LetterfromLhasa:AnexhaustingbutexhilaratingtrekthroughenigmaticHimalayanvalley_GuangmingOnlineLetterfromLhasa:AnexhaustingbutexhilaratingtrekthroughenigmaticHimalayanvalleyThisphototakenonApril17,2024showsaviewoftheGamaValleyinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.(Xinhua/TenzinNyida)byYangFanLHASA,May16(Xinhua)--Ifyouaskmewhatisthemostunforgettablehikingexperienceinmylife,I'ddefinitelysayitwastheonetoGamaValley,themostbeautifulvalleyintheHimalayanregioninChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.ThemajesticHimalayanMountainrange,stretchingthroughthehinterlandoftheQinghai-XizangPlateauandSouthAsia,boastsfivemajorvalleysrecognizedastheessenceoftheHimalayanlandscapeinthecityofXigaze,withGamaValleybeingoneofthem.Unliketheotherfourpopulatedvalleyswithconcreteroads,GamaValleyhasnopavedpaths.Adventureloversmusttrekthroughthe55-kmvalleyataltitudesrangingfrom2,100meterstoover5,000meterstoenjoythebreathtakinglandscapeofsnow-cappedmountains,windingstreamsanddiversewildlife.Onaclearday,severalworld-classpeaks,includingthe8,848-meterQomolangma,alsocomeintoview.Duetoweatherandtimeconstraints,mycolleaguesandIwereonlyabletocompleteasmallsectionofthevalsleytoshootvideosandphotos.BeforeIstartedmyjourney,alocalguidementionedthatonly2,000peopletackledthischallenginghikelastyear,whichmadeitevenmoreintriguingtome.Myhikebeganataround3,600metersabovesealevelonentirelynaturaltrailscoveredwithbrokenrocks.Tomyleft,apristinestreamfloweddownthemountain.Alongthestream,Iwalkedintoanalpinemeadow,whereshrubsandyet-to-bloomazaleaslinedthecenterofthevalsley.Ourguidetoldusthattheazaleaisararelocalspecies,anditsflowersareexceptionallybeautifulwhentheybloom.AsIwasadmiringtheplants,theguidenudgedmeandexplainedthattoprotecttheflowers,localslikehimdonotallowtouriststopickthem.AsIclimbedthemountainagainstthestream,steppingonrockscoveredingreenmoss,thewatersoakedmyshoes,forcingmetotrudgealong,leaningheavilyonmyhikingpoles.Ihadtostopfrequentlytocatchmybreathinthethinairataltitudesupto4,200meters,sometimesremovingmywindprooffacemaskforrelief.Asthealtituderose,thegroundgraduallybecamecoveredinsnow,increasingfromankle-deeptohalfwayupmycalves.IalsopassedamountainpondwithwatersoclearIcouldseethecloudsreflectedinit.Whenthesunemergedfrombehindtheclouds,themagnificentviewlargelydispelledmyfatigue.Hearingthebellsoftheyakscarryingourluggageinthewhistlingwind,Isoonfoundinnertranquilityandcompletelyforgotthesnowinmyshoes.EverystepItookmademerealizewhyGamaValleyissochallengingfortrekkers.Alongtheway,weencounterednarrowpathstwice--onceinmudandonceinsnow.Afraidofslidingdownthesteepslope,IwassonervousthatmylegstrembledasIpassedthrough.Anotherchallengewastheunpredictableweather.AsItraversedthesnow-coveredboulders,thepreviouslyclearskybegantosnow.Itfeltlikemyeyesweregoingtofreeze.Exhaustedandpantingheavily,Iwasunabletowalkanyfurther,butthedesiretoseethesplendidsceneryencouragedmetokeepgoing.Fivehoursaftersettingoff,Ifinallyreachedtherestingspot.Whiledryingmyshoesandsocks,IchattedwithDondrup,alocalvillagerwhowasaccompanyingusasaguide.Hesaidthathisfellowvillagersoftenbringyaksupthemountaintohelphikerscarrytheirluggage,whichhasbecomeawayforthemtoearnextramoney.DondrupbeganworkingasatouristguideinGamaValleywithhisbrotherin2018duringacollegevacation.Aftergraduatinglastyear,hereturnedtohishometownandstartedabusinessprovidinghikingservices.HisbrotherisarangeratthenationalnaturereserveofQomolangma,whereGamaValleyislocated.Therangerspatrolthevalsleythreetofourtimesamonthtopreventwildlifedamage,litteringandillegalmining.ThereservealsoofferselectricvehiclestotransporttouriststotheQomolangmaBaseCamptocutemissions.Accordingtoawhitepaperreleasedin2023,537,700eco-environmentalconservationjobswerecreatedonaverageeachyearinXizangfrom2016to2022,andatotalof12.64billionyuan(1.78billionU.S.dollars)waspaidineco-environmentalcompensation.Inthevalsley,Ispentasnowynightinatentandfellasleeppeacefully.WhenIwokeupatdawn,Iwasastonishedbythesightofthegolden,snow-coveredMakalu,theworld'sfifth-highestpeak,bathedinsunshine.Wordscouldnotexpressmyexcitementonseeingsuchspectacularscenery.Despitereachingthelimitsofmyphysicalendurance,Iknewthatthebreathtakingviewwouldforeverremainetchedtomyheart.Ialsospottedaneatstringofclawprints.MyguidetoldmetheywereprobablyleftbyTibetansnowcocks,aspeciesundernationalGrade-IIprotectioninChina.Thankstotheconservationefforts,Xizanghasachieved"doublegrowth"inbothforestandgrasslandvegetationcoverage.Thereare1,072terrestrialwildvertebratespeciesinXizang,including65speciesofwildanimalsundernationalGrade-Iprotectionsuchasthesnowleopard,wildyakandTibetanantelope,and152speciesofwildanimalsundernationalGrade-IIprotection,thewhitepapershows.Thediscoverywasjustoneofthemanysurprisesthatmadethejourneyunforgettable.Ihopetoreturnonedayandcompletethisroute,asitpromisesnumerousstunningsurprisesandchallengeswaitingtobeconquered.■ThisphototakenonApril16,2024showsaviewoftheGamaValleyinsouthwestChina'sXizangAutonomousRegion.(Xinhua/TenzinNyida)AdronephototakenonApril17,2024showsthesunrisesceneryintheHimalayanMountainrange.(Xinhua/LodroGyatso)AdronephototakenonApril17,2024showsamorningviewintheHimalayanMountainrange.(Xinhua/LodroGyatso)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.