2021 Sichuan Trek: Glacier Lake Hike - 6 Days EX Chengdu

Tour Description

Introduction
This is a Chengdu-based tour: starting and ending in Chengdu. Total 6 days with 4 days walking from start to finish, into the heartland of Minya Konka by walking up Riwuqi Pasture. Great views of mountains, glaciers, lake and wild life. This tour will involve 3 nights' camping.

Plan at a Glance

D01 Chengdu - Kangding
Drive from Chengdu to Kangding and acclimating walk around the town of Kangding.
Overnight hotel in Kangding

D02 - D05 Trekking Days
Total 4 days walking for over 50km in 4 days into the wilderness of snow-capped mountains, valleys, glaciers and lake. Camping for overnight.

D06 Kangding - Chengdu
Kangding drive back to Chengdu. Trek ends.

Plan in Details

Day 01 Chengdu - Kangding

Start from Chengdu and drive for around 4 hours to get to Kangding. In the afternoon after arrival, acclimatize walk up the back mountain of Kangding and try walk to 3000 meters for better acclimating. After the walk come back down to Kangding and stay overnight in hotel by 2600m.

Day 02 Kangding - Gyazela
Hiking starts after a short ride of around 40 minutes from your hotel in town of Kangding by road head at around 3500 meters. The walking starts by gradual ascent by the riverside with pine forest and mountains around you. You'll pass by a red rock slide where you'll experience a small section of steep part before you get more open views of the valley and mountains around you. Arrive at camp site by Gyazela at 3800 meters in the afternoon. Total walk around 10km.

Day 03 Gyazela - Upper Riwuqi

As altitutde gains the walking gets more challenging. Today start easy with more gradual terrain by the riverside. Views get better as you walk higher. You'll see snow mountain include Little Konka, Jiazi Feng and Mt. Grosvenor if the day is clear. Before arrive campsite, there is also a small section of going up. Please take your time and walk slow. Campsite is Riwuqi at 4100 meters, a flat pasture by end of valley. Total walking around 7km.

Day 04 Explore Riwuqi Pass and Glacier Lake

Today is an exploring day to the Reddomain Mountain glacier lake. Follow the stream and walk to the lake and if you want you can even walk up to the glacier to have a look. After worth go up to Riwuqi Pass to gain overview of the valley with mountains of Jiazi, Grosvenor, Little Konka and Reddomain, Daddomain and many more mountains by the south. Afterworth walk back down to the campsite for overnight. Total walking around 10km.

Day 05 Riwuqi - Kangding

Today is a full day walking back to where you started the hiking for around 17km. You have another chance to see the views along the way if weather was not good enough. Be picked up by road head and send to your hotel in Kangding. Tour ends.

Day 06 Kang - Chengdu
Leisure walk to explore the frontier town of Kangding for a couple of hours before head back to Chengdu. Tour ends.

Price & Departures

Departure Dates:
30th July - 04th August
25th August - 30th August

Price is 6624 yuan PP
Group Size: Between 8 and 16 pax.
Single Room/Tent Supplement: CNY460/person

Price Inclusions:
Private transfer;
English-speaking guide;
Admission/Camping fees;
Porters whilst hiking;
Meals full board;
Accommodations 2 nights, double occupancy;
Obligated travel Insurance;
Tour arrangement, logistics.

Price Exclusions:
Food/accommodations/ activities in Chengdu;
Sights and activities not listed;
Personal expenses and personal gears;
Optional tips to porter and guide.

Refunding：
Refund will be made in accordance with the following policies should you cancel your trip out of your personal reasons:
1. 15 days prior to departure date, you will have a full refund;
2. 7-15 days prior to departure date, you will have a 50% refund of what you paid unless you find someone to take your spot in this trip;
3. within 7 days prior to departure date, no refund.

Cancelation：
1. Tour will be canceled if final group size is less than 8 people. Prepaid fee will be refunded. We don' engage in responsibility of any possible personal loss of cancelation due to this reason. This shall be revisited and decided one week prior to departure date.
2. Due to unforeseeable incidents such as earthquak, landslide, war (force majeure) that resulted in cancelation of tour, all costs that didn't happend will be refunded. We don' engage in responsibility of any possible personal loss of cancelation due to this reason.

Travel Information
Tips from our guides:
01. This tour is available all year round.
02. Strong walking boots are necessary to do this trek. In this hiking, some sections of the walking trail are rocky .
03. Sun block is necessary when you come to hike at Kangding. The average elevation of this hiking is over 3500 meters. Weather changes quickly. In winter
04. Traveling to the listed places will expect lower standard services at hotels and restaurants even if they maybe the best choices. The service level is not as up to what you have in places like Chengdu. The hotel people don't speak English nor do the people from restaurants. These places are quite far, wild but beautiful. As authenticity comes often with less comfortability. Public Toilet can be really bad. You are always recommended to use your toilet in your hotel while you don't want to use the public toilet or do it in the open wild. You are recommended to have toilet paper with you. Food are with limited options at most of the places. Basically you can find Chinese Food with Sichuan style. On a guided trip you can have them customized into vegetarian or non/less spicy.

Q&A
01. In terms of AMS, what should I prepare?
First time travelers to this place or even experienced travelers all have the risk of getting AMS due to change of altitude/temperature and air pressure. Acclimatization is necessary and precautions are essential. Precautions include:
a. Drink more water than you normally need everyday.
b. Always keep your warm clothes handy and wear more layers to avoid getting cold due to elevation/temperature/pressure change.
c. Eat properly (no alcohol and be careful of local street food) and have enough time to sleep
d. Do not stress yourself both physically and mentally/ physical preparation prior to thie trip is helpful
e. Prepare medication for AMS, cold and diaries

02. Weather Expectation:
Diurnal temperature variation is up to 20 Celsius degrees. Weather is quite fine when sun comes out, but in the morning and evening, temperature drops dramatically. Temperature drops below 0 Celsius during midnight. Warm keeping is very important. Wind is heavy on the mountain. Sun proof is necessary for skin protection. Be careful in a rainy day as trail underfoot becomes slippery. "When you are in the mountain, weather changes fast".

03. Accessibility and Amenities
Traveling to the listed places will expect lower standard services at hotels and restaurants even if they maybe the best choices. The service level is not as up to what you have in places like Chengdu. The hotel people don't speak English nor do the people from restaurants. These places are quite far, wild but beautiful. As authenticity comes often with less comfortability. Public Toilet can be really bad. You are always recommended to use your toilet in your hotel while you don't want to use the public toilet or do it in the open wild. You are recommended to have toilet paper with you. Food are with limited options at most of the places. Basically you can find Chinese Food with Sichuan style. On a guided trip you can have them customized into vegetarian or non/less spicy.

04. Important Notice
This is a tour involves walking at high altitude, people with the following conditions are not opt to join this trip to go over 3000 meters.
a. Cardiac-related conditions, RHR beyond 100/min, hypertension, Cerebrovascular disease, Arrhythmia, etc.
b. Chronic respiratory diseases, moderate or above obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, emphysema, active tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis;
c. Uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, schizophrenia;
d. Severe cold, upper respiratory tract infection, body temperature above 38 degrees Celsius or body temperature below 38 degrees Celsius but with obvious systemic and respiratory symptoms;
e. People who have been diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema, high altitude cerebral edema, high altitude hypertension, high altitude heart disease, and high altitude polycythemia;
f. Pregnant Women.

05. Adventure Travel Notice
This is an adventure tour. It involves certain risks of injury and/or death due to multiple reasons. By signing up with us, you appreciate and accept the risks involved in adventure travel and do not suffer from any pre-existing medical condition or disability which may prevent them from actively participating in the tour. We operates under safety guidelines and use professional and experienced outdoor hiking guide. As travelers you have the obligation to tell us if you have any ailments or physical conditions that may put yourself in any danger due to hard walking, high altitude, etc. You are also obligated to be fully aware of your own physical conditions when sign up for this trip. It is vital that participants with pre-existing medical problems or conditions make these know to us at the time of booking. During such trip, advices given by our stuff are critical and important. We will not be responsible due to you acting against our advices before/during the trip.

Attractions Visited in This Tour

•  Kangding

Contact tour guide