Trekking at Mt. Gongga, Sichuan

Meaning "the highest Snowy Mountain" in Tibetan language, Gongga Shan is located at the east fringe of the Tibetan Plateau.

Teamed with more than 20 nearby high peaks of over 6000 mters, Gongga Shan area is a center of high peaks in the Hengduan Shan System. Totaling 290 square kilometers, about 45 glaciers in the mountain area are mainly composed of valley glaciers while banging glaciers and cirque glaciers dot here and there. Of the five glaciers of 10 kilometers in length, the longest proves to be the Hailuogou (Conck Ditch) Glacier, the famous park of glaciers in our country where all spectacular wonder of glaciers are displayed, among which the great ice cataract, more than 1000 meters long and wide, manifests the most magnificent view. Because of the climate here and the violent movement of the Gongga Shan Glaciers, the glaciers find their lowest end at 2600 meters above sea level. The valleys and slopes below the neve snowline are blanketed by dense primitive forests where plants of vaious shapes and colors with over 40 precious kinds exist. Moreover, over 400 alpine animals and forest animals are living in the paradise of the wild lives -- the primitive forests. Besides, many hot springs scatter in many places on the Active Fracture Belt of the mountains where facilities of tourist service are available.

Long time ago, Gongga Shan began to hold the attention of the world. As early as the year of 1878, an Austrian became the first to go to the mountain for fact-fingding investigation. At the beginning of the 30's in this century, a Swiss went there for the same purpose. In 1935, the American Mountaineering Team succeeded for the first time in the attempt to reach the summit. On June 13, 1957, a Mountaineering Team of 6 persons organized by All-China Federation of Trade Unions (the predecessor of the Chinese Mountaineering Team), led by the team leader Shi ZhanChun, surmounted the main peak along the west slope and then the northwest ridge.