Due to the forgiving slopes & well-established climbing routes, Haba Snow Mountain (5396 metres) is considered an ideal climb for beginners who wish to experience climbing a real 5000m snow mountain. This trip allows you to experience the typical process of climbing a snow mountain, from trekking to base camp, acclimatization, putting on crampons, using ice-axes, & the final summit push.
This exclusive route is designed for one night at Lanhuaping Camp at an altitude of 3700 meters, and then hiking to Haba Base Camp at 4100 meters via Black Lake. This will make the increase in altitude more in line with the natural movement patterns of the human body. After the body slowly adapts to the high altitude, reaching the summit at 5396 metres is a matter of course, and matched with 1:1 high-mountain support team.
Day 1: Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Haba Village – Haba Village Hiking (2700m).
This will take approximately 3.5 to 4 hours, first by the new Lijiang – Shangri-La Highway from Lijiang to Tiger leaping Gorge, then going through the gorge to Haba Village. We will have lunch at the gorge. Arrive at Haba Village around 15:00 in the afternoon. After checking in, follow the leader for a leisure hike around Haba Village, enjoy exploring the ethnically diverse Haba Village with at least 3 different minority villages, namely the Naxi, Hui (Muslim) and Yi living in harmony. hold a worship ceremony at the Sacred Spring, and then return to the hotel for dinner. After the meal, the key points and precautions for climbing are explained, and the personal equipment of the participants are checked. Overnight in Haba Village.
Day 2: Acclimatisation Day: Haba Village – Qingshui River – Yangfang Ranch (3500m) – Lan Hua Ping Camp (3700m)
After breakfast, depart at 8:30-9:00 for Lan Hua Ping Camp. Horses will be used to carry our larger personal belongings and supplies. Passing through the three ethnic tribes of Haba Village, enjoy the pastures and pastoral scenery. You will arrive early at Lan Hua Ping camp (5km, 3-4 hours of trekking), and afternoon tea will be arranged at the camp, drinking tea and chatting, eating fruit snacks, etc.; You can also take the opportunity to adapt to the altitude in the surrounding area and walk to the best viewing platform of Haba Snow Mountain to take pictures of the sunset of the Snow Mountain. After dinner, you can watch the stars and take pictures of the night view at night. Overnight Camping at Lan Hua Ping.
Day 3: Lan Hua Ping Camp – Azalea Forest – Black Lake (4100m) – Base Camp (4080m)
Early risers can watch the sunrise over the snowy mountains at Lanhuaping Camp. We will set off for Haba Base Camp after breakfast at 8:00. Pass through the five isolated secret seas of Haba Snow Mountain, hiking through alpine pastures, before we reach Black Lake at 4100m. Black Lake is a holy lake of the Naxi ethnic group and it is said that if you shout at the lakeside, you will enrage the holy lake and make heavy rain. The landscape varies from season to season, and due to the black and blue stones distributed at the bottom, the surface of the water is black. As before, horses will be used to carry our larger personal belongings and supplies. We will enjoy a simple lunch along the way before reaching Haba Base Camp in the evening (12km, 6-7 hours of trekking). The base camp is located at 4100 m at the edge of the forest with a very nice view of the mountain. We will do a training of our equipment in preparation for the summit push the following morning. Overnight at Haba Base Camp.
Day 4: Summit Day: Base camp 4100 metres – Climb to the top at 5396 meters – Return to Base camp – Descend to Haba Village. Depending on the season, wake up at between 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. for breakfast, get dressed and set off. The journey to the summit is a mixed ice, rock and snow route, with a one-way journey of 4 km, and the 1:1 mountain guide will assist you to reach the summit together. The first part of the route is through a huge grey slab on the left of the mountain left by retreating glaciers. At about 6:00, we will arrive at the C1 pass, where you can shoot a spectacular sunrise if the weather is good, continue to move forward, before reaching a series of morainic hills and ridges until we reach the “snowline” at about 4950 metres. After putting on crampons, you will go up directly on a large snow/ice slope. About one kilometer away from snowline is the Desperate Slope, which is the last resting post before the final stretch to the top. The distance from the Desperate Slope to the summit is another 960 meters which will take you some time due to the altitude. The Desperate Slope deserves its name; when you climb one small slope, you think you have reached the top, only to find another steep climb ahead of you and no sign of the summit! From the summit, it takes another 3 hours to get back to Base camp before we descend directly to Haba Village, taking another 4 hours or so. If you prefer, you can take a horse (own expense) for this stretch from the Base Camp to Haba Village. Total distance: 4km from Base Camp to Summit (1300m elevation) + 12km from Summit down to Haba Village (2700 descent), Estimated 9 + 4 hours of trekking. Overnight in Haba Village.
Day 5: After a tasty local breakfast, we will depart Haba Village and return to Lijiang for overnight at The Bivou. Enjoy a special Bivou Victory cocktail on the house!
Optional (Group Tours):
4 Day 3 Night Haba Summit Hiking Expedition 3980RMB per pax (Chinese-speaking Group: Max 10 pax). Departures once every two days. Email us at ask@bivou.com to enquire: 4D3N Haba Summit Group tour
6D6N Haba Snow Mountain Ascent & Camping (Group Tour), which allows for longer acclimatization and an alpine camping experience. Email us at ask@bivou.com to enquire