HaBa Snow Mountain Climb 5396m

Synopsis

The key highlight of this itinerary is to experience climbing a snow mountain.
HaBa Snow Mountain is about 4-hr drive from LiJiang, YunNan, China. It stands face to face with the 5590m YuLong Snow Mountain (Jade Dragon). These 2 famous mountains in LiJiang are separated by the raging waters of the mighty JinSha River (Upper Yangtze River), forming the magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Standing at 5396m, HaBa Snow Mountain is just above the snow-line and is covered with snow all year round. The forgiving slopes and well-established climbing routes make it an ideal climb for beginners. You will go through the process of a typical mountaineering expedition: trekking to base camp and advance base camp, setting up tents, acclimatization, walking on crampons, using ice axe, pushing for summit and of course, the thrill of summiting a snow mountain!

After the climb, you can relax and immerse in the hustle bustle of the ancient town of LiJiang. If time permits, you will get the chance to cycle to the ancient village of BaiSha (white sands) and explore the area around Jade Dragon Mountain.

Now you will probably put your sight on tackling higher peaks such as Mera Peak 6476m or Muztagh Ata 7546m!

>>> more details on climbing HaBa....

Itinerary Overview :

Day 01   Arrive KunMing / LiJiang      
       02   LiJiang / Tiger Leaping Gorge 
       03   Tiger Leaping Gorge / HaBa village / yak shed  (est. 3hr trek)
       04   yak shed / Base camp (est. 4hr trek)
       05   Base camp - rest & recovery
       06   Summit of HaBa Snow Mountain  (est. 7-8hr climb) / Base camp
       07   Spare day for 2nd summit attempt or establish camp1
       08   Base camp / LiJiang
       09   LiJiang - free & easy
       10   LiJiang / KunMing / Depart KunMing 

The following will be provided:

• Climbing Gear: crampons, ice-axes and ropes
• Camping Gear: tents and cooking utensils
• Medical Supplies: oxygen bottles, and basic 1st-aid kit
• Entrance to Tiger Leaping Gorge and climbing reserve area
• Porters/horses to carry your packs to base camp and advanced camp
• Guide to climber ratio of 1:1 (or 1:2 depending on the experience)
• 1x Safety Vehicle for emergency standby while during the climb
• Pre-departure briefing (preparation, gears, safety, admin etc.)

Additional Notes :

• You may hire a horse for the trek from HaBa village up to base camp. This is to help you to save energy in prepartion for the summit push. It will take a fit person 5-6hr to trek up to the base camp. Someone with average fitness would probably need about 8hrs.
• The gradient from base camp to the summit is generally 30-40degrees.
• We will bring you out for an acclmatization climb on Day04. The purpose of this climb is to allow you to go up further to a higher altitude (around 4600m) and also be familiar with part of the summit route.
• Crampons will only be required typically after 4900m, where you start to climb up the long slope towards the final summit ridgeline.
• After you hit the summit ridgeline, the trek along this ridgeline to the summit is more gentle and leads all the way to the summit after a curve to the left. There are several crevasses and a cliff face on your left, so be sure to stay on the footprints of the guide and follow them closely.