Please note since 2023 this way of planning Dafeng trekking is extremely difficult due to limited porter. We recommend you to acclimate elsewhere above 3000m for at least 1 night before going up to Dafeng BC at 4300m to have a higher chance of making summit and avoid AMS.
This is the classic way of doing Dafeng Summit Trek. From the beginning when people started to go to Dafeng, they did it in 5 days with proper acclimating and the chance to make the summit is very high. It takes longer time and costs more money but provides a much higher chance of summiting. Please see below details of the plan of 4/5 days dafeng trekking.
Day 01 Mount Siguniang Town - Laoniu Yuanzi (Laoniu Hut)
Start your Dafeng Expedition from the base of Mt. Siguniang at Rilong to Laoniu Yuanzi, which is the yak ranch in Haizi Valley. Total walking for about 11km from 3000 meters to 3700 meters. This is your first acclimatization day walking before making summit to Dafeng. You will be walking on horse trails in the forest and camp at Laoniu Yuanzi. Overnight at 3700m.
Day 02 Laoniu Yuanzi – Huahaizi Lake - Laoniu Yuanzi
Today is your second day of acclimatization walking. You will start from your campsite and walk to Huahaizi Lake which is about 4 km away from Laoniu Yuanzi. Walk around the lake and depends on your fitness and your acclimatization, you can choose to walk further into the valley to go higher and to see more views. After worth walk back to Laoniu Yuanzi to your campsite and stay there for overnight. Overnight at 3700m.
Day 03 Laoniu Yuanzi – Dafeng Base Camp
Today you will walk from Laoniu Yuanzi at 3700 meters to Dafeng Base Camp at 4300 meters above sea level. The walking is very strenuous. It is all the way going up wards but it is about 6km in total. The elevation at Dafeng Base Camp is about 4300 meters. Be careful of warm keeping and dehydration as this is the critical day before your summit. Overnight camping at base camp at 4300m.
Day 04 Dafeng Base Camp – Dafeng Summit – Laoniu Yuanzi
Today you can either start early in the morning before 4 am to try catching the sunrise by the summit of Dafeng, or you can start at a normal time and walk to the summit of Dafeng. It normally takes about 4-5 hours to reach the summit. If the weather is good, you will have wonderful views of the peaks of Mount Siguniang. Dafeng is measured as 5000 meters’ tall and it is one of the four sisters of Siguniang. Walk back to your base camp and continue to Laoniu Yuanzi and overnight camping at 3700m. Total walking 12km and 7 to 8 hours.
Day 05 Laoniu Yuanzi - Rilong
Today you will walk back to the town of Rilong from Laoniu Yuanzi. It is a leisure and easy day after your summit. This part of walking is around 10km and if you don't wish to spend another night in the mountain and want to have some nice shower, etc, you can start early the former day and go back to Rilong directly from the summit instead of having one more night at Laoniu Yuanzi.
This plan involves camping for several nights. If you are used to camping this should be no problem. Each day's walking is at a reasonable distance and pace. The altitude gain and loss are more equally distributed to each day before summiting. All you need to do is to stay warm and healthy. The time provided before the hiking is long enough for proper acclimating for most people.
Please read a sample tour we provide here>>.
The above planning is no longer available due to over-tourism to Dafeng and Erfeng because of imited porter/guides. All trips to Dafeng or Erfeng are run in 2 days from the base at Rilong/Siguniangshan Town. All porters/guides make more money doing so than any trip that has more than one night in the mountains. The authority still allow travelers to have multiple nights inside the park using for example the above planning but it's very difficult to find porters/guides that are appointed by the park. Therefore we suggest you to acclimate elsewhere before doing the "standard 2-day Dafeng Trek" from the base. Places to acclimate includes: nearby Balangshan that is around 3800m, or inside Changping Valley at around 3800m, or end of Shuangqiao Valley by around 3800m. However if you wish to have one night sleep higher than Rilong (Siguniangshan Town by 3100m) you may consider to drive up Balang and camp by 3800m or drive further to Jiesi Valley and camp by around 3900m so you have one night sleep high than Rilong (3100m) and lower than Dafeng BC (4300m). Such planning can be as follows:
Day 01 Chengdu - Siguniang
Drive from Chengdu and en route spend at least 4 hours time by the elevation of 3800m at Balangshan Tunnel before drive down to hotel. Overnight Rilong by 3100m.
Day 02 Shuangqiao or Changping acclimating Hike
Today is acclimating hiking day in either Shuangqiao or Changping by 3800m. Overnight camping at 3800m by near Balang Road Pass or 3900m by Jieji Valley..
Day 03 Rilong – Dafeng Base Camp
(You may add on another day of aclcimating before going up to BC)Today you will walk from Rilong at 3100 meters to Dafeng Base Camp at 4300 meters above sea level. The walking is very strenuous. It is all the way going up wards. The elevation at Dafeng Base Camp is about 4300 meters. Be careful of warm keeping and dehydration as this is the critical day before your summit. Overnight shared-hut/mess tent at base camp at 4300m.
Day 04 Dafeng Base Camp – Dafeng Summit – Rilong
Today you will start early in the morning before 4 am to try catching the sunrise by the summit of Dafeng. It normally takes about 4-5 hours to reach the summit. If the weather is good, you will have wonderful views of the peaks of Mount Siguniang. Dafeng is measured as 5000 meters’ tall and it is one of the four sisters of Siguniang. Walk back to your base camp and back to Rilong. Total walking 20km and 10 to 12 hours.
Day 05 Siguniang - Chengdu
Drive back to Chengdu.
Route: Chengdu - Mount Siguniang
Route: Chengdu - Mount Siguniang
Route: Chengdu - Mount Siguniang
