Mount Gongga Shan In-depth Hiking – 9 Days
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Minya Konka Camping Trek – 5 Days
from $666
Mount Gongga Photo Tour – 5 Days
from $642
Mount Gongga Lodge-based Hiking - 7 Days
from $895
Lenggacuo (Langgatso, or Lenggatso) is a lake west to Minya Konka Range and a perfect place to shoot mirror photos of Minya Konka mountains. It is located 5km from the base by the road and can only be accessed by foot or horse. Lenggacuo has become a very popular place to shoot good sunset mountain photos in China. To get to Lenggacuo one gets to Xinduqiao first. Xinduqiao is one day's drive from Chengdu.
Lenggacuo is located by the mountain ridge west to the mountain range of Minya Konka Mountains. It is around 480km from the city of Chengdu. By driving it takes around 10-12hours to get to. Normally people make a stop for overnight before go to this lake. A shorter road that maybe available in the next year over the village of Jiagenba saves around 100km of driving. Xinduqiao is the must-pass location on a trip to Lenggacuo. Xinduqiao itself is also a very popular town for tourists that go to further places such as Tibet or Yading.
A 4km hiking or horse-riding is inevitable to get to this lake after a 1-h bumpy car ride from the village where good road leads to.
The most famous thing to see by Lenggacuo is the mirrored view of the the very close Minya Konka Range over the lake. Sunset is a big deal for many photo lovers that many camp here by night or stay late to get good shots of the mountains during sunset. Lenggacuo is one of the best places to see the Minya Konka Mountains in Sichuan. It may not be the easiest to access but it is very close to the mountain and it provides chance to see reflection of mountains in the lake.
Lenggacuo Views in Summer
Lenggacuo After Snow
Lenggacuo Lake from Above
Entrance Ticket: 20yuan / person
Riding Horse: 200yuan/ person single way
Business Hour: 24h
Recommended Time of Visit: 4-6h
For photography lovers we have a perfect classic Minya Konka Photo Tour recommended to you.
If you wish to have a look of this place on a circuit road tour then prepare for the long drive and basic accommodations. Starting from Xinduqiao it is around 3-4 hours’ drive to get to the base of Lenggacuo where one needs to walk up the lake and if you wish to catch sunset please make sure you get to the base before 2pm or earlier depending on the season. Please make sure you have the energy to walk back down to the base in darkness for 4km. You can also skip the sunset if walking in the dark is too dangerous or if the weather is not good. Normally we suggest if you wish to watch sunrise it is better to camp by the lake for one night. Because the horses won’t be working in the dark and you have to walk and it is risky on the mountain trails.
Camping by Lenggacuo one should be able to cope with the high altitude we recommend you to be well-acclimated before you do this camping otherwise it’s very risky to your health and even life. Please make sufficient plans when you want to camp by the lake.
Camping by Lenggacuo
If you have more time, you are recommended to visit the other interesting and beautiful place around here including Zimei Pass, Calcium Lake of Quanhuatan.
Hiking lovers can consider to do a hiking trip from Lenggacuo Lake to Quanhuatan Calcium Lake. Please inquire us for more details.
Lenggacuo is located by the west of Minya Konka. In general it has the same weather/climate of Minya Konka. If one wishes to see the mountains then you are recommended to come in October and November when the chance to see the mountains is high while in June, July and August the chance of seeing the mountains is lower due to cloud and fog.
We strongly recommend you to be well-acclimated before go up to Lenggacuo or especially if you plan to camp by the lake. The altitude of the lake is at around 4500m, the base by end of the driving road is at around 4000m. The village of Yulongshi is at 3900m, the village of Shangmuju is at 3800m. If you plan to include Lenggacuo being one of your visits in your trip then please make sure it is not the first stop of your trip because you need time to acclimate before going to this height to reduce the risk of getting AMS. For camping we recommend you to sleep by Xinduqiao at 3400m and then by Yulongshi (or Shangmuju) by 3900m before going sleeping by the lake. The rescue is very unreliable and the nearest hospital is 3-4 hours’ drive away (2023).
Xinduqiao is usually a very good stopover place for trips to Xinduqiao. There are plenty options on hotels in Xinduqiao. The base of Lenggacuo are two villages: Yulongshi and Shangmuju. Hotels now are much better than before but is still considered to be very basic in these village. Given the popularity of the lake Lenggacuo the hotels are still considered to be limited in the villages.
There is some huts offering bunks aside from camping. The bunks need to be booked before hand during busy travel season it maybe full. The huts are vey basic you may need to bring your own sleeping bag. There is very limited food options here by the lake. There is one small shop but the food options are very limited. You are recommended to bring your own food if you are sleeping here overnight.
Read details of our exploring trip report in west Minya Konka.
View below the best-selected 3 tour packages of Gonggashan. All itineraries start from Chengdu and end in Chengdu.
Have the authentic experiences follow off-beat horse trails in Gonggashan. Visit ancient and back country Buddhist monastery Gongga Gompa and hidden glaciers. This 9-day Mount Gonggashan hiking brings you to view the highest mountain in Sichuan Province.
Minya Konka is called Gongga Shan by local Tibetan people. It is the king of Sichuan Mountains. The western part of the mountain range is less-explored but beautiful. This 5-day photo tour takes you into the most wilderness in western Sichuan and the heartland of Gongga Shan.
Join in Group Hiking tour is now available. A group hiking tour to Minya Konka provides you excellent highland mountain views and nomads Tibetan people with affordable price. Come and join us on this hiking to explore the accessible Tibet in 9 days in a group.
