Baima Xueshan National Nature Reserve is a mountainous area right in the wilds of northwest Yunnan Province. It occupies one of the most impressive parts of the Hengduan Mountains although is a good day’s drive from Kunming.
The main access town for Baima Xueshan National Nature Reserve is Zhongdian (one of the Shangri-Las), while Deqin is closer still. The park was established in 1985 and along with sublime trekking, it has dense virgin forests with many rare species of animals and birds. These include the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
Off the southern end of Baima Xueshan National Nature Reserve is the Laojun Mountain Project with its large peaks: the 4,247 meter Laojun Mountain and Jinsichang Mountain at 4,513 meters. All of these areas have seriously good hiking but avoiding summers and winters is a must.
Serious hikers can visit Baima Xueshan National Nature Reserve using Shangri-La as a base - get off on the way to Deqin for the eastern slopes and valleys. Mount Kawa Karpo has some of the best hiking in the region along with botanical gardens and temples.
Getting There & Away
Diqing Airport in Zhongdian provides the quickest way to the reserve from Kunming. It is a 5-hour bus ride from Zhongdian to Deqin, which is the closest launch point. The total bus journey from Kunming to Deqin is around 17 hours.