Category Archives: Mountains
Interview with Wild China about Trade Routes
The Enduring Obsession and Importance of the Himalayan Trade Routes here
The Himalayas’ Guardian of the Pass
The face of Lhamo, 23, of Ala Dhotok (Stone Roof) at over 5,000 metres in Eastern Tibet. Her ‘community’ deep within the folds of the Himalayas involved nothing more than a loose trio of yak wool tents that rippled with … Continue reading
Mountain Eyes
One of the immortal faces of the mountains…even though only four-years old. A nomadic girl, whose predecessors were a clan of ‘guardians’ for trade caravans on the top of the world. Caravans of precious salt, tea, and wool passed through … Continue reading
Expedition Update: West, Up, North
-Back for the final instalments of our expedition along the Route of Wind and Wool. Leh is gentle pandemonium, but this is an overstatement really because it is more a case of Michael and I being overly sensitive to … Continue reading
Immortal Words of the Mountains
Another in the series of ‘mountain immortals’ and their equally timeless words. Neema, at 89 years old, says of his days upon the Himalayas’ Tea Horse Road: “The mountains and mules had a contract with eachother. If we traders didn’t … Continue reading
Tea Horse Road Portraits Appearing in China’s GoKunming
A series of portraits that I took along that immortal route and obsession of mine, The Tea Horse Road. The series is simply called ‘The Immortals’. Gokuming’s article and the portraits appear here
Mountain Eloquence
I’m reminded of some simple mountain-borne brilliance. The deliverer of the words was as simple and straightforward as the words themselves. The old Himalayan brigand and trader’s words about the mountains rings truer on every journey through them that I … Continue reading
Expedition Update: A Team’s Faces
The skin, bones, and essence of our trip: the faces and personalities behind the efforts. I thought it time to properly ‘introduce’ the team with some thoughts, some colour, and some quotes from our magnificent team. We begin with Suresh … Continue reading
Expedition Update: Purple and the Pass
Mornings, and particularly bad one’s can be down to simply being unable to shut off the mind the night before, or too much cold, maybe the tent location is off, or sometimes they can simply be down to an unknown. … Continue reading
Expedition Update: An Epic Horseman
Bandits and brigands who were ever creative would often strike not at or after the crossing of a pass but rather in the valleys leading to the great passes, where escape routes were numerous and sightlines blurred and blocked. Mountain … Continue reading