Land of the Snow Lion

An account of an exploration of Tibet by one of a handful of woman to have explored the remote Himalayan country since the Chinese occupation of 1951. In 1982 she joined one of the first European mountaineering expeditions to enter Tibet since Communist rule exiled the country's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The author already fluent in the language she had learnt from the Tibetan Sherpas in Nepal, was determined, once the others had begun their ascent of Shishapangma, to set off on her own travels. She had no permission to wander alone in remote areas and she had many brushes with her anarchic companions and Chinese bureaucracy before her adventures got into full swing. Chased by Communist authorities who tried in vain to prevent her from mixing with Tibetan people, she stormed at Party officials when they tried to imprison her for their own ends. She watched the restoration of Buddhist monasteries destroyed in the Cultural Revolution and was taken into Tibetan homes where she shared in family life and was told the secret wishes of those she met. She was investigated for spying, was bitten by a rabid dog and was beaten up in the Potala Palace.
To the reader the story gives a picture of what led to the present troubles and an ancient and mystical way of life which the Chinese regime has as yet failed to destroy. The author co-authored "The Windhorse".