Yubeng: A Paradise Measured by Foot, a Hell Conquered by Will

Foreword: A Battle with Yourself

Have you ever imagined that one day you would hoist a backpack on your shoulders and touch a piece of land in the most primitive way? In April 2016, I completed the first trek of my life — 3 days of hiking in Yubeng, 3 days in Shangri-La, a total trip spanning 10 days. This was no easy journey; it was a contest between body and will. Every day when I returned to my lodging, I had no energy left for anything except collapsing into bed and sleeping. But precisely this extreme experience of "hell for the body, paradise for the eyes" made me fall in love with trekking forever.

If you're also planning to set foot on this path, please first take this practical guide, and then let me slowly tell you about this unforgettable experience.

Itinerary Overview and Cost Breakdown

10-Day Route Overview

Total cost for two people (excluding souvenirs, snacks, and drinks): The exact amount varies depending on personal spending habits. It's recommended to budget around 3000-4000 RMB per person (including transportation, accommodation, meals, and entrance fees).

Packing List: Missing Even One Item Could Be a Regret

Trekking Gear

Clothing: - Quick-dry base layer, quick-dry shirt (barely used in cold weather) - 800-fill lightweight down jacket (can be worn over a fleece) - Fleece jacket, softshell jacket - Sports underwear (antibacterial type recommended) - Softshell pants, quick-dry pants (use with caution in cold weather) - Long trekking socks (highly recommended) - Trekking shoes, buff, waterproof hat, waterproof gloves

Tools: - Gaiters (I went to Ice Lake in April when snow was over a meter deep — absolutely necessary) - Headlamp, trekking poles - 28L backpack (for women), 60L backpack (for men) - 4 water bottles (2 insulated, 2 regular) - Sunglasses (for snow blindness prevention — don't forget!)

Food: - 10+ energy bars - 2 large packs of beef jerky

Tip from experience: The man carries the heavy pack with the big gear, the woman carries the small pack with food and water. Proper weight distribution is key to a successful trek.

Anti-Altitude Sickness Medication and Tips

Start taking Rhodiola rosea capsules 3 days before departure, 2 capsules twice a day. After arriving in Shangri-La, increase to 2 capsules three times a day (morning, noon, evening). Also carry anti-hypoxia tablets with you — take 4 tablets immediately if symptoms appear.

Other essentials: American ginseng lozenges (suck on during the trek, though we didn't use them), glucose, cold medicine, antibiotics.

Golden Rules for Preventing Altitude Sickness: 1. On the first day at high altitude, don't wash your hair, don't shower, and don't engage in strenuous exercise 2. Drink plenty of water, and you can add glucose 3. Reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption 4. Stay warm — the temperature difference between day and night is extreme 5. Drink plenty of butter tea — personally tested and effective for relieving altitude sickness

Detailed Trekking Route: Every Kilometer Counts

Yubeng Trekking Route Map

Recommendation: If you're in decent shape and have enough time, you can schedule 4 days to complete the entire route.

Transportation Tips

From Feilai Temple, charter a car to Xidang Hot Springs. In the off-season, it costs 160-180 RMB per car (max 7 passengers), and you can share the ride. If you exit from Nilong, call the driver in advance to come pick you up from Feilai Temple. Accommodation in Nilong and Mingyong Village is very poor, so it's recommended to return to Feilai Temple to spend the night.

Accommodation and Food: Warmth Along the Journey

Recommended Accommodation

Kunming: - Lost Garden (260 RMB/night, breakfast not included): An American-style guesthouse run by an American owner, located near Cuihu (Green Lake). Breakfast costs 35 RMB per person. Cash only. - Wenxin Hotel (Warm Heart Hotel) (150 RMB/night): Recommended by a friend. A two-bedroom apartment with great value for money.

Shangri-La: - Letuju (Happy Journey Inn) (228 RMB/night, breakfast included): 0.07's absolute favorite! Free room upgrade in the off-season, heating and electric blankets turned on in advance, and ginger tea prepared. Excellent service and comfortable decor.

Feilai Temple: - Kawagebo Hotel (150 RMB/night, breakfast not included): Mountain-view rooms offer a direct view of the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain, making it the perfect spot to watch the "sunrise golden mountain" phenomenon. When we were there, the water was cut off, but the owner covered breakfast.

Upper Yubeng Village: - First View Guesthouse (239 RMB/night, breakfast 20 RMB/person): Rooms offer views of the snow mountain, but the facilities are basic, and the electric blanket wasn't warm. - Interval Time — 8264 Hiker's Home (150 RMB/night): The owner is very friendly. There's a big Samoyed named "Dabao" (Treasure). In the evenings, everyone gathers around the fireplace to chat — the atmosphere is fantastic.

Must-Try Food

Shangri-La: 1. Regong Yiren Ge (Regong Artist Pavilion) (about 80 RMB/person): The yak meat hotpot is incredible! Butter tea is available in both sweet and salty versions. The yak meat flatbread is also recommended. It took us an hour to find the place, but it was totally worth it. 2. Yintong Bianmin Xiaochi (Yintong Convenience Snacks) (about 50 RMB/person): The highland barley flatbread is delicious. The yak meat hotpot uses a different cooking method and is very affordable. 3. Compass Cafe (about 70 RMB/person): A nice change of pace if you're tired of beef. The Western food is authentic — 0.07 said it tastes just like what you'd get abroad.

Upper Yubeng Village: There's a Cantonese restaurant (can't remember the exact name) — from the First View Guesthouse, head toward Ice Lake and it's on the right-hand side. Another meal was at a Tibetan family's home, but the butter tea was too salty for my taste — I really couldn't get used to it.

Days 1-2: Kunming, a Whirlwind Overture

Originally, I planned to go to Russia to see the "fighting nation push planes" and then to Finland to chase the Northern Lights — I'd even finished all the research. Then I met 0.07, and the plan completely changed, kicking off my first ever trek.

For the sake of trekking, I gave up my 28-inch suitcase and beach dresses, and packed a trekking backpack instead. Before departure, I complained countless times — no beautiful photos, just trekking shoes and softshell jackets.

Day 1 arrived in Kunming. Day 2, I got up early and strolled around Cuihu (Green Lake). The air was so good I didn't want to leave. While having breakfast at Lost Garden, a handsome young foreigner accidentally became my background. The "matchmaking street" by Cuihu was an eye-opener — aunties and uncles were advertising for their sons and daughters, with information so detailed it was astonishing.

In the afternoon, we met up with 0.07's classmate, took the obligatory "I was here" photos at the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archways, and tried crossing-the-bridge rice noodles. After that, we went to a place full of flowers (can't remember the name), and I slept through most of the car ride.

On the flight to Shangri-La, 0.07 said he felt like he was缺氧 (suffering from oxygen deprivation). I secretly felt smug — so it turns out that people who don't exercise actually have an advantage at high altitude! The altitude jumped from 1,847 meters to 3,184 meters, and the temperature plummeted. The driver who picked us up at the airport was huge and burly, and the ginger tea at the guesthouse was heartwarming.

That night, we spent a full hour searching for Regong Yiren Ge (Regong Artist Pavilion). Every address on the map was wrong. A starving 0.07 was about to give up, but I insisted on calling around until we found the place. We arrived at 8 PM, and the owner said they closed at 9 PM but told us to take our time eating. When the yak meat hotpot arrived, the aroma filled the air. One bite, and all the exhaustion was worth it. After drinking the butter tea, 0.07 said his headache eased — friends with altitude sickness should give it a try.

Day 3: Pious Pilgrimage and the Off-Season Disappointment of Potatso

The weather in Shangri-La was ridiculously good — blue skies and white clouds. At Songzanlin Monastery, I was deeply captivated by the thangka murals on the walls. Walking into the side hall off the main hall, I saw an entire wall of a thousand White Tara and Green Tara figures. Thousands of eyes seemed to see right through me. In that moment, the world fell silent.

Later, at a painting shop outside the old town, I learned that this art form is called thangka. Painters need to study for many years before they can paint for temples, and every brushstroke must be flawless.

Leaving Songzanlin Monastery, I headed to Potatso National Park with high expectations. But April's Potatso made me want to cry. As far as the eye could see, there were withered branches and dead leaves, with only a few new sprouts here and there — nowhere near enough to make up for the disappointment. Where were the promised flowers covering the mountains? Where was the riot of color? I trudged along the scorched yellow path under the blazing sun, and the boat captain bellowed at me, "No photos! Get on the boat!" My face was twisted in frustration.

The only highlights were the "long beards" (lichen) hanging from the trees and the adorable little squirrels. I forgot to bring any snacks, so they sniffed my hand and then ignored me.

We had dinner at Yintong Bianmin Xiaochi (Yintong Convenience Snacks), and the highland barley flatbread was truly outstanding. Afterward, we wandered around the old town and bought a few small things.

Day 4: Passing the Highest Altitude, Crossing Baima Snow Mountain Pass

From Shangri-La to Feilai Temple, the route passed through Baima Snow Mountain Pass (elevation 4,292 meters). The driver stopped at the pass so everyone could take photos. Around 2 PM, we arrived in Deqin. When we switched to a minibus, it started raining, and I had a feeling that the "sunrise golden mountain" the next morning was probably not going to happen.

Feilai Temple had a widespread water outage, so no shower was possible. After settling in, we visited the Feilai Temple scenic spot — a small temple with prayer flags hanging along the path all the way to the inner hall. There was a goat offered as a sacrifice at the entrance, and inside the main hall, someone was kneeling and whispering. Two elderly people slowly walked around the prayer wheels with a child. Following local custom, we circled the main hall clockwise three times — a gesture of respect and a prayer for blessings.

Days 5-7: Yubeng — 72 Hours from Hell to Paradise

A Missed Golden Mountain, All Expectations Left for Yubeng

The predicted time for the "sunrise golden mountain" was 7:10 AM. I got up at 7, pulled back the curtains, and saw nothing but thick fog. I waited until 7:30, but Kawagebo (the main peak) refused to show its face. Since we weren't destined to see it, I left all my expectations for Yubeng.

We chartered a car to Xidang Hot Springs and bought the Meili Snow Mountain combo ticket (includes Yubeng, Feilai Temple, the viewing platform, and the Lancang River). The trekking starting point is right at Xidang Hot Springs. There are signs along the way — just follow the trash bins. The entire route is uphill to Nanzong Pass (elevation 3,800 meters), then downhill.

The 3-hour uphill section was my personal hell. My first time trekking, my first time using trekking poles. 0.07 wouldn't let me drink too much water, and I complained the whole way about how hard it was. People coming down on mules would say, "Keep going, you're almost there," and every time it was like a shot of adrenaline. When we finally crossed the pass and saw Meili Snow Mountain, all the mud and struggle was worth it — Meili, you are so beautiful.

After 10 kilometers, we finally caught a distant view of Yubeng Village. A small settlement surrounded by mountains, with no road access — only reachable on foot or by mule. They say Yubeng is paradise. I say Yubeng is hell — hell for the body, paradise for the eyes.

The Disappointing Base Camp and the Snow-Blanketed Ice Lake

On the second day, we set out at 8:30 AM for Ice Lake, passing through Xiaonong Base Camp — the remains of a Sino-Japanese mountaineering expedition and a resting point on the way to Ice Lake. When we left Upper Yubeng, thick fog enveloped everything, and the prayer flags stood out vividly in the mist.

Once we crossed the snow line, light snow began to fall. 0.07 was suffering badly from altitude sickness, so I quickly made him take anti-hypoxia tablets. By the time we reached the base camp, it was a full-on blizzard. Inside a small wooden hut, we ate steaming hot instant noodles. Outside, it was a frozen world; inside, a fire was burning and people were chatting — it felt like another universe.

Some people coming down from Ice Lake said the snow had blocked the path. Our guide also advised us to turn back. But the seven of us discussed it and decided to push forward and scout the route — at least we would have tried.

Along the way, we met people heading down. Some said there was no path. Finally, we encountered a group who told us that someone had already broken a trail — just follow the footprints, they said, and the snow was about a meter deep. We followed the footprints, using both hands and feet, carefully making our way up. Before long, I started experiencing snow blindness, but luckily I had brought my sunglasses.

After more than two hours of climbing, we reached the top, only to find that the snow and fog were so thick that we couldn't see Ice Lake at all — just a vast expanse of white. The path down to the lake was completely buried in snow. Though I felt a bit disappointed, the journey itself was more than enough.

Final Thoughts: What Trekking Taught Me

This Yubeng trek taught me one thing: some scenery is destined to come at a cost. The gasping on the uphill climbs, the stumbling in the snow, the headaches from altitude sickness — all of it became insignificant the moment I saw Meili Snow Mountain.

If you're also getting ready to go, remember this: - Better to overpack than underpack — gaiters and sunglasses are life-saving gear - Altitude sickness isn't scary; what's scary is not being prepared — start Rhodiola early, drink plenty of butter tea - Don't rush on the trail; pacing is everything — rest when you're tired, don't push through - Your companion matters — a good partner can save you a lot of trouble

Travel is an addiction you can't quit, and trekking is the strongest dose of it all. Yubeng, I will come again — in the most beautiful season, to see you at your most beautiful.

Note: All information in this article is based on actual experience from April 2016. Prices and conditions may vary with the seasons. Please verify the latest information before your trip.