Day 1 Shanghai → Shengzhou → Jinzhongshan → Shanghai
All day
Meet at the designated location of China-TravelNote at 7:00 AM and depart promptly at 7:15 AM (no latecomers!)
7:15-11:00 The journey is long and there will be a stop at a service area in the middle. The team leader will introduce himself and explain the itinerary on the bus, and there will be laughter all the way. During the journey, friends can also recharge their energy for the next hike.
We arrived at the starting point of the hike, Huafeng Village, around 11:00 AM. After a warm-up, we began our hike! We followed the trail up the valley to the Red Buddha Temple. (The Red Buddha Temple is an ancient temple nestled deep in the mountains. The Siming Mountains boast numerous scenic views, and many people who love the mountains and rivers of their hometown donated money and effort to restore the large stone house, the Red Buddha Temple.)
Then continue along the gravel road. You can see the rime on the top of the mountain from a distance, sparkling in the warm winter sun. Puchuan Mountain looks like an upside-down boat from a distance. The peak of Puchuan Mountain is not prominent, and is surrounded by high mountains. It is only a few meters higher than Siming Mountain. Therefore, Siming Mountain (Jinzhong Mountain) has always been regarded as the main peak of Siming Mountain Range and the highest peak of Siming Mountain Range.
We went down and up to the summit of Jinzhong Mountain, then went down the steep slope along the firebreak and returned to the starting point along the west valley.
The hike ended around 4:30 PM and we reached the end point. The bus had been waiting for us for quite some time, so we boarded and headed back to Shanghai.
We returned to our departure point in Shanghai around 20:00. We all said goodbye with tears in our eyes and agreed to meet again next time.
The route has a large climb, and you need to climb Jinzhong Mountain to reach the summit, where the scenery will be better. However, if you are not physically fit, you can also hike to the Red Buddha Temple and return, where the snow scenery may be slightly inferior (without climbing to the summit).
Equipment Tips for Winter Snow Trails:
1. For snow trail hikes, you must bring your own outdoor gear, including crampons, trekking poles, snow covers, cold-weather gloves, mid-to-high-top non-slip hiking shoes, and other equipment.
2. Because this route involves primarily snowy and slippery terrain, crampons are mandatory for safety reasons. These can be purchased online or at stores 2-3 days before registration. If you're late registering, you can select the "Cramps for Sale" option on the page.
3. Please select the option to collect your crampons from your tour leader on the day of your visit with a screenshot of your order. Please verify that there are no quality issues on site. Once used, they are non-refundable.
1 pair of basic crampons (steel 8-tooth chainstay, rubber mesh strap, shoe sizes 35-44)
