Haba Snow Mountain, Shangri-la

Haba Snow Mountain, its main peak 5,396 metres in height, stands 120 kilometres to the southeast of the seat of Zhongdian (Shangri-la) County. And its domain of 21,908 hectares, covered with a vertical distribution of forests, is rich in wildlife and plant resources. The attraction of the Sanba Tourist Area is attributed to the towering peaks of the Haba Mountain and its alpine moraine lake, endless tracks of azalea flowers, and cluster of waterfalls cascading down snow-covered cliffs.

As one of the snow mountains in Deqen Prefecture, the Haba Snow Mountain should never be omitted. It is located by the Golden Sand River with an elevation of 5,396 meters for its main peak and the lowest river surface elevation of 1,550 meters above sea level. The nature reserve extends 22 kilometers from south to north and 19 kilometers from east to west. About half of the 13,000 kinds of plants in Yunnan, the Kingdom of Plants, could be found in here. The primeval forest serves as the valuable scientific research base. In addition, there are more than 900 varieties of rare medicinal materials, more than 25 species of protect animals at the national grade and about 50 kinds of azalea. The glacier on the Haba Snow Mountain is the southmost glacier in China.

Haba Snow Mountain stands 120 kilometres to the southeast of Zhongdian County. the main peak is 5,396 metres in height. Haba Snow Mountain covers an area of 21,908 hectares, with a vertical distribution of virgin forests, it is rich in wildlife and plant resources.

The attraction of the Sanba Tourist Area is attributed to the towering peaks of the Haba Mountain and its alpine morainal lake, endless tracks of azalea flowers, and cluster of waterfalls cascading down snow-covered cliffs.

As one of the snow mountains in Deqen Prefecture, the Haba Snow Mountain should never be omitted. It is located by the Golden Sand River with an elevation of 5,396 meters for its main peak and the lowest river surface elevation of 1,550 meters above sea level. The nature reserve extends 22 kilometers from south to north and 19 kilometers from east to west. About half of the 13,000 kinds of plants in Yunnan, the Kingdom of Plants, could be found in here.

The primeval forest serves as the valuable scientific research base. In addition, there are more than 900 varieties of rare medicinal materials, more than 25 species of protect animals at the national grade and about 50 kinds of azalea. The glacier on the Haba Snow Mountain is one of the southmost glaciers in China.

Best Time to go: July and August.

Getting In & Out

Buses run daily to/from both Lijiang and Zhongdian, and are rarely full. Bear in mind that these will stop at many points along the way to pick up locals from intermediate villages.

Bicycle

To the south, the road towards Tiger Leaping Gorge rises for 5km or so, offering a spectacular view of the valley before descending almost constantly for nearly 30km to the valley entrance. From there a slight climb will get you to Walnut Grove.

Heading north out of town a 2km climb sees you through a pass, after which a slight but near-constant descent brings you within a brief distance of Baishuitai.

Lodging

Accommodation is basic and similar throughout most of the Haba town, with budget beds from Y10-15. Showers are shared with solar powered hot water.

The two most popular options are the Haba Snow Mountain Inn and the Fourth Sister Inn. The former provides a computer and a generator, as well as a larger selection of vegetables for meals.

Dining

Other than the impressive range of locally gathered wild mushrooms, there is a definite shortage of culinary variety in this town. Most places offering accommodation feature a limited variety of sorry-looking vegetables and a hunk of meat of two. The staple food is often baba or flatbread rather than rice, and you may be offered Tibetan-style butter tea, which is an acquired taste by all accounts. The saving grace is that all food available is locally produced and is completely free of agricultural chemicals. Also note that Muslim establishments will not serve pork.

Haba Snow Mountain Climbing

Recommend you start with a warm-up trekking from Tiger Leaping Gorge to Haba village first instead of arriving Haba by bus.

Phase I – Tiger Leaping Gorge to Haba Village

D1: Qiaotou-> Nuoyu Village-> 28 Turns-> Halfway Guesthouse

D2: Halfway Guesthouse ->Middle Rapids -> Tina’s -> Walnut Grove (Woody)

D3: Walnut Grove -> Haba Village(2800m)

Phase II – Haba Village to Haba Snow Mt.

(Horse & guide can be hired in Haba Village, Y100/day total)

D4: Haba Village-> Base Camp (4200m) 6-8hrs

D5: Base Camp–Camp 1(4800m)–Summit(5396m)–Base Camp

D6: Base Camp–Haba Village, take a bus to Baishuitai

D7: Bus from Baishuitai back to Lijiang or further northern to Zhongdian(Shangri-La)