Continued Tributes:
A Father
After feeding us in his home, this Tibetan man went over to his son who was our guide, and briefly touched his arm. They hadn’t seen each other for months and the gesture wasn’t at all dramatic but it buzzed the air with its intensity. Father simply put his palm on his son Tenzin’s forearm. They barely looked at one another but they were linked by a huge bond and that little moment was golden for it was an acknowledgement. When we left, the man (who wore the classic “jagar shamoo” – ‘Indian hat’ of eastern Tibet) took a deep breath when watching his son take his leave, with what seemed like pride and sadness all at once. Another mountain moment that remains fresh, though it was almost a year ago.
Hector the Brave. Little Hector who only wanted love from his fellow pack animals and to be with our group, looks straight into the lens. At times the depth of the snow would lodge little Hector and his goods. His little legs struggled to find traction until someone from the team would dig him out and help him along. My morning ritual involved wandering out of the tent to find him and give him some snacks and love. Then, one morning I discovered Karma doing the same. Little Hector was living well indeed and I miss his stubborn spunk, and his seesaw cries every evening. I could easily write a piece on this epic little character. Honoured to have travelled with you!
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.
