Wild Sichuan Hiking Tour - 6 Days

This is a gound tour. Some days involve long hours of driving and sitting in the car. Please make preparation in accordance including power bank for your phone, neck pillow, etc. Please remember to have a day pack with you to take necessary items for each day's visit, sometimes including packed lunch or snacks for yourself, drinking water recommended 1L minimum, sunglasses, rainproof, warm-keeping clothes and hat, sun block and lip oil, etc. It is also wise to bring rainproof and warm clothes with you all the time.

A 4-hour drive from Chengdu to Rilong at the base of Mount Siguniang. We will start from Chengdu at your hotel in the morning by around 8.00 am and drive towards west into the mountains. The road is in the former earthquake-zone and you may still see the damages on the mountains from the quake in 2008. A new road was finished by end of 2016 and making the driving safer and quicker.

As we drive the landscape changes. We climb from 500 meters above sea level from Chengdu to an almost 3800-meter tunnel over Balang Pass and then dive into the valley where Rilong is located. After arrive in Rilong and then go to Shuangqiao Park.

Shuangqiaogou Valley is a zigzagged, deep and quiet and the longest valley stretching over 35km in total. First we will go into Shuangqiao Valley where we start our visit by a bus ride to the end of valley and start the hiking. Around you there are many stunning peaks some are snow-capped and some are big walls including Mt. Jianshan, Mt. Yutu, Mt. Se'erdengpu, Mt. Potala, Mt. Abi and many more. We will walk on the less-walked boardwalk along the river and enjoy some quiet time in nature. We will hike down the valley following the river on boardwalk most of the time. By walking we will see the most highlights of Shuangqiao in close range and in a slower pace rather than rushing through things by using a bus that makes stops along the road. The first 5 km is from the end of the valley where buses stop down to Potala Peak Stop. This part is one of the best part of Shuangqiao to walk. In general the higher part of the valley is where most of good views of Shuangqiao are located. The walking will be on well-paved boardwalk on flat terrain with no steep part since it is mainly walking down. The second part of walking is from Potala Peak Stop to Sigu Natso that is 3.5km. The first 8km is what we recommend you do at least since it is considered the most beautiful part.

From Sigu Natso to Nianyuba the boardwalk is destroyed by flood so the walking has to be on road although we can use a bus to avoid walking on road. Road is quiet and no cars except the buses though some may found walking on hard road not comfortable. The road part is 3km total.

After Nianyuba it is another 5km to Nature Museum Stop on boardwalk. Along the valley we'll see mountains, grazing yaks and forest. By halfway down there is a rafting that we can choose to do. It is also a lot of fun to raft down the calm river for around 20 minutes. Today’s visiti and walking is flexible as it is the first day of this trip we recommend not to stress ourselves too much to better acclimate to the altitude.

Aferwards we will go check in to hotel. Rilong is a small town by the base of Mount Siguniang and usually a good stop place for visitors that go further and higher. Rilong is at 3100 meters. When you are traveling to higher altitude places, drink more water and keep warm. Your guide will brief you more on the tips of avoiding AMS.

Driving 4 hours, visiting 2 hours; Easy pace

Overnight hotel by 3100m

Today we will leave Mt. Siguniang and drive for around 3 hours to Danba, our next stop. Today is a more leisure day and relax from the former days hiking. We don't have to start too early today.

After we arrive in Zhonglu in the early afternoon we will do relaxed and leisure walking in the village of Zhonglu. Zhonglu is one of the representatives of the Tibetan villages in Danba. Zhonglu is more authentic and less spoiled by mass tourism. People there work in the farm and orchards. Their houses are unique and beautiful. The villages are located on the sunny slope and composed of over dozens of families. The village bends into the shape of the mountain side: some lower and some higher. Green orchards and colorful houses made the villages here very attractive.

The hiking in Zhonglu is around total 4-8km covering the best views of Zhonglu Village including No.3 photo spot. This is a leisure-paced hiking with elevation gain at 200m at around 2000m.

Afterwards go check back to hotel and relax.

Hiking 4-8km; Easy pace

Overnight hotel by 2200m

Wake up in the morning mist and breath the fresh countryside air. After breakfast we start from Danba and drive for around 1.5 hours before arrive in Yala Mountain Park.

Today's visit and hiking is mainly in the park of Mt. Yala. Mt. Yala is a recently built up park that is with good road leads to the base of the mountain. After we get tickets from the tourist center we will first use a small park bus to go to the base of the mountain. The bus ride is around 40 minutes. After we arrive the base we can walk up to the lakes by the foot of Mt. Yala where we can see the stunning glacier and the beautiful lake Yala Yumtso. From the base we can also hire a horse to ride up to the lake since the walking up 3km is very steep. We will walk or use a horse from the base by 3750m to Yala Yumtso Lake by 4050m. Yala Yumtso is just located by the base of Mt. Yala, a holy mountain worshiped by local people that is 5820m above sea level. We can see some thick glaciers by its north face. If time allowes we can walk up further to explore two more lakes above Yala Yumtso Lake at 4200m for extra 2.5km by a pass. We gain more open views by the two lakes.

After the visit come back the same way and use park bus to the car park and continue drive to Tagong for another 1h. En route visit Huiyuan Temple if time allows. After arrive in Tagong check in to hotel and have dinner.

Total 6km+ , challenging pace

Overnight at hotel at 3800m

Tagong is home to one of the most widely-worshiped Sakya sect monasteries called Tagong monastery. It has an elevation of 3750 meters above the sea level. There is only one 500 meters street goes across this town. At the end of this street is the Tagong monastery and Tagong Grassland. Tagong is an important place for the Tibetan Buddhism. Monastery and religion are fundamentally rooted in people's lives here. In the morning you are free to explore the small town of Tagong including Tagong Monastery.

After breakfast we will start by a short car ride to Anigongma Village. The drive usually takes around 10-15 minutes. Hiking starts by visits to the workshop of Mani Stones, Great Pile of Mani Stones, Nunnery and Muya Grand Temple. Piles of Mani stones are another form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism. At Anigongma there sits the second largest Mani Stone pile in eastern Tibet. The stones are piled up by local devoted Buddhists by hand. It is an amazing site of Tagong. We will also go to have a look of the working nunnery in Anigongma, one of the largest nunneries in Tibetan Sichuan.

After the visits, walk into the valley and elevation rises gradually to over 4000 meters and views become more stunning as the big mountains emerges from afar. On Tagong Grassland we will see Mt. Yala and Mt. Yamu in close range and possibly grazing yaks and nomads tents. Today's hiking is a very pleasant hiking because we will be walking on open grassland with views all around.

Walk on 4000m for the rest of the day before drop down to Dola Gamo to the road and be picked up by your driver and send to your hotel in Kangding. The drive takes around 2 hours from Dola Gamu to Kangding. We shall finish hiking no late than 4pm in order to arrive Kangding before dark. After check in to hotel, go eat dinner and if time allows you are free to explore the town of Kangding.

Total 15km , medium pace

Overnight at hotel at 2600m

In the morning you will also start by a short car ride to Laoyulin Village for around 15 minutes and switch to local transfer for another 30 minutes drive to road head. The loca transfer is necessary as the lst bit of road is not a good road that is usually muddy and bumpy. Local drivers know the road well. Hiking starts by road end at Gexi Camp at around 3600m.

We have great views of Lamoshe mountain behind us from Gexi. The valley we walk is called Riuqi Valley that extends to around 25km southwards. Today we will cover the first 6 to 10km and come back. The walking starts by gradual ascent by the riverside with pine forest and mountains around us. After cross the river we will pass by a red rock slide before we ascend a small section of steep part and then we get more open views of the valley and mountains around us. Today's walking is rather medium and flexible. Riuqi is a wild and beautiful valley with views of snow mountains and flowing river. Flexible medium walking distance between 8km to 20km for around 5-8 hours. Today;s walking will be total mountain trail that is safe and easy to navigate. Unlike many other well-maintained parks this place is a total wild land of nature. Since the valley goes on for over 20km we will return at the furthest at the 10km place by Liangcha, making total walking to 20km, which is considered a lot of walking for one day at such altitude. Although this hiking is set to be flexible so we can turn back at any point of the hiking. We recommend to at least walk the first 3km.

Total 6-20km , medium pace

Overnight at hotel at 2600m

In the morning you are free to explore the town of Kangding if you want. We'll start by around 9-10am in the morning and drive back to Chengdu. Kangding is a very interesting Khampa town in Tibetan Sichuan with a long history. On the way back to Chengdu you will have a chance to have a short hike by the tea plantations in Yaan. After arrive in Chengdu check in to your hotel. Tour ends.