Mount Meili North Slope Trek (Level 3.5/5)

Arrive in Lijiang and transfer privately to the hotel. After check-in, take time to settle and make a gentle visit to Lijiang Old Town, introducing the lanes, waterways, and Naxi cultural setting of northwestern Yunnan.

A detailed equipment and route briefing follows in the late afternoon. Review the high-altitude stages, remote camps, clothing, daypack, pack-animal logistics, and safety procedures before the drive toward Meili Snow Mountain begins.

Depart in the morning and drive via Shangri-La to reach Benzilan, an important trading town on the ancient Tea Horse Road, where you will stop for lunch. In the afternoon, cross the Baima Snow Mountain Range and arrive at Meili Snow Mountain, where the magnificent panorama of the Thirteen Peaks unfolds before you.

Continue past Feilai Temple and follow National Highway 214 for about 1 hour to reach Liutongjiang Village on the banks of the Lancang River. In the evening, check into a riverside hotel.

After breakfast, drive for about half an hour to today’s trekking starting point — Ayong Hamlet of Liutongjiang Village, located in a valley above the Lancang River, near the north face of Meili Snow Mountain. From here, you can see Cuogelaka Peak, which resembles a reclining lion, giving rise to its name “Lion Snow Mountain.” At this point, the main supplies continue by pack animal while the trek proceeds with only a light daypack.

The trail begins with a gentle traverse along the mountainside. After crossing a bridge over the river valley, the route ascends steadily. Hike through stretches of pristine forest and bamboo groves, with distant snow peaks occasionally appearing through the canopy. After about 4 hours of trekking, cross a wooden bridge and a scree slope to reach Zhangqia Camp. After a short rest, continue for another 2 km to arrive at Zhulin (Bamboo) Camp, where you will stay overnight.

Trekking distance: 11 km

After breakfast, set off along the river, gradually ascending towards the snow-capped peaks. As the altitude rises, the full panorama of the mountains unfolds before your eyes. The trail passes through forest and boulders, with the majestic Mangkuanglaka Peak looming ahead. Crossing an abandoned cattle farm and a wooden bridge, you climb a gentle slope until the Nairedingka Glacier comes into view, glistening against the sky.

Today’s trek is relatively light, designed for acclimatisation. Upon arrival at Po Jun Camp, you are greeted with an open vista of the northern face of Meili Snow Mountain, with Nairedingka Glacier, Laidigongka, Nairedingka, and Mangkuanglaka rising in grandeur. Surrounded by glaciers, clouds, rivers, and meadows, it is an idyllic place to relax, breathe the crisp mountain air, and capture the beauty of the highlands at leisure.

Trekking distance: 5 km

Begin below the northern face of Meili Snow Mountain as the first light reaches the surrounding glaciers. After breakfast, cross the pasture and climb a steep scree slope toward the glacial valley at approximately 4,500 metres.

Skirt the lateral moraine and continue to Ciding Pass, the highest point of the trek. From the pass, wide views open across the northern glaciers and the ice fields surrounding Nairedingka and Mangkuanglaka peaks.

Beyond the pass, descend more than 500 metres into the valley and continue across the alpine pasture to Pojiang Pasture, where the trekking day ends at camp. The descent is steep and loose underfoot, so keep a steady pace. The day's trek covers approximately six kilometres.

Early in the morning, depart camp and descend briefly before a steady ascent through forest to Dala Pasture. After a short rest, continue climbing about 100 metres to Dala Lateral Pass, where sweeping views of the entire north face of Meili Snow Mountain unfold.

Traverse across the ridge to an abandoned cowshed (Qijiang Yaka), then descend through forest, with distant views of the retreating Meili peaks. As altitude lowers, the vegetation grows richer, streams and creeks flowing through the woods. Crossing several wooden bridges, you will eventually return to Yagong—the starting point of the trek. After a short rest, transfer by vehicle back to Feilai Temple and check into the hotel.

Trekking distance: 16 km

Begin at Feilai Temple with an early view across the Meili Snow Mountain range, then return to the hotel for breakfast and prepare for the road journey south.

Drive through Deqin, Benzilan, and Shangri-La toward Lijiang, watching the landscape descend from high mountain valleys to the broader plateaus of northwestern Yunnan. Arrive in Lijiang in the late afternoon, normally around 4:00–5:00 p.m., where the seven-day journey concludes.