Long Chuanbi Trekking｜Enter the Ultimate Secret Realm of Western Sichuan in 3 Days! Includes Pitfall Prevention Guide

Who understands! The moment you cross the Chuanbi Pass, the snowy peak of Yaomei Peak suddenly comes into view, beneath your feet is the colorful forest surging in Bipenggou, and behind you is Changpinggou embraced by snow-capped mountains—this is probably the "hell to heaven" that hikers pursue! As a "survivor" who just finished the trek, I’ve compiled my blood and sweat experiences into a guide, so even beginners can follow along~ 🌄 Why must you do the Long Chuanbi trek? ✔️ No backtracking! You get to check in at the snow-capped meadows of Changpinggou + the colorful forest and lakes of Bipenggou, which is like having the essence of two 5A scenic spots at once. ✔️ 3 days hiking 36km, moderate difficulty (newbies can challenge it), with “wow” level scenery every day: primeval forest, red stone beach, starry sky campsite, golden sunlight on the mountain… ✔️ 10 times fewer people than regular scenic spots! At Muliaozi campsite, you can enjoy a snow mountain dinner alone, and at night the Milky Way is so low it feels like you can reach out and pick it~ 📅 Best time + itinerary breakdown (3 days 2 nights version) 🌸 June-July / October-November are the best! - June-July: The meadows at Muliaozi campsite are full of purple primroses, and you can see squirrels fighting for food by the stream. - October-November: The maple leaves in Bipenggou turn bright red, with snow scenery and colorful forests framed together at the pass, your phone storage will be blown up with photos! 🌟 Day 1: Chengdu → Siguniang Mountain → Muliaozi campsite (12km, 6h) - 07:00 Depart from Chengdu (recommend chartering a car, about 150 RMB per person, 4.5h to Siguniang Mountain), passing Wolong where you might see wild pandas (luck dependent!) - 12:00 Eat a bowl of yak beef noodles in town (25 RMB, add extra meat! Gives you energy for the afternoon hike), find a guide to sign a liability waiver (must hire! Scenic area rule, 200 RMB/day) - 14:00 Start hiking from Lama Temple, the first 3km is a wooden plank trail in the scenic area, be sure to take photos at the dead tree beach! The water reflects dead trees + snow mountains, like a scene from a Studio Ghibli animation. - 18:00 Arrive at Muliaozi campsite! When pitching your tent, look up to see Yaomei Peak, at 7pm cook instant noodles and watch the sunset dye the snow mountain orange🍊 🌟 Day 2: Muliaozi → Chazigou Tail campsite (14km, 7h) - 08:00 Eat Tibetan breakfast made by the guide (butter tea + tsampa, a must-try! Keeps you full for 6 hours) - 10:00 Pass Shuida Dam, the red stone beach is beyond stunning! Squat down to shoot “red stones stacked with snow mountains,” wearing white clothes makes the colors pop. - 15:00 Arrive at Chazigou Tail campsite, this is the best spot to see Yaomei Peak! Find a rock to sit on and watch the snow mountain slowly turn golden~ - 20:00 Before crawling into your sleeping bag, look up! The Milky Way stretches across the campsite, you can shoot it with your phone’s night mode (remember to turn off the flash) 🌟 Day 3: Chazigou Tail → Pass → Bipenggou → Chengdu (10km, 8h) - 03:30 Wake up! Wear your thickest clothes (pass temperature -5℃), use your headlamp to climb the pass (6km with 800m elevation gain, zigzag path is easier) - 06:30 Reach the pass summit! Just in time for the golden sunlight on the mountain, the snow mountain changes from white → pink → gold, the guide will make ginger tea, holding a warm cup watching the sunrise is so healing. - 09:00 The downhill is super enjoyable! Walk through colorful forests to Panyang Lake, the lake water is so blue it looks filtered, take the scenic area electric car (50 RMB) out of Bipenggou. - 16:00 Gather for the return trip, you’ll be so tired on the bus you’ll fall asleep instantly, but your dreams will be full of snow mountains~ 🎒 Gear list (simplified, don’t carry too much!) 👕 Clothing (adjust by season) - Must bring in October: waterproof jacket + fleece liner + quick-dry shirt (three-layer dressing, take off fleece if hot), fleece hiking pants (scratch-resistant), high-top waterproof shoes (Day 3 downhill is all gravel, don’t wear sneakers!) - Small items: 3 pairs of wool socks (can change if wet), touchscreen gloves (hands get cold climbing the pass, also good for phone photos), sun hat + sunglasses (prevent snow blindness) 🧰 Useful gear - Trekking poles (bring 2! Day 3 downhill saves your knees, can rent at scenic area entrance for 10 RMB each) - Thermos (500ml is enough, campsites have hot water, a sip of something warm beats everything) - Waterproof bag (for phone and power bank, might cross a small stream on Day 2) - Trail food: chocolate + beef jerky (don’t bring bread! It crushes into crumbs), 1 apple (vitamin boost, teammates will fight over it) ❌ Absolutely don’t bring - DSLR (too heavy! Phone wide-angle is enough, guide will bring a drone to help shoot) - Skincare products (don’t wear makeup at high altitude, just bring a small bottle of moisturizer) - Too many clothes (campsites have fire, three-layer dressing that’s easy to put on/off is better than 5 single pieces) 💸 Costs + pitfall prevention guide - Group tour cost: 2500-3000 RMB (includes round-trip transport from Chengdu, 2 nights campsite accommodation, guide, horse to carry gear, tickets, insurance), saves half the trouble compared to self-organizing carpool. - Pitfall 1: Don’t be cheap and choose “self-guided without a guide”! Changpinggou scenic area checks strictly, no guide means you’ll be turned back. - Pitfall 2: Don’t ride horses over the pass on Day 3! The road is too steep and horses are scared, walking slowly yourself is safer, if you’re weak you can hire a porter (300 RMB/day). - Pitfall 3: Choose “big tents” (shared by 6 people) for campsite accommodation, warmer than single tents and you can chat with teammates~ ❗ Altitude sickness + safety reminders - Don’t stay up late 3 days before departure! Buy an oxygen canister (30 RMB) at Siguniang Mountain, if you feel headache take 2 puffs (don’t keep inhaling or you’ll get dependent) - Drink plenty of water daily (at least 2L), don’t drink ice water! The guide will brew butter tea, if you don’t like it just drink more hot water. - Don’t panic if it rains! Waterproof jackets protect you, the rainbow after rain is super beautiful (we had light rain on Day 2 and saw a double rainbow~) Only after finishing do you understand: the exhaustion of Long Chuanbi is “worth it.” When you stand at the pass looking at the scenery on both sides, you feel all your sweat turn into light. I want to do it again next year—this is probably the magic of trekking~ 🏔️