Vistas of the snow-capped ridges, misty forests and bamboo forests
The northern town of Putao already sees few tourists. However, once you leave the Plain of Putao at the start of this trek, the world of hotels and excursions is far behind you. Residents of the last mountain villages on the route welcome you for an overnight stay at a family home. Slide in for a meal, and add to the rhythm of a life without modern amenities.
The first rooster crowing gives the go-ahead for a new day, and then you leave the inhabited world behind. Only the narrow footpath and a few suspension bridges remind us that people come here sometimes. On the way to the first camp, the landscape opens in vistas on the snowy ridges, and closes again in misty forests and bamboo forests. Among mossy wild giants you will see quails, pheasants, hornbills and many other birds. The loud call of the gibbons always comes unexpectedly. It's pristine and rough here, but not a second of silence.
The highlight of the expedition is the ascent of Mount Phongun Razi (3,635m). After the colorful rhodondendron bushes and alpine vegetation, the landscape becomes balder, colder, wider. In the thin air and with sometimes tough weather conditions it's hard work, but your effort is rewarded with phenomenal views, and the euphoria of reaching the top.
A good condition, stamina, and an adventurous attitude are required for this draw. Do you dare? Then you await a unique experience in this unprecedented part of the Eastern Himalayas.