Author Archives: JeffFuchs

About JeffFuchs

Bio Having lived for most of the past decade in Asia, Fuchs’ work has centered on indigenous mountain cultures, oral histories with an obsessive interest in tea. His photos and stories have appeared on three continents in award-winning publications Kyoto Journal, TRVL, and Outpost Magazine, as well as The Spanish Expedition Society, The Earth, Silkroad Foundation, The China Post Newspaper, The Toronto Star, The South China Morning Post and Traveler amongst others. Various pieces of his work are part of private collections in Europe, North America and Asia and he serves as the Asian Editor at Large for Canada’s award-winning Outpost magazine. Fuchs is the Wild China Explorer of the Year for 2011 for sustainable exploration of the Himalayan Trade Routes. He recently completed a month long expedition a previously undocumented ancient nomadic salt route at 4,000 metres becoming the first westerner to travel the Tsa’lam ‘salt road’ through Qinghai. Fuchs has written on indigenous perspectives for UNESCO, and has having consulted for National Geographic. Fuchs is a member of the fabled Explorers Club, which supports sustainable exploration and research. Jeff has worked with schools and universities, giving talks on both the importance of oral traditions, tea and mountain cultures. He has spoken to the prestigious Spanish Geographic Society in Madrid on culture and trade through the Himalayas and his sold out talk at the Museum of Nature in Canada focused on the enduring importance of oral narratives and the Himalayan trade routes. His recently released book ‘The Ancient Tea Horse Road’ (Penguin-Viking Publishers) details his 8-month groundbreaking journey traveling and chronicling one of the world’s great trade routes, The Tea Horse Road. Fuchs is the first westerner to have completed the entire route stretching almost six thousand kilometers through the Himalayas a dozen cultures. He makes his home in ‘Shangrila’, northwestern Yunnan upon the eastern extension of the Himalayan range where tea and mountains abound; and where he leads expeditions the award winning ‘Tea Horse Road Journey’ with Wild China along portions of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. To keep fueled up for life Fuchs co-founded JalamTeas which keeps him deep in the green while high in the hills.

Tea Horse Road Chronicles – He Said, She Knew

This ‘moment’ was more accurately a series of moments and most of an afternoon, with an old muleteer and his wife. We interviewed the gentleman who lived near my home in Shangrila and he began (and ended) our chat with … Continue reading

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Tea Horse Road Chronicles – Part 6 – Tenzin

Legend, guardian of caravans, and hunter of ‘tea thieves’, Tenzin. We had heard of this legend but worried we wouldn’t track him down upon the route. Worried that we would not get time nor access to listen and take in … Continue reading

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Tea Horse Road Chronicles – Part 5 – The Load

A continuation of some of the embedded moments – both large and small – of our 7.5 month expedition to chart and document the Tea Horse Road. Along the Tea Horse Road, the careful daily ritual of loading and unloading … Continue reading

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Tea Horse Road Chronicles – The Coming Snow

The Coming Snow. A nomad tucks in amidst a coming snow storm at 4200 metres near Litang, western Sichuan. The Litangba (people of Li’thang) were revered and feared along portions of the Tea Horse Road for sometimes opposing reasons. Not … Continue reading

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Tea Horse Road Chronicles – The Little One

In the coming weeks a trip back into the characters and moments of our journey along the Tea Horse Road (the first documented western journey along the magnificent highway through the sky). The first segment then begins here. — We … Continue reading

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New Website – New Platform – Same Mountains, Tea, and Characters

After many years of slight technological delinquency, I’ve spruced up my existing website and brought it into something resembling a 21st Century site. Still the images and characters and tea embed every post; now though there is more written content on … Continue reading

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Intuition, Water, and Tales from a Boy

Thinking about times past, lessons, and inspired moments and a little sun burned cheeks, few words, and a fearless countenance comes to mind. Thinking too about the importance of communities that still transfer their knowledge as a point of pride … Continue reading

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International Tea Day, May 21st – Conversation on Youtube Live

Nice bit of recognition for the leaf as this coming May 21st has been officially designated as International Tea Day…though for many of us, we could simply call most days “International Tea Time”. If interested, please join in some leaf-fuelled … Continue reading

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Live Chat with Michael Kleinwort and Kora this Wednesday April 15th at 16:00 PST

Will be chatting all things mountains, trade routes, yak wool…and tea, with friend and longtime expedition partner (and founder of Kora) Michael Kleinwort this coming Wednesday April 15th here: https://www.facebook.com/koraoutdoor/ at 16:00 PST. The chat will be live, and tea … Continue reading

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White Tea Trials on the Big Island and the Memory of a Mentor

Perspective, the genius and inspiration of Mr. Gao, and a Hawaiian grown white tea Continue reading

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