I am a British trail runner living in Shangri-la, a town at 3300m altitude on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, in Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province of China. This area is part of greater Tibet, and was formerly part of eastern Tibetan province of Kham.
Life is basic, often very cold, and there is not much oxygen in the air. I race on the Chinese trail running scene and also sometimes in adventure races. The photos and articles here are a record of my races and running projects. I believe that running is something very simple - all you really need are shoes, shorts, socks and water. |
The locals are Kham Tibetans - Khampa, tough mountain men and feared warriors in the old days. They share this area with other mountain folk, such as the Yi people, who, until fifty years ago held slaves in their mountain strongholds and raided lowland villages, and the Lisu, the expert hunters, who still stalk game with crossbows in the local mountains.
Shangri-la sits in a large plain, a pasture where domestic yaks graze in their hundreds. The plain is surrounded by mountains covered by old-growth forests, still home to wolves, bears, and even monkeys.
Shangri-la sits in a large plain, a pasture where domestic yaks graze in their hundreds. The plain is surrounded by mountains covered by old-growth forests, still home to wolves, bears, and even monkeys.