The Horseman

Finally arrive at Yading (Gongga estuary) 2,900m, paid the admission fee 158 RMB and in front of us before reaching the scenic points is a 8km good climb to Chonggu Monastery, 3,880m, alomost 1,000m vertical distance.  It is a good climb if it is near sea level, not at this altitude for most, especially carry camera(s), water and lunch, is a very tough climb for most, impossible for quite some.

Since this is one of the key spot I expected to get some good images, I carried with myself two systems of cameras, the 135mm full-frame Canon 5DII and 3 lenses (TS-E 17/4L Tilt-Shift lens, EF 24-105/4L IS and EF 70-300/4-5.6L IS) in a Domke F-2 bag, and a medium format digital system – the Phase One P65+ on Hasselblad H2 and 4 lenses, the HC 35/3.5, HC 50-110/3.5-4.5, HC 210/4 and the HC 300/4.5, pack inside my 10-years-old Lowepro AW.  Also in the bag are the 67mm, 77mm and 95mm B+W C-PLs which I use deliberately.  I also carry a system camera shade from Lee, the bellow lens with 2 slots for 4X5 filters, and 3 Formatt Graduate ND filters, 0.3/0.6/0.9.  The choice of Formatt filters because they go on the Matt Box for my filming projects.   Then there is my 13-years-old Gitzo Mountaineer carbon tripod and a 20-years-old Arca Swiss B1.  And I have 2 apples, 1 bottle of water, and 2 pack of instant noodle in my compact shoulder bag.

As a result, as much as I want to hike on the trail, like many others, I took the horse ride and have my horseman help shoulder the backpack for me but then I determined, I will carry the load for the rest of day and coming back down on foot, which I did.

The picture of horseman, a typical Tibetan, a nice and strong man.