back in Xiao Jin

So we've left Rilong for good on this trip, it turns out that we are not going to climb Siguniang shan right now. It has been one of the warmest seasons they've had and there is very little snow and practically no ice. We met up with a polish climbing team in Rilong looking to put up a first ascent on one of the big walls in the area, but they were also turned back by rockfall and poor conditions. Right now there would be no real safe way up the moutain, and we brought with us more gear to climb ice and not enough for long rock sections. The costs for the climb have also just kept growing, we feel as though we are getting hustled a lot of the time. We will return though in more wintery conditions, and we're hoping that the friends we made there in charge of mountain climbing will let us climb without having to pay for another permit ($750 lost this time around).
Good news is that we did make it up Daguniang shan (16,000ft) in order to acclimatize. Both Rhys and Marjie got a little altitude sickness up at Camp 1 (14,500ft.) but were able to pull it together and climb all the way, they just had a bit of that morning sickness you can get at altitude.
So we will be heading back to Chengdu in 2 days, where we will probably be splitting up for different destinations. Rhys is going to help me get a job on a sailboat, racing and such in the south China sea. Most likely i will just be grinding wenches because that takes no skill. It shouldnt be too hard to find a spot either because i wont be getting paid - maybe just with food, but really its for the adventure.
I'll post again in a few days after we're back in Chengdu, i'll also be able to post some pictures from the mountains then!

Chengdu, China