Trekking

Trekking around Deqin

You can trek anytime of the year around Deqin and the Mingyong Glacier. The best times to trek are before or after the rainy season; which starts around the end of June and continues until the middle of September. You can still trek during the rainy season, but you may spend days in the clouds and risk the chance of not seeing the tops of the peaks, but the quality of the treks more than make up for this.
To trek you will need, warm clothes for the evening, a comfortable day-sac and good shoes. If you want to go off the beaten-track then a sleeping bag or tent may be necessary. (You can hire tents from Tashi’s Lodge)
Due to the nature of the terrain, it is very hard to do classic A to B treks, like Tiger leaping Gorge. Both the Mingyong Glacier and Yubeng lie in separate valleys, so you will need to choose just one, or allow about five days to visit both. There are numerous other treks you can do in the area, plus Tashi’s Lodge is always opening up new treks.
In the winter the evening temperatures drop below freezing, so you will need a good sleeping bag, but the days are blisteringly hot and afford unbelievable views of the many mountain ranges.
While trekking there are some small, basic guesthouses; which you can stay in. If there are no guesthouses then the local Tibetans are usually more than happy to put you up for the night for a small fee.
More established treks like Yubeng have small shops dotted along the routes, but if you venture off the beaten track, then you will need to carry some kind of food or be totally reliant on the locals.

Timings

You can walk from Tashi’s Lodge to - Mingyong Glacier in one day, Xidang in half a day, Yubeng in two days. Allow one day to visit either the waterfall or glacial lake from Yubeng

So, what’s the name of the sacred mountain?

Like most names that are translated into English, people often use different methods, which ultimately cause confusion.
The highest, most sacred peak in the region is no exception and goes by a number of names including:

Kawa Karpo
Kawa Gebo
Kawa Korp
Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Shue Shan
Melixueshan
Virgin Peak

Luckily, when you see it, the confusion stops right there, and you are in no doubt you’re looking at a special place, whatever you choose to call it.

Like all holy mountains, Kawa Karpo has its own kora, a walk around a sacred area. The kora takes between 10-12 days and can be organized from Tashi’s Mountain Lodge.

You can find out lots more about trekking in Deqin at:

deqinblogger@blogspot.com

Tashi's Mountain Lodge

Reringkha Village, Deqin, Yunnan. China