Genyen Inner Kora Trek – 9 days
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Genyen Outter Kora Trek – 9 days
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Traveled in June 2018, Alex Tang
Genyen Massif is a vast area of mountains that is located between Litang and Batang. After 2 consecutive years of going there in 2016 and 2017 I had another chance in 2018 to go to the central part of Genyen to explore more of its mystical valleys and mountains. This time I went in summer time and saw Genyen in green color though inevitably more misty weather.
Central Genyen Mountains
Summer starts in June and goes all the way to first half of September. During summer time you see the most active wild animals and green mountains, warm weather but also misty, cloudy days. Some days can be really wet and some days can be very sunny. Summer in Genyen is not perfect to look at the mountains but it’s one of the best seasons to do trekking in the mountains here when everything is alive and blooming.
To entre Genyen to its south and central part I also need to start from Litang, the cowboy nomadic Tibetan town north to the massif. Litang is a very interesting place in terms of people and tourism. It has a very high elevation at almost 4000m, making it less-friendly to people who spend the night here. It is on the way to the more popular Yading Park but fewer people choose to stay night in Litang due to its high altitude. Alongside the national highway G318 by the outer skirt of Litang there are many new hotels and restaurants run by Chinese people. There is a more nomadic feeling of this place when walk into the town. Most people in Litang are Tibetan and are seasonally-nomadic people. Unlike some other towns in Garze, there are more yak grazing grassland in Litang. From Litang to Genyen it is a 2-hour drive on very good paved road. On the way from Litang to Genyen the road is at very high and open land where I could see the whole range of Genyen South.
Litang is a decent town with hotels and restaurants, as well as places to buy food including a local food market. There is an old Gelugpa Monastery in Litang that around it is the old part of the town.
Litang
Litang
From Litang to Genyen
Chasongsi Village
When I arrive in Naigando, a village where I had a contact lives there, I met my guide Genden. We set out the next day from the new Lenggu Monastery. It was good road all the way to near the split of the monastery road. Genden’s brother Nima drove us to the water-flushed road section before the monastery. Road ends by the new monastery where is still accessible by motorbike but we started to walk. After around 1.5h we arrive the old Lenggu Monastery, an almost deserted monastery by the east base of Mt. Genyen. From the monastery we can see the ridges and glaciers of Mt. Genyen. Both monasteries, old and new, were built near the highest mountain of Genyen Massif: Mt. Genyen (6205m).
The three holy objects of Genyen are introduced to every visitor who comes here by local people and by the monks in the monastery. These three objects include a couch shell (probably fossilized), part of an old horn (probably from a dear) and a strand of beads from a former monk from Lenggu Monastery. These three objects are worshipped by locals as holy objects. Lenggu Monastery is one of the places where car can get to so it has more visitors in recent year.
Three Holy Objects in Lenggu Monastery
The Old Lenggu Monastery
Lenglong Valley
Lenglong Valley is one of the main valleys south to Genyen Massif. It starts by Lenggu Monastery and ends by “the Heart of Gneyen”, a two side valley circled part of Genyen Massif by the end of Lenglong Valley. Lenglong Valley is home to many peaks of Genyen including the famous Mt. Genyen (6205m) and some lesser-known Mt. Xiaqiong, Mt. Xiangba, Mt. Jiangbianyang, Mt. Hutsa, Mt. Dorjecha, Mt. Xianreri. Mt. Genyen is located by the entrance of the valley. Mt. Xiaqiong is believed to be “Holy Eagle that guards Genyen”: its rocky and sharp top is believed to be a head of eagle. I had another chance to go to Mt. Xiaqiong later in 2018 and went up to the base of the rocks. Mt. Xiangba is another big mountain in Genyen Massif where it’s north face is amazing looking. Xiangba is also one of the highest mountains in this range and it is still not climbed and a virgin mountain. There is no record of attempting. There are also some smaller peaks north to Xiangba here I call them Xiangba North I and Xiangba North II, some of these peaks may have been climbed but more are untouched. Another significant mountain in Lenglong is called Mt. Hutsa which was climbed first time in 2016. Another mountain that is called Mt. Jiangbianyang was climbed in 2018.
We set camp by Hutsa Ranch at the meeting point of the two side valleys. It was a very beautiful place to see both Hutsa and Mt. Genyen. It was fairly flat to walk in the whole valley before walking up mountains or pass. The next day we moved up to Gapuma, an overnight place for pilgrims in Genyen. From Gapuma I could see the north face of Xiaqiong and Xiangba, as well as the west face of Mt. Jiangbianyang and its north side peak. The next day we moved up the “heart” and over 2 passed we dropped down again to Hutsa Camp.
Mt. Genyen Northface
Mt. Genyen Eastface
Xiaqiong in the Mist
Mt. Xiaqiong means "Great Eagle"
Mt. Dorjecha in the Mist
Waiting the Rain to Stop
Highland Lake
Prayer Flags Found on Mountain Pass
Xiangba North Peaks
Hutsa Camp is one of the most beautiful Camps in Genyen
Hutsa Camp
Hutsa Camp
Mt. Hutsa
Before this trip there was few information available about the central part of Genyen so everything has to be planned on maps. Thanks to Google Earth which helped a lot with my planning to come in here but some terrains are still unclear especially the pass over to Zongna. Original plan was to go over the pass near Hutsa to Zongna Valley but only when I talked to local people I found out it was a very dangerous way without proper gears despite the seasons. Locals don’t even go there over the pass. Therefore I got the chance to explore around “the Heart of Genyen” instead and I was happy to see what’s there.
Coolest Guide Genden
Great Food
Without Genden this trip was impossible. Genden is from village of Naigando. He is knowledgeable and cool. The names of mountains and stories I found out on this trip are from his knowledge. Even though he got lost while we were over the lake that only shows how far and remote these places are, that locals don’t even come up here as often.
Central Genyen Mountains
Scrambling
Mt. Ebamei
Mt. Jiangbianyang in Cloud
Mt. Genyen in Cloud
Mt. Hutsa and the Wall
Xiaqiong and Xiangba
By the Cloudy Ridge
Little Flower by 5000m
Ebamei Glacier, Westface
Dorjecha Glacier, Northface
Over the mountains is Batang
Mt. Xiangba North
Mt. Xiangba North Glacier
Mt. Jiangbianyang Westface
Mt. Xiaqiong and Xiangba
Mt. Xiaqiong Northface
We set out again by motorbike from Naigando and rode to Retti, another main valley by the south of Genyen Massif. Retti means open grassland. Here the open land is the big area by the exit of the valley west to Mt. Genyen. Retti is one of the longest valleys in Genyen and home to many wild animals including black bears, elk, Himalayan blue sheep, etc.
Because of the rain, some part of the trail is under water. Genden drove motorbike as far as he could. Genden locked his motorbike where we got stuck in the mud.
This is how we left our bike there.
Mt. Genyen SW
Mt. Xiangba SW
Retti River
Hot Spring in Retti Valley
Retti Valley
Retti Valley
Xialong Rezha East
Mt. Xiangba Glacier
It was only a few kilometers when we reached the hot spring place in Retti. From this side we should see Xiangba in a closer range but it was all misty all the time. Lower part of the glacier from Xiangba is visible from around the hot spring place. Most of the time walking was boring because of the rain. We walked along the pilgrimage route all the way to the pass above Gapuma, the camp by the end of Lenglong Valley, at 5000m with just rocks and no trees. We got to see two small glaciers at very close range. If I had more time I’d try to go over the pass towards more west to Jonong in Batang, a place north to the Zedeng Mountains and will get to Gemu Valley, a place I first went to in 2016. It was a pity that I couldn’t get a clear photo of east side of Mt. Xialong Rezha. I’d love to come back here in a clearer season.
Zhangna Village
Drying Gears after the Trek
Some local people do this kora as a religious practice. It is also a very beautiful trek that we have put together and offer to outdoor lovers. This trek starts from Litang by driving for 3 hours and start to walk from Retti and then into the Retti Valley before trek over the 5000-m pass and drop down to Gapuma. And then walk out to Lenggu Monastery. It is basically a circuit trek around the holy mountain Genyen peak. It takes 5-6 days total from and back to Litang. It is a less-walked trek in Sichuan but it is very beautiful.
Route: Chengdu - Genyen - Chengdu
Route: Chengdu - Genyen - Chengdu
