Alpine peaks of China (2017)

PanShiBo

Climbed five peaks in Sichuan province, alpine style.

1. Signal Hill 4,105 m
2. Thunderstrike 4,665 m
3. 巴朗南 4,714 m
4. 牦牛峰 4,765 m       
5. 四姑娘大峰 5,025 m

AL

厉害，翻了五座山，外加一堵墙。期待更多照片。

PanShiBo

You won't find the names of these peaks on any map. Nor have they ever been climbed. Some are rising taller than 5,000 meters above sea level. Locals, even the "guides"，have no clue even about locations of the famous peaks: like 五色山 - though we certainly saw it many times, we still don't know exactly which one it is. When asked, the locals would point their hand towards broad area near 日月宝镜 (5,609m), saying "就是那里!", without providing any further details.

PanShiBo

Unlike Nepal sherpas (or Taiwan porters), we never saw local guides carry any loads,  instead horses are used to do all the work.

PanShiBo

It was raining in Chengdu, but when we arrived to Rilong by bus it was pure blue skies: perfect weather for our first acclimatization walk. Rilong township is located at 3,200m above sea level (same as the summit of Mt. Baker, WA), here the water already boils at 90°C, so they have to use high-pressure pots or the noodles won't cook.

PanShiBo

The Yak Peak (牦牛峰 4,765m) is called so for a reason - the semi-wild animals roam the area in great numbers. Down in the village of Rilong (日隆镇， 3,160m) they slaughter them right on the street and immediately sell super fresh meat - great source of protein (who needs Mountain House after that?) 8)

PanShiBo

It is said that the beginners are afraid of falling, the experts are afraid of something falling on them. In other words, two greatest causes of alpine deaths are: 1) falling and 2) something falls from the above. The first cause can be entirely prevented by training (climbing + fall protection skills), the second one is called "an objective danger". If you climb well and the luck is on your side, you can achieve a lot. But do not forget to practice often and hard: it is rather sad to hear again and again that a climber is dead because of lack of skills. Early successes in rapid succession create too much overconfidence and overconfidence invites trouble. The Chinese climber Yan DongDong (严冬冬) with the lead climbing partner Zhou Peng （周鹏） successfully scaled this (south) face of YaoMei (extreme and difficult line "The Free Spirits"), but died too soon. The cause of his entirely preventable death - unprotected glacier travel, falling into a crevasse.

PanShiBo

RiYueBaoJing peak (5,609m， 日月宝镜峰) was attempted from the ShuangQiao Gou (双桥沟) by the same Chinese pair that successfully climbed south face of YaoMei (Zhou Peng and Yan DongDong). This time they failed.

We will get very close look at it from, unexpectedly, the top of Yak Peak (4,765m 牦牛峰), on our last climbing outing in the area.

PanShiBo

The area of "Four Sisters" (四姑娘山) in Sichuan Province has three major tourist attractions, namely three valleys (HaiZi Gou 海子沟, ChangPing Gou 长坪沟 and Shuang Qiao Gou 双桥沟). When during casual talk we were telling "regular" tourists that we spent almost two weeks here but visited none of those valleys, they would give us a weird look and roll their eyes, expressing something like "If not for these valleys, what else one could come here for?! What a waste!"

PanShiBo

Our hotel was located right next to the trailhead. I was wondering where else one can leave the room and trek right away to (many) 5,000m alpine peaks? After a long day you come back and have a hot shower, a good dinner and a warm bed. Free WiFi is provided too. 8)

PanShiBo

First time I visited the area of Four Sisters more than ten years ago. I arrived to RiLong township via Balang pass  (seen in the photo). Since then the huge earthquake (2008 汶川大地震) damaged it and it was closed to traffic. A 8km tunnel was also made - such an impressive large-scale project! Now the pass is open again, but only few curious tourists visit this section, as all the cars are actually passing exactly below, in the tunnel that is. Now one can already see the signs of deterioration and I am not sure if in the close future it won't be decommissioned at all. Right now it provides great access to high peaks, most of them having no name, except "Balang shan", which (not surprisingly anymore) we can't find on any map - so its exact position and elevation is just our guess.

PanShiBo

It made us very nervous to see such a perfect weather and not be able to go for "a real peak". It was our first full day here and we had to acclimatize for the altitude (we never use altitude pills). A local driver agreed to take us to "Balang Shan", originally he looked like he knew where it is, but when he stopped the car and said "here", there were no peaks around to be called a "mountain", except a big post with letters "Balang Shan" for road-trip tourists to take photos against (and post immediately on WeiXin). So  we told him to keep going forward and up. Having no map with peak names, we just picked what looked like a decent objective for the day and let the driver go.

And the weather, being so good, was as we were worried about, unstable that is - in three days the area will be "welcoming" first snowfall of the  season which will last two days. All weather forecasts "are not reliable", according to the locals. When it was sunny in Rilong, the "Accurate Weather" app reported "snowing", and when it reported "snowing", it was sunny. Not even a forecast, but current conditions, "Accurate" indeed. 8)

PanShiBo

Luck is an essential part of alpine experience. Nothing can be predicted 100% - even "easy" peaks can be hard to summit without it.

PanShiBo

The local legend goes that YaoMei was the last of four sisters to perish in the mountains when four of them went to search for and save their father: none of them returned home. Despite being the youngest, YaoMei is taller than the rest of them, rising 1,000 m higher to 6,250m. It is said that the ubiquitous clouds that shroud the top is YaoMei's boyfriend, hiding her beauty from prying eyes.

PanShiBo

Eagle ridge is situated between HaiziGou and ChangPing Gou. Fantastic views in all directions. Returning from Thunderstike (4,665 m), we met a small group of tired clients who were slowly descending back from their multi-day guided trip (DaFeng + ErFeng), only cameras in hand, the rest of gear on horses lead by the guides. We asked whether they knew where Five Colors peak is located. Looking down, apparently taking us for "those silly tourists", one of them annoyingly replied "Not here - it is in Shuang Qiao Gou!". He didn't realize he was standing just in front of it.

PHOTO: Five Colors Peak (五色山) seen from Eagle Ridge. The top of  RiYueBaoJing (日月宝镜山 5,609m) at the back.

PanShiBo

I visited the impressive gigantic book store in Shanghai (上海书城), five floors filled with thousands of all sorts of books, but no single one about hiking trails. No hiking, backpacking or climbing books. None. Even more, topographic maps are wrong, and internet reports can't be trusted. Peaks have no markers. But if you think about it - it is very good for those who venture backcountry - you will surely find solitude here (except wild yaks in the pastures and eagles in the sky) :)

PHOTO: Eagle Ridge, with Four Sisters at the back: YaoMei (6250), SanFeng (5355), ErFeng (5276), DaFeng (5025).

PanShiBo

View from Balang South (巴朗南 4,714 m)



Eagle Ridge is called so for a reason..

PanShiBo

Basecamp C1 (大峰营地) can be seen from the summit of Thunderstrike (4,665 m). The peak at the back is 5,020m high with a fine alpine lake (八角棚海 4,500m) below on the right side of the ridge.

PanShiBo

On the summit of Thunderstrike (4,665m). DaFeng (四姑娘大峰 5,025m) immediately at the back, YaoMei (四姑娘幺妹峰 6,250m) at the very back.

I was wearing these fancy "transition sunglasses" that darken under more sunlight, silly thing becomes so dark on the snow (even when there is no sun at all) that it is impossible to read GPS. This can be quite annoying (or even dangerous) travelling on glaciers.

PanShiBo

Eagle ridge.