|
2010 Hiking Yosemite's Sister Parks in China
A special Yosemite Conservancy journey to the national parks of the Middle Kingdom
Day 1, Thursday 23 September 2010 - Arrive in Hangzhou
Arrive in Hangzhou in the afternoon via Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul or Tokyo. The rest of the day is free to adjust to the new time zone.
Depending on your arrival time we'll take a walk along the famous West Lake, which has been an attraction for centuries and it is small wonder that it was a favorite imperial retreat. The lake and its environs have all the elements of a traditional Chinese garden but on a grand scale. The natural setting of strangely shaped peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and a myriad of blossoms in spring time are enhanced by a treasury of sculpture and architectural features. Whatever the season, the panorama is pleasing to the eye and the nuances of light/shade together with the moods of the weather present an ever-changing picture that justifiably has been described as 'intoxicating.' If you've got the energy Pete wants to take you on a walk up to Baochu Pagoda.
We will have our welcome dinner and trip orientation with trip leaders Zhao Bei and Pete Devine at a local restaurant.
Overnight: Lakeview Hotel Hangzhou (4-star)
Meal: D
Day 2, Friday 24 September - Hangzhou to Huangshan
Starting early in the morning, we drive approximately 4 hours to Mt. Huangshan and leave extraneous luggage at the base.
If you climb one mountain in China, let it be Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). Located in southern Anhui province, and accepted to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990 (Yosemite was added in 1984), Huangshan, with its 72 peaks, is China's most famous mountain for scenic beauty. Unlike other Asian high points, this summit has no religious significance, but the mountain is known instead for its sea of clouds, strangely shaped rocks, unusual pine trees, and bubbling hot springs -- four features that have mesmerized and inspired countless painters and poets for over 1,500 years.
For those ready for a stout walk, we ascend this magnificent mountain on the Eastern Stairs. This trail ascends 3.5 miles (2-3 hours) of stone stairs; picture Yosemite’s Mist Trail to the top of Vernal Fall - times four.
Eastern Stairs -- This paved, cut-stone stairway is considerably easier to hike than the Western Stairs, though this is definitely not a stroll in the park either. Shortly after the start of the trail we can spot Eyebrow Peak to the south, said to resemble a pair of eyebrows. A bit further up, we will reach the Immortal Pointing the Way. En route, we will also pass bubbling streams and pretty pine and bamboo forests, which are quite pleasant. Once on top we continue to hike another 45 minutes before we reach Beihai Hotel.
For those preferring the path of least resistance, there is another way to get up the mountain: the Yungu Si cable car. The 6-minute ascent can involve a wait in line first; it’s less than an hour’s walk from the top of the cable car to our hotel, but we'll be carrying our luggage.
Overnight: Beihai Hotel (4-star), www.beihaihotel.com
Meals: B L D
Day 3, Saturday 25 September - Huangshan
Today, we will explore the summit area of Huangshan. The highlight at the summit is the North Sea Sunrise, one of the reasons for overnighting up top. Weather permitting, we enjoy the truly breathtaking moment when the first golden ray hits and spills onto the sea of clouds. The Qingliang Tai (Refreshing Terrace), less than 10 minutes from the hotel, is the best place to view the sunrise spectacle. Alternatively, the Paiyun Ting (Cloud Dispelling Pavilion) between the Feilai Shi and the Xihai Hotel is the place to catch the equally pretty sunsets.
After taking in the beautiful sunrise, we’ve got breakfast and an all-day hike to explore the Xihai Grand Canyon, a scarcely visited area featuring the most astonishing trails you will ever see in your life. Bring your camera and your adrenaline for this route. It’s quite safe, but dramatic. We will hike 2.5 hours to the bottom, where we will have our picnic lunch. Afterwards we’ve got a gently paced walk of about 5 hours back to our hotel. En route we will pass by Fairy Walking Bridge, Brightness Apex, Rock Flying from Afar (a large vertical rock standing on a tapered end) and other breathtaking scenery right out of a “Lord of the Rings” set. We return to Beihai Hotel in the late afternoon.
For those opting out of the long hike, we’ll offer some easier walks to take in the beautiful scenery on the summit at a mellower pace.
Overnight: Beihai Hotel (4-star), www.beihaihotel.com
Meals: B L D
Day 4, Sunday 26 September - Huangshan
After another sunrise at the summit, we will descend Mt. Huangshan through a different trail, the Western Stairs, which is a bit longer and steeper but which has some of Huangshan's most spectacular vistas.
Western Stairs – In the morning, we start the 9-mile hike from our hotel and reach Guangming Ding (Brightness Summit) 40 minutes later, the park’s second-highest peak at an elevation of 6,100’, where there's a weather station and a hotel. On today's route we'll share the popular traverse with lots of other visitors. From here, it is another 2-3 hours takes us to perhaps the most renowned tree in China, Yingke Song (Welcoming Guests Pine), which extends a long tree branch as if in greeting. You have very likely seen pictures of this famed tree in various places for many years. South of Jade Screen Terrace, some of us will descend directly, while those with energy might tackle a remarkable ascent on a steep and exposed stairway snaking its way to the magnificent Celestial Capitol Peak, the park’s third-highest summit at 5,937 ft.
After our picnic lunch, we have another 2.5 hours hike downhill before we have a short shuttle ride to our hotel at the foot of the park.
We can also make arrangements for people who prefer a cable car descent option.
Overnight: Tangkou Hotel
Meals: B L D
Day 5, Monday 27 September - Huangshan to Hangzhou
In the morning we visit Hongcun Village, another UNESCO World Heritage Site highlighting typical South Anhui architecture and one of the most photogenic and well-preserved historic villages in China. The town was built along the banks of Nan Lake. The water from the lake wraps around the houses and underneath your footsteps; walking down the streets feels like you’re walking in an outdoor living museum filled with richly decorated porticos and swooping rooflines.
We drive 2.5 hours back to Hangzhou in the afternoon and enjoy some downtime near West Lake.
Overnight: Lakeview Hotel Hangzhou (4-star)
Meals: B L D
Day 6, Tuesday 28 September - Hangzhou to Jiuzhaigou
Our group flies through the city of Chengdu to remote Jiuzhaigou in northern Sichuan province. Take a deep breath; the airport is at over 11,000'.
On the edge of the Tibetan Plateau we have about two hours on the bus through gorgeous Min Shan scenery and the famed "Nine Turns" to the gateway town for Jiuzhaigou National Park. There's time to stretch our legs in an exploration of the Tibetan/Qiang village here. Our hotel is right at the park entrance near the visitor center and we eat at a restaurant suspended over the river - with a glass floor.
Overnight: Jiuzhaigou Grand Hotel (4-star)
Meals: B L D
Day 7, Wednesday 29 September - Jiuzhaigou NP
Today, we have breakfast in the park staff dining room and start our exploration of the picturesque Jiuzhaigou park. Prepare to be awestruck by the stunning aquatic effects on display. Our first stop, Mirror Lake (aptly named, yet quite different from ours in Tenaya Creek), is located at the mouth of Ri Tse Valley. As indicated by its name, the lake has a mirror-like flat surface onto which every object - flowers, grasslands, forests as well as distant mountains - are reflected. A walk by the lake will explain a local saying - that birds fly in water while fish swim in the sky.
The Pearl Shoal Waterfall - named after the sight of the gushing waterfall that creates fine beads of pearl-like water drops, is a further ¾ mile down the Ri Tse Valley; the Five Colored Pond is located at the lakefront along a dirt road. The multi-colored pond is an enchanting sight; the water takes on a faint blue color from dead wood and leaves beneath its surface, while in other parts it is darker where it is surrounded by trees and mountains.
Overnight: Jiuzhaigou Grand Hotel (4-star)
Meals: B L D
Day 8, Thursday 30 September - Jiuzhaigou NP, Zharu Valley
We drive a few minutes to the entrance of Zharu Valley, a newly opened eco-tourism area within Jiuzhaigou with limited special access. Zharu Valley is quite different from other valleys in Jiuzhaigou, and it is an ideal place for hiking, camping, and observing flora and fauna. In this valley, we also find the Zharu temple, Rexi Tibetan village, Zharu Ruins (a deserted traditional Tibetan village) and the holy Mt. Zayizhaga which is a bit higher than Yosemite’s Mt. Lyell.
After lunch at a Tibetan home in Rexi, we pay a short visit to Zharu Temple and have a look at the Zharu Ruins. Zharu ruins, an abandoned traditional Tibetan village made of wood and clay, provides a fascinating comparison with the new Tibetan village a short distance away. Because of better access to drinking water, the villagers have all moved to Rexi, down the mountain; this village is deserted but still in good condition. Seeing this ancestral settlement gives us a better understanding of the people’s traditional life.
After visiting with locals we hike up-canyon to our camp at road's end at Dere. Here we'll enjoy a complete absence of crowds, traffic and bright lights. There are lots of birds here; last year we found no less than 5 species of 'chickadee' near our camp.
Overnight: Tent camping
Meals: B L D
Day 9, Friday, October 1 - Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong
 In the early morning, we break camp and leave the isolation of Zharu Valley. We'll bus over a 4000-meter pass and drop into the watershed that holds another World Heritage Site, Huanglong National Park. This mountain valley is noted for its unique open karst landscape – unlike anything in Yosemite. The main attraction of the valley is the sequence of two miles of pale yellow calcareous deposits. At the upper end of the valley, snowmelt mixes with water that emerges from the limestone and flows down mountain terraces, depositing calcium carbonate on the rocks, stones, and fallen branches in its path. The calcium carbonate, in turn, develops into low travertine banks and reacts chemically with organic and inorganic substances, resulting in various deposits that reflect a golden color in the sunlight. Locals envision a huge yellow dragon flying down the snowy mountain. The crystal clear water and the mineral deposits create remarkably colorful lakes. We will hike 3 miles (4 hours) to the source of the calcareous flow and visit the Huanglong Top-temple before we walk or take the cable car down. Picnic lunch will be prepared.
We'll overnight not far from the park entrance and visitor center.
Overnight: Huanglong Hotel
Meals: B L D
Day 10, Saturday 2 October - Huanglong to Bifengxia
Leaving Huanglong we'll fly south to Chengdu, the capital city of spicy Sichuan. A 2-hour drive brings us to Ya'an and the nearby China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at Bifengxia. This center is home to the largest group of captive pandas in the world, including those evacuated from the famed Wolong preserve which suffered catastrophic earthquake damage in May 2008. You may have seen in the news recently that Taishan, the cub born in our National Zoo in Washington, D.C. was returned to China in February; Bifengxia is where this four year old now lives. The center is in a natural area which adds more opportunities for us to see plants, birds and other wildlife. We'll have lots of opportunity to visit with the pandas and for an extra donation we may be allowed to get up close for a picture with them.
Overnight: Hongzhu Hotel
Meals: B L D
Day 11, Sunday 3 October - Bifengxia to Chengdu
After breakfast, we will have more time to explore Bifengxia including a 26-story elevator descent to the bottom of Bifeng Gorge for a look at its waterfalls and plantlife. Then it's back on the road to Chengdu. On the way we'll stop for a look at the old town of Shangli, once part of the Southern Silk Road and the ancient Tea-Horse Trail. 
Sad to say: this evening we will have our farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Chengdu that highlights the bold flavors of Sichuan cuisine.
Overnight: Civil Aviation Hotel (4-star)
Meals: B L D
Day 12, Monday 4 October - Depart Chengdu
In the morning, we transfer to the airport for your flight home to the US via Hong Kong, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai or Tokyo. Or: WildChina has extension packages that will help you explore Xian and the Beijing area after our trip.
Meal: B
| 
