Amnye Machen Trekking

This journey is a profound pilgrimage through the heart of Amdo Tibet, circling the sacred Mt. Amnye Machen (6,282m/20,610ft). It combines breathtaking high-altitude trekking, immersive encounters with nomadic culture, and drives through some of the most remote and stunning landscapes on the Tibetan Plateau.

The Sacred Kora of Mt. Amnye Machen

Overview:

This journey is a profound pilgrimage through the heart of Amdo Tibet, circling the sacred Mt. Amnye Machen (6,282m/20,610ft). It combines breathtaking high-altitude trekking, immersive encounters with nomadic culture, and drives through some of the most remote and stunning landscapes on the Tibetan Plateau. This is a demanding yet rewarding expedition combining a high-altitude trek around one of Tibet's most sacred mountains with an overland cultural journey through the remote grasslands and valleys of Qinghai. The trip involves camping at altitudes between 4,200m and 4,500m, requiring good physical fitness and proper acclimatization.

In essence, the Amnye Machen trek is a highlight reel of the Tibetan plateau: immense landscapes, profound faith, resilient people, and a personal test in one of the world's most majestic settings. It's more than a hike; it's an immersion.

Highlights of the Amnye Machen Trek

1. The Mountain Itself: A Sacred Giant

  • A Living Deity: Amnye Machen is not just a mountain; it is believed to be the abode of a powerful deity. Trekking the kora (pilgrimage circuit) is a deeply spiritual act for Tibetan Buddhists.

  • Dramatic Silhouette: The massif is a breathtaking sight, with multiple snow-capped peaks, dramatic ridges, and glaciers. The most iconic view is often from the Ser Drung Chu Valley on the northern side.

2. The Spiritual & Cultural Journey

  • Walking with Pilgrims: The true essence is sharing the trail with Tibetan pilgrims from across the plateau. Their devotion, chanting, and prostrations (some do the entire 160km circuit by full-body prostration) is a humbling and unforgettable experience.

  • Sacred Sites: Key points include:

    • Tsarna Samdu Temple: A historic monastery marking a traditional start/end point.

    • Drapchi Pelri: A stunning red rock canyon with cliffs and caves used by hermits.

    • Jama Hermitage: A remote retreat site clinging to a cliff face.

    • Countless Mani Stones & Prayer Flags: The entire path is adorned with intricate rock carvings and fluttering prayers.

3. Stunning & Diverse Landscapes

  • High Altitude Grasslands: Vast, open valleys filled with grazing yaks and nomad tents.

  • Deep River Gorges: Like the aforementioned Drapchi Pelri and the Ser Drung Chu Gorge, where the trail winds alongside turquoise waters.

  • High Mountain Passes: Crossing passes like Shéd La (4,900m) and Tamchuk La (4,670m) offers exhausting climbs but panoramic views of the entire range. They are always topped with prayer flags.

  • Alpine Lakes: Sparkling, icy tarns nestled beneath the peaks.

4. Remote Wilderness & Wildlife

  • Sense of Solitude: Despite the pilgrims, the vastness of the landscape creates a powerful feeling of isolation and connection with raw nature.

  • Wildlife Sightings: You have a good chance of seeing Himalayan blue sheep, foxes, hundreds of pikas and marmots, and vast numbers of birds. The elusive Tibetan wolf or snow leopard are rare but present.

5. The Physical Challenge & Achievement

  • The Classic Circuit: The full pilgrimage is ~160 km (100 miles) and takes 8-12 days on foot at high altitude (averaging 4,000-4,900m).

  • A Test of Endurance: Completing it is a major personal achievement due to the distance, altitude, and variable weather (snow, sun, and wind can all occur in one day).

Essential Preparation & Advice:

  • Acclimatization: This is the single most important factor for enjoyment and safety. Spend 2 nights in Xining (2,300m) beforehand. Consider medication like Diamox after consulting your doctor.
  • Fitness: You need a good level of cardiovascular fitness for sustained hiking at high altitude with a daypack.
  • Packing: Pack for all seasons. May can bring sunshine, snow, wind, and freezing nights.
  • Must-haves: High-quality, broken-in hiking boots, thermal layers, down jacket, Gore-Tex (or equivalent) rain/wind shell, warm hat, gloves, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen, lip balm, headlamp, sleeping bag liner (for extra warmth/hygiene), personal medication, wet wipes.
  • Recommended: Trekking poles, power bank, a good book, snacks from home (chocolate, nuts).
  • Mindset: This is a remote expedition, not a luxury tour. Facilities are basic, schedules can change due to weather or road conditions. Embrace the adventure and the profound cultural experience.
  • Respect: Always circumambulate religious objects (stupas, mani walls) in a clockwise direction. Ask permission before photographing people. Respect the pristine environment—pack out all trash.

 

The Sacred Kora of Mt. Amnye Machen

Overview: This journey is a profound pilgrimage through the heart of Amdo Tibet, circling the sacred Mt. Amnye Machen (6,282m/20,610ft). It combines breathtaking high-altitude trekking, immersive encounters with nomadic culture, and drives through some of the most remote and stunning landscapes on the Tibetan Plateau.

Day 1: Xining to Chabcha – The Prelude to the Plateau

  • Distance & Drive Time: ~210km, approx. 4-5 hours (with stops).
  • Altitude Gain: Xining (2,275m) to Chabcha (Chabcha ~3,200m).

Your adventure begins in Xining, where your Tibetan guide and driver greet you. Departing the city, you ascend onto the vast eastern Tibetan Plateau. The first major landmark is the Shala Pass 3,820m. Here, you'll stop to take in your first panoramic vista: rolling grasslands dotted with the black tents of nomads, herds of yaks and sheep, and in the distance, the shimmering, immense blue sheet of Qinghai Lake (Kokonor). The air is crisp, and the sky feels immensely wide.

Continue along the lake's southern shore, passing through Tibetan villages. The journey today is an easy acclimatization drive, culminating in Chabcha (Gonghe County), a strategic town at the crossroads. Check into your local hotel, enjoy a hearty dinner, and rest well for the ascent ahead.

  • Accommodation: Basic hotel in Chabcha.
  • Meals: Dinner included.
  • Highlight: The first awe-inspiring view of the Tibetan Plateau and Qinghai Lake from Shala Pass.

Day 2: Chabcha to Drakar Dzong Monastery to Dawu Shulma – Entering Golok

  • Distance & Drive Time: ~420km, approx. 7-8 hours (with extensive stops).
  • Altitude: Dawu Shulma (~3,800m).

After breakfast, embark on a long but spectacular drive into the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the legendary land of the Golok nomads. The landscape transforms into endless grasslands, rolling hills, and distant snow-capped ridges. This is a living cultural journey—be prepared to stop frequently. You may visit a nomad family in their summer camp, share a cup of butter tea, and learn about their millennia-old lifestyle of herding and felt-making.

Your cultural highlight is Drakar Dzong Monastery (Shízàng Sì), dramatically built into and around a towering cliff face. This ancient meditation site is adorned with prayer flags and houses sacred caves and temples. Explore its nooks and crannies before continuing deeper into Golok. Arrive at Dawu Shulma (Mǎduō Xiàn), a small county town, where you will meet the rest of your trekking crew. Tonight, you'll have your first camp or stay in a very basic guesthouse, finalizing preparations for the trek.

  • Accommodation: Camping or basic guesthouse.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: Immersive visit to Drakar Dzong Monastery and authentic interactions with Golok nomads.

Day 3: To the Foot of the God of Amdo – Rikhar Tongshang Glacier

  • Drive & Trek Time: 2-3 hour drive, plus exploration.
  • Altitude: Drakdar Pass (4,700m), Camp (~4,000m).

A short but thrilling drive brings you to the true starting point of the kora. You’ll cross the Drakdar Pass (4,700m), where the first majestic, up-close view of the Amnye Machen range unfolds. The main peak, Machen Gangri, dominates the skyline. Descend into the Halong-Chu Valley, where the Rikhar Tongshang Glacier descends from the mountains like a frozen river.

Visit the nearby Gere Gompa, a monastery clinging to the hillside with incredible views. This area is where pilgrims begin their circumambulation. You'll set up camp within the powerful presence of the mountain, allowing time for a short acclimatization hike and to simply absorb the majesty of your surroundings.

  • Accommodation: Camping.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: First breathtaking, face-to-face view of the Amnye Machen massif and its glaciers.

Day 4: Trek to Base Camp – Silver & Gold Lakes

  • Trekking: ~12 km, 5-7 hours.
  • Altitude: ~4,200m - 4,400m.

Your first full trekking day! The trail follows the valley, gradually gaining altitude. The defining features are the two sacred lakes: Tso Ngön (Silver Lake) and Tso Ser (Gold Lake), named for their distinct hues. Pilgrims perform rituals here. The walking is steady, with the ever-present, awe-inspiring southern face of Amnye Machen guiding you.

You'll pass nomadic winter settlements (stone-walled corrals) and likely see herds of blue sheep. The final stretch leads to a traditional Base Camp area, a flat pastureland used by pilgrims and nomads. Camp here, with the soaring peaks and the murmur of glacial streams as your companions.

  • Accommodation: Camping.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: Passing the sacred Silver and Gold Lakes on the approach to the mountain's base.

Day 5: Trek into Halong Valley – The Heart of the Kora

  • Trekking: ~12 km, 5-6 hours.
  • Altitude: ~4,300m.

Today's trek is arguably the most spectacular. You traverse beneath the mountain's western and northern flanks, where the most extensive and dramatic glaciers spill down. The trail is a true pilgrim's path, lined with mani stones and prayer flags. You'll encounter local pilgrims chanting, prostrating, or riding horses on their spiritual journey.

Arrive at the Halong Valley camp in the afternoon. After settling in, hike up the grassy hill behind camp for a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire Amnye Machen range bathed in the golden light of sunset—a truly unforgettable moment.

  • Accommodation: Camping.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: Unparalleled, close-up views of glaciers and the sunset panorama from the hill above camp.

Day 6: Trek over Yi La Pass to Yilong Valley - Completion of the Circuit

  • Trekking: ~14 km, 6-7 hours.
  • Altitude: Yi La Pass (~4,600m), Camp (~4,200m).

The day begins with a crossing of the Yi La Pass, the highest point of the trek. Reaching the pass is a physical challenge, rewarded with stunning vistas back toward the mountain and forward to new valleys. Prayer flags whip in the wind—a perfect place for a traditional la bzhes (prayer toss).

Descend into the lush Yilong Valley, a gentler landscape. This is your last night in the wilderness. Your vehicle and driver will meet you here. Celebrate the completion of your trek around the sacred mountain with your crew.

  • Accommodation: Camping.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: Crossing the high Yi La Pass and the sense of accomplishment upon completing the pilgrimage circuit.

Day 7: Drive to Machen County – Return to Civilization

  • Drive Time: ~80km, 3-4 hours on rough roads.
  • Altitude: Machen County (~3,700m).

After a relaxed breakfast, bid farewell to the trekking crew and begin the bumpy but scenic drive to Machen County (Mǎqìn Xiàn), the capital of Golog. The contrast from the remote wilderness to this bustling (by local standards) Tibetan town is striking. Check into a basic hotel—your first shower in days! If time permits, visit the large Machen Monastery on the hillside overlooking the town.

  • Accommodation: Basic hotel in Machen.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
  • Highlight: Hot shower and reflecting on the trek in the comfort of a town.

Day 8: Machen to Xining via Ragya Monastery – The Journey Concludes

  • Distance & Drive Time: ~480km, approx. 8 hours.
  • Altitude: Return to Xining (2,275m).

Begin the long drive back to Xining. A major cultural stop is made at Ragya Monastery (Lǎyè Sì), one of Qinghai's largest and most important monasteries, stunningly located on the banks of the Yellow River. Explore its temples and monastic colleges.

The final drive crosses the vast grasslands of Tsolho, offering a last glimpse of nomadic life. Arrive in Xining in the early evening. Check into your hotel, where your journey concludes. Say heartfelt goodbyes to your guide and driver, filled with memories of the sacred mountain.

  • Accommodation: Hotel in Xining (not included, can be arranged).
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
  • Highlight: The impressive scale and setting of Ragya Monastery by the Yellow River.

Map coming soon...