting sutras. It must have been the monks who slept next to our tent yesterday doing their homework. I went to the river to rinse my mouth and face. The stream water melted from the snow-capped mountains was extremely cold in the early morning. As soon as I put my hand into the water, the remaining sleepiness disappeared. I barely insisted on washing my face, but felt that my hands were so cold that I couldn't feel anything. I ran back to the house and drank a large glass of hot water to regain my strength. Gathering around the stove, I smelled the smell of instant noodles and coffee again, and sighed again: This is the smell of happiness!

△ Genie Snow Mountain / photo by qujiong

△ Lenggu Temple under Genie Snow Mountain / photo by qujiong

After breakfast, Sister Mo Yu continued to take photos with Cang Hai and Assassin. My classmates Xiaoqiang and Ding Zeng and I decided to go to Lenggu Temple. All the way up, I really wanted to follow the water source and climb to the pass at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the wind was a bit strong, and Xiaoqiang and Ding Zeng were worried about the rocks on the mountain being blown off, so I had to give up and continue the adventure. However, it feels so good to stand on a high place and look out, with a vast expanse before your eyes. Everything seemed small compared to the towering mountains in the distance. We saw several small caves where monks practice on the mountain. In order to study Buddhism more diligently, many monks choose to retreat in the sacred mountain, which is a bit like an ascetic monk.

While walking and chatting, I was surprised to find that classmate Xiaoqiang lived up to his name. Not only does he have a legendary family background, but his own experience is also extremely rich, and he has even encountered several life and death tests: he almost died when going to the mountains, was captured by the terrifying Taliban, and was the first to work in the hardest-hit area after the Wenzhou earthquake. Volunteer... His life path is really nothing like those walked by people of this age. After hearing some of his thrilling experiences, I can only tell him that it is not easy to get to know him today!

Just this time, on the way from Zhangna Township to Genie, his horse was disobedient. On the mountain road near the cliff, he suddenly put down his hooves and tried to throw him off the horse. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and hugged a tree stump on the side of the mountain, otherwise he would have been thrown off the cliff. We were so frightened that we who were following him were covered in cold sweat. On the way back, we specially took a photo of him in front of the tree stump that saved his life. This will be discussed later.

Although classmate Xiaoqiang has not converted, I believe he must be someone who has a deep connection with Buddhism. We discussed issues about Buddhism together, and I felt that his perspective and mentality on things were very tolerant, peaceful, and kind-hearted. He also took great care of others along the way. Even though he had altitude sickness, he rushed to help me and Sister Moyu carry our bags. Maybe it's because he has traveled to many special places, or maybe it's because he has seen a lot of life and death.

We passed by the temple when we were going down the mountain. We were going to go in and have a look. Several young monks who had just finished class were playing in the yard. Our uninvited arrival made them a little nervous. They stood under the wall from a distance and looked curiously. Perhaps seeing that we wanted to enter the temple, one of the younger monks ran up to me and motioned for me to follow him. I thought he was going to lead us into the temple for observation, but he just brought me to an older monk. After hearing my intention, the older monk smiled and shook his head at us and said no. Go into the temple and observe. Although a little disappointed, we didn't force it.

△ Lenggu Temple and the young monks playing in the temple

I saw that the young monk who had brought us here had a big scratch on his arm, so I took him back to the place where we lived to apply medicine. Unexpectedly, the medicine I carried along the way came in handy here. Pain-relieving plasters, peppermint ointments, Yunnan Baiyao, and band-aids—these ordinary medicines we usually have seem to have become rarities here. I think if I come again next time, I probably need to prepare more so that I can leave them for them to use later.

However, it is said that due to lack of medical treatment and lack of knowledge, Tibetans generally have the habit of taking medicine indiscriminately. They seem to think that as long as they take our medicine, their pain will be relieved, and they have no concept of prescribing the right medicine. Therefore, it has become necessary to carefully tell them the use of each medicine.

It was almost noon when we returned from the mountain tour. I was sitting in the corner with my headphones on and watching Ding Zeng and the others reining their horses. After a while, a dozen young monks taking a lunch break gathered around me, all curiously staring at my headphone cable to study it. I explained to them that these are called headphones and they can listen to music. However, I don’t know whether it was because of the language barrier or because they were too shy. Anyway, a group of half-year-old children just smiled at me and said nothing. I asked them one by one to listen to the music on their headphones, and they laughed a little happier, and my original sad mood was relieved a lot because of their smiles.

Shangpa Tenzin Living Buddha and his brother went to Zhuangenie Snow Mountain early in the morning and made an appointment with us in advance to meet at Lama Ya Township. On the way back from Lenggu Temple, the weather became increasingly gloomy, and the rain clouds almost chased us as we rode horses all the way to Naigando Village. Seeing that the rain was about to pour down, we cleverly hid in an uninhabited courtyard (the courtyard wall was broken), we all hid under the eaves to watch the rain, and then we met the most perfect person in our lives. rainbow.

△ Rainbow in Naigando Village / photo by qujiong

We stayed at Naiganduo Village that night. Due to a temporary change of schedule, we were worried about how to contact the Living Buddha and the others. We were really happy when we heard the Living Buddha's voice coming from the intercom. This will be discussed later.

Naiganduo Village is the only place to pass from Zhangna Township to the Genie Mountain, and it has the potential to become the base camp of Genie. It is said that the newly built highway next year (2010) will lead directly to Naiganduo Village. Without the obstruction of natural roadblocks, it is conceivable that this place will soon become another paradise for self-driving tours. There are many brand-new Tibetan-style houses in the village, presumably all built to welcome the rapid increase in tourists in the future.

In fact, the charm and mystery of Geney Snow Mountain attract more and more hiking enthusiasts to come here, which directly promotes the increase in the income of local Tibetans. Just like in the mainland, the way Tibetans express their affluent life is to build Tibetan-style houses using traditional materials. These Tibetan residences with bright colors, carved beams and painted columns, and are as solid as castles are not only a display of the beautiful life of Tibetans, but also the carrier of traditional Tibetan culture.

In the "Five Mings" of Tibetan traditional culture, architecture represents craftsmanship and skill, including all knowledge related to material life. (The other four Mings are: Statement, which is the study of pronunciation, language, and grammar, and the study of how language is composed of names, sentences, tattoos, etc. Yin Ming, which is the study of logic and argumentation. Medical Prescription Ming, which includes both modern medicine Science and medical technology also include physical education and health science.

The houses we lived in in Naiganduo Village and Zhangna Township were typical Tibetan houses: one floor for livestock and two or more for people. In addition to bedrooms and kitchens, many Tibetan families have sutra halls. In addition to going to temples to worship Buddha and pray, they often invite monks to come to their homes to recite sutras. And we sleep in the kitchen at night. The kitchen of Tibetan people is often the largest and brightest room in the whole house. In addition to cooking, eating, chatting, receiving guests, and sleeping here.

As soon as you enter the kitchen, you can see a traditional Tibetan stove with large pots and kettles on it, used to boil water and make butter tea. Now that the village has electricity, every household uses an electric wire stove. Compared with stoves that burn firewood, this thing heats up quickly and conveniently, and is very popular among Tibetans. Later, we found it very convenient to bake potatoes and cook instant noodles.

There are usually tables and stools placed on the wall near the window, covered with felt made of yak hair. It is thick and soft and very comfortable to sit on. Adding a quilt at night becomes a ready-made bed. If there are many people, just make a floor in the kitchen and sleep a dozen or so people without any problem.

After all, it is a scenic spot that has not yet been opened to the public. The villagers in Zhangna Township and Naiganduo Village are still very simple. No matter which Tibetan home we stayed in, we all received warm hospitality. And there didn't seem to be any intention to charge for accommodation. Every time after we asked, we would say embarrassedly: "I'll give it to you." While admiring the simplicity of the fellow villagers, I suddenly felt a little better. A little scared. I wonder if the people and scenery here will still make us moved and nostalgic as much as today when we come back next time.

From Naiganduo Village to Zhangna Township and back to Litang, it was already noon on October 1. We met at the Potala Palace Hotel with Tony and Artest, who had returned a day earlier than us. After discussion, we decided to charter a car and arrive in Aden in the evening. While waiting for the bus, I listened to Brother Tony and Artest talk about the process of watching the sky burial. It felt like the door to a new world had opened. In order to respect the customs of the Tibetan people, the Tibetan government has banned viewing, taking photos and reporting on sky burials this year. It is really rare for them to be able to watch sky burials at such a close distance in Litang.

In the blink of an eye, only the skeleton was left of the body, and then it turned into debris and was eaten by vultures. When the soul and consciousness leave, all that remains is a body without any meaning or use. And in our limited life, we no longer struggle, worry and suffer for this kind of body all the time.

Of course, Prince Siddhartha, who once fainted from hunger due to asceticism, also said that torturing your body will not help you find peace or enlightenment. The body is not just an instrument, it is the temple of the spirit, the raft to the other side. So, before we reach the other side, we still need to take good care of and care for this body.

△ Picture 1: Immortal Nairi, the Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, among the three "fathers" of Aden; Picture 2: Yang Maiyong, the great wisdom Manjushri Bodhisattva, among the three "fathers" of Aden; Picture 3: At the foot of the sacred mountain of Immortal Nairi meadow; Figure 4: Manidui; Figure 5: Pearl Sea, a sea formed by melting snow in Xiannairi; Figure 6: Chonggu Temple under the Snow Mountain in Xiannairi

On the way to Daocheng Yading, the power of impermanence hit me again. Fortunately, I was accompanied by my fellow travelers and those holy and majestic snow-capped mountains comforted me and gave me a buffer when I fell into the abyss of emotions. Lying on the meadow of Aden Luorong Cattle Farm, I wish those bad memories were just a dream.

△ Add a picture of Shanuo Duoji, one of the three "fathers" of Aden, and the brave Vajrapani Bodhisattva Mahasattva, paying homage to the three deities of wisdom, compassion and courage. / photo by qujiong

Postscript: According to the original plan, the second hiking route of this Western Sichuan hike was around the Xiannairi Sacred Mountain in Aden. Unfortunately, some changes occurred and I decided to end the trip and return to Beijing early. I hope there will be another opportunity to complete this plan in the future~

Genie Crossing | Average altitude 4000m+, 9 hours of crossing, meet the "goddess" of Kangnan

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