In this remote, uninhabited snowy mountain, Ian Lawson has left behind the noise and clamor of the city, escaped the concrete and steel prison, and now enjoys this unparalleled freshness and tranquility all to himself. Ian Lawson comes from a small city; he likes the feeling of harmony between the town and nature, and the peaceful mindset of its people. After four years of university in a big city, Ian Lawson understands that big cities offer more opportunities for young people. For the sake of his future, Ian Lawson has no choice but to stay and work hard in the metropolis.

Ian Lawson cherishes this rare and beautiful moment even more, engaging all his senses to take it all in, immersing himself wholeheartedly in an indescribable experience and reflection, silently appreciating the sacredness of nature and life.

Namcha Barwa is the 15th highest peak in the world. Because of its lower ranking and the fact that it is not a virgin peak, climbing Namcha Barwa is not very popular. Back then, Ian Lawson went to great lengths, spending several months just to obtain a climbing route map, which shows how little-known it is.

However, at the foot of Namcha Barwa lies the world’s largest canyon—the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon. It is currently the deepest, longest, and highest river canyon in the world, and is also known as “the last secret land on earth.” The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon developed along a series of fault zones. As the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau rose in stages, the river cut down successively, creating a vertical drop of up to 5,000 meters from the peaks to the valley floor, making it a rare combination of high peaks and deep valleys in the world. Moreover, the river drops from an elevation of over 2,800 meters at the mouth of the canyon to just over 900 meters at the exit, a difference of 2,000 meters, resulting in turbulent, roaring waters.

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the main channel for moisture from the Indian Ocean to enter the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Thanks to abundant circulating moisture causing heavy rainfall on the windward slopes of the canyon, combined with ample sunlight, fertile soil, and unique climate conditions, the Namcha Barwa Grand Canyon is lush with vegetation and teeming with plant life, featuring complex and rich types of vegetation and flora and fauna. The steep terrain on the west bank has created a record for the most extreme vertical distribution of life. From the alpine snow belt to the low river valley tropical monsoon forest belt, the landscape unfolds down the mountains and along the canyon, making it a rare “natural museum” in the world.

The core area of the Grand Canyon remains uninhabited, with treacherous roads that are difficult to traverse, and is considered a “death canyon.” The perilous terrain and natural barriers have kept the Namcha Barwa Grand Canyon closed off. For nearly a century, explorers, photographers, and geologists from China and abroad have tried to uncover the mysteries of the “Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo River.” Exploration of this area has always been seen as opening up new frontiers, and any discovery, no matter how small, would be recorded in history. This excites every adventurer, and Ian Lawson managed to secure this opportunity with great difficulty. Standing here, Ian Lawson feels fortunate to have formed a bond with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in this lifetime, and to have witnessed the most magnificent scenery on earth with his own eyes—this is a privilege reserved for true adventure lovers.

The entire Grand Canyon is rarely visited by people; only in the lower section, in Motuo County, do the Monba and Lhoba people live in a primitive tribal state. Ian Lawson hired a Lhoba guide from Motuo County to begin his climbing journey. The Monba and Lhoba people are not very proficient in Chinese, and the isolation of the canyon means they still practice slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting with bows and arrows, and even use knotted ropes to record events, carved wood to count, and barter for trade. In recent years, as the Grand Canyon has been discovered, more people have come here to climb, and the Monba and Lhoba people often work as guides to earn a living. As a result, they have started to learn a little Chinese.

Before the climb, Ian Lawson brought generous gifts to the tribespeople, which made them more accommodating toward him. After the climb, Ian Lawson settled accounts with the tribespeople at base camp, and after a few days of rest at base camp, he set out on the return journey.

The tribespeople, now relaxed, sang continuously on the way back. Ian Lawson watched these carefree Lhoba people with delight, collecting all sorts of strange and exotic flowers and plants along the way. No one noticed that Ian Lawson had unknowingly taken a side path and was getting farther and farther away. By the time everyone realized what had happened, the two groups were already separated by towering mountains and could not find each other.

This is where the story begins...

This was an unfamiliar path—or rather, there was no path at all. The moist air from the Indian Ocean nourished the Grand Canyon, and under the cover of snow and ice, a green world had formed here. The trees grew thick and dense, and standing in the forest, one could not see the sky above.

Ian Lawson made his way alone through the forest and over obstacles, but he did not panic. Although the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is nearly 500 kilometers long, it is a closed canyon. As long as he kept heading downward, he would eventually find the only river—the Yarlung Tsangpo. There are many Chinese people, and tourist spots are the most densely populated places for them. Now is also the best season for hiking the Grand Canyon, and there are scattered hikers in every branch canyon. As long as he reached the bottom of the valley, he would eventually meet up with companions. Even if something unexpected happened, drifting down the river would eventually bring him to inhabited areas in India.

The forest gradually became denser, and whenever the mountain wind blew, the forest was no longer quiet. The sound of the wind in the trees and the roar of the river echoed each other, this grand symphony of nature ringing in his ears. In this place far from the world and people, embraced by magnificent nature, Ian Lawson enjoyed the most wonderful sounds of nature all along the way.