Hiking, exploring, and trekking in the Yala Snow Mountain located in the Tibetan area are a favorite choice for many enthusiasts. Here you can find magnificent snow-capped mountain scenery, vast grassland landscapes, and stunning views along the way. These will allow everyone to admire the beautiful mountains and rivers. People also call it the Yala Crossing.
Yala Crossing Line
Yala Snow Mountain, one of the famous sacred mountains in the Tibetan area, is known as the “Second Shambhala”. The full Tibetan name is “Xia Xue Yala Gapo” (meaning the Eastern White Yak Mountain). It is one of the four sacred mountains in the Tibetan area. Against the backdrop of the vast Tagong Prairie, the sun shines on the mountain without a word. The mountain spans Daocheng, Kangding, and Danba counties. Its northwest side is connected to the Tagong Prairie, forming a magnificent landscape where the snow mountain and the prairie meet. The main peak of Yala Snow Mountain is 5820 meters above sea level, the second highest peak in the Sichuan Daxue Mountain Range. It is covered with snow all year round. In the middle of summer, it feels like being in a fairyland when you look at Yala Snow Peak from the flowery Tagong Prairie. This route allows you to fully enjoy the spectacular view of the sacred mountain and the scenery of the sister lakes. There are also nearly 150 wild hot springs along the way. This is the area with the most concentrated, most perfect, best geographical location, and highest development value natural landscapes in the Kham area.
Below the snow line of Yala Snow Mountain is a vast and rare primitive forest of sequoia. There are large swathes of sea buckthorn forest along the crossing route. At the foot of the mountain, there are three alpine lakes with unique characteristics: Yala You Cuo (also known as Yushi Sea, commonly known as Hai Zi, at an altitude of 3980 meters), Yala Cuo, and Zhenlang Cuo (also known as Sister Lake, commonly known as Shuang Hai Zi, at an altitude of 4200 meters).
Yala You Cuo (Yushi Sea) has five-colored water, the snow peak is reflected in the water, prayer flags are flying; Sister Lake is vast and magnificent, the water is deep and unpredictable, and the clouds and mist are swirling. In the morning, the lake is calm, as smooth as a mirror, with the sacred mountain reflected in it, which is very charming; in the afternoon, the wind rises, the surface of the lake ripples, and the sunshine shines, making the whole lake full of silver fragments. According to incomplete statistics of local Tibetan people, there are nearly 150 large and small natural hot springs in the Yala Gorge.
On both sides of the hiking route are ancient roads, pastures, snow mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, forests, grasslands, rivers, and hot springs. The Yala Pass that needs to be climbed on the crossing route is 4216 meters above sea level. On both sides of the pass are the remains of dozens of bunkers built by Liu Minhui’s troops of the Kuomintang army to block the Red Army. The pass is one of the areas with the most concentrated, most perfect, best geographical location, and highest development value natural landscapes in the Kham area.
Route Features
The ultimate crossing from Kham to Garzê, with natural scenery including the holy Yala Snow Mountain and the serene Yala You Cuo, and also rich cultural experiences: the home of love songs, Kangding, where you can see the Yala Snow Mountain from different angles on the way, enjoy the natural hot springs under the snow mountain.
The Yala hiking crossing is relatively low in difficulty and intensity, and does not require high physical fitness. Moreover, the entire Yala route includes all the scenery of the Tibetan area: snow mountains, forests, grasslands, lakes, and hot springs, making it suitable for all healthy adults.
General Itinerary
D1, Chengdu—Kangding—Zhonggu Village
D2, Zhonggu Village—Lani Tan—Xindianzi (Camping).
D3, Xindianzi Pasture—Yala Pass—Sister Lakes—Yala You Cuo (Camping).
D4, Yala You Cuo—Tai Zhan Gou Mine—Badan Highway—Danba—Chengdu
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