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Haba
Village 2600 m - Base Camp,
Haba Snow Mountain
4100 m
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12
May 2004
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| starting up | ||||
| starting on our trek up to the base camp of Haba Snow Mountain | ||||
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| river of stones | ||||
| crossing this river would be difficult in the wet season | ||||
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| flowers & ferns | ||||
| a botanist paradise... not forgetting to smell the flowers along the way | ||||
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| bombs | ||||
| harvesting huajiao (flower pepper), the spice common in local dishes that leaves a strangely unfamiliar numbing aftertaste | ||||
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| broad trail | ||||
| a broad distinct trail going through grazing land | ||||
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| river beyond | ||||
| lush forest opening up at sections to reveal the river nearby | ||||
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| colours | ||||
| fiery colours of the forest floor | ||||
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| creek crossing | ||||
| getting our feet wet is not an option in such a cold environment | ||||
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| disappearing act | ||||
| the mist comes in and out, giving mystique to the atmosphere | ||||
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| misty forest | ||||
| staying close to each other as we trekked... the multitude of crisscrossing trails and poor visibility makes getting lost a very distinct possibility | ||||
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| horse riding | ||||
| enjoying an effortless ride into the mountains | ||||
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| lunch | ||||
| who needs a fork when you can have a stick | ||||
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| porters' lunch | ||||
| not very environmentally friendly, but the food is hot | ||||
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| tuna | ||||
| almost as good as caviar... only when in the wilderness | ||||
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| journey continues | ||||
| pushing on our way towards base camp | ||||
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| relaxing | ||||
| Mike and his disciples practicing their finer art form | ||||
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| caravan | ||||
| a caravan horses lugged up our sinfully abundant amount of stores up to base camp | ||||
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| snow line | ||||
| nearing base camp, just at the timberline | ||||
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| struggle in snow storm | ||||
| it is never an easy task setting up camp when in a snow storm | ||||
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| settling in | ||||
| still snowing... time to get settled in | ||||
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| stretch | ||||
| its still snowing outside... what better time to relax and enjoy one's solitude in the tent | ||||
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| 5-star camping | ||||
| tables and chairs, excellent cuisine... what more else can you ask for in the mountains | ||||
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| yellow | ||||
| our guide, Old Pang, settling into his tent | ||||
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| dome | ||||
| our dining tent... perfect shelter for a snowy evening | ||||
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| calamity | ||||
| with the poor weather, we decided to retire early | ||||
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