Prior to our ascent of Gujon Ri, above the source of the Mekong River, Josito Fernandez, M'Paz Garrido, Dani Martin, and I explored the mountains of northwest Sichuan, basing our activities around the villages of Ganzi and Manigango on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

On April 16, having set up base camp at 4,160m in the Okopo Chu valley, ca 25km east-southeast of Manigango, I almost made the first ascent of Khai Ri (local name, ca 4,940m) via the northwest face. The 750m route, named Horses (AD–), started with a long, easy couloir (35-50°), topped by a steeper gully (55-60°), followed by 65° and UIAA IV+ climbing on the summit ridge. I didn't climb the last 10m on the summit tower, stopped by exposed rock slabs covered with loose snow.

All four of us then traveled the Sichuan-Tibet Highway west from Manigango to Dege and south to Yolba (3,425m), south of the Chola Shan. On April 25 we walked east to below the Redak La (4,155m), on the 26th to the tiny village of Amula (4,126m), and on the 27th north to the Dzin Tso (lake). On the way we crossed the Dzin La, but just before turned west and summited previously unclimbed Tangaryama Ri (5,063m). We ascended the southwest face (PD–, 30° II) in deep snow but with few technical difficulties, and descended the northeast face (45°). On the 28th we continued north along the Dzin Chu (stream) to meet the highway after a total of 55km walking, and hitched the relatively short distance northeast to Manigango.

We now wanted to visit a group of mountains in the Gangga Range, west of the main summits. From Ganzi we traveled west along the highway for 20km to the village of Lanyi Nge (Lani Cun), then walked south for three hours to pitch camp at 4,090m at the snout of the glacier between Tsara Mashe Ri (5,150m) and, to its northwest, Tsara Yashe Ri. On April 30, Dani, Josito, and I started up the west face of Tsara Mashe Ri, following a steep goulotte clearly visible from the road. The first two pitches were rather runout M5+ and M5, after which an enjoyable third pitch (75° M3) led into the upper snowy couloir, which we climbed unroped for 200m (50-60°) to the summit ridge. Josito then led the easy but extremely loose rock ridge north for 80m to the summit (III). We named the route Taxi Driver (450m, ED1), and we descended the shorter northwest face with two rappels plus downclimbing at 45°.