UKC

Anyone been gear shopping in Zhongdian / ShangriLa or Kunming lately? Wondering if I can get canisters for a Jetboil or need to find kero or other liquid for my Primus.

Last two times I bought kerosene in Lijiang, which was a bit of a hassle and back then there was not much (anything) in the way of gear/gas in Zhongdian. Looking to skip Lijiang this time, at least on the way in. Not planning on going anywhere near Chengdu.

Thanks.

In reply to Damo:

A year ago could get canisters in kunming at a store just off the main fashion shopping area that did mostly real climbing gear.
Another store too about 2 blocks off renmin lu coming from the station before the peoples square to the left. Can see gear in the window.

Keros hard to find and most gas is unleaded.

Zhongdian has a few gear shops but im not sure. Try emailing Haiwei trails (brit owned) as they will know.

Good luck

In reply to ice.solo:

Thanks. HT say maybe some canisters in Zhongdian, depends. No kerosene though.

In reply to Damo:

i looked the kunming shops up and have better details:

the first shop is either on shu lin jie or dongsi st, both parallel and running north off the huang cheng nan lu S ring road. its west of the peoples square, over the river.
whichever street its on, its to the left going north and a few steps down. obvious big window with gear displayed.

the second shop is south of huang cheng nan lu on a street parallel to it. go from beijing lu (my mistake in the previous post calling it renmin lu) a few hundred meters down on the left (past the agricultural bank on your left, before the river) a small mall, crappy looking but gear in the window.

the first shop is a better bet as its more climbing gear. second shop probably good, but more clothes and boots.

there would be other shops if you have someone who can search beidu in putonghua.

In reply to ice.solo:

OK, thanks. The first place sounds familiar.

In reply to Damo:

hey damo, a friend whos just passed thru zhongdian and is a bit of a regular there says Turtle Mountain is a good bet.
maybe contact them first.

everybodys talkin about yunnan today.

In reply to ice.solo:

Thanks. Tickets booked now, only 4hrs in Kunming so will take my chances in Shangri La La land.

Yunnan is often in the travel news here, for various reasons. It presents as a lot 'nicer' and more diverse than a lot of other Chinese provinces, true or not. I'll sound like a boring old hippy if I bang on about what Zhongdian/Deqen was like in 1998, navigating with contraband maps, but I'm going with a bit of trepidation this time. Flipside of the popularity is access is easier and the flights are cheaper. Joseph Rock would be turning in his caravan chair.

Turtle Mountain? Clearly not for the fast n light crowd ...

In reply to Damo:

gotcha.

thankfully the lonely planet generation dont seem to get too far out of town.

have a good trip.

In reply to Damo:

When I was last in Yunnan about 10 years ago, I saw a small shop in Kunming selling some Petzl climbing gear. Think they have gas canister too. It's in a courtyard with a few handcraft/graphic design book shops. Can't remember the exact location or name. I had a Baidu search and found this list of outdoor gear shop in Yunnan with phone numbers:

http://www.57uu.com/gained/hwzbcs/11_09_16_373.html

From the fourth one down it's all shops in Kunming.

From Google search I found a map with some shop location. If you want to search the map just translate 'Yunnan outdoor gear shop' in Googletranslate to Chinese and copy and paste that on google. I can't get the link to work here.

Small gas canister in Chinese is called 'Xiao Wa Si Guan'. 'Wa Si' is a direct translation from 'gas'. Much better chance to find them in Kunming than in Zhongdian/Deqen I think.