Haba Snow Mountain

Haba Snow Mountain is located in the southeast of Shangri-la, Yunan, about 120 km (75 mi) far from the downtown area. “Haba” means “golden flowers” in local Naxi language. Because on sunny days, the snow on the mountain top that never melts would shine golden light. With different scenic landscapes and the beginner-level hiking route, Haba Snow Mountain is popular among hikers, especially those novice snow mountain hikers.

Haba Snow Mountain

 With an altitude of 5,396 meters (17,703 feet) and a perpendicular throw about 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), Haba Snow Mountain enables you to see various landscapes like virgin forests, alpine meadows, and glaciers. Such abundant landscapes help the Mountain win reputation of “Mother of All Gardens in the World”. Here are 2 unmissable sights to see:
 Surrounded by snow mountains, the clear Wan Lake would reflect the shadow of sky, clouds, and plants like Fir forests and rhododendrons (in spring). It’s pleasing to have a walk or picnic by this “Heavenly Lake of Shangri-La”.
 The deep Dark Lake is mysterious for one legend: story has it that rain would come as soon as you speak loud near Dark Lake. You can go there to have a try, testing whether it is true.
 Many hikers would choose Haba as their first snow mountain to challenge for many reasons. First, its snow line is usually above 4,900 meters (16,080 feet) and the hiking route mainly consists of gentle snowy slopes, which doesn’t require sound hiking techniques. Also, the traffic nearby is convenient, so you can hike there all year round. At the same time, the time needed to finish the hiking is comparatively shorter, thus not too energy-consuming.

Haba Snow Mountain in Winter

In spite of that, hiking is a tiring activity. Considering the complex terrain and changeable weather on Haba Mountain, people wanting to climb it should make sure that they exercised frequently before or ever hiked on high-altitude places. After all, Haba is an high-altitude snow mountain.
 March – June & September – December are 2 periods suitable for hiking Haba Snow Mountain. During these months, it is sunny and the temperature is moderate. 

For snow lovers, they can go during November and December, but note that the temperature is comparatively lower and wind stronger, which makes climbing harder. If you want to see flowers, then chose Aril, May, or June; while it is a pity that there would be a little snow during the 3 months.

For the sake of your safety, it’s not recommended to go in January or February, when the strong wind is frequent.
 The hiking starts from the sightseeing platform of the Mountain and ends at Sanchahe Ranch, usually taking 3 days.

 Day 1: Haba Snow Mountain Sightseeing Platform – Haba Village
On the first day, hike to Haba Village. You can start hiking at noon. The starting point – sightseeing platform offers the best view of the mountain and the village surrounded by terraces, so you can stay there for a while. Then hike one hour to Haba Village at the foot of the mountain.

Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight at a hostel in Haba Village.

 Day 2: Haba Village – Lanjiacun Muslim Villages – Shajiacun Yi Ethnic Group Villages – Shibang Lake – Poplar Forest – Xiaojianshan Pasture – Virgin Forest of Brown Trunk Rhododendron – Dark Lake
On the second day, trek to Dark Lake on Haba Snow Mountain. First, enjoy the sunrise on the mountain, and then hike to Lanjiacun Muslim Villages, Shajiacun Yi Ethnic Group Villages, Shibang Lake, Poplar Forest, Xiaojianshan Pasture, and the Virgin Forest of Brown Trunk Rhododendron. You can also see thousands-year-old alpine birches, roburs forest, waterfalls, Yellow Lake, the main peak of Haba Snow Mountain, and the final destination of the day – mysterious Dark Lake.

Hiking Time: 5 to 6 hours
Altitude: 2,750 to 3,600 meters (9,022 to 11,811 feet)
Accommodation Suggestion: Stay in the camp near the lake.

 Day 3: Dark Lake – Nili Mountain Pass - Three Swordsman Sacred Peak - Shuicaoba Ranch
On the third day, trek to the Sanchahe Ranch. En route, enjoy sunrise over Haba Snow Mountain, and a clear perspective of Tianbao Snow Mountain.

Hike across Nili Mountain Pass. Enjoy a view of the highest peak of Haba Mountain, the Three Swordsman Sacred Peak, the Shuicaoba Ranch, and sunset over the snow mountains.

Hiking Time: 6 to 8 hours
Altitude: 3,600 to 4,325 meters (11,811 to 14,190 feet)
Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight in the camp or in a tent of the local herdsman.
 Tiger Leaping Gorge is another popular choice among outdoor hiking lovers. Due to the comparatively close location between the Gorge and Haba Snow Mountain, many hikers would challenge themselves by hiking the 2 places at once, and here is a 3-day hiking route for reference. Different from the first route, this one ends at Haba Village.

 Day 1: Tiger Leaping Gorge to Haba Village
Hiking Route: Halfway Guesthouse → Guanyin Waterfall → Teacher Zhang’s Guesthouse → Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge → Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge → Haba Village
Hiking Distance: 10 km (6.2 mi)
Altitude: 1,800 to 2,700 m (5,906 to 8,858 ft)

 Day 2: Haba Snow Mountain Hiking from Haba Village to Lanhuaping
Hiking Route: Haba Village → Lanjia Village → Yi Ethnic Village → Qingshui River → Yangfang Pasture → Lanhuaping Camp
Hiking Distance: 10 km (6.2 mi)
Altitude: 2,700 to 3,700 m (8,858 to 12,139 ft)

 Day 3 Lanhuaping - Azalea Valley - Dark Lake – Haba Village
Hiking Route: Lanhuaping Camp → Azalea Valley → Couple Lake → Dark Lake → Dajianshan Waterfall → Haba Village
Hiking Distance: 15 km (9.3 mi)
Altitude: 2,700 to 4,100 m (8,858 to 13,451 ft)
 1. Join a group with an experienced hiking leader, and don't take an unusual route alone. Arrange the route and rest time reasonably, keep physical strength, and go according to one's ability.

2. To prevent altitude sickness, do not immediately start high-intensity hiking when you first arrive at the plateau. Adapt step by step, in 1 to 3 days. Keep a good mood, drink enough water, keep warm, and have a balanced diet. When severe altitude sickness occurs, do not insist on hiking and immediately descend to low altitude areas.

3. Heat Loss Prevention: Bring enough equipment and keep warm. Change wet clothes in time, keep the body dry, and avoid exposure to low temperature for a long time. Camp in time to rest and eat high-calorie food.

4. For hikers who are weak in physical strength or want to conserve energy, rent a horse to go up the Mountain on the second day.

Rented Horses for People to Hike Haba

 Go to Shangri-La by air first, and then take a taxi to Shangri-La Coach Station. There, there is coach running to Haba Village. It departs at 13:50 every day and the ticket price is CNY 30.
 You can take a coach at Lijiang Coach Station, which would also take you to Haba Village directly in about 5 hours. Remember the coach departs at 9:00. It costs CNY 40 each person.
 Free 
 All year round