Cordyceps Expedition
Cordyceps Expedition to Southeastern Tibet
May 26 - June 9, 2008
Expert guided by Daniel Winkler
Cordyceps Expedition 2009 tentatively May 16 - May 29
 Alpine pasture habitat of Yartsa gunbu (Cordyceps sinensis) under the towering glaciated peaks of Nyenchen Tangla (7250 m / 23786 ft)
Detailed Itinerary
of the Cordyceps Expedition 2008
to Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Yunnan Province
26-May Monday: Kunming
Pick up at airport. Morning visit to the Botanical Garden in Heilongtan and Kunming Institute of Botany.
Short visit to Kunming's best bookstore, Dinner at the Restaurant Yunnan Mushroom King.
Feasting on: A bolete, close in taste to Boletus edulis, according to the chef Boletus ornatipes, Qisong, a Termite mushroom, (Termitomyces eurrhizus), "Ganbajun", Thelephora ganbajun & veiled stink morel (Dictyophora indusiata). Green Lake View Hotel.
27-May Tue: Kunming -Lijiang
Visit of Kunming's mushroom market. Most impressive besides fresh stinkhorns (Dictyophora indusiata) and their eggs were half a dozen species of boletes (Boletus obscureumbrinus, B. bicolor, B. ornatipes, a few B.edulis, a brightly red pored bolete and Boletus speciosus "bai chong niugan jun", a yellow-pored silvery bolete). Also we saw lots of ganbajun (Thelephora), which costs about 10 times as much as king boletes, Shield Pinkgill (Entoloma clypeatum), Termite mushroom (Termitomyces sp). milky cap (Lactarius deliciosus), lots of dried truffles (kai jun, Tuber indicum) and bags of this year's freshly dried morels (Morchella spp.) collected in the Tibetan areas.
At noon flight to Lijiang. Visit to a local mushroom farm. The owner, He Jie, grows button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) on straw and cow manure in wood shelves. The growing houses are made from simple wooden structures and covered with plastic and a bamboo mats for insulation.
Visit of the picturesque old town of Lijiang, the heart of the Naxi / Nakhi-culture, protected as UNESCO world heritage site. Lijiang Grand Hotel.
28-May Wed: Yulong Xueshan Nature Preserve, afternoon drive to Gyalthang
Visit of Yulongshan Nature Preserve. Gondola-ride to 4506m (13,920ft) with view onto glaciers and the peak (5596m, 18,359ft). Picnic in flower meadow (Iris ruthenica var. nana, Stellera chamaejasme, Roscoea tibetica & Roscoea cautleoides (yellow), Euphorbia, Androsace delavayi, close by red tree-peony Paeonia delavayii). Futile morel hunt in forest fire area with lady slipper (Cypripedium guttatum).
Afternoon drive along the Yangtze River (2500m, 7750ft) and stop in Rhododendron shrublands before Gyalthang (3300m, 10,200ft).
Welcome meal at Arro Khampa Restaurant. Gyalthang Dzong Hotel
29-May Thu Gyalthang (= Zhongdian, Shangrila / Xianggerila)
Morning visit to Songtsen Ling Monastery (Gelukpa 17th Century), Napa Lake Nature reserve with yellow Daphne calcicola and scarlet Gloxinia Incarvillea zhongdianensis.
Visit of the mushroom market with Dr. Xu, mycologist at Kunming Institute of Botany. Several species of fresh morels are spread out for drying. Dr Xu points out a flesh-colored species, which could be Morchella bicostata Chen & Liu. Mushroom hunt in a young birch-pine-larch forest with Leccinum cf. versipelle, Coriolus sp., a brown Suillus associate with larch, as well as Rhizopogon rubescens. The latter also known by its Japanese name Shoro was enjoyed for dinner at the forest bureau restaurant. Visit of Dukhardzong Old Town. Gyalthang Dzong Hotel 30-May Fri Gyalthang - Wang Shor / Weng Shui
Drive on the Gyalthang - Chatreng (Xiangcheng, Sichuan) Highway to Birong-Gorge. Crossing of extensive clear cuts. Afternoon excursion to Namri Butong and short hike on mountain meadows in 4100m, (12,700ft) where locals collect Yartsa Gunbu, Cordyceps sinensis - caterpillar fungus. On the way up we meet Losang Yangzom and her group of morel pickers who are cooking tea after a long day of morel hunt. Wang Shor Guesthouse.
31-May Sat Wang Shor - Namri Butong
Yartsa Gunbu hunt (4000m-4300m, 12,400-13,300ft) with Tendzin in Namri Butong. Bu found in open subalpine Rhododendron-Juniper forest on the South slope in 4200m (13,000ft). Picnic with Tendzin and Wangmo on alpine pasture in 4300m (13,300ft). Afternoon morel hunt with Tashi Wangden (23) & Kelsang Dhondrub (21) from Wang Shor in 3750m (11,625ft) in degraded willow-evergreen oak forest on the South slope. All morels found under willows. Flowers: May apple - Podophyllum hexandrum, Primula amethystina var. brevifolia (on the pastures), yellow Himalayan poppy: Meconopsis integrifolia, Omphallogramma vincaefolia (Primula-like), tall Iris bulleyana (40cm, 16”).
Wang Shor Guesthouse
1-Jun Sun Wang Shor - Gyalthang
Drive back from Wang Shor to Gyalthang via Geza. Botany stop in Birong George: orchids (Pleione yunnanensis and a yellow lady slipper: Cypripedium flavum) as well and Iris (Iris reticulata var. nana).
Visit of a mambo, monument for a protector deity. Cuckoo stop next to a clear cut. The Tibetan name for the morel is `gugu shamo', cuckoo mushroom, since the mushroom and the cuckoo show up at the time in spring.
Visit to the old town of Gyalthang and dance. Gyalthang Dzong Hotel
2-Jun Mon Gyalthang
Visit with Dr. Ma Liming from the Gyalthang Tibetan Hospital. Interview on the use of Cordyceps sinensis in Rigpa Sowa, Tibetan Medicine. Visit of the outdoor Yartsa gunbu market and of other natural medicine shops in Gyalthang. Afternoon bath and sauna in the natural hot springs of Rangjung Dosam (Tiansheng Qiao). Gyalthang Dzong Hotel.
3-Jun Tue Drive to Feilaisi, Dechen.
Stop in Tsering Drolma's house in Gonjo village, built along the Gonjo Chu (2000m, 6200 ft). Village is renowned for its many wood workers. Shopping in Pondzirak / Benzilan, located on the Yangtze River. Visit of the scenic spot overlooking the 270° Yangtse bend. Visit of Ganden Dondheling Monastery (Gelukpa tradition) founded in 1667 and blessed by the Great 5. Dalai Lama in 1670. Drive across Pema Karpo / Baima Xueshan Nature Preserve and Jol Gonsong Pass (4200m, 13,000ft). Drive to Dechen town and Namkha Tashi / Feilaisi. Minzhu Hotel.
4-Jun Wed Namkha Tashi & Pema Karpo Pass
Morning in Namkha Tashi Lhakhang / Feilaisi vista spot (3480m 11,500 ft) above the Mekong (Gyalmo Ngul Chu / Lancang Jiang). Kawa Karpo / Meili Xueshan (6740m / 22,200ft) in clouds. Drive up to Pema Karpo / Baima Xueshan, which is covered in snow. Return to Namkha Tashi. Afternoon in the café. Slide show. Kawa Karpo in plain view. Dinner with Matsutake soup, Shitake and fiddleheads. Minzhu Hotel.
5-Juni Thu Hong village, Dechen & Namkha Tashi
Drive along the Mekong gorge and the Kawakarpo range (Meili Xueshan) to Hong village (3000m, 9,300ft) in Yongning District, Dechen County (Deqing). Visit of Liu Sin / Losang's house, the village doctor (=Amchi). Hike in a Pine-spruce-fire-Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga forrestii) - forest above Hong. Group split: relaxing out in nature (3300m, 10,200ft) and morel hike with Losang and Wangdu up to 3800m (11,800ft) Morels grow in a Rhododendron-fir-North-slope forest. Minzhu Hotel.
6-Jun Fri Namkha Tashi - Gyalthang
Drive up to Pema Karpo / Baima Xueshan Pass. Yartsa Gunbu Search up to 4300m (13,300ft). Visit of the Cordyceps-collectors camp at the eastern end of the pass. Bu shopping. Picnic below the pass. Return Shangrila = Gyalthang. Gyalthang farewell dinner at Arro Khampa.
Gyalthang Dzong Hotel
7-Jun Sat Gyalthang via Kunming to Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Attempted visit of Sichuan's materia medica market. Visit of the Jinli Promenade and Tibetan Street.
Sichuan Hot Pot Fondue-Dinner with Drolma. Garden Hotel
8-Jun Sun Chengdu, excursion to Emei Shan and Leshan
Hiking on the sacred Mount Emei Shan from Wuxian to Twinbridges (Picnic site), Qingyin, Guangfu (910m, 2800ft) and Zhongfen Monastery (Ganoderma & Russula in the Cryptomeria japonica woods). Drive to Leshan, where the world biggest Buddha statue (71m, 233 ft), was carved from sandstone in the 8th Century at the confluence of Min Jiang and Dadu He Rivers. Farewell dinner in Thai Restaurant. Garden Hotel
9-Jun Mon Chengdu
Group dissolves & flight back
Announcement for the 2008 Cordyceps Expedition
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Tracking Cordyceps sinensis, known in Tibetan as `yartsa gunbu' (summer grass, winter worm), is certain to be a once in a lifetime fungal, botanical and cultural experience among some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet. Also, caterpillar fungus season coincides with morel fruiting in the deep valleys in Tibet. In acquiescence to years of requests,
Our goal is the tracking of the elusive caterpillar fungus endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. In the last decade bu, as Tibetans refer to it, has developed into the main source of income for rural Tibetans. The expedition will start in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, where we visit the biggest medicinal herb and fungi market in China. We slowly ascend to the Tibetan Plateau via Lijiang, the ancient capital of the Naxi culture. We will move on Gyalthang, now known as Shangrila (formerly also Zhongdian) , where bu dealers will be out on the street markets. Gyalthang is the traditional southeastern gateway to Tibet and is also the capital of Dechen / Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan.
We will continue to Dechen town, its Tibetan name meaning "bliss" for its great location a mild climate. On the way to Dechen we will follow and cross the Yangtze River, which has cut a deep gorge between glaciated ranges topping 20,000 ft. To reach Dechen we will cross Pema Karpo's Yak La (4200m, 13,000 ft, Chinese: Beima Shan), which requires a dramatic climb from less than 2000m (6600 ft). On top of the pass we will be in the habitat of Cordyceps sinensis to the backdrop of peaks and glaciers. Also first alpine spring flowers, such as Primulas should be showing. From Dechen we will see Kawakarpo, one of Tibet's four most sacred peaks towering above the Mekong River. On its western flank runs the Irrawaddy River, Burma's biggest River. We are currently looking into a short trek around Kawakarpo. Also, we will be visiting Baima Xueshan Natural Preserve, that made itself a name among fungal friends for its matsutake protection program, while more mammalian people might know it for the stubbed nose monkey.
Our itinerary is purposely kept flexible in order to insure that we search for yartsa gunbu / Cordyceps sinensis in the best possible alpine grasslands and comb old-growth fir-spruce forests locations. Also we will search for morels, which will be hard to pinpoint until we are actually there.
Rest assured that all places we journey are stunningly beautiful. Since we will be traversing Eastern Tibet from south to north we will have an excellent opportunity to catch the peak Cordyceps fruiting season wherever it occurs. We will traverse many altitudinal zones, from subtropical to temperate, from dry warm valleys to cold alpine areas up to 4600m (15,000 ft), thereby experiencing a wide range of ecosystems, all with their unique flora, fauna and mycota.
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If you would like to use any of my photos please contact me by email.
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A bu digger using a simple wooden instrument. Digging Cordyceps one has to be very careful not to break the fruiting body from the caterpillar. While larva and mushroom are quite tough, the point where the mushroom grows out of the head is fragile. © Daniel Winkler, Serkyim La, June 2006
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Cordyceps sinensis fruiting body with
well developed asci cells. The top seems to have been gnawed off by some small creature. © Daniel Winkler, Kongpo Barla, June 2006
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Fungal candy anyone? Tibetan lady offering Cordyceps for sale in a candy bag on the way to Kongpo Barla Pass.
June 2006 © Daniel Winkler
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During the collection season the lifestyle of Tibetans become completely consumed with the collection of bu; every able-bodied is out on the alpine pasture collecting bu in order to secure cash for the coming year. In prime collection areas as we will visit households who often derive 70-90% of their cash income from bu collection [Figures from Winkler 2008, submitted].
In order to cater to this new industry supply shops and bars with ,pool tables spring up each spring on the grasslands. In the towns lively selling occurs followed by Tibetan buying sprees undertaken with newly made cash. On this journey we travel over high altitude grasslands, roamed by covered with yaks. We will be visiting camps of bu collectors and nomads and join Tibetans in looking for the elusive fungus (see my Infested by the caterpillar fungus story). In the high altitude grasslands we might encounter snowfall but if so, it usually melts away in a day due to the intense subtropical sun.
Once Spring is in full swing in the deep valleys, morels (Morchella esculenta, Morchella conica and other species, possibly Morchella crassipes, angusticeps) and other early fruiting mushrooms are sprouting in the woods. In order to experience this, we will take our time and join Tibetan collectors to hunt for morels. In addition, we will encounter morels on the markets and restaurants will be serving them. One of the Tibetans names I came across in my research for the morel is "gugu shamo", the cuckoo mushroom. This name alludes to its fruiting season, which coincides with the return of the cuckoo, one of Tibet's best known birds due to its unique and loud call. In Riwoche in 2005, I was awoken by the "coo-koooo coo-koooo" calls from a cuckoo right outside of my room. Economically speaking morels are in the top-five economic mushrooms in Tibet (after Cordyceps and Tricholoma matsutake), because they are exported to Europe.
Also, at this time the alpine flora is awakening and we will be treated to seemingly countless species of primulas, iris, Incarvillea and peonies to name just a few, as well as an ocean of multicolored Rhododendrons.
There is also a strong cultural component to this journey. We will visit many Tibetan Buddhist and Bonpo monasteries, monuments and hermitages in incredible locations. We will experience the mysterious and colorful spirituality that lies at the heart of Tibet and its people.
We will do plenty of day hikes, some of them on pathless steep slopes, thus you should be in good shape. You do not need to be an athlete, but shortness of breath is magnified in a high altitude environment.
If you are interested in taking part in this journey, please let us know as soon as possible. In order to maximize group interaction in all aspects of the journey we will limit the group size to 12 participants.
Feel free to share this info with your friends. Be sure to check my `photo essay' section of my website where you can see a lot of Tibetan mushrooming related pictures (as well as plants, wildlife, people, culture etc.)
Detailed Itinerary (will be poste dsoon)
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Cordyceps Expedition
May 26 - June 9, 2008
Land Costs: $4,400 (€3,200)
includes all accommodation, food, overland transport
[price for 3+ participants, single room supplement: $500]
Land Costs: $3,600 (€2,600)
[price for 8+ participants, single room supplement: $500]
Additional costs: International Airfare to China: $800-1,300
(Tickets needs to be purchased individually by participant)
Domestic Airfares in China (i.e. Beijing-Chengdu, Xining-Beijing):
$350-500 (We can help purchasing tickets for within China in late April)
Cordyceps Expedition 2009 tentatively May 16 - May 29
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 Cordyceps dealers on Litang's main street, Kandze TAP, Sichuan. © Daniel Winkler, June 1999.
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