Faster, stronger, higher, higher and higher

Yading scenic spot offers tracks running 29 kilometers through sprawling mountains and forests, giving those walking or running on them the chance not only to lap up the pristine nature but also to test theirphysical strength.[Photo by Wei Xueyan/ China Daily]

In a scenic spot that literally takes your breath away, the competitive juices run.

Skin baked dry and hard by the sun, dark purple lips and the lilt of Tibetan in the air: It was late April, and it was these sights and sounds that greeted us even before we had fully come to terms with a couple of other welcoming presents: the weather and altitude sickness.

We had just arrived at Daocheng Yading Airport, the world's highest civilian airport, 4,411 meters above sea level, which had just been blanketed by snow, something that seemed incongruous for us who had been in balmy Beijing, where short sleeved seemed to be all the go the day before.

We changed into our down and wind jackets before getting out of the aircraft, and some of the passengers immediately felt the effects of altitude stress.

An hour earlier we had been soaking up or merely tolerating the hustle and bustle of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, and here the dark brown, snowcapped mountains reclining on the horizon could not have presented a starker contrast.

Yading is in Daocheng county, Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture, in Sichuan and well known for its virgin natural environment and spectacular scenery.

The three crowning glories of it all are the Xiannairi, Yangmaiyong and Xianuo Duoji peaks, each about 6,000 meters above sea level, blanketed by dazzling white snow, and with blue-watered rivers, lakes and lush alpine meadows all contributing to the majestic tapestry.

"We worship these three peaks, regarding them as having been given to us by Buddha," a local guide told us.

One of the main reasons for our visit was much more earthbound: the first ever event in China put on by Skyrunning, an organization that puts on cross-country running events around the globe. For this event more than 70 professional runners from 22 countries and regions, including Iran, Italy, Mexico, Nepal and the US, had flown in to savor what this out-of-the-way venue had to offer.

Most of them were among the top 100 cross-country runners worldwide, the organizers say.

The organization's name refers to the interface between the earth and the sky, and Yading was regarded as ideal venue for the event, given its superb mountain tracks. The organization places a premium on putting runners in touch with nature.

It has staged more than 200 events in more than 50 countries, and it says they attracted more than 30,000 participants.

The tracks used in Yading ran 29 kilometers through sprawling mountains and forests, giving those walking or running on them the chance not only to lap up the pristine nature but also test their physical strength.

In fact, the rigors of the altitude left some of us breathless as we merely negotiated a couple of flights of stairs.

Ruth Croft, a professional cross-country runner from New Zealand, said: "It actually reminds me a bit of Nepal, but then it's amazing as you go up the trail here, you see the change in the trees and they're really bright and orange."

Croft and winners of several international running events, such as the 2015 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the French Alps, were among the several professionals invited to offer their opinions and advice on preparations for the Skyrun event.