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THE TAKIN TRAIL

A takin is an enigmatic creature. It has the elongated face of a cow, the arched nose of a mountain goat, the curly and diminutive horn of an antelope, and the bulk of a wild buffalo. Yet some takins have an exquisite golden plumage, and they make a rare and surprising sight in the high mountain meadows whether they congregate. On this journey we follow the takin’s own trail from the low valleys to the mountaintop at around 3,400 metres high, where we find the takins wandering in the clouds like mythical beasts. We also see much else in our journey: our treks take us to the lair of other celebrated animals such as pandas, leopards, golden pheasants, blue sheep, crested kingfishers, golden monkeys, and black bears. We also get to stay with farmers in their remote farmhouses, and all throughout our tour we travel in some of the most spectacular mountains in the world.

In this route we include the following destinations:

Qinchuan peasants

Our journey takes us up the Tangjia river in Qinchuan, where the river has cut a wide and deep valley, and its waters have nurtured farming settlements for thousands of years. The farmer’s villages nestle in lush mountains along the river, and the farmers live in evocative traditional Chinese houses that are constructed of bricks, traditional tiled roofs, and wooden frontages – geometric windows and doors, columns framing the porches, and traditional Chinese sculpturing or recitations. Bundles of dried corn is festooned and hung out in outbuildings or porches; and these rural villages are pictures of pastoral idyll. You can either opt to lodge with the farmers in their farmhouses, where they cultivate a variety of crops and cook great hearty food, or simply stay in a nearby hotel and explore the villages by day. In either case we will wallow in the rural setting that conjures the imagery of old China and Oriental exoticness. 

Tangjia river

We continue travelling upstream along the Tangjia river all the way to the river’s source: the source of the river is at a high slope that is hemmed in by ridges. The river near the source tumbles down a hidden and steep gorge where nature is among the richest in the world. Blue sheep are found in the huge boulders that loom above the gorge, and far above, the trees give way to grasslands and create a rare habitat where we find one of the strongholds of the takins (the takins are endemic to the eastern Himalayas). Here we can do a three-day trek, literally following the trail of the takins: we use the same path that the takins have used since time immemorial in their annual migration, when the animals move from the lower valleys in the winter to the highest ridges in spring. On the way up the trail we pass mixed deciduous forests with an understorey of arrow bamboo – the food of resident giant pandas. We might be able to spot a panda in the wild is we’re lucky. Eventually, the forest becomes alpine higher up at around the 3000-metre-high research station where we will lodge on the shoulder of the mountain. The next day we conquer the peak – at around 3,400 metres high – and at the grasslands at the peak we encounter the surreal sight of herds of takins browsing the grass and also lots of monal pheasants – another endemic species – calling out in coarse utterings on top of the mountain. 

Peasant farmhouses in Micang

The country farmhouses in Micang are different than those in Qinchuan – in Micang, the houses are entirely build of wood and designed around frontal courtyards. The terrain is also different – here it’s the Qinling Mountains, an entirely different range of mountains – with the mountains characterised by curious flat-top summits and deep gorges, making endlessly dramatic contrasts. The mountains are also covered in dense forest, and a scattering of farmhouses are found in the lower valleys, among a tapestry of fields where the farmers grow staple crops such as wheat, corn and other crops. We lodge with one family in their large farmhouse, and spend an entire day getting acquainted with life on the farm: joining the farmers in the fields, gathering the day’s vegetables (the farmers grow mixed vegetables for household use), then preparing food in large woks set on hearths of wood-fire. 

Heart of Micang 

Further up the valley in Micang mountains there is an area of steep mountains, untouched forests, sheer cliffs, and underground rivers. The illustrious inhabitants are the golden pheasants, whose plumage is a bright red on the head and golden on the wings. Other illustrious inhabitants include golden eagles, takins, bears, and leopards. There are different trails you can use: it is possible to do a day-trek, or treks of 3 or 4 days, which involve wild camping. Another is whether to follow a relatively good path, or to walk along a valley where the path is rarely used and more wild (which trek we do is up to you, the clients). On the standard default tour we will do two separate day-treks, but this can be changed to a multi-day overnight-camp trek if preferred by private groups – in these treks, we walk up the slope of one of the flat-topped mountains – where we will encounter many golden pheasants – and later do some caving (we walk through a tunnel gouged by water for 500 metres), and then follow the path as it descends into a dramatic gorge where the river scenically cuts through tunnels before flowing into a massive cave and going underground.  

Birdwatching

The illustrious birds that we will see include plenty of monal pheasants (an endemic species that live on the crests of mountains) and golden pheasants. Aside from this, we will spend a day of dedicated birdwatching in a hike along the Tangjia river. The river teems with birds, and notable species include many exquisite crested kingfishers diving into the river for fishes, lots of dippers that swim underwater, passerines such as redstarts and warblers and tits, migratory ducks that nest along the banks of the river, a variety of doves and thrushes, other colourful birds such as the tree woodpecker and the little owl and, if we’re lucky, we might also see the endemic and rare Sichuan hill partridge. The tour leader on this tour is an expert in trekking, bird-watching, and wildlife. 

Start & Finish: Chengdu

Recommended duration: 11 days

Recommended treks: 5 days

Trekking difficulty level: Low to hard. Read explanation…

Prices & Inclusions: Full-board prices range from €650 (US$850 ) and €1200 (US$1550) per person. More info…

Crew & Transport: More info…

Standard Accommodation: Mid-range hotels, farm-stays, and camping during overnight treks. More info…

Terms & Conditions: For the general terms and conditions that govern our tours and operation, and Frequently Asked Questions, please go to Nitty Gritty (FAQs).