四川 · West Sichuan Plateau
Sichuan
The deep east edge of the Tibetan plateau
- Best season
- May–June, September–October
- Gateway
- Chengdu (CTU / TFU)
- Altitude range
- 2,600–6,204 m
- Join-in treks
- 5 available
Sichuan is where the most reliable trekking season in China lives. The western half of the province climbs from Chengdu basin haze up to 6,000 m snow peaks in under a day of driving, and the valleys in between hold Tibetan villages, yak pasture and monasteries that have been on the same pilgrimage routes for centuries. It also has the densest concentration of domestic trekking groups in the country — which is exactly why it is the easiest place to join one.
Worth building a trip around
Three tiers, from the routes we sell most to the ones that need a bespoke arrangement.
The main objectives
- Genyen Massif
- Dangling
- Mt. Siguniang (DaFeng)
- Gongga
- Yading
Strong, narrower window
- Mt. Yala
- Qizanggou
- Jiamifeng
- Sawu Shenshan
- Aotaina
- Leduomanyin
The long tail
- Jiuding Shan
- Jiugu Glacier
- Enmiu Peak
- Sangcuo Yuqiong
- Huajian Shan
- Ancient Shu Road
Departures
Sichuan treks open now
Sichuan Chinese group Genyen Massif Full Circuit
格聂全线A full walking loop around the Genyen massif in west Sichuan — three valleys, two high passes, and camps in yak pasture below a 6,204 m snow peak that almost no foreign trekker has heard of.
Sichuan Chinese group Genyen South Route, Lodge to Lodge
格聂南线The gentler half of Genyen: village guesthouses, a lighter pack, and the same massif seen from the south. Built for people who want the landscape without six nights on the ground.
Sichuan English guiding Mt. Siguniang — DaFeng Summit
四姑娘山大峰The most accessible 5,000 m summit in China: two days of walking, one pre-dawn push, and a view across the Four Girls range that makes the altitude headache worth it.
Sichuan English guiding Mt. Yala Circuit
雅拉雪山徒步A five-day loop under the sacred snow cone of Yala, through Tagong grassland and the Nongge pasture, with pack horses carrying the weight.
Sichuan Chinese group Enmiu Peak
恩谬峰A short, sharp weekend objective outside Kangding — one of the cheapest ways to get above 5,000 m in China, and one of the least visited.
Practical notes
- When to go
- May–June, September–October
- Fly into
- Chengdu (CTU / TFU)
- Altitude span
- 2,600–6,204 m
- Working language
- Mandarin on domestic batches; English on flagged international departures
- Permits
- None for foreign travellers beyond a standard China visa or visa-free entry