Two Days in November in a side valley of Minya Konka: Towards the foot of Mt. Edgar

Big Boulder

It has been the fourth time that I climbed around a huge boulder which blocks the marvelous valley that leads to the foot of Mt. Edgar (6618m). However, it was the first time with no rain but with blue sky. Though the time for the previous trips were all chosen out of the rainy season, I have had bad luck always. This time it finally was possible to view Mt. Edgar fully and in his entire Majesty.

View of the valley entrance in rainy weather

A view from the same site but this time with the
stunning mountain range in the back.

A little bit further up

The first section of the valley is a narrow passage that almost yearly changes through sudden floods. Sometimes, the path – only used by local poachers and lumberjacks – is hard to find due to a lack of footprints. If you stand in front of a waterfall or some huge boulders with no way over or along, then you know that you have obviously missed the right turn-off leading up to anywhere through the shrubbery.

Butterfly waterfall


Path along the river bed

After about 3h of moderate walking a huge waterfall is pouring out of a narrow and deep canyon cut through a single rock formation. Luckily, there is a path above that flume trailing on its upper edge. Walking up that massive plate-like rock, the view suddenly opens up to a broad beach with red rocks and Mt. Edgar rising in the background.

Waterfall

View from above into the flume. The red colour
originates from lichen growing on the rock.


Water veil over a broad rock formation dripping into
the gorge. Attention while standing at the edge:
It vertically drops to a depth of about 30m.

View on a satellite peak of Mt. Edgar through a pile of boulders. The wide stone beach is embraced by thick and old mixed forest.

From the beach it is a few more hours of walking and climbing over high steps and boulders until you reach the glacier that comes down from the east slope of another mountain: Mt. Jiazifeng

Mt. Edgar in the morning sun

Standing on a hill just on the opposite of the valley you can have a spectacular view on the entire Minya Konka Mountain Range. Below, there is a panorama image with the names of most of the mountains. For a higher resolution image please email to
cailantao@yahoo.com.cn


If you need more information on travelling in Sichuan and to the East-Tibetan High Plateau, you are also welcome to visit www.wstourix.com
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