On top of the world – Hiking in Yading Nature Reserve | Sichuan, China
At an altitude of 14, 500 ft., Doachen Yading in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province is officially the highest civilian airport in the world. At this dizzying height, flying into this region requires special precautions, and the crew is required to wear oxygen masks during take off and landing.
Getting to Yading Nature Reserve
Landing at the airport was definitely thrilling, but I was more excited about what lay ahead – a few days of hiking in the stunning Yading Nature Reserve. After a few failed attempts to use my translation app to figure out how to get to the Yading village, I gave up and hopped on one of the buses I saw most people getting into (desperate times require desperate measures). Snaking through some stunning mountain scenery, we arrived in Daochen, one of the larger towns in this region. Some passengers got off, others waltzed in, and we carried on south toward Yading village, the closest base to the Nature Reserve.
The scenery gets increasingly breathtaking as you get deeper into the park. After a 4hr bus ride, we arrived in in the village. Fortunately, I had met a couple of English-speaking travelers from Shanghai, and I followed them to this beautiful guest house overlooking the park entrance.
Acclimatization and getting ready for hikes
This is some serious altitude, so give yourself a day or two to acclimatize – especially if you are flying in. We explored the Yading village on a slow stroll. There wasn’t much to do in terms of entertainment, so we took it easy, enjoying a barbecue and stocking up for the hike the next day.
The park bus does frequent rounds bringing visitors from the village to the park entrance – a short 15 min. ride. I chose to hike from the entrance of the park, but there are mini-buses which can get you further into the park at a nominal fee. I recommend taking the bus one way and hiking the other.
A series of stunning alpine lakes
There are multiple hiking trails of varying lengths. Even on a day hike, I got to get very close to some stunning Himalayan peaks, and shimmering lakes. The sacred peaks of Chenresig, Jampelyang and Chana Dorje are visible for most part of the hike. Local Tibetans try and complete a circuit around the highest mountain in the reserve, Chenresig, at least once a year. One of the more popular day hikes in the park is to visit the high altitude lakes – Pearl lake, Milk lake and Five Colors lake. Once you are at the lakes, you would see for yourself why the lakes are named so.
The initial few kilometers were an easy walk inside the park, over newly laid out board walk. However, once we were in the core zone, the board walk gave way to a natural trail. It never gets too steep on the trail, but at this altitude, you would need to take small steps nonetheless. Most locals were carrying supplementary oxygen during the hike, which is a good idea if you are not used to hiking at above the tree level. You can also pick these up in some of the stores in Yading.
Heading to the lakes and back made for a relatively long day, especially in the wet weather we had. If you are looking to backpack, there are other lakes and passes beyond Milk lake – although camping near the lakes is not permitted. You could also join the locals and complete a circuit around Chenresig peak. Whatever trail you choose to go on, this is some of the best hiking in China. April/May and September/October tend to the best time to visit the park.
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