China Daily Global Edition (USA)
In uncharted territory
A 10-strong team completes a daring expedition over treacherous terrain and precipitous peaks to conquer one of the country’s most mysterious regions, Xu Lin reports.
Heizhugou National Forest Park is dubbed China’s equivalent to Bermuda Triangle, due to its similar placing at a latitude of around 30 degrees north and also the mysterious cases of missing people that occur in the region.
In late June, extreme explorer Liu Yong led a 10-strong expedition, finishing an unprecedented four-day journey along a perilous route in Heizhugou, in Ebian Yi autonomous county in Sichuan province’s Leshan city.
Heizhugou has five exploration routes, but it’s the first time that people have successfully completed the 53-kilometer route that has the phenomenon of a geomagnetic anomaly.
They started from Ronghongde Marshy Grassland, trekked across Juebigou Ravine and Luosuoyida Valley.
They were the first to conquer the Luosuoyida Valley, which literally means “Death Valley” in the language of the Yi ethnic group.
The ancestors of the local Yi people have left an instruction that warns their descendants not to wander too far into the forests of Heizhugou for fear of meeting an unpleasant fate.
With an area of 838 square kilometers, Heizhugou boasts a rich biodiversity of wild animals and plants, including giant pandas. It’s often shrouded in heavy cloud, infused with a beautiful mystery.
“It was a breathtaking journey brimming with uncertainties. Our success can be attributed to our being well-prepared in advance, professional outdoor skills and experience, and great courage,” says Liu, 52, who has devoted himself to extreme exploration for over three decades.
The veteran climber has traveled the world conquering virgin peaks, including one on the southern slope of the Himalayas. He’s also a professor at the Sports and Leisure College of Sichuan Tourism University.
For Liu, the challenge posed by Heizhugou is a unique one, as he sees it as a final frontier — the last uncharted territory in China. “With mobile phone signals almost ubiquitous, there are so few places left that remain a mystery to explorers like me. Heizhugou offers me the opportunity to really test myself and my abilities.”
Preparation and expectation
Each team member had to carry a backpack with an average weight of 20 kilograms, including camping equipment, cameras, and drones, along with surveying and mapping tools.
The only female member of the team was Tan Jing, who was in charge of topographical surveying. She’s also an orienteering athlete and adept at rock climbing.
Along the way, they had to carefully measure and record data about Heizhugou’s landforms, the geomagnetic anomaly, suitable places for camping, and take photos and make short videos about the flora and fauna.
Liu recently released a scientific research report about their discoveries at a news conference in Beijing.
As well as experts in the fields of extreme exploration and outdoor photography, the team included five local guides, who are familiar with the terrain. They also doubled as porters, carrying the team’s food.
Liu and the team started their preparations in March, with support of the local county government and Heizhugou National Forest Park.
They went to Heizhugou four times, talked with hunters who have been deep into the forest, and held conferences with experts of different fields.
They carefully chose the date to start the journey, to avoid the rainy season, but it still rained from time to time. Their clothes were almost always wet and rocks were very slippery.
They had to trek through tough terrain and ford streams in the foggy mountains, dealing with various difficulties along the way.
“It was hard and time-consuming to hack our way through the dense arrow bamboo forests. One day we only advanced 3.7 kilometers in nine hours,” he says.
Escaping ‘Death Valley’
The biggest obstacle in the way was a series of staggered waterfalls reaching a total height of around 90 meters and surrounded by steep cliffs.
It’s recorded that previous explorers had made it to the waterfalls but had to give up there. The only way to continue the adventure was to figure out how to get down to the bottom of the valley.
Their guides explored the arrow bamboo forests for several hours trying to find a way that would allow them to climb over the nearby mountains, but the complicated environment was unyielding.
The guides wanted to give up the journey, but Liu wanted to attempt a 120-meter descent from a nearby precipice — a bold action that he encouraged them to join.
Liu and the four other teammates taught the five guides how to use rock climbing ropes and other gear essential to make their way down — they first transported the heavy backpacks, and then the team followed.
They had to split the descent into several sections, because the total distance exceeded the length of their ropes.
It took three hours to rappel to the bottom of the valley, where they were rewarded with a splendid view.
“We sometimes used the sturdy tree roots to descend. It’s a bit like the movie Tarzan of the Apes,” Liu says.
“Safety is always paramount. We couldn’t be any more careful. If you accidentally fall, spraining your ankle or breaking your leg, it’s almost impossible to transport you beyond the rolling mountains to get treatment.”
For the three nights, he barely slept.
His thoughts were consumed with how to best ensure the safety of the team. He had to make prejudgments about which direction to go and where to set up camps, based on weather and environment.
“Exploration is not risking one’s life — it’s about exploring one’s maximum ability and the uncertainty of the destination. Exploring nature is like solving riddles, one after another,” he says.
They took mechanical compasses and devices based on the satellite navigation system of Beidou and GPS, respectively. In the area with the geomagnetic anomaly, the deflection of a mechanical compass was as much as 30 degrees.
“It’s an unusual phenomenon. We have given all data to geologists to unravel the riddle,” Liu says.
He notes that the geomagnetic anomaly in the region causes mechanical compasses to malfunction. In the past when there were no satellite-based navigation tools, people would get lost easily in the deep mountains.
Fueling the myth
In 1950, a group of more than 30 armed soldiers of the Kuomintang went missing in Heizhugou. They planned to flee from there after being defeated by the People’s Liberation Army.
One of the local guides in Liu’s team told him that his father, who was a hunter at that time, bumped into one of the soldiers and rescued him. He was the only survivor.
In 1966, three Chinese soldiers went into Heizhugou to transport provisions and were never seen again and, in 1976, three members of a prospecting team from Sichuan provincial forestry bureau came to Heizhugou for work. Like others before them, they too disappeared, and despite rescuers searching the forests for days, no trace was found of the unfortunate prospectors.
In 2014, five outdoor enthusiasts went to explore Heizhugou, three of whom got lost. The rescue team eventually found two bodies, but one is still missing.
These cases and the local Yi ethnic group’s legends that “hunters will disappear there” make Heizhugou a forbidden place filled with mystery and menace.
“Our success proves that Luosuoyida is not ‘Death Valley’,” Liu explains.
“With the geomagnetic anomaly, it’s easy to get lost in Heizhugou. Not only that, but you need to be adept at rock climbing, have physical strength and be equipped to deal with dangerous situations calmly. If not, an accident can be lethal.”
A spot for exploration
Liu’s team will soon enter Heizhugou again to investigate other routes. They will design and rate different hiking routes for tourists, with strict safety criteria.
They will also make documentaries about Heizhugou’s natural scenery and the local Yi ethnic group villagers.
“Our exploration has paved the way for the development of tourism, which can enhance the income of the locals and boost rural revitalization,” he says.
The local county government is building an exploration-themed scenic spot in Heizhugou to attract lovers of the outdoors. It will also hold a global academic conference about mountain exploration in Heizhugou at the end of this year.
Liu believes Heizhugou’s rich resources make it a suitable destination for exploration, with its mountains, cliffs, streams and waterfalls. It can meet the different demands of visitors.
While ordinary tourists can trek across simple and safe routes, the veteran outdoor enthusiasts can go for the more challenging treks. The latter routes will only be available to those who meet strict requirements.
“It’s necessary to ensure safety of all visitors, and standards and guidelines should be strictly enforced. For example, things like having the necessary gear and physical strength, as well as previous experience are important,” he says.
According to Liu, the safety rules about outdoor activities in China, including mountain exploration, should be more specific.
He recalls that their starting point was Ronghongde Marshy Grassland at an altitude of 3,280 meters, which is accessible to ordinary tourists. The spacious area can be a possible camping site for visitors to enjoy the splendid sunrise and sunset.
“The essence of tourism is experience, and the essence of experience is exploration. It’s about exploring one’s ability in nature. In the post COVID-19 era, people will pay more attention to their health and will want to interact more with nature,” he says.