Chengdu
Pandas' Hometown
Jiuzhaigou
Famous Fairyland
Emeishan
Sacred Buddhist Site
Leshan
Giant Buddha
Gonggashan
Best for Hiking
Daocheng Yading
Shangri La Views
Dujiangyan
Irrigation System
Siguniangshan
Eastern Alps
Western Sichuan is one of the most beautiful and wild places in China. Many people choose to have trekking trip here to explore the beautiful valleys, mountains and villages. Trekking and hiking in Western Sichuan will also face risks of many kinds. It is important to learn the risks and be informed while planning a trekking & hiking trip in western Sichuan. Altitude being the number one biggest threat to many hikers plan but there are also other factors including changing weather in summer time, difficult terrains, etc. Please read below the most detailed risks and safety measures of Sichuan Hiking. (The following information is for trekking and hiking in western Sichuan only. It may not apply for the hiking around Chengdu, Emei where the climate zone, landscape are different.)
Western Sichuan (or the whole Sichuan Province) doesn’t have a high percentage of people who can speak English among the population. You may find people speak some English in the cities or towns but in the far places where usually the hiking places are, people seldom speak English nor even decent Chinese language. This requires you to do enough homework of your plan and study the maps before hand if you are doing self-supported treks or hiking in Sichuan. By lots of the hiking places in western Sichuan there is no internet connection. If you wish to use your translate app make sure they work offline. Some hotel people speak English or at least can use internet to translate on apps. Restaurant or tourist parks should also have internet available. Negotiating is common but you also need to know a lot of things in China have become more expensive over the years.
Food poisoning is possible if you are not careful on the food you eat. Street food with barbecued lamb or yak is a potential source of bad food due to poor meat storage measures. Make sure the food (mainly meat products) you have with you are not exposed to high temperature long. Western Sichuan has cold nights but warm day time in some seasons. If meat food is not stored properly during high temperature days it can become bad food. Traveling to further and remote places you may encounter messy restaurants. Try to use clean ones. If you are treated by local hospitable families and if you are suspicious on the hygiene of food offered to you, you can politely refuse.
Tap water is not drinkable in China. Always use bottled water or make sure they are cooked or treated before drinking in the wild. Western Sichuan is developed and has shops selling bottled water in every towns and villages.
All county-level towns in China has a decent hospital. The biggest issue is the language. For minor injuries or symptoms most of the hospitals are willing to treat you and some can be very helpful. If you break your leg or any injuries that are worth. You will still get treatment in hospital but make sure you have enough cash with you to pay for what’s needed. Usually the county-level hospital will recommend you to transit to higher level of hospital for further treatment, partially because they are not facilitated to do so. Make sure you have some one to call in this case. Hospitals in China can be very helpful but costly.
Roads are very good in western Sichuan Province in general. But the small roads lead up to/from the good hiking places are small, bumpy, muddy and sometimes can be tricky to drive. These smaller roads are usually the last bit of drive one needs to get to/from the hike. The rest of the intercity roads are very good roads. Traffic jam is highly likely during busy travel seasons. If you hire a car, make sure he has driven on that road before or at least has experience driven these roads before. Many of the roads in western Sichuan are winding and will require some basic techniques / experience to drive on.
Expensive filming gears/communication gears are recommended to keep them covered when not in use. Keep them waterproofed when packing. If you have to put them on horseback, make sure they are properly wrapped. Check your camping gears before start a trip. Waterproof your sleeping bag.
For the existed treks there are usually available information to check online including trip reports, maps, photos. Most of the treks in Sichuan (especially in western Sichuan) are not marked. In the wild if you are doing self-supported treks sometimes you can only reply on the maps you have, either digital or physical. Under circumstances such as bad weather, or any trek that you are alone and unable to find people to follow or to ask for directions, which is common in the wild treks in Sichuan, there is chance you may get lost in the mountains especially on high mountains passes when trails are not so easy to tell, and by the trail intersections, or by the river-crossing points. Results of getting lost in the mountains can mean injuries, or even loss of life due to changing weather, low temperature, high altitude, zero internet/phone connection for help/rescue.
Counter-Measures: Hire a guide or use service from a local company; bring GPS and digital offline map and make sure how to use them; keep your trip organized, make plans ahead of time to allow you enough time for preparations and checking information; Know when to give up.
If your hiking goes to no more than 3500m. Altitude sick ness is less of a concern if your trip. If your hiking goes to over 4000m especially when you need to sleep at over 4000m, the high altitude is critical when you make plans. Most treks in western Sichuan such as Minya Konka, Siguniang, Genyen and Yading will involve hiking/sleeping at over 4000m. When your body is not well-acclimated, you may suffer from altitude sickness that will endanger your health and even life. Learn AMS and its counter-measures.
During monsoon seasons western Sichuan will see a very changing weather from May to September and some years as early as April or as late as to October. The changing weather is very annoying while hiking. It will make you switch on and off of waterproof gears constantly. However trouble this may be, it is recommended to keep yourself dry and warm in order to keep yourself healthy. The water-resilient jackets may protect you from the light rain or even medium rain but it brings down your body temperature especially when A), it’s already a cold season; B), when you are at a very high altitude at over 4000m or even higher where it’s usually cold and windy even in the summer times especially after sunset. It is recommended to use stronger waterproof when raining while hiking than just a water-resilient jacket. The result of getting wet or partially part after a long day’s hiking, if temperature is low, you may start to have symptoms of fatigue, cold, headache, nausea, AMS, which may change your travel plans and may also put threat to your health or even life.
Counter-Measures: Do’t be lazy and keep waterproof gears handy; Use stronger water-proof gears when necessary;
Most treks in western Sichuan are at the Tibetan Plateau where the sun is beautiful but strong. Sun block is recommended even in an overcast day.
For the Treks in western Sichuan. The most annoying insect is horsefly which only appears in summer time. There are no mosquitos or ticks to worry. In some places there may be leeches. You may wear long pants or use insect sprays.
The treks in western Sichuan are well walked treks and no major threats of landslides, rock falls. Although during summer time there is possibility by some places a risk of flooding. Anywhere needs to river-crossing without a bridge can be a risk. You may contact us to check for the most updated information on any specific trek if you are doing this in summer time.
For most established treks when there is a river-crossing there is usually a bridge available. River-crossing place without bridge is still possible by some small rivers, which can put risk on your trip. Most hiking trails are also used by local nomads people. The river is usually high in summer. Stay sensible when crossing a river without a bridge. You are welcome to send us inquiry on the bridges/river-crossing.
Dogs from nomads farm/houses are usually okay. Aggressive ones are usually chained. Yaks are in general mild animals although some lone yaks may be aggressive if they are startled. You can avoid this by making noises while walking somewhere that you can not see. Another use of walking poles is to defend yourself from aggressive dogs and yaks. Black bears are rare and are usually shy. Brown bears are not shy but they are also rare. When your treks are at higher (above 4500m) that are less-walked places, there is chance to see wolves. Most wolves only mind their own business you try to stay away from them.
Trekking in the wild in western Sichuan involves many risks and if not managed well, you may end up with injuries or even death. If you injure yourself or suffer from any serious AMS you may need to call for rescue. The rescue in China is overall not very modern but can be quick. Helicopter rescue is not available in the mountains of Sichuan. All search & rescues are done from ground by walking/horses. Many of the trekking places in western Sichuan are in the wild without access to internet/phone service. The rescue team can reach you by the time from hours to days if you are not able to move.
Counter-Measures: Hire a guide or use reliable service from a local company; bring a satellite phone; keep your embassy contact with you and make sure that number is good, let your family know where you are going and when you will be reachable again, use proper gears, keep a positive approach to local people who may potentially be your rescuer.
Misuse of camping gears include: have brought the wrong tent for the season that may not be strong enough to work well in strong wind, heavy rain, snow; wrong sleeping bag for the season be that too light or not warm enough; doesn’t know how to set up a specific tent; set up a tent inside out and ends up getting water in the tent; forget to put spikes in to make sure tent is set well and strong.
Counter-Measures: Check your camping gears before you start your trip and keep them dry; know how to use your camping gears; learn the climate and weather of where you trek.
Campsites are usually the regular camping places used by former campers and has been used before of any existed treks. If to use new camping sites do make sure they meet the safety guidelines as a campsite: No risk of landslide/mudslide or falling rocks, flood, avoid riverbank or spots with risk of overflow of water; No risk of exposed ridge line or high point of an area in certain seasons to avoid lightening & strong wind; Choose flat spot but not a basin; consider it needs good draining when it rains; Close to clean water source.
No camp fire is allowed in any place in western Sichuan while hiking. It is strictly prohibited.
If you packed meat food that are not canned, make sure they are preserved or processed to stay well during summer time. Keep your food within your sight during day time. keep your food within your tent during night time. The potential food thieves include mice, crows, yaks, horses, marmots.
Western Sichuan are mainly mountain areas with lots of rivers and streams running down the valleys. It is very easy to get clean water during hiking. All water better to be treated or cooked before drinking. During winter time if you need to cook snow/ice, make sure they are from higher/less treaded places
Many of the hiking trails in western Sichuan have seen trash from year to year. Keep your trash with you and either burn them or bring them out. We appreciate your effort to protect the vulnerable environment of western Sichuan.
Route: Chengdu - Mount Siguniang
Route: Chengdu - Kangding - Danba - Chengdu
Route: Chengdu - Mount Gongga - Chengdu
