Everything in Yunnan is an 'est. The highest cable car; the tallest pagoda; the deepest gorge. But at the 4,506m summit, these superlatives live up to their reputation. While fellow tourists anxiously inhaled their oxygen, it was the range after range of mountains that made us catch our breath. The greatest view ever? It’s certainly up there.

Next on the agenda was Tiger Leaping Gorge, a canyon carved when the Yangzi forced its way through two mountain chains. Rather than relying on a cable car's hydraulics, we decided to put our own engineering system to the test with a two-day hike.

The gorge was baptised when a mythical tiger leapt across the rushing rapids to escape from some hunters. Given the size of the river, it must have been a fairly athletic tiger. If only the same had been true for us.

After a bumpy three hour drive from Lijiang to Qiaotou (cheap by bus but book ahead), the less energetic can travel along the lower road of the canyon. This gives a close view of the rapids, tiger statue and necks of the hundreds of tourists who choose the same route. The more intrepid should take the high road, a challenging but empty trail that provides some of the best views in China.

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BACKGROUND

• China for second-timers

• Shanghai shopping with Lucia van der Post

• The secret tomb in the heart of China

• Hiking in China's Yunnan Province

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There’s no easing in on this hike, because it starts with an immediate ascent up the mountain. Even without a full rucksack, the climb is breathtaking. The lung-bursting, tantrum-inducing nadir of the trip was the 28 bends, which snake up the mountainside to the highest point. 28 is a definite understatement. By our panting count, there were closer to 40. Surely this should be made compulsory altitude training for all those incoming Olympic athletes?

Our hiking prowess did not impress the elderly man who discreetly followed on horseback for the first half of the trail, waiting to see which of us would buckle first.

He was the only sign of life. After the frenetic city streets, we could look across an entire mountain range without seeing another person. The paths curved through waterfalls, down wooded tracks and around cliffs. And we had it all to ourselves.

Need to know

How to get there: Flights from Kunming to Liajing take just under an hour and cost about 600 RNB. There are excellent links from Kunming to Shanghai and Beijing. It is generally less expensive to book these through a travel agent.

Where to stay: You can find a bunk at the way stations that dot the trail. The Half Way House advertises "the best bathroom view in the world" while the friendly Tea Horse inn was perfect for those with an eternal gap year mindset. The inns all serve up dorm beds, cold beer and an unparalleled sunset viewpoint.

Accommodation ranges from the luxurious to the basic. The Banyan Tree Lijiang hotel offers private villas with a poolside view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. At the other end of the spectrum, hostels such as Jim’s Peace Café (jimguesthouse@hotmail.com) and Guesthouse or the Tea Horse Inn offer you a bed for the price of a beer in the UK.

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