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🌎  China 🇨🇳

⭐  

4.6
(58)

📍  Gonggar Mountain

✈️  Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU)

🚗  300.9 KM

⏱️  5 hours, 21 minutes

Gonggar Mountain, also known as Mount Gongga or Minya Konka, is a majestic and remote destination in Sichuan, China, renowned for its dramatic high-altitude landscapes. Due to its extreme elevation and challenging terrain, accessibility is difficult, typically requiring robust vehicles and significant travel time from Kangding. Visits are almost exclusively guided; permits are mandatory and complex to obtain, necessitating a registered tour operator, and local guides and porters are essential for safety and navigation. Solo expeditions are highly discouraged and often prohibited. The optimal seasons for trekking are late spring (May-June) and autumn (September-October) for more stable weather and visibility, while winter and monsoon seasons are hazardous. Costs are high, encompassing permits, specialized gear, professional guides, porters, and transportation, easily reaching several thousand USD for a multi-day trek or expedition. Typical visit durations range from 7-14 days for comprehensive treks around the base. Visitors must possess excellent physical fitness, prior high-altitude experience, and plan for rigorous acclimatization to mitigate severe altitude sickness risks. The region offers stunning scenery and deep cultural significance, but demands serious preparation and respect for its inherent dangers.