Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Encyclopedia
Mount Satseto, known in Chinese as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain massif
(also identified as a small mountain range
) near Lijiang, in Yunnan
province, southwestern China. Its highest peak is named Shanzidou (扇子陡) (5,596 m or 18,360 ft). The view of the massif from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool
(Heilong Tan) in Lijiang is noted as one of China's finest views. The far side of the mountain forms one side of Tiger Leaping Gorge
(Hutiao Xia).
Shanzidou has been climbed only once, on May 8, 1987, by an American expedition. The summit team comprised Phil Peralta-Ramos and Eric Perlman. They climbed snow gullies and limestone headwalls, and encountered high avalanche danger and sparse opportunities for protection. They rated the maximum technical difficulty of the rock at YDS
5.7.
The Austro-American botanist and explorer Joseph Rock
spent many years living in the vicinity of Mt Satseto, and wrote about the region and the Nakhi
people who occupy it. An interest in Rock later drew the travel writer Bruce Chatwin
to the mountain, which he wrote about in an article that appeared in the New York Times and later, retitled, in his essay collection What Am I Doing Here?
. Chatwin's article inspired many subsequent travellers, including Michael Palin
, to visit the region.
The Jade Water Village
is at the foot of the mountain.
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
(also identified as a small mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
) near Lijiang, in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
province, southwestern China. Its highest peak is named Shanzidou (扇子陡) (5,596 m or 18,360 ft). The view of the massif from the gardens at the Black Dragon Pool
Black Dragon Pool
The Black Dragon Pool is a famous pond in the scenic Jade Spring Park located at the foot of Elephant Hill, a short walk north of the Old Town of Lijiang in Yunnan province, China. It was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty and offers a spectacular view on the region's tallest mountain, Jade...
(Heilong Tan) in Lijiang is noted as one of China's finest views. The far side of the mountain forms one side of Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River – locally called the Golden Sands River – located 60 km north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China...
(Hutiao Xia).
Shanzidou has been climbed only once, on May 8, 1987, by an American expedition. The summit team comprised Phil Peralta-Ramos and Eric Perlman. They climbed snow gullies and limestone headwalls, and encountered high avalanche danger and sparse opportunities for protection. They rated the maximum technical difficulty of the rock at YDS
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
5.7.
The Austro-American botanist and explorer Joseph Rock
Joseph Rock
Joseph Francis Charles Rock was an Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist.-Life:He was born in Vienna, Austria, but emigrated to the United States in 1905 and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1907, where he eventually became an authority on the flora there...
spent many years living in the vicinity of Mt Satseto, and wrote about the region and the Nakhi
Nakhi
The Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China....
people who occupy it. An interest in Rock later drew the travel writer Bruce Chatwin
Bruce Chatwin
Charles Bruce Chatwin was an English novelist and travel writer. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his novel On the Black Hill...
to the mountain, which he wrote about in an article that appeared in the New York Times and later, retitled, in his essay collection What Am I Doing Here?
What Am I Doing Here?
What Am I Doing Here is a book by British Author Bruce Chatwin and contains a collection of essays, profiles and travel stories from his life. It was the last book published during Chatwin's life and draws on various experiences from it. These experiences include in Nepal, sailing down the Volga,...
. Chatwin's article inspired many subsequent travellers, including Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
, to visit the region.
The Jade Water Village
Jade Water Village
Jade Water Village is a small village in Lijiang City and is a Dongba cultural centre. It is home to the Naxi tribal people. The village is near Jade Dragon Snow Mountain....
is at the foot of the mountain.