WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !

From Chongqing, TotalAdventure boarded a high speed train and took the 2hour , 350 kph journey to Chengdu the Capitol of Sichuan Province.

208 mph. Most of the journey is through tunnels. I was welcomed by Miya Liu, Adventure Travel Trade Association Chief for China and her husband Yang Lei. They first took me for an amazing traditional Hotpot lunch in a local place a tourist would never find. You can view an interview with Miya IN THE VIDEO AT THE TOP.

Afterwards we toured the Volvo factory. Many of the cars for the European market are made in China and then transported by train through Russia to Europe.It is a hybrid robot/human assembly line. Photos and video were not permitted.

I stayed 2 nights at the Buddha Zen Hotel in an old section . For RMB 540 US 80 I had a 2 room suite with two balconies.

For dinner that night I had Chinese River Turtle. SEE VIDEO ABOVE. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Chairman Is Forever.

Relics of the Revolution in the Chengdu Museum.

Checkers at Nightfall.

A Peaceful Temple In A Busy City.

Another high speed train took TotalAdventure from 500 meters in Chengdu to 2780 Meters in Juizhai Valley in just over two hours. The climate changed from warm humid sprig weather to crisp late winter weather in the mountains. Snow covered the mountains and was on the roadsides in many areas. Nighttime temperature were – 10 C in mid April. Here is where the real adventure began.

Miya Liu had introduced me to China Exploration, also an ATTA member. I needed an SUV with a knowledgeable driver to explore distant areas of Sichuan, where mountains reach 6250 M 20000 ft. and also explore Tibetan communities. There is a large Tibetan culture and unlike Tibet itself, no Tibet Travel Permit is needed. China Exploration put together an excellent plan according to my input., SEE THE VIDEO AT THE TOP.

My beautiful room with balcony at Juizhaigou Valley Abluzi . 550 RMB per night. Very warm and comfortable in the frigid nights.

Like A Painting .A freshwater gull in a lake in Juizhaigou National Park.

Runoff from glaciers give the lakes their aqua color.

A Cold ShangriLa.

Spring sunshine in the Eastern Himalayas.

On The Grasslands. More Central Asia Than East Asia.

Yaks are long haired cattle who can climb easily and survive the extreme cold of the Himalayas.

Amazing Tibetan Yak Dumplings.

TotalAdventure explored many temples. Tibetan Buddhism thrives alongside modern Chinese life.

WATCH THE VIDEO AT TOP TO TOUR INSIDE.

Power From The Heavens.

Ornate Home Of Dietys.

All Seeing Itinerations.

On Sunday April 20th , TotalAdventure arrived by cable to the top of Mt.Degu . SEE THE VIDEO AT TOP. The elevation is 4860 M 15795 F.

At 32 North it is further south then Savannah,. Mt Everest is further southwest in the Himalayas.

The snow recedes enough in summer that the permanent glacier can be seen.

That’s canned oxygen in my hand. Nice to have after a raid ascent. The next day TotalAdventue departed Sichuan for Shanghai.