LEAF-go-VSO   

Cang Shan

Various attempts to reach the summit of Ma Long Feng, the highest peak in the Cang Shan range

       
The Cang Shan mountains loom over the town of Dali, an impressive backdrop when viewed from the east.
From street to summit is over 2000m vertical ascent - the views from town are seriously foreshortened and it's not possible to see the tops of the highest peaks.

Ma Long Feng 马龙峰 (4122m) is the highest peak in the Cang Shan 苍山 range. It's a worthy highpoint, a rocky top at the end of a pinnacled ridge leading westwards from the main N-S ridge axis. The other main peaks are Yu Ju Feng 玉局峰 (4097m), on the main ridge next to MLF and Zhong He Feng 中和峰 (4092m) to the north, a relatively popular peak with a TV station near the summit! The latter two peaks can be easily ascended by walkers on reasonable paths, but MLF presents some difficulties: exposure, route-finding, greater remoteness and a less-travelled path. In the UK it would be regarded as an easy scramble (involving the occasional use of hands). Whatever outing is chosen, a visit to these summits is always going to be physically demanding, with well over 2000m vertically of ascent from Dali (2000m), and the effects of altitude to consider. An overnight (or two) at the Higherland Inn (2700m, relatively low on the mountain) will ease the pain. Having said that it's perfectly possible to bag a summit (even MLF), and return, in a day trip from Dali - just make sure you leave early in the morning (and don't hang about too much!).

The best time to visit is probably Autumn (September - November). The weather is dry and settled, visibility is crystal clear and the colours on the mountain are incredible. Winter (December - February) can also offer good, though colder, weather; but be wary of high winds and snow (hidden from below) which can hamper progress. Spring (March - April) will bring gradually increasing beauty to the botanical landscape, as well as cloud cover. The Summer rainy season starts in May and lasts through to August - this is the best time to visit for azalea and waterfall viewing! You could be lucky, but bear in mind that at this time cloud sometimes blankets the tops for days on end.

   
The Higherland Inn is a home-from-home for jaded travellers looking to get away from the bustle of Dali (and China in general). It's also a good base for Cang Shan climbers with summit fever. These photos were taken during Attempt #1.5 (February 2008) when there was too much snow on the mountain to do anything other than take short walks along the Cloud Path and visit the temple.

An Autumn view from Zhong He Feng of Yu Ju Feng (left) and the pinnacled ridge (dusted with new snow) leading out to Ma Long Feng.
(photo taken from a glossy picture book found at the Higherland Inn)

Attempt #1
One day in February 2006 Ali got up early for an attempt on the highest peak in the Cang Shan mountains (part of which we had already ascended to visit the Zhonghe Si temple). All went well, and he was soon established in the hanging corrie where he came across a Chinese expedition camp. They were incredulous that a foreigner could make such a trip, solo at that, and Ali had to pose for photos with these admiring, and somewhat overdressed, Chinese mountaineers.

       
L: Base Camp (3700m) in the clearing - big boots, gaiters and ice axes de rigeur! It's a good spot, but drinking water will be a problem in Winter and Spring unless there are snow patches nearby. The seasonal stream draining Wash Horse Pool runs nearby. R: Looking up to Yu Ju Feng from the dried out Wash Horse Pool (3800m), a short distance above BC.

From Base Camp it's less than an hour up to the top of Yu Ju Feng. At this point Ali wasn't really sure where he was! His "map" wasn't very helpful, but he knew from his altimeter that he was over 4000m. But was this the highest point in the Cang Shan? A rocky peak "over the back" seemed to be a similar height - which was higher? With time moving on (13:19 to be precise!), he half-heartedly convinced himself that he'd stood on the top of Ma Long Feng and retreated back to Dali. But something was nagging him....

       
L to R: The upper section of the ascent, looking north to Long Quan Feng and Zhong He Feng; Yu Ju Feng summit shot - note Ma Long Feng in the background; evidence of reaching the (wrong!) summit (in case we thought he'd spent the day eating banana pancakes and drinking coffee in a Dali cafe...)

Sure enough, a few months (and some further research) later, Ali realised his mistake - he'd climbed the wrong mountain! There was no other option - he would have to return...

Attempt #2
Now with more information, Ali made a spur of the moment attempt in January 2009. Despite staying overnight at the Higherland Inn, and setting off before dawn, conditions on the hill necessitated an eventual descent from the Base Camp clearing. The problem was increasing snow cover (quite a bit more than 2006) and high winds which would have made venturing onto the ridges potentially problematic and no doubt unpleasant...

Attempt #3 - and success!
17th February 2009: A 5:45am start from the guesthouse meant that Ali avoided paying the Y30 "entry fee" to the mountain and got high early, and he was well above the Higherland Inn when he witnessed dawn over Erhai Lake. There was much less snow than the previous month and the wind was not a problem. Things were looking good!

           
Snapshots of the ascent. Even in mid-February Alpine flowers were starting to make a nervous appearance. By mid-Summer, well into the rainy season,  the mountains are a botanical paradise, especially for lovers of azaleas. The walk from Dali passes through a number of different vegetation zones: eucalyptus trees, pines, bamboo, and finally, beyond the treeline at 3800m, azaleas.

The hanging corrie - the view from Yu Ju Feng looking over Wash Horse Pool (Xi Ma Tan) 洗马潭 and diminutive Long Quan Feng 龙泉峰 to the rocky tops of Zhong He Feng (and the TV station beyond). The pool/lake is dried out, as it is every winter. The Base Camp clearing can be seen under the small col in the ridge leading rightwards from Zhong He Feng. A faint white smudge on the northern horizon is Yulong Xueshan (5596m) above Lijiang.

By 11:15 (2 hours ahead of the 2006 schedule) Ali was sitting on Yu Ju Feng's splendid summit, this time knowing it was Yu Ju Feng! The ridge out to Ma Long Feng beckoned. The shadowy recesses on the northern flanks were lightly snow-covered, but it didn't look too bad - much like a vegetated version of the easier sections of Skye's Cuillin Ridge.

Route description: After resting on the summit of Yu Ju Feng (above left), it's time to tackle the Ma Long Feng pinnacles (above right) - there's a faint path for most of the way. From Yu Ju Feng descend easily westwards to a col. The ridge is easy and is in fact the main ridge of the range as far as the first main pinnacle (peak). Here the main ridge descends to the left (south). Instead, contour round this first peak by a path on the right (north). Another pinnacle, with a severely overhanging south face bars the way. Move right again on another short bypass path to a notch. This is where the fun begins. Descend (rocky in places) across the north flank then climb to a well-defined notch in another subsiduary ridge. Descend again, and cross a slope of azalea bushes. Move up rightwards under the north face of the main peak, then slant up it by a left-trending line, first by a blunt ridge, then an azalea groove to gain the ridge shortly below the summit.

       
Ali, at last, on the real summit of Ma Long Feng. This is the final southern expression of the tectonic ruckle that is the Himalayas before they founder into the forested hills and muddy river valleys of southern Yunnan. MLF is quite probably the furthest south 4000m peak in the northern hemisphere. Ali's exuberance is the manifestation of an end to three years of brooding...

The route over the pinnacles (see description above) was much as expected. The snow on the north flanks was knee deep in places, but as there had been no thaw there was no neve or ice. Ali had taken the precaution of carrying instep crampons, and a stout pine branch "ice axe", but in the end neither were needed. In fact it was a little too easy, only a mild scramble with some snapping azalea branch handholds - a bit of spice would have been nice. But the route finding and especially the solitude made the experience well worthwhile. And the views! Steep slopes led northwards down, down, down into steep forested valleys. The drop to the south was even more impressive, and to the east was Erhai's blue swathe. All that remained was the endless knee-jarring descent to Dali...

           
L: Looking back along the pinnacles to Yu Ju Feng, and Erhai lake far below;
R: homeward bound - the path out of the corrie leads up to a ridge before the long descent to Dali.