Exploring the Xiashe Massif, Sichuan Province, China

With hundreds of unclimbed mountains awaiting ascent and countless valleys to be walked up, China can be viewed as an explorer's and climber's paradise. Access to these areas has been approved only since 1980, when Deng Xiao-Ping implemented an open-door policy, which allows adventurers and climbers access to the unknown Greater Ranges in Tibet and the neighboring regions. Patricia Deavoll of New Zealand, and Karen McNeill of Canada decided to take advantage of this opportunity to explore the yet unclimbed Xiashe Massif in the Sichuan Province of China.

During June 2000, Tamotsu Nakamura from the Japanese Alpine Club, along with Chinese interpreter Zhengling (Lenny) Cheng, explored the Jarjinjabo, Xiashe, and Hati Massif. They traveled to remote regions, where they mapped and took photographs. Since then, Tamotsu has published his findings in "East of the Himalayas To the Alps of Tibet," a special edition to the Japanese News, Vol. 4, May 2003. This informative journal was where our journey began. From the many pages depicting unclimbed mountains, we selected the Xiashe Massif to explore.

The two of us had met up in Chengdu, a city of 12 million people in central Sichuan Province and the "capital" of Western China, where we also met up with well-known translator and expedition organizer Zhengling (Lenny) Cheng, with whom Karen had been liaising over several months prior to the trip. Lenny works with the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Mountaineering Association (GMA), and it's his job to communicate with foreign climbers concerned with mountaineering activities in Western Sichuan. Lenny organized base camp staff, food, transport, and the peak permit for Xiashe and Jarjinjabo.