Author Archives: JeffFuchs
Sacred Lakes Expedition – The Night-Before Departure
Picking up supplies today for the upcoming journey, I asked our resident elder Aniè – who will be leading the group – what I needed to pick up. His words were in very clear order: “Whisky, butter, tsampa, and pork … Continue reading
Sacred Lakes Expedition – Led by a Memory
Preparations are in full mode here in Shangri-La to ascend to the sacred Tibetan high altitude ‘White&Black’ sister lakes, here in northwestern Yunnan. Known in ancient times as bodies of water where divinities resided, the lakes were consulted by locals … Continue reading
November – Tea Horse Road, Jalamteas Event in Toronto – November 7th, 10th
Mupa, Nyima, and Songjè – (Cloud, Sun, and Songjè)
The word for mist, clouds, and fog in many Tibetan regions is the same: mupa. Mupa is what engulfs us and sucks us all into itself and into a world of soft focused hues and biting wind. Rain slices in … Continue reading
Songjè and a Sacred Lake – Part l of ll
Bells chime through the wet air and the odd manic high-pitched wail of urging in Tibetan rips over the grassland. Plodding through the pine and spruce are the sagging, deflated bodies of mules lugging packs that dwarf them. Their day … Continue reading
A Sacred Lake and the Horseman
Upcoming post is based on a recently completed journey up a mountain in northwestern Yunnan with a brilliant group of students…and an icon of the mountains, local horseman Sangjè. Hands of steel, a voice that silences and the requisite face … Continue reading
Doctor ‘Mountain’ and the Temple – Part ll of ll
With the doctor behind me, but very much still in the mind, I head north towards this “little temple on a mountain”. His words about the ills of the mind resonate but my philosophy has always been, ‘as long as … Continue reading
Doctor ‘Mountain’ and the Temple – Part l of ll
Within a valley west of Shangri-La’s vaunted title and grasslands, over the Shika range of mountains, around 40 bends, heat rages even as autumn and winter start to claw their way into the geography. It is a region that … Continue reading
Kora – Sustainable yak wool, high performance wear from the top of the world
Excited to see great friend, and trek-mate-for-all-seasons, Michael Kleinwort, finally release his ‘Kora‘ line of sustainable high-performance, yak wool clothing to the world. Excited too to be a part of it as a product tester on my various mountain wanderings.
“Yunnan Tea Road” Article in award winning TRVL
Arriving back to Zhongdian (aka Shangri-La) to wet, hints of snow in the surrounding mountains, and the usual fun and games getting up-to-date with the goings on in our old town. Building goes on, buildings go up and the sound … Continue reading