Call a local advisor
+86 186 1196 4400Email our team
[email protected]Tour Beijing Journal
Getting off the "Sky Road" - Yaxi Expressway, and passing through the...
It is a mountainous road with two lanes total ( one lane for each direction ), on the side of steep cliffs with frequent sharp turns and curves, and possibly falling stones and rocks. Much experienced Mr. Chen is definiltey the right person to rein and tame his own white horse steadily on the road full of potential risks.
With our vehicle running into the streets of Moxi, we are a bit amazed at the sight of the mixed-style buildings flanking the streets, Tibetan and modern Han, clean though a bit touristy, slightly different from "the old Moxi Town" in our minds. Much delighted the town is the gateway to Hailuogou Glacier. So here we are!
We drive in the direction according to a huge signboard pointing to the "Hailuogou Tourist Service Center" where we are supposed to buy our today's entrance tickets. With our vehicle parking in front of the service building, we lose no time in grapping a bite to eat and drink bottled water, then stride to the ticketing office.
Inside the service building, bombarded with Hailuogou tourist information, flyers and brochures, soon we find out a half day is far from enough for a highlight trip to Hailuogou Glacier.
Apart from its magical glaciers, Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park is well known for its pristine forests and hot springs. There are four viewing camps to visit in the park and shuttle buses are linked to Camps No.01, No.02 and No.03 while Camp N.04 is accessible by cable car starting from Camp No.03. Camp No.01 and Camp No.02 are mainly designed for viewing primeval forests and bathing in hot springs.
Our local shuttle bus driver is very much adept at controlling the bus like a toy in his hands, quick and safe encounter with other buses at turns and curves.
In the course of the one hour drive, I flip over the flyers and brochures on hand to get aquainted with the basic knowledge of Hailuogou Glaciers (海螺沟冰川). Hailuogou (literally Conch Gully ) is situated in the southeast of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, on the east slope of Mount Gongga (7556 meters ). Hailuogou Glacier is regarded as a low altitude modern oceanic glacier. Also known as No.1 Glacier, Hailuogou Glacier is 14.7 km long ( the longest among the 71 glaciers on Mount Gongga) with highest height of 6750 meters and lowest 2850 meters.
Hailuogou Glacier ( No.01 Glacier ) has three cascading steps from high to low: 1) The First Step - Neve Basin (粒雪盆), or firn basin, granular snow, the upper part of the glacier, where it has not yet been compressed into ice; 2) The Second Step - Large Ice Fall (大冰瀑布), 500 to 1100 meters wide and 1080 high grand glacier cascade which is the highest and grandest icefall in China; 3) The Third Step: Glacier Tongue (冰川舌), 6 km long and penetrating into the pristine forest, forming a rare natural landscape with the mix of glacier and forest.
Carrying our camera backpacks, we walk to the ropeway station. The 3500-meter long alpine ropeway, one of the longest of this kind in China, spans the core zone of Hailuogou Glacier, crossing the glacier valley and allowing us to see through the transparent alpine cable car and view the endless primeval forests and the surfaces of glaciers covered with dirt, dust, sand and river stones.
A little bit disappointed at the somewhat black surfaces of the glaciers valley, covered with dirt, soil and other materials. The "glacier" comes from the French word "glace" ( glah-say ), meaning "Ice". A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves slowly over land. There are two kinds of glaciers: alpine glaciers and ice sheets. Hailuogou belongs to alpine glaciers that move from mountainsides downward through valleys.
Getting onto Camp No.04 shrouded by fog and clouds, we suddenly realize that viewing the Grand Ice Fall or Firn Basin is contingent with weather conditions! In the case of inclement weather ( rain, fog, overcast), the top two steps of the glaciers - Firn Basin and Great Ice Fall are shrouded in fog or clouds, sometime even the whole glacier valley submerged in clouds!
Upon our arrival on the observation deck at sea-level 3600 meters, we find most of the glacier valley and the top firn basin and the great ice fall are partially covered by clouds. What we can do is to wait for clouds to disperse or the sun to appear. Though a slight chance, we don't give up and try to grasp any moment to have a glimpse into the true faces of the glaciers.
Suddenly the sky turns a bit bluer and brighter, and the clouds over the second step of the glacier are lifted and the Great Ice Fall appears!
I lose no time changing for my long-range zoom camera lens and shoot a clear photo of the Great Ice Fall.
Shortly the top part of the clouds over the Firn basin also thins out and the Firn basin becomes transparent with sunlights passing through the clouds. Good luck follows us and we are able to view the top part of Hailuogou Glacier - the Firn Basin, granular snow, the upper part of the glacier, where it has not yet been compressed into ice.
People make use of the momentary blue sky to snap multiple pictures and do selfie as well. Within less than half hour, clouds come close again and gradually blanket the Firn Basin and the Grand Cascade Icefall. It again looks grey and gloomy.
I see a lot that I cannot see clearly with my own eyes thanks to my long-range zoom camera lens.
Pointing at the glacier valley below, I zoom in the glacier ice for a close-up view, glacier mass ice and ice caves. It is said that Camp No.03 is the ideal place to find clean and crystal glacier ice.
People do selfie with a backdrop of white clouds and blue sky.
We are much luckier having viewed the Firn Baisin, the Great Ice Fall as well as the glacier valley while quite a number of tourists see nothing due to the heavy fog and clouds capping the whole Hailuogou glacier valley. Content with what we have seen, we take the cable car down back to Camp No.03 where we change for shuttle bus again back to Moxi Town.
Just an anecdote about Mr. Chen, my self-drive travel buddy ( a former English teacher at a military academy ) : He looks a bit confused, carrying three cameras.
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Chengdu and Sichuan guided tours:
Share a question or note for this guide. Comments are reviewed before publishing.
Hand-picked routes matched from this article's destination clues, tags, and categories.
Use these attraction notes to connect nearby sights with tours, destination guides, and planning articles.
Continue planning with practical Beijing guides selected from similar places, themes, and travel questions.
Subscribe to receive Beijing travel ideas and tour updates.
