14 Days in Daocheng-Yading

Land at the 4411-m airport and settle in the county town at 3750 m — stupa grove, springs and an early night. Hydrate, slow steps, no alcohol.

1. daocheng white stupas
2. daocheng rubuzhaka hot springs

A deliberately flat second day — the big stupa circuit, long lunches and tea houses; acclimatization is the itinerary.

1. daocheng white stupas

The road south breaks at the Gongga Langjiling monastery before dropping to sleep at about 2900 m — the night that buys the mountains.

1. daocheng gongga langjiling monastery
2. daocheng shangri la town

Shuttle to Chonggu Temple at 3880 m, forest path to Pearl Lake at about 4100 m under the 6032-m wall of Chenrezig; an easy first high day.

1. daocheng chonggu temple
2. daocheng pearl lake

The big day — 4150-m Luorong Pasture between the twin 5958-m peaks, then Milk Lake at about 4600 m. First shuttle, snack often, turn around if the headache sharpens.

1. daocheng yading sanctuary
2. daocheng luorong pasture
3. daocheng milk lake

The reserve day for the 4700-m lake; clear weather makes it the trip's photo, cloud makes it a valley stroll.

1. daocheng five color lake

Zero-altitude-gain day in the town — laundry, long noodle lunches and an evening walk to the river fields.

1. daocheng shangri la town

North over the pass to Litang at 4014 m — grassland horizons and the monastery founded in 1580; overnight high, keep the evening flat.

1. litang

A morning on the grassland margins and town roofs, then the afternoon road back to the county for a long night.

1. litang

A full morning on the stone-river plateau — more than 1100 glacial lakes averaging about 4500 m — back in the county for a springs evening.

1. daocheng haizi mountain

South to Xiangcheng, whose white Tibetan farmhouses stack the valley walls; overnight in town, evening slow.

1. xiangcheng

The hillside monastery and village lanes above town, then the valley road back toward Daocheng by evening.

1. xiangcheng

A last springs soak, the market's dried-mushroom stalls and an early pack — the airport morning comes quickly at 4411 m.

1. daocheng rubuzhaka hot springs

The north road passes Sangdui's red meadows one last time before the flight — leave margin, mountain schedules hold their own opinions.

1. daocheng sangdui red grassland