骆驼峰地区

5484米高的骆驼峰坐落在中国著名的四姑娘山边。它因与骆驼相似的外表而命名，由两个山峰和一个高高的马鞍支撑着美丽的冰川。四姑娘山，即四美女山，同样以四座高低错落的山峰，紧紧相连一线的外表而命名。当地人说这四座截然不同的山峰就像一家人，最年轻最美丽的叫作“幺妹峰”，同样也是最高的。剩下的三姐妹分别叫作“三峰”，“二峰”和“大峰”，其中三峰是第二高的，大峰是最矮的。北至四川北部的邛崃山，骆驼峰，四姑娘山以及周边的山脉位于四姑娘山国家公园，也是四川省的大熊猫保护基地和一项世界文化遗产。

四川省的这一地区属于阿坝藏族羌族自治州，被当地人称为阿坝。阿坝人以藏族为主，他们友好，安居乐业，很多人至今还保留着传统的生活习性。他们以普通话为主，但汉语水平不尽相同，当然英语就非常少见了。旅游业是当地经济的重要组成部分，虽然冬季并不是旺季，但是仍有许多美味的餐馆。离四姑娘山和骆驼峰最近的小镇叫日隆镇，也是我登山的基地。我就住在日隆镇中心外的昌平谷入口的一家当地旅馆。

许可证，登山准备，不确定性

我攀登骆驼峰的计划始于10月，当时我在广州和一位朋友商量着在中国春节期间能够攀爬的山峰。我的朋友熟悉那块地方，他曾在昌平谷远足过。他推荐我攀登骆驼峰，但和我的假期有冲突。所以骆驼峰的西峰成为了最合适我攀登的冰川，我开始为独自一人的登山做准备，训练。

在没有英文翻译的情况下，想要得到中国山脉的良好信息是非常困难的，中国旅行报告里常常缺少详细的资料和图片。当地旅馆老板和四川登山协会的联系人都对我的研究有着无可计量的帮助，在他们和少量中国旅行的网络报告的帮助下，我对将那些数据和我的行程组合起来有了很大的信心。我的女朋友帮助我进行了超出我能力的中文阅读，帮助我认证完成了许可证的申请需求。

尽管如此，不确定性迫在眉睫。一方面我有能力进行冬季的攀登，一方面我不确定中国登山协会是否会授予我登山许可证。这让我在训练中很难专注于我的目标，因为不知道我是否有机会踏上这座山峰。为一个毫不确定的目标而训练，能帮助我心里上建立攀登。在寒假的一个礼拜前，我收到了好消息，我的单人登山许可证被批准了，我收到了官方的认可。

攀登前的适应驯化

到达日隆很费时间。首先乘坐到成都的晚班飞机，第二天搭6小时车程的车越过4400米的关隘，驶往山脉。如果和其他人共同乘坐一辆私家车，那么每人共花费150人民币车费，此项服务由旅馆老板提供并组织。那里也有从成都茶子店公交站到日隆的公交车。

日隆海拔3200米，是个很好的适应高海拔的过度地区。在开始我的攀登前，我花了两天时间适应那里的水土海拔。第一天开车经过关隘并在那休息，第二天探索双桥沟。双桥沟峡谷，长坪沟和海子沟是国家公园里三座主要的山谷。长坪沟只能徒步到达，但双桥沟经过开发和居住，有一条铺好的道路。沿着山谷向上行驶，是不是停下来散步和拍照是个令人享受的事。并且很好地领略了这里的地形和适应高达3800米的海拔。

邛崃山多陡峭险峻，且未开化。攀登它们需要较好的技术，一个小失误都能导致严重后果，许多山脉至今都没有被攀登过。连四姑娘山两边的山峰都令人望而生畏。尤其令人印象深刻的是猎人峰的裂隙脊，也被称为尖峰。这座山的名字似乎有些争议，但我所接触的当地人都称它为猎人峰。

日隆的山峰依旧很雄伟，像最高的幺妹峰，在镇子最远的边界的天空中都能看到它。幺妹峰美丽迷人，令人印象深刻，因为它险峻令人望而生畏，很少有人尝试或者成功登顶，是个很有难度的山脉。

骆驼峰西部旅行反馈

我原计划六天完成骆驼峰的攀登，其中的三天背着我沉重的背包，徒步到达长坪沟，另外两天用于下山。在即将出发的最后一刻，我在四姑娘山国际公园的办公室里进行许可证的检查，公园的办公人员告诉我导游是强制性的——于是就变成了“当地的马夫会带我去山脚下”。

当时打的几通电话显示没人想去——因为这个地方的冬季意味着夜晚的寒冷，结冰的山谷阻碍了马的前行。一个小时的焦虑和通话，旅馆老板终于找到了一个愿意去的人。黄先生带来了一匹强壮的马，他陪同我走了比往常远的一段路。如果非法地在没人帮助的情况下攀登，我将无路可走。幸亏我没有试图在没有帮助的情况下背着我的装备独自上山。

第一天： 由于在公园办公室的突发状况，我的出发推迟了。黄先生和我在喇嘛庙于中午12点出发，喇嘛庙是一个巨大且新建的佛教寺庙，位于长坪沟约3400米的地方。长坪沟的山脚下有一个大约四千米的木板制的道路，我在那里遇到了几个当地的牧民。幺妹峰从远处望去很突出。

走到木板路店尽头，我们遇到了大块的厚冰。一条河流流经长坪沟，从周围山脉流出的溪水从河谷壁直流而下。在冬季，这些河流结冰，泛滥，河岸和森林被覆盖着厚厚的一层冰。马无法安全地在滑的冰面上行走，这让我们的步伐变得很慢。于是我们就用我的冰镐在崎岖的冰面上砍来砍去，或是在树丛中绕道而行。

在蜿蜒的山谷中，那个石头金字塔般令人印象深刻的婆缪峰就映入我们的眼帘。随着海拔的升高，越来越多的河岸被雪覆盖着，锋利如锯齿般的山脉沿着山谷壁拔地而起。

晚上五点半，在五个半小时的远足后，我们到达了这一天的露营地，位于3800米的木骡子，就在一个巨大的木屋处。有人告诉我，这个小木屋是专门接待旅游季节来过夜的游客的，除了守门人现在就是空的。到达了露营地，我们终于看到了骆驼峰，就在山谷的尽头。我在树丛边，面向山峰，搭起了我的帐篷。

晚餐，我做了汤面，香肠和一些饼干，并为第二天煮了一些水。太阳下山，气温骤降，我帐篷内的温度只有零下六摄氏度。

第二天： 在我享受了一顿悠闲的早餐后，我们整理好行装和马，在中午十一点半时出发。在木骡子上方，我们遇到了更多的冰，只能沿着河岸慢慢行走。大段的河流都被冻住了。

几个小时后，我们到达了山谷的尽头，绕着冰面前行，沿着牲畜留下的脚印，我们到达了山谷的山脊，也就是骆驼峰的山脚。天气开始变化，云层在我们上方逐渐形成，延至北部。

通往骆驼峰的小径沿着崎岖的牲口小道一直延伸到山谷，偶尔会要掉头。我们很快突破了树丛线，看到了骆驼峰山脉和羊满台，金字塔形状的山脉直达天际。地形很快变成松散不结实的冰碛、巨石和夹杂着雪的碎石。

在下午六点，我们一直到了马足以安全行走的地方，在树木无法生长的4700米海拔处停了下来。这里的冰碛物夹杂着雪，有些巨石之间的夹缝非常深。经过一番探索，我们发现了一个几近平坦的地面，在雪地上搭起了我们的帐篷。在这里，我即将独自完成剩下的攀登。长坪沟位于我们的下方，幺妹峰高耸于其上，在傍晚的阳光下分外华丽夺目。

晚餐，我还是做了汤面，涂了花生酱的黑麦面包，香肠和一些巧克力棒。顿时觉得自己很强壮，很适应，并且能够吃下一顿大餐。我将雪煮成热水，取出我靴子里的小鞋子，电池，太阳眼镜，首套，袜子，相机和衣物，将它们放进了我的睡袋，包裹着热水瓶子。夜晚很冷，我量了我的双层帐篷的温度，只有零下十二摄氏度。断断续续的云从我的上方翻腾，但是明亮的星星非常闪烁，黑漆漆的夜空没有任何强光的污染。

第三天： 我将我的闹钟设定到早上五点半，特意在寒冷的清晨出发。我醒来就发现一夜之间，雪足足下了30-40厘米，给大地铺上了一层软软的白色粉末。早上六点半，我整理好我的装备，吃了顿简单的早餐便开始了我的行程。湛湛蓝天，没有一丝云彩，但狂风卷起了阵阵浪花。

想要在冰碛上取得进展就要在深雪中卖力前进。除了巨大的岩石，冰碛没过了我的膝盖，很难判断在我脚下的是什么东西。石缝被积雪覆盖的地方是看不见的，很难找到稳定的落脚点。我以着蜗牛的速度向上行走，试着站在大石头的表面，避免掉进深深的雪里。尽管我很努力，但我也经常仍会沉入岩石间松软的雪中，有时雪高达我的腰部。

多变的地形让我无法找到合适的节奏来控制我的步伐，冰碛也似乎从未停止过。这让我想起阿空加瓜岛的上卡纳莱塔，步履艰难，让我很不愉快：道路很滑，不稳定，身体透支。在最初的两小时，我曾想要返回，但是我逼迫自己继续前行，一遍一遍地告诉自己，冰川将能让我更好更快地攀登。三小时后，早上九点半，我终于到达了骆驼峰的冰川地区。

在探索骆驼西部传统的攀登路线时，我想到了几篇下方山坡发生致命雪崩的报导。从冰川脚下可以明显地发现此处的地形覆盖着新鲜且松散的雪。冰川的口鼻处显示有冰，我猜测那晚的降雪应该是落在结实坚硬的底部。以防雪崩的危险，我小心翼翼地远离主斜坡，沿着整个山较矮一边的岩石前进。如下图：

环境状况不尽人如意，松软厚厚的积雪下有着坚硬的冰，狂风阵阵打在我的身上。一条旧的线固定在较低低冰川上，但是很难看清它的锚，所以我并没有冒风险使用它。慢慢地我找到了合适的速度，在深深的积雪中找到了很好的节奏前行。

我沿着低处的冰川的岩石走到了山峰的东部，用我的冰镐和一个登山杖向上攀登。最陡峭的地方，坡度达到45度。

还有一个斜坡，向上倾斜至东、西峰的山顶。我待在东峰山顶的南面，因此可以避免穿过主斜坡上厚厚的积雪。山脊对面假西峰的山顶显现在眼前。

在山脊上，我饱览了许多名不经传的美丽山脉，西至长坪沟。东峰的山脊上覆盖着厚厚的雪，很难找到穿越的路径，但当我靠近虚假的西峰山顶时，东峰的山顶在我身后显得优雅无比。

在假西峰的南面脚下，冰川向南倾斜成一个陡峭的斜坡，向着西边蜿蜒而上。山脊的北面是个几乎垂直的面。在这里攀登变得极其陡峭，大约有55-60的角度，有些路段的积雪没过膝盖。我收起我的登山杖，只用我的长冰镐和短冰镐。

一旦穿过假西峰，绕过一个陡峭的山脊就能到达真正的西峰。我从前看过这段路程的照片，所以我知道在北部有个很大的飞檐。过慢地攀过山脊会把我暴露在雪崩的危险中，然而过快地前行会致我于飞檐的边缘。山脊上的雪并没有非常深，所以我选择了一条位于中间的道路，用最快的速度越过这道飞檐。

穿过山脊，西峰就矗立在我面前，一道几乎垂直于西边的陡峭的石墙。我开始探索出一条向上行走的道路。

我很快地发现北部的墙是一个垂直的墙面，没有任何合适的地方能让我在没有保护的前提下前进。南面的墙看起来很不错，但是我发现道路被平凡的垂向下的石头挡住了。回头向北走，我爬上了一块三级难度的斜坡，它停在一块雪地上，大约占据了墙的三分之一。从这里起，唯一的路是随着石块的裂缝垂直向上的。我用我的短冰镐插进裂缝中为我提供额外的保护，我小心翼翼地向上攀爬着。这并不是很难，大约为五级难度，但是狂风和各种危险让我聚精会神地前进着。专注于我的手，较和工具的位置，我一点点地取得了进步，最终我发现我站在了顶端。

我的前方的小雪坡上，矗立着胜利的旗帜和一块小石碑。风从我身边呼啸而过，我慢慢地走到了最顶端。下午2：40，我终于成功登顶，虽然很疲惫，但是我很开心。

在狂风中登顶是非常寒冷的。我很快地拍了些照片，准备在4，5分钟后下山。我用着我的小冰镐慢慢小心地爬下去。在山顶下的一块小石壁边，我稍微休息了一下，在穿过山脊前，我吃了点零食。

回想我下山的路程，明显比上山快了许多，除了被东，西山峰分开的山脊，我的足迹在狂风吹虐下，被覆盖在厚厚的雪中。下午四点，我到达了冰川基地，遇到了在岩石边上等我的黄先生，我们穿过冰碛，在下午五点半，我们回到了高处的帐篷处，从帐篷出发到回来，一共花了十一个小时。我吃了些面包，喝了些水，开始整理我的装备，准备立刻睡觉。

第四天： 早上八点半我们醒来，吃了些早餐，把一些装备放在马上，开始了漫长的越过长坪沟的路程。我们只带了一些面包和水，从4700米的高营地，徒步走到了3200米的喇嘛庙，全长33千米，高1500米，总时长7.5小时。回到日隆，我洗了澡，然后吃了辣牛肉火锅来庆祝我的胜利。

骆驼峰总结

骆驼峰的攀登考研了我的坚韧意志力，身体训练和以往的攀登经验。独自攀登是非常值得留念而且振奋我心的。回想我独自一人在山上的经历，也许近几周只有我一人，也许是近几个月，我觉得我非常得特别。山上恶劣的天气和环境，让攀登变得很有挑战性，在各种不确定因素的阻扰下，让最终的胜利变得来之不易，也让我觉得非常有成就感。四姑娘山地区是非常险恶的，充斥了狂风，陡峭严峻的未知山脉。我有幸能来到这个地方，即便只是攀登了最简单的山峰，但也很自豪能站在山顶端饱览这群美丽的景色。

资料

我的联络人和日隆本地人告诉我，尽管高海拔的寒冷气温，冬季仍然是个攀岩的好时间，是不那么恶劣的。在山上，我经历了夜晚的大雪和强风，但是他们告诉我在其他季节，降水可能会更加地严重和频繁。由于中国的国庆节，十月是个该地区的旅游旺季，整个山谷都会被中国登山家围绕。所以这个地区一年四季都处于可攀岩状态。

期间，我住在日隆的阿伦本旅馆，在我的旅行前，我提前联系了老板。他为我提供了往返日隆的车辆，并且帮我找到了黄先生，一个为我提供马匹，最后一刻在山上陪着我的人。微信或者电话联系该旅馆是最好的方式。在旅游旺季，他们可能还有会英语的工作人员，但是在我的冬季旅行中并没有，他们的网站是：www.aleeben.com/.

通过四川登山协会，是可以拿到该地区的高山峰的登山许可证。他们似乎没有会英语的员工，而且许可证的申请可是需要用中文填写。许可证需要详细的行程表，一张可接受的登山履历表，护照照片复印件，中国签证和一张申请表。攀登开销——500元，即100加币的许可证。微信或者电话是联系登山协会的最好方式，微信上他们是非常友好，乐于助人的。他们的网站是：www.sma.gov.cn/。

对于过夜游客来说，长坪沟的门票是150元。登山许可证可以通过SMA获得，位于四姑娘山公园的管理处会强制进行检查。他们是没有会英文的工作人员，他们不准我在没有人帮助的情况下进行攀登，至少会强制安排一个当地的马夫来帮助你。该公园的网站是：www.sgns.gov.cn/。

Camel Peak and Area

5484m Camel Peak, or Luotuo Feng (骆驼峰), stands nearby China’s famous four sisters mountains, the Siguniang Shan (四姑娘山). Camel Peak is named for its resemblance to a camel’s back, with twin summits and a high saddle supporting a beautiful glacier. The Siguniang Shan, which means ‘four sisters mountains / four girls mountains’ are likewise named due to their appearance, as the four peaks stand together in a line, highest to lowest. According to locals the four distinct peaks of the Siguniang Shan are family: four sisters of which the youngest and most beautiful, the Yaomei Feng (幺妹峰), is also the tallest. The remaining three sisters are named San Feng (三峰), Er Feng (二峰), and Da Feng (大峰), with San Feng being the second highest and Da Feng the lowest. Part of the Qionglai Shan (邛崃山) range in northern Sichuan, Camel Peak, the Siguniang Shan, and surrounding mountains lie within Siguniang Shan National Park, one of the province’s giant panda sanctuaries and a World Heritage Site. Camel Peak is a part of the ridgeline at the northern end of the Changping Valley (长坪沟), one of three major valleys within the park.

This area of Sichuan belongs to the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, locally known as Aba (阿坝). The people of Aba are predominantly Tibetan, are friendly and accommodating, and many still live a traditional lifestyle. The common language in this area is Mandarin Chinese – everyone can speak Chinese to some level – and spoken English is very uncommon. Tourism represents a significant segment of the local economy, and while winter was definitely not high season, there were always plenty of good restaurants available. The town closest to the Siguniang Shan and Camel Peak is Rilong (日隆镇), which I based out of for my climb. I stayed in a local hotel located right at the upper entrance to Changping Valley, just outside of central Rilong.

Permit, Preparations, Uncertainty

My plan to climb Camel Peak started in October, when I met with a friend in Guangzhou to discuss potential mountaineering objectives within China for the Chinese New Year winter vacation. My friend, who had been hiking in Changping Valley before and knew the area, suggested Camel Peak but was unable to fit in the same vacation dates as I. As Camel Peak’s west summit appeared to be a moderate glacier climb I began the process of planning, training, and preparing for a solo attempt.

Good information on China’s mountains is difficult to come by or non existent in English, and Chinese trip reports are often lacking in thorough details and photographs. Both a local hotel owner and a contact within the Sichuan Mountaineering Association proved invaluable in assisting with my research, and between them and a handful of Chinese trip reports found online I was confident with the beta and itinerary which I was able to put together. My girlfriend assisted me with Chinese reading beyond my own ability, and helped me to carefully complete the permit application requirements.

Regardless, uncertainty loomed. I would be climbing solo in the winter, and doubt remained as to whether the Chinese Mountaineering Association would grant me a climbing permit. Focusing on my objective and purpose was difficult for me as I trained for the climb, not knowing whether I would even be allowed to set foot upon the mountain. Training for an uncertain objective contributed to building up the climb psychologically. One week before the winter vacation I received good news; my solo permit had been approved and I had official endorsement.

Pre-Climb Acclimatization

Getting to Rilong involves a fair amount of travel. First an evening flight to Chengdu, the next day a 6 hour drive into the mountains and across a 4400m high pass. The drive costs 150 RMB per person if sharing a private car with others, a service which the hotel owner helped me arrange.  There are also busses to Rilong, leaving from Chengdu’s Cha Dian (茶店子) bus station.

Rilong sits at ~3200m, an excellent altitude for pre-acclimation prior to heading higher. I spent two days acclimating before beginning my climb; the first day driving over the high pass and then resting, the second day exploring Shuangqiao Valley (双桥沟). Shuangqiao Valley is one of three major valleys, along with Changping Valley and Haizi Valley, within the national park. Unlike Changping Valley which is only accessible by foot, Shuangqiao is developed, inhabited, and has a good paved road running its length. Driving up the length of the valley and stopping intermittently to stroll and take pictures was relaxing, a good introduction to the area’s terrain, and great acclimation with the valley’s end-point reaching a high of ~3800m.

The Qionglai mountains are steep, sharp, and savage. Almost all present technical mixed climbs, sheer and unforgiving, and many of them remain unclimbed. Even the peaks beside the road within Shuangqiao were intimidating and impressive to behold.

Particularly impressive were the cleft ridges of Hunter Peak, Lieren Feng (猎人峰), also known as Steeple Peak. The name of this mountain appears to be somewhat contentious, but all of the locals whom I spoke with referred to it as Lieren Feng.

Back in Rilong the mountains still have a strong presence, with Yaomei Feng herself, the highest peak in the area, visible on the skyline beyond the upper edges of town. Yaomei Feng is a gorgeous, aesthetically alluring peak made all the more impressive by being a formidable, seldom attempted, rarely summitted, and very serious climb.

Camel Peak West Trip Report

My initial plan was to climb Camel Peak over 6 days, with a full three days for making the 33km approach up the Changping Valley on foot with a heavy pack and another 2 days for descending. At the last minute on the day I was due to begin, standing in the Siguniang Shan National Park office in Aba getting my permit checked, the park official told me that a guide was mandatory – which soon transitioned into “a local horse driver to accompany you to the base of the mountain”.

After some initial phone calls it seemed that nobody wanted to go – wintertime in this area means significant cold at night and an icy valley preventing easy horse access. An hour of anxiety and phone calls later the hotel owner had found someone, Mr. Huang, who came with a sturdy horse and would accompany me for a bit more than the normal daily rate. With no alternative if I wanted to climb legally, I felt O.K. that I didn’t try to ascend the valley unsupported and take a shot at carrying all of my gear up the valley by foot.

Day 1: A late start due to the unexpected complications in the park office. Beginning at Lama temple, a large and newly constructed Buddhist temple located at the base of Changping Valley around ~3400m, Mr. Huang and I started up the valley at 12:00 p.m. The lower Changing Valley has a board walk in place for around ~4km, and I met a few local herders in this section. Yaomei Feng was prominent in the distance.

Once the board walk was finished we soon began to encounter large patches of thick ice. A river runs through the Changping Valley and is fed by run-off streams coming down the valley walls from the surrounding mountains. In winter these streams freeze, flood, and encase sections of riverbank and forest with ice. The horse was unable to safely walk across the slippery ice, which slowed us down considerably as we hacked rough paths with my ice ax or took winding detours through the trees.

As the valley curved the impressive rock pyramid of Pomiu Feng came into view ahead of us.  More and more snow covered the riverbanks as we gained altitude, and sharp tooth-like mountains rose above the valley walls.

At 5:30 p.m., after 5.5 hours of hiking, we reached the day’s campsite, Muluozi (木骡子) at ~3800m, where a large wooden cabin stands.  I was told that this cabin takes overnight visitors during the tourism season, but aside from the caretaker it was empty.  Upon reaching camp Camel Peak itself finally came into view, directly ahead at the end of the valley.  I pitched my tent by some trees, facing towards the mountain.

I cooked up a dinner of soup with noodles, sausage and crackers, and prepared water for the next day.  When the sun set temperatures plummeted, and I measured -6C inside of my tent.

Day 2: After I enjoyed a slow paced breakfast, we packed up the horse and were moving by 11:30 a.m.  We encountered a lot more ice above Muluozi, and made slow progress along the riverbanks.  Large sections of the river were frozen over.

We reached the end of the valley within a few hours, and navigating the ice worked our way through forest to the cairned livestock trail which leads up the northern valley ridge towards the base of Camel Peak.  The weather appeared to be turning, and clouds were building above us and to the north.

The trail to Camel Peak follows a rough livestock path up the valley, occasionally switchbacking.  We soon broke the treeline, and were able to see Camel Peak and Yangmantai (羊满台), the pyramidal mountain beside Camel, above us through breaks in the cloud.  The terrain quickly shifted into loose glacial moraine, boulders and scree mixed with snow.

Above the trees we progressed as far as the horse was safely able, finally stopping at 6 p.m., around ~4700m of elevation.  The moraine here was snowy, some quite deep within the spaces between boulders.  After some searching we found a mostly level patch of ground, where we pitched our tents on the snow.  From here I would begin my climbing alone.  Changping Valley lay below us with Yaomei Feng towering over it, resplendent in the late afternoon sunlight.

I cooked another dinner of hot noodle soup, complimented by peanut butter on rye bread, sausages and chocolate bars.  I felt strong and well acclimated, and managed to eat a decently large dinner.  I melted snow to prepare hot water, got my boot liners, batteries, sunscreen, gloves, socks, camera, and clothing into my sleeping bag, and curled up with my hot water bottles.  The night was frigid, and I measured -12C inside of my double-walled tent.  Intermittent clouds billowed overhead, but bright stars still shone, the dark night sky free from any light pollution.

Day 3: I had set my alarm clock for 5:30 a.m., intentionally foregoing an alpine start due to the cold at night.  I awoke to discover that roughly 30-40cm of snow had fallen overnight, blanketing everything in soft powder.  I prepared my gear, ate a light breakfast, and began moving upwards at 6:30 a.m.  The sky had cleared and was cloudless, but gusts of high wind stirred up spindrift.

Making progress over the moraine was physically strenuous in deep snow.  With the exception of larger protruding rocks the moraine was covered knee deep, and it was difficult to determine what lay underneath.  Snow filled gaps between rocks were invisible, and stable footing difficult to come by.  I broke trail upwards at a snail’s pace, trying to stay on top of bigger rocks and avoid postholing into the deep snow.  Despite my best efforts I found myself frequently sinking into the soft snow between rocks, sometimes up to my waist.

The varied terrain prevented me from finding a rhythm with which to manage my pace, and the moraine seemed neverending.  Reminiscent of Aconcagua’s upper Canaleta, the slog upwards was unpleasant: slippery, unstable, and physically arduous.  Tempted to turn back after the first two hours, I forced myself to continue, telling myself again and again that the glacier would offer better and faster climbing.  Three hours later, at 9:30 a.m., I finally reached the base of Camel Peak’s glacier.

In researching Camel West’s traditional route of ascent I had come across several reports of fatal avalanches on the mountain’s lower slopes.  From the base of the glacier it was clear that the terrain above was loaded with fresh, unconsolidated snow.  The glacier’s snout showed ice, and I assumed that the night’s snowfall was likely resting upon a hard, solid base.  Cautious of the potential for avalanche, I took care to stay off of the main slopes completely, and ascended the entire lower mountain by staying alongside the rocks.  See the below image:

The conditions were less than ideal, with hard ice underneath the deep, powdery snow and gusts of wind blasting me with spindrift.  An old fixed line was in place on the lower glacier, but unable to see its anchor I didn’t risk using it.  I made better speed ascending the glacier, and fell into a good rest stepping rhythm despite the deep snow.

I followed the lower glacier alongside the rocks to the base of the east peak, using my ice ax and one trekking pole to ascend this section.  At its steepest the climbing was around 40-45 degrees.

One slope remained, slanting upwards onto the high saddle between the east and west summits.  I stayed alongside the south face of the east summit so as to avoid climbing across the deep snow on the main slope.  The false west summit came into view across the saddle.

From the saddle I enjoyed good views of the mountains, many unnamed and unclimbed, which line Changping valley to the west.  The saddle near the east peak was loaded with deep snow, difficult to break trail and cross, but became shallower as I got closer to the false west summit.  The east summit stood jaggedly elegant behind me.

At the lower south base of the false west summit the glacier drops into a steep slope towards the south, and curves around and upwards towards the west.  To the north of the saddle is a drop off into a nearly vertical face.  Here the climbing became steeper, around 55-60 degrees with knee deep snow in some sections.  I put my trekking pole away and used my ice ax together with one ice tool.

Once around the false west summit a final traverse across a steep ridge leads to the true west summit.  I had seen photographs of this section, and knew it to be heavily corniced on the north side.  Traversing too low across the ridge would expose me to potential avalanche hazard from above, while traversing too high would expose me to the cornice edge.  The snow on the ridge didn’t feel dangerously deep, so I picked a line across the middle and pushed myself to maintain a fast pace across.

Once across the ridge the west summit stood above me, a steep rock wall, nearly vertical due west.  I began to scout a manageable way up.

A quick look confirmed that the north side was a vertical wall with no features suitable for unprotected ascent.  The base of the wall to the south seemed promising, until I found the way blocked by featureless, downsloping slabs of rock.  Moving back towards the north I climbed a sloping class 3 rock ramp to where it stopped at a snow patch roughly a third of the way up the wall.  From here the only way forward was straight up, following a system of cracks.  Using my ice tool to jam the cracks and provide additional purchase, I carefully made my way upwards.  The climbing wasn’t too difficult, probably low class 5, but the wind and exposure gave me intense focus.  Concentrating on my hand, foot, and tool placement, I made steady progress and soon found myself at the top.

Ahead lay prayer flags and a cairn atop a small snow slope.The wind howled past me as I carefully walked the last few steps to the top.  At 2:40 p.m. I reached the summit, tired but happy.

The summit was cold and exposed to the high winds.  I quickly took some photographs and began descending after only 4 or 5 minutes.  Using my ice tool extensively, I descended the rock as cautiously as possible.  At the base of the summit wall I took a short rest and a snack before crossing the ridge.

Retracing my steps on descent was much faster than the ascent had been, with the exception of the saddle separating the east and west summits, where my broken trail through the deep snow near the east summit had been filled in by the wind.  At 4:00 p.m. I reached the base of the glacier and found Mr. Huang waiting for me in the rocks.

We walked across the moraine back to the high camp, where we arrived at 5:30 p.m. – a total of 11 hours tent to tent.  I ate some bread, drank some water, and organized equipment before immediately falling asleep.

Day 4: Awake at 8:30 a.m. we ate breakfast, packed up the horse and began the long descent down Changping valley.  Taking only a few breaks for food and water, we walked all the way from the high camp at ~4700m to Lama temple at ~3200m, covering 33km and 1500m of descent in 7.5 hours.  Back in Rilong I showered and went out for a celebratory meal of spicy beef hotpot.

Thoughts on Camel Peak

Camel Peak tested my mental tenacity, physical training, and prior experience. Climbing solo was rewarding and very engaging.  Being alone on the mountain, the only person to climb it in weeks, if not months, was a special feeling.  Poor weather and conditions on the mountain made the climb challenging for me, and after the uncertainty surrounding my goal finally attaining the summit felt like a powerful personal achievement. The Siguniang Shan region is filled with wild, steep, vicious mountains, many of which are unnamed and unclimbed. I feel privileged to have visited this area and to have stood atop one of these mountains, even one of the easier among these peaks.

Accessibility

My SMA contact and Rilong locals advised that, despite the cold temperatures at altitude, winter is a good time to climb in the area due to less inclement weather. I experienced heavy snowfall the night before my climb and high winds on the mountain, but was told that in other seasons precipitation can be very frequent and more severe. October is a high tourism season for the area due to Chinese national holidays, and all of the valleys will likely be crowded with Chinese day hikers. Ascents have been made in this area year round.

I stayed at the Aleeben hotel while in Rilong, and connected with the owner ahead of my climb. He assisted with arranging shared 4×4 transport to/from Rilong and in finding Mr. Huang, the horse-driver, to accompany me at the last minute. It is best to contact the hotel by Wechat or telephone. They may have English speaking staff present during high seasons, but did not during my winter visit. Their website is www.aleeben.com/.

Climbing permits are required for all of the high peaks in the area, and must be obtained through the Sichuan Mountaineering Association. They do not seem to have English speaking staff, and permit applications are completed in Chinese. Permit applications require a detailed itinerary, an acceptable climbing resume, a passport photocopy, proof of a valid Chinese Visa, and an application form. There are fees for climbing – I paid 500 RMB or roughly $100 USD for my permit. The SMA are best contacted by Wechat or telephone, and in particular are very friendly and helpful over Wechat. The SMA website is www.sma.gov.cn/.

Changping Valley has an entrance fee of 150 RMB for overnight visitors. While climbing permits are obtained via the SMA, they are enforced and checked by the Siguniang Shan park administration, located in Rilong. The park did not have any English speaking staff on site. They would not permit me to climb unassisted, and made it mandatory to employ a local horse driver at minimum. The park website is www.sgns.gov.cn/.