The Ganjia Grasslands, 34km from Xiahe, aren’t as pretty as those at nearby Sangke, but there is more to explore. From Xiahe a bumpy road crosses the Naren-Ka pass (impassable after long rains) before quickly descending into wide grasslands dotted with herds of sheep and backed by ever-more-dramatic mountain scenery.
Past Ganjia Xian village, a side road climbs 12km to Nekhang, a cave complex where pilgrims lower themselves down ropes and ladders into two sacred underground chambers. A Dutch traveller fell to his death here in 2006 so it is inadvisable to penetrate too far into the cavern, though the front section – where a lama left a sacred hand print on the rock – is safe. A kind of makeshift barrier is in place to stop explorers from investigating the cave to any great depth. The gorge alongside the cave can be explored on a long and thrilling hike: indeed, it's possible to keep exploring for days.
Just up the road from the caves is Trakkar Gompa, a monastery of 90 monks set against a stunning backdrop of vertical rock formations and with sweeping views of the grasslands. From Trakkar it’s a short drive to the 2000-year-old Han dynasty village of Bajiao, whose remarkable 12-sided walls still shelter a small living community. From the village it’s a short 5km diversion to the renovated Tseway Gompa, one of the few B?n monasteries in Gansu. Make sure you circumnavigate any holy site counterclockwise in the B?n fashion (the opposite direction from the usual way). There are great views of Bajiao from the ridge behind the monastery.
A four- to five-hour return trip to the Ganjia Grasslands costs around ?180 for a taxi from Xiahe. An English-speaking driver and guide costs ?450 for the full return trip and can be arranged at Snowy Mountain Cafe.
