Mount Gongga and its neighbours

Nothing is as satisfying as when you see the interpretation of bundles of pictures you have taken in your mind coming to reality; tangible images that others can see and admire. I’d like to say in this post that I can achieve what you will be coming across in this post and others that will follow.

Considering the Covid-19 pandemic scare globally, one would think I was crazy to plunge into such a tasking, risky, and time-consuming endeavor at that time. But the love to listen to my heart’s desire and crave to blaze all odds pushed me to set off on the blazing adventure at the time.

For this type of harrowing adventure, I needed lots of preparations. I had to put my physical and mental fitness in top shape. I also worked on my psychic to be able to cope with lots of hiking and overnight camping.

I went through additional checking, permission, test and even more to achieve what I intended to achieve. As a passionate landscape and nature photographer, I dared the tough and high altitudes and endured the cold temperature.

With a head of camera gear strapped on my back, I hiked along the mountains, daring the cold wind.

As a foreigner living in China with little knowledge of basic Chinese, communicating with the local people was not easy too. The locals speak local dialects making it cumbersome for them to perfectly express themselves to me.

However, my instincts were at their best. Mount Gongga majestically stands between the Dadu River and Yalong River at the eastern side of the Tibetan Plateau.

Determinedly, I roved my camera around to get the best of this “King of all mountains”. Mount Gongga (also called Minya Konka) is the highest mountain found around Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province of China.

With its peak standing at about 7,556 meters above sea level, I was carried away by the beautiful picturesque of the areas around this amazing mountain. Camping around Gongga Shan afforded me to capture the enchanting sunrise in the morning and mesmerizing sunset in the evening.

As a nature and travel photographer, though exhausted and tired at some point, I could not just resist exploring as much as I could in this serene and wonderful place. I tasked the lenses of my camera severally, capturing the raw nature and beauty of this area, the majestic mountains, those flowing clouds, the incredible sunrise and sunsets.

Looking for a wonderful photography site, Mount Gongga and West Sichuan are the best sites in the region. They are great spots to capture incredible sunrise, sunset, and beautiful twinkling stars in the night sky.

It takes about 4 hours hiking from Bangmujide village to Lake Lenggacuo. When in doubts of my location or destination, the locals were handy to render useful information.

I am happy to get the above images captured successfully. I had to hike to an elevation of over 4,000 meters above sea level to get this done. In addition, it took me overnight camping beside the lake. I had to endure cold temperatures, lower oxygen levels and with little or no supplies.

My passion for landscape photography and nature kept me going on even though almost fagged out. I needed to justify my physical, mental, and psychological investment preparing for the adventure.

Getting the best out of nature and landscape photography requires creativity. Unlike humans, mountains are non-adjustable. You need to get your shots from different angles; possible and near impossible vantage points.

If you intend to make an impression in the art of landscape and nature photography, heading the way of Xinlong Lake would not be a bad idea. Though limited in Chinese, my adventure to Xinlong Lake yielded greater dividends than I had imagined. Xinlong Lake gorgeously stands on the bottom of hills, surrounding three sides of a mountain.

Cuoka Lake, majestically located in Mari Township, Xinlong County, is not a very big lake with crystal clear water, blue sky, white clouds and green mountains. It is surrounded by rich green flora and red temples. The picturesque is amazingly refreshing.

This amazing and scenic environment always stands inviting. I quickly realized that it was an ideal place to unleash my nature and landscape photographic ingenuity. The sunrise and its effective mirror on the surface of the calm water of Cuoka Lake are mesmerizing.

The mirror effects of both the sunrise and sunsets are vividly mirrored on the surface of the lake water, looking like blazing fire.

Her jasper-like lake crystal clear, kaleidoscope of blue sky, white clouds, green trees, green mountains, red temples make her standout. 

I could not resist the throwback reflections of some houses dotting the banks of the Cuoka Lake. There are several inspirations I got during my photographic adventures around Cuoka Lake. As a nature and landscape photographer, I’d like to put all my experience into a memo that I later plan to use as a landscape photography instructor for a landscape and nature photography workshop.

Every adventure has its purpose. However, some adventures are quiet tasking and demanding than others. My visit to Mount Gongga and Sichuan lakes was very tasking, breathtaking, and tiring.

Nevertheless, it was amazingly rewarding, emotionally satisfying, and a personal victory for me.

What a great pleasure getting closer to nature than ever before! It brought me to a realization of how mother nature can alienate every pain at the end of an enduring exploration.

As a determined nature and landscape photographer, I have resolved to make this adventure a take-off platform to explore further into the world of nature and landscape photography.

If you like my work, please leave a comment. Thank You.