Sacred Lake, Meili Snow Mountain

Getting There - From Shangri-la it is a 4 hour bus ride to Feilaisi, you'll transfer to a small van in Deqin for a 10 km ride to Feilaisi. It's recommended to stay the night and watch the sunrise before taking an early private or shared taxi to Xidang. In Xidang you can take another taxi to Yubeng, 200 RMB per person to Yubeng Village, about 1 hour. Alternatively, you can hike from Xidang to Yubeng Village, between 3 to 6 hours. Much of the trail is unmarked, difficult to navigate, road, steep, and often muddy. Have a downloaded map or be confident in navigation techniques using the cairns, rock stackings, and red tape on the trees for guidance. I used a map from the app, AllTrails. It saved me a few times. You may stay in Upper Yubeng or Lower Yubeng. Lower Yubeng is closer to the trailhead to Sacred Lake. The hike will be roughly 12 km round trip on the one-way trail. Attractions - The hike is relatively flat for large portions of the trail and is completely paved. You can go off trail in a few locations to cut the distance, but it will be steeper than taking the designated switch backs. The trail is past Lower Yubeng Village into the valley and enters the first. It follows a river on the left. It's scenic and peaceful, stop to admire the hundreds of rock cairns or make your own. After a kilometer or two the trail begins a gradual decent, at this point you can cross the steep hillside to shorten the trek, but may be more difficult. The trail returns to a more flat surface with gradual elevation gains before the final, and real climb begins. The final 2 kilometers are a steep ascent fully comprised of concrete stairs and without shade from the trees, it can be hot here. There is an option to ride a horse during this segment. Continue climbing for about 30 minutes to one hour, depending on your speed. You will see many prayer flags as you get closer to the top with glimpses of the falls. After a difficult climb you will be rewarded with reaching the summit and clear views of the falls. You will get wet from the mist of the falls blowing on to you. For a more intense, refreshing, albeit cool dousing, make your way to a smaller waterfall to the right, over the hill and wade through a small pool before going under the falls for a dip and sip of the fresh mountain water. After drying off recover with a snack and enjoying the views one final time before heading back to Yubeng. The hike down is pleasant, but take it slow so you don't slip or hurt your knees. Many people walk the trail, and with horses passing by, it can be crowded. In total the hike may take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours from Upper Yubeng, slightly less from Lower Yubeng. Hotels - There are many guesthouses in Lower Yubeng and in Upper Yubeng. If staying in Upper Yubeng, Deqin Rain Water Guesthouse is an excellent option due to its cleanliness, amenities, hosts, and food. In addition, it's close to the Glacier Lake trailhead.