Overview

Straddling in the rugged western part of Sichuan and towering to a height of 7,556 m, Mt. Minya Konka ("Gongga Shan"in Chinese) is the highest mountain of Hengduan Range and claimed as the 'King of Sichuan Mountains' / 蜀山之王. It offers stunning scenery, abundant vegetations, full-bodied Tibetan culture and adventurous trekking routes. Mt. Gongga is a sacred mountain to the Tibetans.

The famous Glacier Park Hailuogou is in the eastern side of Minya Konka. While Moxi, the springboard of Konka trekking, just sits at the foot of the mountain.

Best time to trek--May~June, at the turn of dry and rainy seasons, when it's warm yet without much rain.

Getting there

Direct buses to Hailuogou(Moxi) available at Chengdu Xinnanmen Station at 9:30am Y107~Y114, 5~6hrs.

From Kangding, catch the early bus at around 6am (8 hrs). Buses are also available from Luding to Moxi(4hrs) .

You can also take a Chengdu-Luding bus either at Xinnanmen(10am/12noon,Y91~Y101) or Chadianzi Station to Luding first, where you can drop by the well-known Luding Bridge over the Dadu River. Then take a minivan or bus to Hailuogou from Luding.

Accommodations

There are many hotels and guesthouses in Moxi town, prices ranging Y20~100, with a choice of restaurants along the main road.

Bingchuan Hotel - opposite the entrance to the church,Y20/dorm, one of the most charming place to stay

Xinfei Hotel - uphill from the church, offers good dbl. with bathroom

Hailuo Hotel - just up the road from Xinfei Hotel, newly renovated with good condition. The rooftop terrace provides a stunning view of the glacier in clear weather.

Konka Base camp /Tibetan villages / tent for lodging during the trek.

Attractions

• Hailuogou / 海螺沟
  
• Konka Monastery / 贡嘎寺
  Located at the west side of Minya Konka. This monastery of the Kagyu (Black Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism was damaged during the Cultural Revolution, but today is again thriving. The monastery itself is like any other Tibetan monasteries in China but it is scenic due to the location. Sitting within a narrow valley with snow-capped mountains on three sides. On most mornings, one can enjoy an unimpeded million dollar view of the west face of the main peak of Minya Konka

Trekking in Minya Konka

There are different trekking routes around the mountain range, the most popular being a trek to the Konka Monastery (3665m) at the foot of the glacier from the main peak (7,556m). This trek can also be done in many permutations as well as directions.

1. Shangmuju village - Konka Monastery (3 days - round trip)
starting from Shangmuju village/上木居, trek to the Monastery from the west. Shangmuju is the last village before ascending the Tsemi Pass/子梅山埡口(4600m) towards the Monastery. Therefore this is also the place to look for a guide or to hire mules.

The major sceneries on this journey are the Minya Konka mountain range as well as the main peak and glacier at the monastery. The sceneries at the various villages are also commendable. The trekking itself is enjoyable traversing high mountains and some steep slopes.

2. Laoyulin - Konka Monastery - Shangmuju village (7-10 days)
This classic Minya-Konka trek often appears on the programme of various hiking outfitters around the world with price ranging from us$3300-us$5000, minimum 5 or 6 participants. For the same itinerary, Chinese outfitters in Chengdu offer the price from us$1300/pp.

web link: Minya Konka Trek

3. Kangding - Liuba- Shangmuju - Tsemi Pass - Konka Monastery - Base Camp