Hiking The Pilgrimage Trek: Yading Nature Reserve
Yading Nature Reserve is a beautiful place in the Tibetan plateau with towering mountain peaks, alpine lakes and vast pastures. You can hike to the many beautiful lakes, and witness locals complete pilgrimage treks on unmaintained paths around the sacred Xiannairi mountain regularly.
As someone who loves a challenge, the small kora pilgrimage trek was very hard to resist. This Yading hike was one of my most memorable experiences in China.
Preparations and Acclimatisation
Before arriving in Yading, we had been traveling for 1.5 weeks in Yunnan. We felt altitude sickness starting in Lijiang at 2900m. I initially did not think much of the lethargy I felt throughout the day, until I realised that my friend had felt the same symptoms. We had no appetite and had headaches throughout the night.
Based on what I had researched, altitude sickness happens to fit people too. Taking altitude sickness pills, sleeping at high altitude in Litang (4000m), and taking time to acclimatise were probably beneficial. We had been hiking at increasing altitudes since the start of our trip, so it gave us plenty of time to acclimatise. Here are the hikes we did before this:
- Dali’s Cangshan (2600m)
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (4506-4680m)
- Tiger Leaping Gorge (2500m)
- Yubeng Village (3000-3900m)
When we got to Yading National Park on the first day, we did a short 3-4 hour hike to get used to the 3700m altitude. We still got breathless throughout the trail, but we noticed that we were doing better than others around us who rested more frequently and relied on oxygen tanks.
Getting to Yading Nature Reserve
Bus routes end in Daocheng (稻城) city, which is located 110km north of Yading. From there, you will need to carpool to the park entrance. If you are choosing the bus options, I recommend taking motion sickness pills before your ride.
- Getting to Daocheng
- Chengdu to Daocheng: There is a 2-day bus journey that passes through Kangding to Daocheng (270 RMB). You can buy these tickets from the bus station in Chengdu. Alternatively, there are domestic flights flying to Daocheng Yading Airport.
- Shangrila to Daocheng: It takes 10-12 hours and costs 133 RMB for this bus ride, and passes through high mountain roads with scenic views.
- Daocheng to Yading: When you get out of the bus station, there will be drivers approaching you to ask where you are going. Most of the time, they are looking for people to fill up their carpool ride. It costs only 50 RMB for the 1.5-2 hour journey to either Riwa or the Yading Tourist Center (亚丁游客中心). We payed 150 RMB for the entrance and 120 RMB for the sightseeing bus that takes you a further 30-45 minutes into the park.
Planning A Yading Hike
Based on recommendations from various blogs to spend at least 2 days in Yading. Ideally, one day should be like a warm up day. You can hike the shorter Pearl Lake (珍珠海) or ZhuoMaLaCuo (卓玛拉措) route, and the other should be a full day where you can explore the longer route to Milk Lake (牛奶海) and Five Colour Lake (五色海). If you plan to go on the small kora pilgrimage trek, include an additional day for a night of camping in the mountains. I do not recommend doing the Yading hike in 1 day if you are not acclimatised because it is super difficult and you risk developing altitude related problems in the mountains.
You can choose to stay in Daocheng or Riwa Town (also known as Shangri-La Town) the night before. We stayed in Daocheng because the best chance to get a carpool ride was in the morning. The next day, we checked in at Yading Village in order to maximise the time spent within the park. Our private twin room only cost 150 RMB per night during the off-peak season in 彭措民宿. It was quite nice because they use their living room as the guests’ dining area.
The Small Kora Hike
When I started the day, I did not plan to do the small kora trek around the sacred Xiannairi (Chenresig) mountain. Although I read the inspiring story where 2 women managed to complete the hike in 11.5 hours, I brushed it aside and told myself not to get too ambitious. Besides, my travel buddy needed some rest, so I was going to have to hike solo. Hence, I decided to follow the tourists’ trail and hiked up towards Milk Lake and Five Colour Lake.
Let me be first to reach the lake!
It was my second day in the park and I wanted to avoid the crowd as far as possible. I took the first bus from Yading Village at 7:30am, bought the one-way electric car ticket (50 RMB) from Chonggu Monastery to Luorong Pasture. By 8:30am, I had started my ascend to Milk Lake. It was very calming to hike by myself, and I felt very safe because of the well maintained trail. I eventually caught up to 2 local women who were gathering some plants which they said were for religious purposes. Since it was safer to walk with the locals, I stayed with them and started a conversation. To be honest, I sometimes cannot understand the Chinese spoken by the Tibetans, so I smiled and tried to guess from the context.
We were ascending from 3700m to about 4300m at the Milk Lake, so the Yading hike got more and more challenging towards the top. I matched the pace of the local women all the way till we reached the beautiful and empty lake at 10am. The locals told me they were going to do the small kora trek after passing Milk Lake, and that it would only require 5-6 more hours from here. I couldn’t believe it! I wondered if I had acclimatised enough to join them on this seemingly crazy journey.
I’m not alone anymore – I have 2 new friends
They let me decide for myself if I wanted to follow them. I figured that since I could keep up with them earlier, the rest of the hike should be fine. It was risky, because I had time constraints and needed to meet my friend before 5pm. Although I knew that there was going to be one part where it gets super difficult, I did not want to have any regrets. This is the hike I had been dreaming of, and now that I have guides I am not alone anymore! I felt a rush when I decided to join them.
After snapping some pictures of the Milk Lake, we proceeded onto the unmaintained trail beside it, forgoing the Five Colour Lake. As we walked uphill for 40 minutes, I was panting a lot and we stopped several times to rest. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would regret my decision, since the start was already so tiring. However, my pride prevented me from backing out and I wanted to prove myself wrong.
Reaching the 1st Col
As we passed by more prayer flags and probably the 1st Col, I knew it was going to be a 2 hour long descend and was relieved. The women took out their new prayer flags and started attaching them to the existing ones. I quietly observed at the side as they prayed facing the mountain. It was a cloudy day so it was hard to recognise places based on blogs I had read. However, when we passed by ReSongCuo Lake, the fog cleared just in time for me to snap some pictures. Thank God for my 2 new friends, because they helped me through steep and narrow paths which felt really dangerous. I would not recommend doing this Yading hike alone.
We shared a Tibetan lunch
At about 12:30pm we reached an area with many piles of rocks and 1 remaining stone hut which was quite dirty. It was also lined with branches and leaves, which I suppose was used for insulation against the cold stones at night. We shared homemade “baba” bread, some yak cheese and spicy pickled seaweed. I brought my own sausage and snacks, but I was quite full from the food they brought. Despite the language barrier, they tried to chat with me more and asked if I had a boyfriend. It felt nice, because they were quite motherly towards me throughout.
Onwards to the gruelling 2nd Col
Eventually we could see the prayer flags on top of the mountain ridge in the distance. That was going to be where we had to cross over, the 2nd Col that everyone complained to be the hardest part of the trail. The thin air really got me here because we were ascending 600m up to 4775m. It felt like the worst cardio workout ever, but I did not want to fail. I was panting really loudly, and eventually one of the women picked up my bag and carried it for me, while the other supported me by my arm. It sounds embarrassing now, but I was so thankful for their help.
The ascent to the 2nd Col took 1.5 hours, and they stopped often to let me catch my breath. One time, we were overtaken by a young Tibetan couple who looked about my age. How do they make it look so easy? The prayer flags were getting closer and closer, and I knew that the moment when I cross over the 2nd Col would be a celebration for me. The women kept encouraging me and told me that it’s all downhill after this. I cannot give up now, the end is near!
2nd Col down to Pearl Lake
At last, the sense of achievement! I checked the time at the 2nd Col – it was 2:40pm. The prayer flags were flying behind me, and I felt so triumphant. I took some selfies and kept looking back at what we overcame. As we descended and came to a clearing with prayer flags, the women attached theirs and prayed towards the mountain again. I reflected on the amazing hike we just did throughout the descend, and continually expressed my gratitude to my companions. By 4pm, we arrived at Pearl Lake and then 4:30pm at Chonggu Monastery where our 转山 journey ended.
An Unforgettable Hike
As we parted ways, we exchanged numbers and took pictures together. They invited me to their home for tea but I had to decline due to time constraints. I hope to never forget this experience, and the joy of completing a seemingly impossible task. It took us 8.5 hours in total to cover 30km, at altitudes above 4000m. It felt crazy to embark on this journey without any guarantee that I would be okay, but we did it! If I could come back again, I would love to be back in autumn for the beautiful foliage.
I got to admit that I gave up on taking pictures for more than half of the hike because I was so tired, but this Yading hike experience was irreplaceable. It was so worth it and thrilling to go off the beaten track. I got to experience Tibetan culture with the local women, made new friends, and challenged my own limits. If these thoughts resonate with you, I highly encourage you to just do whatever you think is daunting but bound to be fulfilling!
Read more:
Yubeng Village: Hiking Through Tibetan Paradise
Tiger Leaping Gorge 2-Day Hike: Was It Difficult?
Beginner Hut-To-Hut Hiking Trails You Need To Try
How To Take Great Photos Of Yourself Hiking
