Ultimate Hikes · Yunnan

Meili North Slope Trek

8 days around Kawagarbo's north flank — the frontier alternative to Yubeng

Duration 8 days

Difficulty challenging

Max altitude 5,200 m

Best season May – Jun · Oct – Nov

Meili Snow Mountain (Kawagarbo, 6,740 m) is the most sacred peak in Eastern Tibetan Buddhism — never summited, never permitted. The south flank's Yubeng trek has become busy. The north slope is the quieter route: longer, harder, with named camps at Pojun and Pojiang, two genuine high passes (Ciding 4,770 m and the Yunnan-Tibet Border Pass at 5,200 m), and the kind of yak-pasture-and-glacier landscape that earned its Xiaohongshu nickname 众神之地 — Land of the Gods.

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At a glance

The experience

Lijiang 1 night → Shangri-La / Feilai Si 1 night → trek 5 nights → return drive — total 8 days
Pack-horse supply (Tibetan handlers) for all camping gear — you carry day-pack only
Named campsBamboo Forest, Pojun, Pojiang, Dala — five nights under canvas at 3,500–4,400 m
Two high passesCiding Pass (4,770 m) on Day 4, Yunnan-Tibet Border Pass (5,200 m) on Day 6 — the trip's high point
Photography arcgolden-summit sunrise from Feilai Si, prayer-flag passes, autumn larch (October) or rhododendron (May-June), glaciated north face

Why the north slope, not Yubeng

Yubeng (south side) is now well-trafficked — the Ice Lake and Sacred Waterfall day-hikes are reliable but crowded in October peak and increasingly catered to mass Chinese domestic trekkers. The infrastructure is there; the solitude isn't.
The north slope is the original Tibetan pilgrim kora line, walked for centuries before the road system reached Deqin. It's harder (genuine multi-day camping, 5,200 m pass) but vastly quieter — most trekking days you see only your group and the Tibetan pack-horse handlers.
The landscape arc is different. Yubeng is forest-to-lake. The north slope is forest-to-pasture-to-glacier-to-pass, with the iconic Kawagarbo north face dominating four of the trekking days.
Permits and accessno special foreign-traveller permit beyond standard China visa, but the route is not solo-trekkable — local Tibetan operator + pack-horse handlers are mandatory. We handle the booking 8+ weeks ahead.

Tibetan prayer flags at a misty pass on the Meili North Slope trek — the kora atmosphere

Fiery autumn foliage meets a snow-capped Meili peak — early October on the north slope

Trekkers dwarfed by a massive glacier wall — the raw scale of Meili's north face

Day 1 — Arrive Lijiang, acclimatisation night

Fly into Lijiang Sanyi Airport. Transfer to a Naxi courtyard hotel in Baisha or Lijiang Old Town (2,400 m). Easy afternoon — final gear check, group dinner, early sleep.
Mandatory acclimatisation day at moderate altitude before pushing higher. We do NOT depart for the trek without this first night — the cost of skipping it is altitude sickness on Day 3.

Group of trekkers in cold-weather kit walking toward the jagged Meili snow peaks — departure-morning shot

Day 2 — Drive Lijiang → Shangri-La → Feilai Si

Long scenic drive dayLijiang → Tiger Leaping Gorge → Yangtze First Bend → Shangri-La → Baima Snow Mountain Pass (4,292 m) → Feilai Si (3,400 m). ~8 hrs with stops.
Short late-afternoon walk in Feilai Si village to settle altitude; visit the Feilai Temple platform where Tibetans burn juniper smoke for Kawagarbo at dusk.
Early dinner, alarm set for 06:30 — Day 3 starts with the dawn alpenglow window.

Close-up of Meili's north face with a lone hiker for scale — Day 2 evening light from Feilai Si direction

Kawagarbo at dawn alpenglow — the 10-minute window from Feilai Si platform

Day 3 — Kawagarbo dawn → trek begins, Bamboo Forest Camp

Pre-dawn (06:30) at the Feilai Si platform for the Kawagarbo alpenglow. ~50% chance of clear summit on any given October-November morning; we build in a buffer day later in case Day 3 is weather-locked.
Drive to Yagong Village (the north-slope trailhead) by mid-morning. Meet the Tibetan pack-horse handlers; they load gear, you take day-pack only.
Trek-in via Zhangqia Camp meadow — gentle gradient through pine forest, ~9 km, ~5 hrs walking. Bamboo Forest Camp at ~3,500 m. First night under canvas.
Camp dinner from the pack-train kitchen (yak stew, Tibetan bread, butter tea). Early sleep.

Moss-draped ancient forest trail — the jungle section before alpine terrain on Day 3

Riverside rest stop in lush forest with snow peaks through the clouds — Day 3 trek-in

Day 4 — Bamboo Forest → Pojun Glacier → Pojun Camp

The trek's steepest day. Forest transitions to alpine meadow, then to glacial terminal moraine below Pojun Glacier (a major north-face glacier of Kawagarbo). ~6 km, ~5 hrs walking but high altitude gain.
Pojun Camp at ~4,200 m — open meadow with a clear view of the glacier face and the peaks above. Cold night; we provide 4-season sleeping bags.
Most photogenic camp on the trek. Sunset light on the glacier face is the night's photo brief.
Watch for altitude. Drink water relentlessly. Anyone showing signs of AMS turns around with one of the handlers — we have a non-negotiable safety protocol.

Solo hiker beneath a glacier face with one golden autumn tree — Day 4 to Pojun Camp

Remote campsite at sunset with the peak glowing gold — Pojun Camp evening light

Pack horse hauling gear with a glacier peak behind — Meili North Slope pack-train

Day 5 — Pojun → Ciding Pass (4,770 m) → Pojiang Camp

The first big pass. Pojun Camp → Ciding Pass (4,770 m) over a rocky ramp with brief snow-patch sections in early-season conditions. ~6 km but technically demanding, ~7 hrs.
Top of the passprayer flags, the views back across the glacier system, and the first glimpse forward into the trans-border valley.
Descent to Pojiang Camp at ~4,300 m. Hot meal, hot drinks, early sleep — Day 6 is the trip's biggest day.

Crimson alpine meadow at the Ciding Pass — Meili's autumn colour palette

Trekkers crossing rocky terrain toward the snow peaks — high-altitude moonscape on Day 5

Day 6 — Pojiang → Yunnan-Tibet Border Pass (5,200 m) → Twin Lakes → return

The trip's high point. Pojiang Camp → Yunnan-Tibet Border Pass (5,200 m, the official high point) → Twin Lakes glacial tarns → return to Pojiang Camp. ~9 km, ~6 hrs but at sustained altitude.
Prayer flags at the border pass; the views simultaneously back into Yunnan and forward into Eastern Tibet's Drung-Nu border region. One of the great mountain panoramas in Yunnan.
Twin Lakes glacial tarns at ~4,800 m. Late-morning light is best for photography here.
Same camp tonight — we don't break camp on the high day. Recovery, rest, layered dinner, deep sleep.

Massive snow peak looming over tiny trekkers — pure 'Land of the Gods' energy on Day 6

Trekker resting on a rock with a massive cloud-wrapped peak behind — the 'earned this view' moment

Day 7 — Pojiang → Dala Camp → Yagong Village → Feilai Si

Long descent day. Pojiang Camp → Dala Camp (no overnight) → Yagong Village → drive to Feilai Si. ~10 km on foot, then ~1 hr drive.
Knees take the day's weight. We pace it slow, with rests at the upper-meadow viewpoints and a long lunch at Dala. Reach Feilai Si by late afternoon.
First hot shower in 5 days. Hot-pot dinner at Feilai Si overlooking Kawagarbo at sunset. The trip's quiet emotional close.

Golden autumn valley with rushing stream — Day 7 descent

Wooden Tibetan herder cabin and timber yak corral — Yagong Village outskirts on Day 7

Day 8 — Drive Feilai Si → Lijiang, depart

Long return drive (~10 hrs) over Baima Pass and via Shangri-La. We schedule departure flights for the next day from Lijiang; doing same-day flight after the drive is brutal and we don't recommend it.
Optionalextend a night in Shangri-La (Songzanlin Monastery, Tibetan town) before continuing to Lijiang — many travellers want this decompression.

Cloud-wrapped snow peaks rising behind bare winter larches — north slope after autumn colour drops

Practical details

Fitness baselinecomfortable hiking 8–10 km a day with significant elevation gain for 5 consecutive days. The Day 6 pass-day is the hardest single day — 5,200 m altitude, 9 km, 6 hours.
Altitudesleeps at 3,500 m → 4,200 m → 4,300 m → 4,300 m → 3,400 m. Two-night acclimatisation before the trek (Lijiang + Feilai Si) is mandatory.
Difficulty★★★★ on Chinese trekking scales. Equivalent to a non-technical high-altitude expedition trek; harder than Yubeng south side, easier than Mt Siguniang technical routes.
Best windowsMay-June for rhododendron bloom + late-spring snow on the high passes; October-November for autumn larch colour + the cleanest post-monsoon sky for Kawagarbo dawns. Avoid July-September monsoon.
Permits + logisticsno special foreign permit but mandatory local Tibetan operator + pack-horse handlers. We book the operator 8+ weeks ahead and brief you on the kit list (4-season sleeping bag, B2 boots, gaiters, layered clothing).
Group size4–8 trekkers. Above 8 we split into two pack-train groups for handler ratios. Below 4 we sometimes wait for a small private supplement (covered by us up to a threshold).
Pricingfrom AUD $4,800 pp twin-share for the standalone 8-day module — includes Tibetan guide, pack-horse supply, camping gear, all meals on the trek + hotel nights in Lijiang/Feilai Si, transfers. Excludes international flights, AMS-evac insurance (we mandate one).

Common questions

Before you book

01 What's the success rate of completing the trek?

About 85% in the May-June and October-November windows for trekkers who arrive properly acclimatised. The 15% who turn around are split between (a) altitude sickness symptoms appearing on Day 3-4 and (b) the occasional weather lock on the high passes (Days 5-6) where we choose safety over summit-day pressure. We have a buffer day built into the standard 8-day itinerary — if Day 6 is weather-locked, we attempt Day 7 instead. If both are locked, you get the trek-in days, the camps, and the lower-pass views; the trip is still extraordinary.

02 How does this compare to Yubeng or Yading?

Yubeng (south Meili) is 3-4 days, lodge-based, well-marked, accessible for any reasonably fit walker comfortable with 3,700 m. North Slope is 5 days on foot, pack-horse-supported camping, two high passes, 5,200 m max. Yading (the Three Sacred Peaks circuit) is harder still — multi-pass technical sections. North Slope sits between Yubeng and Yading on the difficulty curve; closer to Yading in terrain remoteness, closer to Yubeng in absence of technical climbing.

03 What's the photography arc?

Three main moments: (1) Kawagarbo dawn alpenglow from Feilai Si on Day 3 — the iconic 10-minute golden-summit window. (2) Pojun Camp sunset on Day 4 — the glacier face turning gold over the meadow camp. (3) The Yunnan-Tibet Border Pass on Day 6 — 5,200 m prayer-flag panorama with the entire north-face system visible. Plus autumn-larch corridors (early October) or rhododendron passes (May-June) depending on season. Most trekkers carry a fast 24-70 mm zoom and a small drone; the trip rewards mid-range glass more than telephoto.

04 Can you shorten or extend the trek?

Shorten — no, not really. The route geometry doesn't compress: you need 5 nights of camping to clear the two passes and return. Skipping the high pass turns it into a 5-day in-and-out trek to Pojun, which is fine but misses the trip's biggest moment. Extend — yes, easily. Common extensions: (a) Add a Nujiang gorge module before/after for 4-5 days (we already offer the Nujiang Frontier itinerary), (b) Add a Songzanlin Monastery + Shangri-La day for cultural decompression, (c) Add a Niru Valley side-trek if you want to keep walking. Talk to us about combinations.