Hiking | Walking into Yubeng in April and making a pilgrimage to Meili Snow Mountain

Meili Snow Mountain is located at the junction of Deqin County in Diqing, Yunnan, and Zayu County in Nyingchi, Tibet. It is located in the Hengduan Mountains. It is a huge group of snow mountains running from north to south, with the Lancang River to the east and the Nu River to the west.

The warm and moist airflow from the Bay of Bengal and the inland cold air moving south meet here, forming a rare low-latitude, high-altitude, monsoon oceanic modern glacier climate in the world.

The distance from Lijiang to Deqin is only three to four hundred kilometers, but the journey takes seven or eight hours. It passes through Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and the Jinsha River's Big Bend. Traffic jams are a common occurrence.

By noon, we entered the hinterland of the Three Parallel Rivers region, which is listed as a geographical wonder. The river valley is extremely dry, and the dry climate is a necessary condition for making air-dried bacon.

The Jinsha River, the Lancang River, and the Nu River, these three rivers originate from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, run side by side for more than 170 kilometers from north to south in the mountains of the Hengduan Mountains. The distance from east to west is less than 80 kilometers on average, and the narrowest point is only 66 kilometers.

However, after leaving Yunnan, the three rivers diverge. The lower reaches are called the Yangtze River, the Mekong River, and the Salween River. They flow into the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Indian Ocean. In the end, they are more than 3,000 kilometers apart.

After a day's drive, I arrived in Deqin and took a taxi to Feilai Temple, which was very convenient.

Feilai Temple and Meili are separated from each other by the Lancang River. Standing here, tourists can have an unobstructed view and have a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains.

However, we were unlucky. When we arrived at Feilai Temple, we could only see clouds and mist, and we could only see some green vegetation at the foot of the mountain and the intestine path embedded in it. If you want to see the beauty of Meili Snow Mountain, you can only pray for the next day.

It snowed heavily at night.

When I woke up the next day, the end of the Mingyong Glacier was exposed under the snow-capped mountains. The green vegetation yesterday had been covered with white snow, and the sky above was completely white. The expectation of seeing the snow-capped mountains was once again in vain.

After breakfast, we gathered a few companions and headed to Xidang Village.

The car is driving on a mountain road that winds through lush canyons. A strip of white clouds floating halfway up the mountain is like a hada dedicated to Meili Snow Mountain.

Starting from Xidang Village, start the Merine Mountain Tour.

Meili Zhuan Mountain is divided into external and internal routes. The outer route surrounds the Meili Snow Mountains. The entire route is more than 200 kilometers long and crosses many passes, making it extremely difficult. The inner route is the so-called Yubeng Route.

Zhuanshan originates from the Kagyu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. More than 700 years ago, Karma Paksi promoted Buddhism in this area. He personally traveled all over the snow mountains and determined the route for internal and external mountaineering. Therefore, there are many pictures of Karma Paxi on the mountaineering road. miracle.

In 1255, the southern expedition to Dali"Re-traveling Kublai Khan's southern expedition to Dali: from Lugu Lake to Stone City"On his way back north, Kublai met a virtuous monk in the Aba area of present-day Sichuan. . The following year, at the invitation of Meng Ge Khan, he went to Mongolia to meet. Meng Ge Khan gave the eminent monk a black monk's hat with a gold rim and a gold seal. He was named a national teacher and respectfully called "Gama Basi".

Karma Paxi pioneered the reincarnation system of living Buddhas and was the first reincarnated living Buddha in Tibet. Karma Paxi not only started the journey to the mountain, but also wrote "Rongzan Kawagbo", which achieved Kawagbo's supreme status in religion.

For 700 years, people have continued to follow Karma Paxi's footsteps, walking on the mountainous road regardless of hardships. The third, eighth, ninth and tenth Karmapas of Tibetan Buddhism and the tenth and eleventh Panchen Erdeni have also made pilgrimages here.

In this area, the valley is hot, the mountainside is lush, and higher up there is ice and snow.

On the way up the mountain, you can see usneas hanging from the trees. Usnea has extremely high requirements on the growing environment. Pollution in the air will prevent it from surviving, so wherever there are usneas, the air is very clean.

From time to time, you can see colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind. In Tibetan areas, places where prayer flags are hung are generally sacred places.

People hang prayer flags with scriptures printed on them at the pass or at a miracle on the mountain road. When the wind blows the flags, the scriptures are being recited.

From Xidang to Yubeng, we continue to climb from 2,600 meters above sea level to 3,700 meters at Nanzong Pass, and then go down to Yubeng 3,000 meters.

The closer we get to Nanzong Pass, the more prayer flags there are. Gradually, the pass arrived, and dense prayer flags were flying in the wind.

Nanzong Pass is the highest point on the Yubeng Road from Xidang. After passing the pass, it is all the way downhill.

The reason why Yubeng Village is famous is also related to a legend.

It is said that the people of Yubeng Village often borrowed grain from the people of Xidang Village, but never revealed the way back to the village. Some curious people tried to follow them, but they always lost sight of the road. Once, the person who lent the grain only lent millet, and poked small holes in the bags containing the grain. He followed the leaked millet on the road to find the way. The grain disappeared at a boulder. When the boulder was lifted, Yubeng Village appeared. in front of people.

The story is quite similar to "Peach Blossom Spring". Pushing aside the pine and cypress branches in front of you on the viewing platform, you can see Yubeng Village, which is like a paradise, quiet and independent.

Yubeng Village is divided into Yubeng and Yubeng. There are only a few dozen households in the village. They used to make a living by herding, but now they mainly rely on tourism, opening inns and receiving pilgrims and hikers from all over the world.

Yubeng means "Sutra" in Tibetan. It is said that Master Padmasambhava hid four magic weapons in the snowy mountains. One of the sutras is hidden in a huge rock in Yubeng Village, and the sutra will reappear in the world one day in the future. .

Yubeng is the most beautiful village I have ever visited. Compared with the villages in this area, Yubeng Village is surrounded by mountains, just at the foot of Mentsim Mountain, while most other villages are built along the Lancang and Nujiang River valleys.

People come to Yubeng from all over the world. French and Israelis live in the inn, and I meet many Koreans and Japanese on the road.

The next day, it was finally a sunny day. The morning mist has not yet dissipated, the morning sun is rising, and the smoke from the village is curling up. It is the first time in my life that I have seen such snow-capped mountains.

Mentsim is there, white, beautiful, graceful and uncontested. How could there be such a beautiful mountain?

If there was ever a true love at first sight, it was her.

As the light changes, Mentsim shows different postures and is extremely beautiful.

Mentsim, also called Goddess Peak, means "Sea Goddess" in Tibetan. It is 6,054 meters above sea level and has a beautiful mountain shape. Legend has it that she is the concubine of Kawagbo.

Jiwa Ren'an, also called Wuguan Peak, means "Crown of the Five Buddhas" in Tibetan. It is 5,470 meters above sea level. It is close to Mentsim. The mountain shape is broad and thick. Because there are five flat snow peaks standing side by side, they look like It is named after the Five-Buddha crown worn by the Bodhisattva.

Bawu Bumeng, also known as Hero's Daughter Peak, is 6,000 meters above sea level, with a round mountain shape and majestic momentum.

Looking at Yubeng from Shangyubeng, the early morning sun shines on the pagoda in the village.

A ray of light is enough to withstand all the darkness in the world.

After breakfast, facing the huge snow-capped mountains at close range and the white and dazzling light they reflect, we started the next day's trip.

Along the way, the gurgling sound of the creek and the jingling of bells on the necks of yaks and horses formed a beautiful morning song.

From Shangyubeng to Binghu Lake, the road was flat at first. But soon the climb began, and the altitude continued to climb to 3,600 meters. After yesterday's more than ten kilometers of hiking into the village, it was difficult to climb even 600 meters this day.

After a long climb, we finally arrived at Xiaonong Pass at noon, with an altitude of 3,623 meters.

After crossing the Xiaonong Pass, you can see Bawu Bameng among the Thirteen Peaks of Prince Edward. The glaciers covering the top of the mountain are exposed and glow with a faint blue light in the sunlight.

The glacial lake is at the foot of the mountain, and today’s destination is there.

The road from Xiaonong Pass to Xiaonong Base Camp is covered with ice and snow. If you don’t wear crampons, it is easy to slip.

Xiaonong Base Camp is the camp set up here by the Sino-Japanese joint mountaineering team when they climbed Kawagbo. It is also a wide and flat pasture.

In the winter of 1990, the Sino-Japanese joint mountaineering team began to attack the main peak Kawagebo.

The mountaineering team established Camp No. 4 at an altitude of 6,210 meters. A commando team composed of five people reached an altitude of 6,470 meters, still more than 200 meters away from the peak of 6,740 meters above sea level. At this time, the weather suddenly changed and the visibility was extremely low. The team members had no choice but to descend. They encountered a snowstorm during the descent and had to retreat to Camp 3 to rest and prepare to continue climbing to the summit the next day. At this time, everyone felt that as long as the weather improved, they would be able to reach the summit. Just a matter of time.

In the early morning of January 3, 1991, the base camp lost contact with the Chinese and Japanese joint mountaineering team members at Camp 3. 17 Chinese and Japanese team members were missing. The search and rescue efforts for the next three months also failed.

Local Tibetans believe that once humans reach the top of Kawagebo, gods will leave them. Without the protection of gods, disaster will strike. After the mountain disaster, entrusted by the families of the victims and in memory of his friends, a Japanese named Kobayashi Shoei went to Mingyong Village at the foot of Kawagbo almost every year. He asked the villagers to take him to the mountains to look for clues about the victims. Later, he went into the mountains alone. He was gradually accepted by the villagers, ate and lived like the villagers, and even learned to speak fluent Tibetan. He also funded the education of poor families. to help their children study and even help them study abroad. And after getting to know the people living on the snow-covered plateau more and more deeply, he gradually recognized their feelings for this snow-capped mountain.

On July 18, 1998, three villagers accidentally discovered many colorful things scattered on the Mingyong Glacier at an altitude of 4,000 meters, including altitude tables, cameras, tents, clothes, diaries, postcards, and human remains.

Seven years ago, about 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow flowed down the huge mountain and merged into the Mingyong Glacier with 17 Chinese and Japanese team members. Seven years later, Kawagbo seemed to be pushing these things that did not belong to the snow-capped mountains away from him, and also seemed to be returning these mountaineering team members to their families.

Xiaonong Base Camp is the only open supply station on the way to Binghu Lake in April. Judging from the snow covering the roof, you can tell how much snow it fell the night before, a bit like the north in winter.

After taking a short rest, I looked out through the window of the cabin. The scenery was so picturesque that it attracted countless heroes to bow their heads.

The distance from Xiaonong Base Camp to Ice Lake is not far. It is a climbing section and is now covered with thick snow. The strong sun at noon shines on the snow, making it difficult to open your eyes. If you don’t wear snow goggles, you may even suffer from snow blindness.

The reflectivity of the snow is more than 90%, and the large amount of ultraviolet rays caused me to get a bad sunburn.

The snow on the road was enough to cover my one-meter-long hiking pole, and one foot often got stuck in it when walking.

A Japanese tourist next to me got his shoes stuck in the snow and had to dig them out for a while.

We stepped on the snow to make a path, one foot deeper and one foot shallower, and finally arrived at the Ice Lake Observation Deck.

Looking down at the entire glacial lake, you can’t tell it’s a lake. Because the lake is frozen and covered with heavy snow, the glacial lake is just a piece of snow that looks like it has been turned over under the black rock wall.

In the summer, you can go down to the lake a few dozen meters further, but you can't go down this season because the snow is too thick.

Looking back is a group of snow-capped mountains in the distance, lined up in a jagged row, that is the Baima Snow Mountain.

When we returned to Xiaonong Base Camp, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. The sun is still very strong and the snow on the trees is melting quietly.

From the gaps between the trees, you can see the snow-capped mountains just outside the woods.

After returning to Shangyu Beng, he sat down directly in the inn.

After dinner, we walked along the path from Shangyubeng to Yubeng. There are relatively few places to stay in Yubeng, and most of them don't open their doors. It's hard to find a place to stay after wandering around.

That night, the sky was filled with stars, deep and quiet, and shining with light.

When Yuibeng arrived, he took out his tripod and camera and went up to the roof to take pictures. Photographing the starry sky requires a large aperture and short focal length, and a full-frame camera is best. The mirrorless camera I brought could only barely capture the dots of starlight on Mentsim Peak.

Early the next morning, I looked at Menzimu from Yubeng. I got closer and could see more details.

In front of a pagoda that collapsed due to rain, I sat waiting for my friends who were falling from the rain. The sunshine was really too warm.

After getting out of the rain, follow the winding mountain road to the waterfall.

Along the way, fir and cypress trees stand tall and tall, with usneas hanging on their branches. The sun shines lazily in the forest, and from time to time you can see piles of Mani stones built by passers-by.

There are many miracles along the way, such as Padmasambhava spring water, Karma Paxi's footprints, Guanshiyin holy water, etc.

In this way, people commemorate and get close to those masters and living Buddhas who promote Buddhism and benefit sentient beings.

The last section of the mountain road began to rise steeply, and soon the fir trees on both sides of the road were replaced by snow.

Step by step, we approach Wuguanfeng and Mantsim. The waterfall is formed by melting ice and snow falling down the cliff. According to legend, the waterfall is the place where Master Padmasambhava bathed, and he can predict misfortunes, eliminate disasters, and bestow blessings on all living beings.

Climbing to a platform at an altitude of 3,700 meters, everyone said that the divine waterfall had arrived. At this time, the weather was freezing and the glaciers were difficult to melt, making it difficult to see the divine waterfall.

There is no waterfall in the Divine Waterfall. I was prepared to take a shower in the Divine Waterfall, but unfortunately I couldn't do it.

On the way down from the waterfall, take a rest in a mountain pavilion, put on your down jacket, and enjoy the cool mountain breeze. You should be so integrated with nature.

Listen to the waves of pines and the gurgling streams, but look at the snow-capped mountains, crystal clear and green as black, like a fairyland, heaven and earth.

The river on the side originates from the snow-capped mountains and flows down the valley. The shore is filled with large and small Mani stone piles, which is an extremely special place.

Returning to the rainy avalanche again, the clouds and fog rose, the snow-capped mountains were no longer visible, and the weather became gloomy.

Until we left on the last day, the snow-capped mountains were still covered in clouds and mist.

The route out of the mountain is very simple. As long as you have the right entrance, just follow the path to the end.

At this time, peach blossoms are blooming on the road one after another. In such a paradise, one can't help but wonder whether people who settle here will have fewer worries.

There was a section of the road blocked by an avalanche. The path of the avalanche was dozens of meters wide, extending directly from the mountain to the river at the bottom of the valley.

Wherever the avalanche passed, trees were knocked down or broken, and even the grass on the ground was not spared.

As I walked carefully across the snow, I couldn't help but feel awe of the power of nature.

Walking down the mountain along the path until you hear the roaring sound of running water, you reach the bottom of the valley.

The last section of the road is dug into the mountainside and is only about one meter wide. One side is a cliff and the other side is a deep cliff.

It is impossible to walk in Nylon Canyon in strong winds or rainy days because it is too dangerous due to slippery roads and falling rocks.

The Yubenglongqu that flows down along the canyon from an altitude of more than 3,000 meters is as clear as jasper, while the Lancang River is turbid as mud. When the Yubenglongqu flows into the turbid Lancang River, it does not even make a single wave.

But in the end, the two merge into one and continue to flow forward. There is no distinction between you and me.

Water vapor from the Indian Ocean passes over the Meili Snow Mountain. Due to the deep canyon, the temperature in the Lancang River Valley is high, and the rainfall evaporates before it reaches the bottom of the valley. As a result, the rainfall in the valley is much less than that above the mountainside.

Therefore, the surface here is dry and hot, so the vegetation at the valley bottom is sparse, all of which are drought-resistant low shrubs.

Another section of the road was blocked by gravel, and the gravel landslide rushed straight along the mountain into the Lancang River.

The ocher-red river flows forward, and the destination of Yubeng’s hiking has arrived in Ninja Village.

If you turn inside Meri, you can walk to Mantsim, Jiwaren'an, and Bawu Bumeng, but Kawagbo cannot be seen along the entire route.

You know there is a sacred mountain here and he is there, but you just can't see it.

So I returned to Feilai Temple from the Nepalese countryside.

Kawagebo in the evening is still shrouded in clouds and fog.

Kawagebo, with an altitude of 6,740 meters, is known as the four sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism together with Mount Kailash in Tibet, Animaqing and Gaduojuewo in Qinghai.

Tibetan people respectfully call Kawagbo "Ani Kawagbo" - Grandpa Kawagbo, or "Nyenchen Kawagbo" - a very powerful Kawagbo who can't even point his finger at Kawagbo. Wagbo, only use the palm of your hand if necessary.

Legend has it that Kawagbo was originally a fierce evil spirit with nine heads. In the 8th century AD, Master Padmasambhava came to Tibet from Nepal to spread Buddhism at the invitation of Zanpu Trisong Detsen. He subdued demons and countless mountain gods along the way, including Kawagbo. After being tamed, Kawagebo became the protector god second only to Buddha and Bodhisattva, and also became the sacred mountain that protects this pure land.

Legends are legends. You can imagine the hardships and dangers that the masters went through in spreading Buddhism, as well as the importance of the Dharma protectors.

Early the next morning, fireworks simmering mulberry trees in Feilai Temple were set off in the white pagoda, and the light rising mulberry smoke reached into the sky. In the aroma that fills the sky, Kawagbo slowly reveals his true appearance.

Tibetans who came from afar knelt down and knelt on the cold ground to pay devout Hajj to Kawagbo.

Kawagbo, with its noble head held high, is sacred and inviolable, reminding people that not all mountains can be conquered.

It is said that after the mountain disaster in 1991, as soon as the Japanese came, the sunny weather here would suddenly become overcast, and as soon as they left, the sky would clear up.

Many years later, a group of family members of the victims of the mountaineering team came to Deqin to attend the unveiling ceremony of the 17 Warriors Monument. On this day, there was snow in the sky and visibility was extremely low. The hazy weather made the family members who came to pay homage extremely depressed.

For the families of the victims, their loved ones have been left here forever, and being able to see Kawagbo with their own eyes is their biggest wish during this trip. The grief-stricken family members shouted the names of their loved ones toward the snow-capped mountains in the mist. A miracle happened. Kawagbo seemed to hear it. The clouds and mist opened like a curtain, and Kawagbo appeared in front of people. The golden light shines under the sun. In just ten minutes, the clouds and fog started again, followed by heavy rain. Tibetans say that the sacred mountain appears, isn’t it?

In 2001, the Deqin County People's Congress officially decided to ban any mountaineering team from climbing Kawagbo again. Kawagbo has become the only mountain in China and even the world that is prohibited from climbing because of belief.

Finally, the sacred snow-capped mountain of Kawagebo was completely exposed from the clouds and stood there quietly.

No matter how many places I have been, no matter what scenery I have seen, no matter how many pictures I have seen of him before, and how many times I have imagined his image in the clouds and mist, at this moment, I still stand there like this, at a loss. .

Kawagbo has such a powerful aura, the energy that can force people to worship involuntarily. I finally understood this sentence: "Meili Snow Mountain is such a mountain. When I see it, I burst into tears."

Mentsim on one side was also exposed, still so cool and glamorous, echoing the glorious Kawagbo on the side.

Yubeng was the first outdoor hiking route I took.

April is probably not the best season to go to Yubeng. The snow is too thick, the flowers are just blooming, and the scenery is not that good.

Later, I traveled to many other places. Meili is still the most beautiful snow-capped mountain I have ever seen, and Yubeng is still the best hiking route so far.

Hiking | Walking into Yubeng in April and making a pilgrimage to Meili Snow Mountain

After returning to Shangyu Beng, he sat down directly in the inn.

After dinner, we walked along the path from Shangyubeng to Yubeng. There are relatively few places to stay in Yubeng, and most of them don't open their doors. It's hard to find a place to stay after wandering around.

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