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This morning, while grinding through Spanish lessons on Duolingo, I learned a new word: oro (gold). Then came a new phrase: castillo de oro (golden castle). In an instant, my mind drifted back to Shangri-La from long ago.
There, too, was a golden castle.

Autumn in Yunnan is a wonderful season for hiking outdoors. Even though everything is fading toward winter, the land still erupts in one last brilliant burst of fireworks before saying goodbye.
I made plans to visit Abuji Tso with a few friends I had met on the “Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail.” We had originally considered Nanjiluo, but the area is now in the middle of major construction, looking very much like it is gearing up to welcome mass tourism in full force, so we gave up on that idea.
We set out from Shangri-La on a piercingly cold morning, our breath sharp in the air as we rubbed our hands and stamped our feet to warm up. After about 45 minutes of driving, we reached a hidden trailhead, far from the main starting point used by the big crowds. It was supposedly a local “trade secret,” and luckily we found out about it.
The frost from the night before had not yet melted, and under the warm sunlight it shimmered like countless tiny stars draped in silver.

I have not done that many hikes, and I can hardly remember another one where I felt so stirred up from the very beginning, so full of anticipation for what nature might offer.
The distant mountains glowed like a gold mine, and we were like Thorin’s greedy dwarves plunging headfirst onto the unknown road toward the Lonely Mountain.

Though it was no longer early, the moon still hung high in the sky, as if reluctant to leave. The moon is one of the best companions a traveler can have.

The route to Abuji Tso felt like climbing a massive staircase. Each “step” was a gentle meadow, but the elevation gain between those meadows was no joke.
We wound through Meadow Zero in the valley, where the first real challenge arrived. The route through the woods was clear enough, but the slope seemed to mock anyone arrogant enough to think they could conquer it.
The laughter and chatter from earlier had already been replaced by heavy breathing. People with project-management backgrounds are good at breaking down goals, so I began treating every turn in the trail as a milestone, every single step as the completion of one small objective.
Even though I felt a bit like Sisyphus pushing a boulder uphill, nature does not disappoint those who come in sincerity. When I stepped into the gift she had prepared for me, I felt that even if you asked me to hike back down and do it all over again, I might actually have to think about it.

I had arrived at the Inca king’s golden city!
Or perhaps this is the secret the Khampa Tibetans have guarded for generations.
Everything was quiet. Even the streams no longer rushed forward.

The straight tree trunks lining both sides of the trail looked from afar like imperial guards, as if the whole city were clad in golden armor.

Upward and onward, and soon at Meadow No. 2, we gained a few companions.
Perhaps they were souls more familiar with this place than we were, and more truly a part of it.

Only creatures with a bearing like this seem worthy of the place.

At Meadow No. 2, we gradually merged with another route used by off-road motorcycles ferrying tourists. Just as some die-hard Parisians see I. M. Pei’s pyramid as a scar on the face of Paris, I see motorcycles as an act of bullying against hiking.

Social-media fame has brought an explosive increase in visitors to Abuji Tso, but many of them are not able to complete a journey of more than 20 kilometers. So motorcycles sprang up to carry people in and out, and later even off-road vehicles joined the mix. Their tire tracks have carved deep scars across Abuji Tso.
Fortunately, I heard that the relevant authorities have stepped in, and at least the off-road vehicles have already been curbed. Really—how could anyone bear to tear across land like this?

We kept leveling up, climbing from Meadow No. 2 at 3960 meters to Meadow No. 3 at 4050 meters. The reward for clearing the third stage was...
The three sacred mountains of Daocheng Yading appearing at the far edge of the fading horizon.

Here’s a little attempt to imitate the sacred mountains.

Meanwhile, we found ourselves surrounded by the Tianbao Snow Mountains. More than a hundred peaks stretched on without end, their gray-white faces steep, jagged, and dramatic. We had arrived in something like the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The final scree slope—about 1 kilometer or so—tilted at nearly 60 degrees. It felt like the final battle against the Great Sage’s broken shell in Black Myth; at that moment, what I had to defeat was my own worn-out body.
At last, I stood on the pass and looked down over Abuji Tso.
Like the Arkenstone that Thorin searched for so desperately, Abuji Tso lay quietly set within the Tianbao Snow Mountains—the true heart of the Lonely Mountain.

The wind at the pass was ferocious, pounding against the body like blow after blow from a heavyweight boxer. I sheltered behind a huge rock and watched others climb toward the summit; some even rode mountain bikes all the way up to the high point.
The slope from the pass down to the lake was nearly vertical. Unless you are an expert mountain runner, making a same-day round trip and still getting close enough to touch the lake is no longer very realistic.
Still, this was already enough: between the towering peaks and the golden earth, I left behind one tiny silhouette.

About the Route

There are three options for a one-day hike to Abuji Tso: the old route, a combination of the old and new routes, and the new route. The first two require a 260 yuan admission ticket, so I recommend the third option: an out-and-back on the new route, though of course you should decide based on your own situation.
New route entrance: Most recent guides start from “Washbasin Pass.” I specifically consulted several local guides on Xiaohongshu, and the hidden trailhead mentioned earlier still exists. It is a route guides share among themselves and generally do not make public. The starting point is on a fork in the road before reaching Washbasin Pass, where there is a small house with an elderly man keeping watch inside. You should be able to find a fairly clear track on the app “2bulu.”
The advantage of this starting point is that the route is shorter, saving about 5 kilometers, but the elevation gain is greater, which is part of the fun of hiking. There may also occasionally be wild animals in the area, including hungry bears. For current conditions, it is best to consult a local guide before setting out.
As long as you do not run into severe weather, Abuji Tso is a beginner-friendly route with varied scenery and a moderate challenge. If you have some hiking experience, you should probably be able to complete it on your own with companions.
If you are a beginner with no high-altitude hiking experience, I would still recommend finding a guide and choosing a suitable route to avoid accidents.

About the Outdoors

Outdoor hiking has been especially popular this year. Trends like “X hours disconnected from the world” and “if you have legs, you can do it—easy” have sent countless people rushing into the mountains. But every holiday, you still see unfortunate news about accidents happening in different places.

As someone with almost no experience, there are still a few lines I want to tell myself:

“Overestimate the difficulty of the route; underestimate your own ability.”

“Know what you’re getting into before you set out.”

“When the time comes, know what can be done—and what cannot.”

Aside from the very few people who have already decided to dedicate themselves to adventure, I believe most people share the same goal: enjoy nature, and get home safely.

Ah, I’ve finally finished writing about all of my Yunnan hiking experiences. For a long time to come, I may only be able to revisit those days through memory.

Yunnan Hiking Series:

About the Author

This article originally came from a friend’s WeChat public account. If you’re interested, feel free to follow it.