thePULL: Winter in Lijiang – Jade Dragon and Lashi Lake Cranes

 A snowy March atop Jade Dragon Snow Mountain… Come from Autumn to early April for some powder, intense clouds and altitude sickness (2500m to over 4800m in a few minutes by cablecar!)

Here’s a little from WikiTravel about altitude sickness however:

“A minority of people, about 20%, have some symptoms of altitude sickness if they ascend to about 2500 meters (8000 feet) above sea level and sleep there. However, most people will acclimatize to 3000 meters (10,000 feet) with relative ease, perhaps having symptoms after the first night.

Acclimatizing to heights of 3000–5000 meters (10,000–16,000 feet) is much more difficult, and it is here that it is absolutely necessary to ascend slowly and return to a lower altitude to sleep if you have been travelling around at a higher altitude during the day. Over 50% of people will become ill if they ascend rapidly from sea level to 3500 meters (11,000 feet) without acclimatization, and everyone will if they ascend rapidly to 5000 meters (16,000 feet).”

I have seen many people get sick from those who directly fly from Shanghai, Hong Kong and many southern coastal cities, but some are more lively, like my uncle from Guangzhou:

Or perhaps a warm June at Lashi Lake… Although come in the winter for rare wintering birds like the sacred Tibetan Cranes (that’s what I’m waiting for too!) These special avians winter away from the chills of the Himalayans between early November to early March.

Here’s a report from WWF China and another with scientific details at NPWRC: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Centre.

Loving the cold,

Darwin