Testimonials from our 2021
Yala mountain treks
May trek
Maria
The 8-day trip to the city of Tagong in China’s Sichuan province and hiking the nearby 5000 metre high Yala mountain was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Tibetan plateau with its endless landscapes and tranquility was the perfect escape from the bustling big city life.
On our way we met nomad tribes, passed Tibetan temples, saw deer herds, crossed riverbeds, withstood rain and snow storms, rested with Yaks, soaked our feet in natural hot springs and slept in high altitude. Could there be a greater challenge and adventure to take on than that?!
Ilaria
I joined the Yala Mount trekking on May 2021, I was a solo traveler and I really enjoyed the experience of meeting new people while sharing such an amazing trip.
I wish to thank Emilie and Travel Stone for the great arrangement they made before the departure, we got all the info we needed in advance about clothes, equipment and any further question we had was immediately addressed so we could made our own preparations for the trip.
I got all the support I needed while booking flights/trains to the meeting point (we traveled during pandemic so there was lot of uncertainness in booking inland transfers) and everything went smooth!
The multiple days trek was just amazing, the weather was not the best since was still quite cold despite was early May (we found snow as well!), but we were ready to that.
Kunchok was our guide for the entire trip, just a great man and very skilled hiker always ready to help and motivate us during the hike. How not to mention Kunchok culinary expertise? He together with the horsemen cooked for us for all the trek, from breakfast to dinner… meat, veggies, pasta, soups and many other simple but tasty foods.
Local horsemen that took us around and helped with luggage, tents, food were super friendly despite language barriers, they even invited us to their home for a tea to warm up on the last day.
The village of Tagong is also very nice to visit after/before the trek, many Tibetan monks around and the atmosphere is very authentic.
If you are looking for a very enjoyable experience in China, out of the beaten path, authentic, with a skilled organization but still a very easygoing and friendly atmosphere, I totally recommend Travel Stone’s trips! Hope can join them again in the future!
July trek
Giulia Z.
The Yala’s trek requires an enormous amount of energy. But the views are superb. Every day, we saw mountains with diverse types of greenery. The organization of the trek is just perfect: talented guides, frequent water and food breaks, yaks and horses to carry your stuff. I really liked it!
Margaux - translated from French
This trip organized by Emilie manages to combine a feeling of freedom, of being in contact with nature and the locals and the feeling of comfort and security sought on an expedition. Flawless! In particular the camping-meal service at an altitude of 4000 meters! Thanks to the whole team.
Alex S.
I’ve be hiking the Yala Trek with Emilie and her team and it has been a great experience! definitely sometimes it requires some resilience specially when you go up in altitude and the air gets rare …but when u touch 4800 mt all the fatigue disappears and you enter a state of grace! a real extra bonus which i really didn’t expect is the good food… really nice and variegate both at the base camp village and the one homemade by our local guides during the trek. Definitely and experience which i would recommend to everyone who loves nature and adventure!
Gregory - translated from French
These few days in the Tibetan Sichuan plateau were an unforgettable adventure! Although physically intense, this trek is accessible to anyone in normal condition. The nights in bivouac, the passage to 4,800m, the fabulous landscapes are engraved forever in our memories. The baths in the hot springs and the typical and delicious dishes allowed us to relax after the intense days of hiking. A unique experience!
October trek
Chris - translated from French
Hello Emilie, I really loved the trek and your team on site.. only positive and qualitative for me! Thank you and moreover thanks again to Kunchok I came back last night to leave better for sure! Beautiful adventure that this trek, the meals a killer and nice meeting with the group too. Thank you Emilie and I hope great for you too. See you soon
Fabrice - translated from French
Hello. It was great. Super guide, organization, beautiful places, the group was also very nice, great food…in short, everything was perfect. Thank you very much for this trek and discovery of this region. Only regret, the daily walking times were too short for my taste, 1 to 2 hours more walking per day would have been preferable, especially before the last day, leaving the camp around 10am, arriving at the last camp 2pm, too short. There were obviously lakes that would have been worth the detour. Next time maybe… We’ll get in touch soon.
David
It was amazing. Absolutely loved it. Kunchok and the team are great people.
