Great Gorges and Sacred Peaks

Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to a comfortable hotel. Kunming, called the City of Eternal Spring, is more than 2,200 years old. The Nationality Museum in Kunming provides an insightful introduction to 26 ethnic groups from all over Yunnan. Visit the ethnic museum, a marvelous showcase of the cultural diversity of this area, either before the trek or at the end. If you wish to arrive early and add sightseeing in the vicinity or Kunming or other areas of China, please ask for suggestions when you sign up for the trip. Your group will meet for a welcome dinner with your guide and JOURNEYS permanent representative in Kunming.

Fly to Zhongdian (10,827 ft). Zhongdian, or Gyeltang, is where the Tibetan and Chinese worlds meet. Until recently, it was the northernmost open point for foreign travelers in Yunnan. The city and county have recently been renamed Shangri-La after an exhaustive search (and a strong PR-minded local committee) concluded that this region was the inspiration for James Hilton’s best-selling novel, “Lost Horizon” (1933). Zhongdian is now a modern city at the edge of the vast Tibetan plateau. Today is for acclimatization, and you will spend an easy day, including a visit to the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, which was founded in 1679 by the Fifth Dalai Lama (known as the Great Fifth for his services to Buddhism in Tibet). It is now flourishing with around 800 monks of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Drive about five hours to Deqin, 10,712 ft. The drive takes you northwest through some stunning scenery that gives you a taste of what to expect on your trek. While there has been extensive logging in this part of Yunnan, enough forest cover remains to get a good sense of the enormous bio-diversity of this area. This region is part of the enormous new Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site created through the assistance of the Nature Conservancy. The road offers spectacular snowy mountain views. Logging is banned and there are active programs of reforestation throughout the county. You will stop at the Dongdrupling Gompa, the second largest in the region and undergoing reconstruction. There may also be time to visit the Shusong Nunnery. The region is famous for the production of bowls made from local azalea wood. Deqin is the last township of Yunnan’s northwesternmost county, and it sits on the border with Tibet to the west and Myanmar (Burma) to the southwest.

You will travel west by bus to Flying Monastery for a panorama view of Mt. Kawagebo. Thousands of brightly-colored prayer flags, enormous incense burners, and hundreds of religious pilgrims create a beautiful scene of natural beauty and cultural ceremony. You will first circle the chortens, then start descending to Mekong Valley. It is a two-hour walk to the bridge of Yong Dzon. After a picnic lunch at Yong Dzon, you will hike for one hour to Xidang, a Tibetan village overlooking the Mekong. Stay overnight at a Tibetan lodge in Xidang.

Today you will start hiking from Xidang. You will climb from 7,500 ft to over 10,500 ft at the pass, through beautiful, pristine alpine forest. This forest is rich in bird life, including many Giant and Elliott’s Laughing Thrushes. After a picnic at the summit (where there may still be snow in early spring), you will descend to the isolated village of Yubeng 5,479 ft. This is a spectacularly beautiful mountain valley beneath towering snow-covered peaks. Total hiking today will be about seven hours. Horses may be available upon request. You will spend the night in a small lodge.

Weather permitting, you'll wake up to a clear view of the Mt. Kawagebo glacier. After breakfast, you will hike to the sacred waterfall, from which Yubeng's name originated. Buddhists on a pilgrimage to the area circumambulate the waterfall 13 times in the belief that this act will erase all sins from this life. In the early afternoon, you'll head back to the village lodge, visiting sacred sites along the way. Enormous hemlocks, rhododendrons, and fir trees line the path. Sunbirds are common. Pilgrims have piled rocks in balanced columns along the rivers in reverence of local spirits.

Today you will hike to the Base Camp of the ill-fated Japanese expedition in 1991. It is a beautiful trek to Xiaonong where Tibetans graze their yaks in summertime. If time and the group's energies allow, continue hiking to Glacier Lake, or just enjoy the beauty of this high meadow, watching the high glaciers as little icefalls and avalanches tumble down the slopes. Return to Yubeng for overnight again.

Retrace your steps to the trailhead. Your car will meet you at the foot of the mountain and drive you to Mingyong village for an overnight at a pleasant lodge. Local Tibetans run this small lodge by the edge of a glacial cascade. Accommodations are surprisingly comfortable for this remote location. The local food is excellent.

Today's morning hike will be relatively easy, but ponies or mules are available for hire on the uphill leg. Your destination is Taizi Monastery built at the edge of the Minyong Glacier. This monastery is believed to be the final destination of a long traditional pilgrimage. Prayer flags smother the entrance to the monastery. Flowers line the lower path. A spectacular boardwalk scaffolding scales the precipitous edge of the glacier, affording incredible views of the glacier and nearby peaks. It is a wonderful, rewarding hike. Return to Deqin for overnight.

We offer an optional trek extension for your consideration to the Salween River (ask us for details). Today you will descend from high Deqin to the scenic, subtropical Mekong Valley. After breakfast, you will drive along the Mekong to Cizhong (6,234 ft), where you will visit the village church built of stone in the early 20th century. This church remarkably escaped destruction in the Cultural Revolution. It is the center of a rapidly-expanding grape growing region. Also, you will visit Yechi, the ancient governor’s house and lesser Weixi Church. Enjoy a scenic drive to Weixi for your overnight.

After breakfast, you will be drive about five hours to the mighty Yangtze River, leaving the mountains and forest behind. You will visit the Stone Drum Town and the great bend of the Yangtze. You will see modern China shaping the landscape once again. Continue driving to Lijiang for overnight in a very nice hotel at the edge of the old town.

You will spend the whole morning wandering in Lijiang Old Town, an ideal place to relax after this long journey. Lijang is a favorite destination for travelers from all over China as well as the rest of the world. Here you will find traditional architecture and culture well-preserved in everyday life. The food here is superb. The Chinese tourists are a curiosity for us, as we are for them, and you may find yourselves taking pictures of each other. In the afternoon, you will take a flight back to Kunming for overnight.

You’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight and connections to other destinations. You may be surprised at the efficiency of Chinese airports, the quality of the in-flight service, and the on-time performance. Consider adding a few days before or after your trekking adventure in Hong Kong or Beijing.