The best time to travel to Meili Snow Mountain and travel notes

Meili Snow Mountain can be called a holy mountain. It has a great connection with Buddhism and receives pilgrims from believers every year. The natural environment here is harsh. The weirdest term that pops up when everyone searches for Meili Snow Mountain is - Meili Although I don’t know whether the supernatural events in the snow mountains are true or not, there are still adventures in the Meili Snow Mountains, so I have compiled a travel diary and the best time to travel for you.

The best time to travel to Meili Snow Mountain:

The best months are August, September and October every year. In fact, as long as the weather conditions permit, it is the best time all year round to satisfy tourists. Get on the adventure.

Meili Snow Mountain Travel Guide:

Meili’s Call Meili, with respect for Tibetan customs, admiration for the sacred, and longing for the secret realm, I obey your call and go to Meili. You are here in your birth year - the late autumn of 2015.

The sacred lake, the sacred waterfall and the glacial lake are the three sacred landscapes of Meili Yubeng. Together with the Ninong Gorge, they are also known as the four major landscapes of Yubeng Village.

Due to its high altitude, the Shenhu Lake is located above 4,400 meters. In addition, it has not yet been developed, has steep slopes and dangerous roads, and is rarely visited by tourists. It is said that only a few people, no more than 50, climb the lake every year (I am skeptical), so it has an alluring sense of mystery.

According to Tibetan legends, the sacred lake is the teardrop of Kawagebo’s beloved wife Shy Tsimu. In winter, it is frozen and crystal clear; in spring, it is covered with gauze, hazy and attractive; in summer, it is filled with wild flowers. The makeup is all charming, and in autumn, the face is fully revealed, blue and pure.

Every year on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar, Yubeng Tibetans go on pilgrimage to pay homage, hang prayer flags, pile mantras, chant sutras and pray for blessings.

Yubeng is 3,050 meters above sea level. Shenhu Lake is located on the top of Cuoka Mountain, 4,700 meters above sea level, northeast of Yuubeng Village. The climb of more than 1,000 meters, coupled with the possible high risk of anti-traveling, deters many travel enthusiasts. There are different distances between the village and the lake, one is twenty kilometers, the other is fifteen kilometers, and so on. Based on my experience, a round trip of thirty kilometers is more reliable.

This Yubeng hike was in a hurry and we did not make detailed plans. It can be said that our route and time arrangement were gradually formed during the hike.

Before the trip, I just browsed and printed some travel guides, focusing on the Ninong route, because travel friends said that there were too many side roads and it was easy to get lost.

I don’t pay much attention to other routes, and I have no intention of going to Shenhu Lake. On the way from Xidang to Shangyubeng, the British guy ANDIY and the Australian couple CHERRY (from Ningbo, Zhejiang, settled in Australia) kept asking us if we had any plans for Shenhu Lake. They wanted to go, and if possible, we would go together in a group.

This reminds me that I once read the guide "Hiking Yubengshen Lake Alone (Actually No Guide is Needed)" by a young guy from Shenzhen. If they dare to go alone, how can we as a team do it? fear. This breeds the idea of ??"going" and gets out of control. Whenever someone asks about whether they can go up to the sacred lake, they always answer "YES" firmly.

Handsome British guy - ANDIY

ANDIY, about thirty years old, tall and thin, British. I teach English in a training institution in Chengdu, Sichuan to earn money for traveling. I have traveled more than half of China. This time I just finished walking through Daocheng and came to Yubeng from the Yunnan-Tibet Road. From Feilai Temple we arrived in the same car as us at Xidang. Since we were traveling at the same speed and Wei and I didn’t look like bad guys, we joined us soon after we started hiking and became a trio.

Although ANDIY is dressed in denim, he still reflects the gentlemanly character in his words and deeds. When communicating with us, if we encounter something that we cannot speak, we use the translation software on our mobile phones to check it, so there is no big obstacle to our communication. During the exchange, we learned that he seems to be very interested in plants, and particularly yearns for Gaoligong Mountain in Yunnan. Due to travel schedule, he did not plan to go there this time. Since we met on the way, we have been living and dining with us. We have been friendly and together for four days, and we get along very harmoniously. He told me and Wei that his work contract will expire in the second half of this year, and he will go to Bhutan to start a new job there.

When talking about his upcoming departure from China, his words were filled with memories and love for China. He said that China is a big country with a long history, and he likes China’s diversity very much. Because he works and lives in Sichuan, he can even speak a few standard Sichuan dialects, can eat spicy food, and loves Sichuan hot pot. Because he was tall and handsome, passers-by always invited him to take photos with him along the way. Among them, a group of Guizhou women gathered around him to take photos, and his expression was so weird. Ha ha.

He was a nice guy. I remember one detail about him. We stayed in the same room at the inn. After checking in, he always put his hiking shoes outside the door. The guy was in great health. It rained heavily in late autumn and the temperature dropped sharply in the evening. He always used cold water to bathe.

On the night we arrived at Yubeng from Xidang, ANDIY, Wei and I went out to find food. On the way ANDIY met a German guy (I forgot his name) whom I met who was wandering in the village, and we made an appointment to have dinner together. He was not polite and agreed. So a German, a British, and two Chinese gathered together for an international dinner in a small restaurant in Yubeng Village.

The Germans know a little bit about English but not Chinese, the British can speak some Chinese (cannot write and read), and the Chinese can only speak a few English words.

Seeing this, you can't help but ask, how do you communicate at the dinner table? You can't just eat without talking, right? Let me tell you, what can we rely on to communicate without barriers? Wine! A few dishes of side dishes, two bottles of highland barley shochu, two glasses of wine. , face and ears are hot, talking and gesticulating, and both of them can roughly understand what they mean.

During the chat, the topic focused on the Divine Lake. The German said that he had just walked through the Divine Lake, and we wanted to know more about it. ANDIY

served as a temporary guest translator and asked questions we were concerned about. After asking, ANDIY found paper and pen, drew a picture and relayed the German experience to us, including altitude, slope, difficulty level, time taken, route direction, etc. It was detailed and meticulous, and the details reflected the seriousness of the Europeans. and rigor.

This meal costs about 200 yuan. This time there is no AA system. It is ours, and the Europeans are not polite. For me, this was a good experience, an informal, non-translated, international dinner attended by donkeys from many countries. It made me deeply aware of the courage and belief of these foreign donkeys wandering the land of China. Their sophisticated equipment and their integration into Chinese culture and, of course, their drinking capacity. More importantly, the communication at the dinner table provided an important reference for us to successfully complete the Shenhu Lake.

After returning from Shenfu, ANDIY told us that he had to cancel the Shenhu plan because he had to rush to Dali to meet his friends, and expressed his deep regret. In the evening, CHERRY called again and said that his husband had discomfort in his feet when walking to the waterfall and had to abandon the lake. What should we do? Only Wei and I are left among the five of us. Should we still leave? After discussion, we decided to go.

Two nights before we went to Shenhu Lake, it was raining. After dinner, we asked ANDIY to take a foot bath to relieve fatigue. I visited several inns alone to learn about the situation of Shenhu Lake and Germany from the locals. It’s pretty much what people introduced. At this point, for me, I have been fully mentally and financially prepared for Zou Shenhu. When we came back from Shen Waterfall, ANDIY told us that we had to cancel the Shen Lake plan because we had to rush to Dali to meet up with friends, and expressed our deep regret. In the evening, CHERRY called again and said that his husband had discomfort in his feet when walking to the waterfall and had to abandon the lake. What should we do? Only Wei and I are left among the five of us. Should we still leave? After discussion, we decided to go.

On the night before departure, Wei and ANDIY went to soak their feet again. I was alone by the inn’s stove and chatting with the inn proprietress’s family. The inn proprietress said that the Yubeng villagers, young and old, had to do this every year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month in the lunar calendar. Climbing the Shenhu Lake, hanging flags around the lake to worship, she was told that she could walk there in three hours. I thought you would be here in three hours. No matter how bad we are, no matter how inferior we are to you, we should be here in six hours! Master Binchuan Wang of Dali, who helps the boss’s wife do carpentry work, invited me to drink the highland barley wine he brewed, and I gave him a box of Yuxi As people smoke and drink, the atmosphere becomes cordial. Master Wang told me that he has been in Yubeng for many years. Due to the development of tourism in these years, the villagers have either built new inns or upgraded them, which has created more work. In addition, he is an upright person and has good craftsmanship. He has worked in Shang and Yubeng. With good popularity, he can eat and live as he pleases. He said that every year when winter comes and the weather is cold in Yubeng, he goes back to his hometown in Dali, and comes back again in spring. This happens every year, and he is already half a Yubeng person. He told me that he had been to Shenhu Lake. The scenery was very beautiful and worth going, and the road was not difficult. Judging from the conditions of the Shenhu Waterfall and Ice Lake, there would be no problem in going to Shenhu Lake. While he was talking, he took out his mobile phone and opened the photo album, and showed me a photo of the sacred lake that he had collected. It was a scenery photo of the mountain reflected in the lake. At first glance, there was nothing strange about it. He asked me to take it. Looking at the photo sideways, a human face came into view. He said it was the head of a Buddha. He told me that only a destined person can see it. His words were full of satisfaction and pride. Under such encouragement, the temptation of the secret realm of Shenhu Lake and the allure of the beautiful scenery can no longer be resisted. The yearning swells, and those hesitations, worries, and fears dissipate. After three rounds of wine, the conversation box opens, Master Wang He told me a lot about his experiences and knowledge in Yubeng. When talking about this inn, he pointed at the proprietress and said that she has two husbands, and they are two brothers. The woman stays at home, and the two brothers take turns staying at home. The children Three people are raised together. When I was talking about this, the landlady was listening nearby, not shy or shy, as if she was talking about other people's affairs. Master Wang said that this situation is relatively common among Tibetans. The first time I heard about such a wedding custom, I was shocked.

"In the folk houses in the deep valleys, on the cold nights of late autumn on the plateau, I sit around the stove integrated with the Tibetan stove, smoking and drinking. Sipping wine and having such a homely chat, listening to Master Wang and the landlady talking, I felt very benefited from the frank communication, joking happily, no suspicion, no need to be defensive, and exchanging trust with each other with sincerity. The smile conveys understanding, and in this harmonious and harmonious atmosphere, warmth wraps around the body. Although it has been a long time, I still think of that night of chatting, especially yesterday."

Back to the room. Wei and ANDIY were not asleep yet, so I told them what we had heard about the conversation. When I heard about the Tibetan wedding custom of one woman marrying two brothers, ANDIY exclaimed, "WHAT", "WHY", looking incomprehensible and incredible. ANDIY said that he has a younger brother. Since they were young, they have clearly separated all their belongings and basically don’t know how to use them. However, they actually have a WIFE!,!,!

, Ha, ha, don’t say that you, a foreigner, can’t accept it, I can’t even understand it. This is a cultural conflict.

As planned, I got up at six in the morning, had breakfast at six-thirty, and climbed the mountain on time at seven.

As a result, we were all ready. When we went downstairs for breakfast at 6:30, the kitchen door was closed and the landlady hadn't gotten up yet. "Lack of integrity," we all complained. I had no choice but to find another place to eat. Because it was too early, most inns had not yet opened. Finally, I found one that had just opened and had no noodles. Wei, ANDIY and I each ordered a cake and sat down with butter tea brewed with boiling water. Then hit the road.

At this time, the sky has not yet fully opened. Shrouded in mist, Yubeng Village is quiet and peaceful. The fresh air is mixed with the smell of butter and livestock dung. The simplicity of the original ecology is not disappointing. Disgusted. The occasional crowing of chickens and barking of dogs in farmers’ homes is clear and bright, calling for the cycle of life. In the morning light, the outline of the farmhouse gradually became clearer, and the sounds coming from the house heralded the beginning of the villagers' day's work.

Because when we came down from Shenfu Waterfall the previous afternoon, we had already explored the path according to the guide. Even though it was just dawn, we found the small bridge directly. After crossing the bridge, we said goodbye to Andy. He asked again to send him photos of the sacred lake. We agreed, said good luck and good luck, and then parted ways. He crossed the Ninong Gorge alone to the left and rushed to Deqin. We went up the path to the right, passed the famous green sign with "No Passage" written on it, which had a guiding role, and went straight up to the Shenhu Lake.

The temperature was low in the morning, so we walked very fast at first, focusing on the road and ignoring the scenery on both sides. After a while, the slope increased sharply, our bodies began to heat up, and we slowed down. After walking for a while, I heard voices in front of me. When I got closer, I saw a Tibetan woman and a little girl of about five or six years old climbing hard. When I asked, I learned that they were also going to the sacred lake. I sincerely admired the piety of the Tibetan people. Going further, I saw a man resting and asked where he was going. Because his Chinese expression was not very clear, after repeated questions and answers, I figured out that he was going to the Shen Waterfall rather than the Shen Lake. A mother and daughter behind him were from the same family as him. They were busy. He told me that he had gone the wrong way, and the man thanked him for turning back. This is the second time we have encountered Tibetans taking the wrong path. Two days ago we went to the Ice Lake and encountered a similar situation when we arrived at the base camp. At that time, we felt sorry for them for walking the wrong path for nearly six hours. These two cases of Tibetans leaving by mistake made me realize that Tibetans in Meili have only one goal when traveling to the mountains - the Divine Waterfall. They traveled thousands of miles, covered with stars and moon, and slept in the open air just for the Divine Waterfall, where they could bathe under it. Purify yourself, chant sutras and pray for blessings. At the same time, I also lamented that the service guarantee of the local government was somewhat inadequate.

During the Year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar, many Tibetans come from all directions. How to provide them with comprehensive and meticulous services is worth thinking about by the government. Later I learned that in order to ensure the safety and orderliness of the mountain trekking, the local government had formed a joint working group composed of six departments including civil affairs, religion, industry and commerce, and public security to direct and coordinate all mountain trekking activities in the Year of the Sheep. Despite this, I still feel that the government needs to do more to fulfill its responsibilities.

After guiding the lost Tibetans, we continued on our way. The road becomes narrower and narrower, forming a zigzag shape, extending upward along the mountain covered with trees. When the sun rises, the surface temperature rises, the mist in the forest evaporates, and the air is fresh and moist. While walking, I looked around and saw thick and tall cedars with their trunks covered with moss. Many large rhododendron trees and some unknown broad-leaved tree species were mixed in the cedar forest. I imagined how beautiful the scenery would be when the rhododendrons are in full bloom in May and June. Heart-warming. The two of us rarely spoke during the journey. We each felt the breath of the forest and indulged in our thoughts of being far away from the city. Apart from the sound of footsteps and heavy breathing, there was no sound around us. The occasional chirping of birds made the atmosphere even more ethereal and quiet. Climbing in the forest, I feel calm and happy, and my body does not feel too tired.

Further up, I saw moving figures, a group of young travel companions, three men and two women. The two women were wearing colorful outdoor clothes and professional equipment. They looked slightly tired. They relied on each other to rest. The three men were either standing or sitting and resting. When I got closer and saw the person clearly, I remembered that I was walking in the village after dinner last night. In front of a small store, I heard two young men asking the store owner about the sacred lake, so they went up to talk to see if they could join forces. One of the gang said, They also had two other female donkeys and hired a guide. After the exchange, they agreed to join a group, left each other's phone numbers, and agreed to meet at the White Tower at seven in the morning. However, when the three of us went out early in the morning, we saw no one at the White Tower, and no one answered our calls. The two of us had to go alone, not wanting to meet him on the road. So they came forward to say hello and said some words of explanation to each other. After exchanging pleasantries, he did not stay to accompany them, but overtook them and accelerated his progress.

As the altitude increases, the vertical distribution of vegetation becomes more obvious. The cedars blocking the view become increasingly rare and replaced by low shrubs, and the view gradually broadens. Looking back at the bottom of the mountain, Shang and Yubeng villages are located between the mountains, looking slightly lonely. It's late autumn, and the surroundings of the village are all yellow. You can't feel the freshness and elegance of other seasons. Only the smoke rising from the roofs expresses its vitality and vitality. Further up, out of the woods, the snowy scenery hits your face, the Meili peaks are close at hand, Kawagbo stands majestically under the blue sky, with a small but heroic head standing on the king-like body, the mighty Holy God, Jiwa Ren'an-Five Buddha Peak, Mabingzha Lawangdui-Jiangjun Peak, Chogui Laka-Wushou Peak and other peaks are separated on the left and right, with different expressions. Standing at the feet of the gods, gazing at their venerable faces, and thinking of the shocking scene of the falling cedar trees at the School Farmers’ Base Camp, you suddenly feel a strong aura, and feel sincerity and awe.

Climb to more than 4,000 meters and look around. Under the clear sky, brown mountains spread out on all sides, majestic; among thousands of mountains and ravines, deep valleys and steep mountains, the Yunnan-Tibet Highway stretches like a ribbon. The mountainside is wrapped in the distance; the Feilai Temple is faintly visible in the distance, and the Lancang River flows quietly among the mountains and canyons.

Such a majestic scene cannot be seen without climbing high. This feeling and scene make people feel heroic.

After trekking hard and taking a short break to take photos, we climbed out of the bushes and entered the alpine meadow. I personally think this section is a relatively dangerous section of the entire route. It is about 200 meters long and crosses the mountain covered with dead grass. The mountain slopes steeply, at about 65 degrees. The cross-cutting path is narrow, and you can only put one foot on it. , there is a steeper mountain on the right, and a deep valley on the left. There are trees only 60 meters down. If you fall or slip here, the consequences will be disastrous. This is a big challenge for those who are afraid of heights.

I carefully walked through the cross-cutting trail, thinking that I should be there, but it turned out to be another difficult climb. After climbing the steep slope, we entered a gentle valley. This should be the alpine pasture introduced in the guide. The pasture is very small, about the size of two basketball courts. I didn’t bring an altitude meter, so I don’t know the altitude here. We unpacked our bags and rested to replenish water. Fortunately, although we were very tired, we didn’t show any signs of high blood pressure. The road traces on the pasture are difficult to distinguish. When passing through the pasture, there are faint road marks on the left and right. If you explore the path to the left, you will find a steep cliff at the end. Turning back to the right, there is a steep slope of rocks on the right, with the top of the slope reaching to the sky. What will be waiting for us on the top? We searched for a path and crawled one after another. I don’t know how long it took, and finally climbed to the top of the slope, but we expected The sacred lake did not appear. This is still a sloping land, with a small stone house of six or seven square meters standing in the center. It has no roof, walls made of large and small stones, and ruins. The house is empty and full of weeds and garbage. Why was a house built here? What was its use? Why was it abandoned? It is unknown. Because the future was unknown, I did not dare to stay for a long time, so I walked around the stone house and continued to move forward. Looking up, I could see prayer flags fluttering vaguely high. According to the experience of Shangbing Lake and the Divine Waterfall, the place where the prayer flags should be is the end point - the Divine Lake. We climbed towards the prayer flags and climbed about 100 meters. A stone wall more than two meters high stood in front of us. The stone wall was about 50 centimeters thick and 30 meters long. The two ends were connected to the ridges on both sides.

Obviously, the stone wall is for blocking. The purpose of setting up a retaining wall on the only way to reach Shenhu Lake is to prevent tourists from going to Shenhu Lake. Thinking of the local Tibetans' success in preventing the Meri Mountain Climbing and the repeated warnings from the innkeeper's wife, I made the following guess. In the hearts of the Tibetans, the sacred lake is a holy deity. In order to prevent disturbing the gods, the Tibetans built houses and walls here and sent people to guard and prevent them. A traveler goes to the lake. We have reached this point, how can a stone wall stop us. We followed the wall to find a place to climb, and soon found that someone had opened a gap on the right side. We climbed over the gap and climbed up using our hands and feet. There is almost no vegetation in this section, there are many rocks, and the slope is very steep. We choose a path to climb among the rocks, and slowly approach the prayer flags. After climbing up to the prayer flags with difficulty, the sacred lake was still missing. After a while, we finally arrived and the sacred lake came into view. It took nearly four hours, climbing more than a thousand meters in altitude, and going through a lot of hardships to reach the tangled destination-Shenhu Lake.

Adventures in the Divine Lake

Except for the side where we came up, the other three sides are surrounded by mountains. The mountain directly opposite is majestic, which should be the Cuoka Peak. It opens its arms and secures the Divine Lake. Hold it in your arms. The sacred lake has been frozen, like a sleeping baby. There are several piles of different sizes along the shore. On the slopes opposite and on both sides, lichens and moss grow sporadically and have withered. The whole environment is silent and desolate. It feels like No life left. Turning around and looking back, the view is wide and the stretching mountains are in full view. Because it is blocked by Cuoka Mountain, the snow-capped mountains cannot be seen. I put down my bag, found a place to sit down, lit a cigarette, and quietly felt the holiness and spirituality. I abided by the boss's wife's warnings - not to talk loudly, not to wash my hands and face with lake water, and I tried not to touch her anywhere.

Perhaps because he had never communicated with the proprietress in person, Wei seemed more casual. He smashed a large piece of ice with a stone, held it over his head, and asked me to take a photo. Wei's behavior exceeded my principles. I refused to take pictures of him and seriously relayed the Tibetan taboos (a small unpleasantness).

Then he got up, picked up the camera and walked up the mountain alone