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13 |
Trek |
DAYS |
Voir les photos
Holiday Overview
Holiday Overview
Highlights
- Mt. Konka: known as the 'King of Sichuan Mountains'
- Gongga Temple: produced many famous lamas
- Explore the traditional Tibetan lifestyle
Brief Itinerary
- DAY 01 ARRIVE IN CHENGDU
- DAY 02 DRIVE TO KANGDING
- DAY 03 KANGDING SIGHTSEEING
- DAY 04 TREK TO DA CAO BA
- DAY 05 TREK TO LOWER RIWOCHE
- DAY 06 TREK TO UPPER RIWOCHE
- DAY 07 CROSS THE RIWOCHE PASS / MOXI VALLEY
- DAY 08 DOWNHILL TO LOWER MOXI VALLEY
- DAY 09 TREK TO KONKA MONASTERY
- DAY 10 EXPLORATION ABOVE THE MONASTERY / DESCEND TO UPPER ZIMEI
- DAY 11 ZIMEI PASS / SHANGMUJU VILLAGE / KANGDING
- DAY 12 DRIVE BACK TO CHENGDU
- DAY 13 DEPARTURE
Map & Itinerary
Map & Itinerary
Rising to a height of 7,556m, Mt. Konka towers above all the other mountains of Sichuan Province, so it is known as the “King of Sichuan Mountains.” This 7-day high-altitude trek not only provides breathtaking views, but also allows us time to explore the traditional Tibetan lifestyle of this area. Tibetan guides lead us across three passes over 4,900 meters, and through a variety of alpine terrains with lakes and meadows. We stop in Tibetan homes and share butter tea and tsampa with our hosts. The climax of the trip will be our visit to Gongga Temple, which in times past produced many famous lamas.
Note: All the time and distance shown here are approximate and indicative only, if there is inconsistency, it will depend on the weather, local road condition and other actual situation.
Holiday Itinerary
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ARRIVE IN CHENGDU
Arrive in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province in Southwestern China, a transfer from Chengdu airport will be provided. As the hometown of panda, Sichuan is reputed as the kingdom which has an abundance of natural resources and various landforms of snow-mountains, grasslands and grand gorges. Walking along the old street, appreciate the historical and cultural atmosphere. If the time permits, we will take a visit to Chengdu Panda Breeding Centre to explore the daily life of the cute pandas intimately. Located approximately 10km from downtown, the Centre is a well laid out park which is designed to resemble the pandas' natural habitat. This evening we will have a briefing from the tour leader and then will enjoy the fiery cuisine in local restaurant.
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Accommodation 4 star Hotel in Chengdu
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Meals D
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DRIVE TO KANGDING
Leaving Chengdu, today we head out of the Sichuan basin to penetrate deep into the mountains that guard the approach to the south-eastern part of the Tibet-Qinghai plateau. Early in the morning, we spend 6-8 hours driving into the Hengduan Mountains to Kangding, one of the “Wild West” cities in Sichuan. Hengduan Mountains is a large mountainous region in southwest China, among which Minya Konka is the highest one. Our intended route will take us through the Mount Erlang Tunnel while it was an unconquerable block in the past. Then visit the famous Luding Bridge, a unique structure built in 1706 in Qing Dynasty, with nine iron chains spanning the roaring Dadu River. The bridge was taken over by the Red Army in the battle which was considered one of the turning points of the Long March. As we near Kangding, we find ourselves among grasslands, alpine lakes, virgin forest, glaciers and snow-capped mountains. The rushing Zheduo River flows through the center of Kangding. As the capital of the Ganzi Tibetan Ethnic Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, Kangding is a culturally rich area, home to several lamaseries in and around the city. It was once the capital of the powerful Chakla Kingdom, and is an important stop on the trade route to Lhasa.
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Accommodation King Gesar Hotel
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Meals BLD
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KANGDING SIGHTSEEING
We will head out for a day excursion and get acclimated with the high altitude. From the hotel we have a short drive up to the highest part of Kangding which is the launching point for visits to monasteries located in the Pao-Ma Hills overlooking Kangding. There is a tourist cable car here but as we are seeking acclimatization we will spurn the ride and instead take a winding track which climbs up into the hills. Reaching the upper station of the cable car we enter a park and visit the first Gompa. Behind this a series of steps through woods adorned with prayer flags leads to a large stupa and beyond this, to the (2,900m), providing not only useful acclimatization for us, but also a fantastic view over Kangding and the gorge of the Dardu River. The afternoon will include a fascinating introduction to this new land with a visit to the Tibetan Museum of Cultural History. This evening, we will enjoy our dinner in a local restaurant and then repack for the trek.
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Accommodation King Gesar Hotel
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Meals BLD
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TREK TO DA CAO BA
After breakfast, we drive approximately half an hour to the village of Lao Yulin (3,060m), where we’ll meet our packhorses and set off on foot. Today we have a relatively gentle introduction to the journey. The distance we can walk in a day is limited by our elevation gain while we are still acclimatizing to the altitude. We may opt to drive some of the way today leaving a walk of around 3-4 hours. We hike up steadily along rushing Gyazi River with an extraordinary diversity of plants and trees en route. Almost the entire walk is gentle and easy, partly along a farm track to reach our first camp located in a meadow surrounded by the Da-Cao-Ba (3,595m) mountains. This will be our first day settling into the camp routine and it is convenient that we will have a relaxed start to organize everything.
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Accommodation Camp at Da Cao Ba
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Ascent 395m
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Distance 11km
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Meals BLD
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Time 4hrs hiking
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TREK TO LOWER RIWOCHE
Following the Liangcha River on an undulating trail with the occasional steep climb, we trek through a wooded and hilly landscape surrounded by high cliffs and glimpsed higher peaks. The vegetation changes as we venture further up and closer to the mountain, with the dense forest thinning to open meadows and scattered scrub trees. At this stage of the journey we are still acclimatizing to the altitude and it is important to adopt a relaxed pace as we ascend to a higher elevation campsite in preparation for crossing the highest pass of the trek. We also have plenty of stops for photographs and to take in the spectacular views. In the afternoon we arrive at our campground in a small meadow by the edge of a clear, cold stream.
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Accommodation Camp at the Lower Riwoche
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Ascent 350m
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Distance 8km
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Meals BLD
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Time 5-6hrs hiking
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TREK TO UPPER RIWOCHE
Today we climb up above the tree line to the meadows of the Upper Riwoche Valley. The view opens out as we steadily gain height and we cross the river to its west bank on a wooden bridge. Ahead and to the southeast, we can see the peak of 'Little Konka' (6,027m) if the weather permitting. As we continue up to the head of the valley the trail starts to climb more steeply. We cross the river again on a simple wooden bridge and make a final climb to emerge onto a large open grazing area. There are likely to be tents of Tibetans yak herders' here at the time of our visit and they are sure to give us a warm welcome. We set up our own camp below the imposing face of Riwoche Feng (6,376m) and within sight of our pass, the Riwuqie Pass. Altitude at camp is 4,330m.
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Accommodation Camp at the Upper Riwoche
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Ascent 450m
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Distance 9km
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Meals BLD
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Time 6-7hrs hiking
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CROSS THE RIWOCHE PASS / MOXI VALLEY
It is worth making an early start to enjoy the sunrise. Following a camp breakfast we set off trekking, we head up the valley before we start to climb on a good trail which gradually ascends the rolling hills above the grazing area. Views open out as we rise higher with retrospective views of Little Konka and Jiazi Feng (6,540m), and overlook a Blue Lake at the snout of the Riwoche glacier. At last the serrated ridge marking the very head of the Riwoche Valley comes into view. From this point we have a further 40 minutes or so of trekking and a final steep pull to reach the summit at 4,900m. We should reach the top of the pass after 3 or 4 hours of trekking from camp. Cresting the ridge we are confronted with the Riwoche Pass forming the watershed between the Riwoche Valley and the Moxi Valley. From this vantage we can enjoy a great view of nearby Leduomanyin, glaciers and alpine lakes if the weather permits. And Minya Konka itself is hidden by the snow-fluted ridges of a host of approximately 6,000m peaks. After a picnic lunch on the summit we begin a long descent which is steep at first on scree but with a reasonably good trail made for us by the horses. Eventually we reach the grasslands of the upper valley and the headwaters of the Moxi River which we now follow downstream to reach our night's camp at 4,100m after approximately 7-8 hours of trekking. This is the toughest day of the trek and a long one but more than adequate compensation is provided by spectacular views and continuously interesting trekking.
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Accommodation Camp at Moxi Valley
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Ascent 590m
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Descent 750m
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Distance 15km
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Meals BLD
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Time 7-8hrs hiking
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DOWNHILL TO LOWER MOXI VALLEY
We will make an early start for a fairly long but relatively easy day of trekking as we continue down the long Moxi valley. The trek today is continuously interesting through the Moxi valley across an undulating landscape of meadows, pastures, rivers, and surrounding rock and snow as well as many makeshift dwellings and chortens made by the people who inhabit this valley. There is rhododendron in abundance throughout this area, where there is also teeming with birds of prey and small mammals. After 5-6 hours walking we will camp at another lower elevation meadow before beginning a gentle upward trek to Konka monastery in the morning. Our camp tonight is at 3,660m and already we are benefitting from warmer climes and the added oxygen. Ahead in the distance we can make out the forests of the lower Moxi Valley but this evening we are still high in the 'alpine' zone.
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Accommodation Camp at Lower Moxi Valley
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Descent 440m
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Distance 15km
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Meals BLD
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Time 6-7hrs hiking
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TREK TO KONKA MONASTERY
Today's destination is one of the most isolated monasteries on the planet. It is another fairly long but fascinating day of trekking. Crossing the river on a sturdy wooden bridge we climb up the hillside on the east bank and follow a good trail which descends steadily, dropping below the tree line and following the river down. After each gulley we have an interceding ridge, the climbing of which has the effect of popping our heads up above the forest for far-reaching views of the mountains to the south. After around 4 hours of generally downhill trekking we stop for a picnic lunch (3,400m) and afterwards we arrive at a trail junction with one path heading right and down to the valley and the other heading left and gently climbing. Taking the left turn we soon start to see religious symbols and chortens and within 40 minutes we see the monastery buildings with the sensational backdrop of Minya Konka. This is a very special place which makes itself felt by the hundreds of small shrines, chortens, mani stones and fluttering prayer flags. Konka Temple has 700 years of history and is considered holy by the Minya Tibetans who inhabit this area of Sichuan. We see murals in this temple portraying ancient people, wild birds and landscapes. We have a choice of camping inside the temple or staying in one of the simple guest rooms made available for pilgrims in the monastery.
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Accommodation Minya Konka Gompa
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Ascent 350m
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Descent 260m
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Distance 12km
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Meals BLD
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Time 6hrs hiking
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EXPLORATION ABOVE THE MONASTERY / DESCEND TO UPPER ZIMEI
If the weather is clear this will be an undoubted highlight of the trip. Even if the monastery is shrouded in cloud it is well worth making the effort to climb up above the Gompa as cloud inversions are quite common in the valleys of Minya Konka. Climbing just a couple of hundred metres will often be enough to get above the cloud and in these conditions the views of the peaks rising like islands above a cloud sea, are very special. The trail from the monastery to the viewpoint for Minya Konka heads up through the woods and emerges onto open hillside just below the 4,000m. The view across to the pyramid of Minya Konka is sensational but even better from the ridge above which is a further 20-30 minute climb. From the ridge we can look down onto Minya Konka's glaciers and the site of the original base camp. From our vantage we can also see an array of jagged peaks stretching north and south and we can trace our route through the Moxi Valley. Having taken in the scene and captured it on camera, we descend back through the forest adorned everywhere with prayer flags, possibly back into cloud, and then retrace steps away from the monastery down the forested slope to the river junction of the previous day to continue south to the Zimei (3,200m), a traditional Minya farming village with distinctive large stone houses. After a rest and a visit with some villagers, we'll begin our last ascent of the trip and enjoy a home stay with a local family (3,435m) before crossing the Zimei Pass in the morning.
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Accommodation Upper Zimei Village
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Ascent 350m
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Descent 650m
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Distance 12km
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Meals BLD
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Time 6hrs hiking
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ZIMEI PASS / SHANGMUJU VILLAGE / KANGDING
A new road now links the settlement of Zimei with the outside world. Early in the morning, we jump on our 4WD and take full advantage climbing the 1,000m out of this remote valley to the top of the Zimei La (4,660m). From the top we can see Zimei Village directly below but it is the view of Minya Konka that takes the eye and our breath away. From the pass we drive on more switchbacks past grazing yaks down to beautiful Shangmuju village at the base of the pass, where we rest for lunch at a local guesthouse. The village is a great spot not only gives us a glimpse of what typical Tibetan life is like but also for us to appreciate the magnificent view of Minya Konka from afar. Finally our 4WD will carry our very content body back to Kangding via some beautiful nomadic settlements and trading towns en route. Hot showers are waiting for you in Kangding.
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Accommodation King Gesar Hotel
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Meals BLD
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DRIVE BACK TO CHENGDU
After our best night's sleep in over a week and a belly full of a hot breakfast, it’s time for driving back to Chengdu. We will enjoy a highly scenic drive and upon arrival, check in the hotel. After freshening up, we can enjoy a celebratory dinner in a local restaurant.
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Accommodation 4 star Hotel in Chengdu
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Meals BLD
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DEPARTURE
Drive to the airport for the flight back home.
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Meals B
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Price Policy
Tour Price Policy
Additional details
1. Before you pay deposit to book the tour, we haven’t made any reservation yet. The train, flight tickets and the hotel may different from the itinerary listed.
2. The visiting order of the scenic spots in the itinerary may change according to the traffic condition and other unforeseen things.
3. Tourist insurance is a must before going, please provide us the confirmation of insurance company when sign up.
The price includes
1. Entrance Fees: to scenic spots as listed in the itinerary
2. All the activities fee mentioned in the itinerary: Hutong rickshaw in Beijing; Sichuan Opera show in Chengdu;
3. Private Transfers: Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing during the trip by private air conditioned vehicle with a driver.
4. Meals: All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner), include Peking duck dinner in Beijing; Hot pot dinner in Chengdu.
5. Guide: As outlined in the itinerary an English-speaking guide and driver will be provided in each city, who will remain with you throughout your time in that city. A new guide and a new driver will meet you at each city on your tour, to provide you with the best local knowledge available
6. Hotel: hotel fees are based on two people sharing one room with king-size bed. All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast
7. Internal flights
** Day 11/ Flight from Yichang to Shanghai (based on economy class);
8. Trains
** Day 04/ High speed train from Beijing to Xi’an (based on 2nd class);
** Day 06/ High speed train from Xi’an to Chengdu (based on 2nd class)
** Day 06/ High speed train from Chengdu to Chongqing (based on 2nd class)
9. Arrangements: the tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges
10. Travel Agency Liability insurance
The price does not include
1. International airfare or train tickets to enter or leave China
2. China entry visa fees
3. Excess baggage charges
4. The medicine for the sickness or accident while on the way
5. Personal expenses: expenses of a purely personal nature such as laundry, drinks, fax, telephone calls, optional activities, sightseeing or meals which are not included in the tour itinerary
6. Meals: any meals which are not specified in the tour itinerary
7. Single room supplement
8. Please notice that the price will be much higher during the festival of Labors’ Day, National Day, spring festival
9. Tips to tour guide and driver (recommended USD10-15/guest/day).
10. Tourist accident insurance. NB - you are strongly suggested to buy travel and health insurance before you start out from your home country.
Payment conditions
To confirm your reservation, you must pay a deposit of 30% of the total amount due via the payment link that your local agent will share. The balance is due 30 days prior to departure. The quoted exchange rate is valid for the next 7 days – if the deposit is not paid within this time, the quote will be re-calculated.
Terms and conditions for cancelation
i. Cancellation of the Tour by CAT (local agent):
CAT reserve the right to cancel the postpone tour at any time up to the date final payment is due under the following condition: in our opinion, health and/or safety factors related to conditions in China would make the tour inadvisable. And in this case, all money paid by the participants will be refunded. If the tour is postponed, CAT will offer all those who have signed up the opportunity to have the same tour for a later time, but the price may be changed according to the season. We will notify you of any change, and give you a reasonable period
of time to make your decision. Consumers may, but are under no obligation to, take the tour under these new terms. After final payment has been made, we may cancel the tour only if, in our opinion, health and/or safety factors related to conditions in China would make the tour inadvisable. Since cancellation in this case involves factors which may arise suddenly and are entirely outside our control, including but not limited to natural disasters, civil unrest and epidemic disease, we cannot guarantee a full refund in this case. This is because payment will already have been made to finalize the arrangements and reservation.
ii. Cancellation of the Tour by Consumer:
Any cancellation must be made by sending an email to the local agent. The cancellation fee varies according to how many days prior to departure the cancellation is made:
· More than 30 days prior to departure: 5% of the total holiday cost
· Between 30 and 22 days prior to departure : 25% of the total holiday cost
· Between 21 and 8 days prior to departure : 50% of the total holiday cost
· Between 7 and 3 days prior to departure : 75% of the total holiday cost
· Less than 3 days prior to departure and after the departure date: 100% of the total holiday cost
All cancellations must be in writing and will be effective upon receipt by CAT. No refund will be made to those participants who break the journey regardless of the portions of the package unused. If, owing to serious illness or injury, the participant withdraws from the tour, a refund will be subject to the consent of the local travel agent.
No refund will be made to those participants who have failed to secure valid travel documents such as passport or visas.
