Niu Bei Shan, Sichuan Province, China

Madeleine Knight
Dec 20, 2016
5 min read

Niu Bei Shan (or if translated directly to English 'Bulls Back Mountain') is situated to the South-East of Chengdu, near Ya'an. The mountain is part of the Erlang mountain range and isn't too far from Chengdu as the crow flies, but the drive will take at least 6 hours - though traffic or landslides on the mountain roads can affect this time dramatically.

The following information is my experience of Niu Bei Shan during 16-18th December 2016...

Stats

Altitude: 3600m (12,000 feet)

Hike ascent: 3hrs

Hike decent: 1.5hrs

Terrain: Evergreen forest

Difficulty: Medium - the hike itself is not long but the altitude and snow made it more difficult

Starting point: Lengqi town - you can find food and accommodation here, but don't expect to find last minute hiking/mountaineering gear here. A very traditionally Chinese town, nestled in the mountains.

Drive: About an hour on a very nicely made tarmac road, giving spectacular views of the valley and the 4 Sisters Mountain rising above you (Mount Siguniang is the highest peak of Qionglai Mountains in Western China). From here you will join a dirt track that will bounce you around for about 30-40 minutes - our 4x4 struggled in places due to the snow and our car being full to the brim with people and gear. If you get motion sick, good luck!

Hiking: You'll come to a group of what look like semi-abandoned stone huts, with a couple of horses hanging around. Leaving the car behind, you begin your ascent at around 2800m. The walk takes you through pine forests, with a few small streams bubbling across the path for the first hour or so. There are a couple of small plateaus to rest on, as the altitude here can make a seemingly easy hike quite difficult. After 2 hours you will begin the final ascent, up a very steep section of path that consists of a huge number of switch back turns. After this though, you are rewarded with a 5 minute walk to the tent at base camp, sitting at around 3600m (12,000 feet)

Accommodation: The tent at base camp is huge. With a capability of sleeping 30 people plus, it has mattresses down both sides and a kitchen by the entrance. The kitchen has a fully functioning wood burning stove and gas cooking facilities too. This tent is warmer than outside by far, but it is still not exactly a comfortable temperature. We were given 3 duvets to sleep under and a pillow each which was actually quite comfortable for sleeping, when the door and windows are shut, but if the door and windows are left open (which they were until a long time after sunset for us, because our guide and fellow hikers were professionals and used to the cold) it is absolutely freezing in there after the sun has gone down.

Food: Just bring enough food for 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches, as you guide will cook dinner for you for the one night you are there. It is very typically Sichuan food, so expect it to be spicy and contain Chickens feet.

Water: Due to the high altitude it is important to keep hydrated, but it depends on the time of year you go. For us, water was not much of a problem as there was enough snow to melt to drink, but if you go in summer I would suggest at least 4 or 5 litres of water.

Gear: Again this will depend on what time of year you go. For me, layers were an essential; one thermal layer then 2 tshirts, a jumper, a scarf and a coat. Also I had thermal leggings, a hat and borrowed a pair of gloves from a friend as I was using a hiking stick and my hands were frozen. Hiking shoes are imperative no matter what time of year you go, with good ankle support and preferably waterproof. You do not need a sleeping bag or sleeping mat.

Electronics: Take a camera. If you don't you will regret it so much. Other than that you don't need much electronic-wise. Maybe an eReader of some kind for the long journey there/back and during the quiet time up on the mountain. Though, your electronics will run out of power very quickly if you go during winter due to the cold, so a power bank is also a good thing to take if this is the season you plan to hike in.

Photographic Opportunities: There are an absolute abundance of photographic opportunities! Everywhere you look the mountains are beautiful, the landscape is stunning and the weather is changing so rapidly that the clouds create a new photograph every few seconds. It is absolutely spectacular all the way up, especially the ridge above base camp - you must be very careful here as it is just a shear drop down several thousand feet into the clouds below... but it is definitely worth the extra effort!

Altitude: Do not kid yourself, 3600m (12,000 feet) is pretty damn high up. Take the walk slow and at your own pace, especially if you haven't spent much time in higher altitudes. The smaller the steps you make the better while hiking up, you will likely feel out of breathe or feel your heart beat racing after only a few meters if you are going too fast... Listen to your body, and ask an expert if you feel the need. Also, during the night while you try to sleep, it is likely you will get a headache and/feel sick. Do not worry too much, just relax and drink water and try and get some sleep. If you feel like you are really unwell, tell a professional or your guide (you will need to speak Chinese to talk with your guide).

Alcohol: This may seem like a strange one to mention, but from my experience of this hike alcohol was more of a factor than I expected: one of our professional locals who was hiking with us brought up a bottle of red wine and the guide has a bottle of Baijiu too. Their point was that a small bit of alcohol helps you sleep, which I agree with but remember the altitude really intensifies alcohols affect, so have maybe one small glass of Baijiu (remember this stuff is stronger than Vodka) or a couple of glasses of wine, but do not keep drinking because the locals are. You are not local. Do not do it.

One last thing... Niu Bie Shan is being prepared to become a tourist attraction, opening in October 2017 officially.

There are roadworks underway to make it more accessible so tourists can drive up the majority of the way. During my hike we were the only 9 people on the trail (8 of us hikers and 1 guide), and it was absolutely amazing to feel so isolated and the quiet was almost deafening at the very top. Even in Lengqi - the town at the bottom of the mountain - you can see them preparing for an influx of people, with new restaurants and guest houses popping up all over the place. If you can, get up to this fantastic part of the world before this happens.