Climb a real 5,000m+ summit. In three days.

No technical climbing background is required for Dafeng, the more accessible of the two peaks. Erfeng is more demanding and calls for basic climbing technique, which your guide shows you on the day. For both you do need to be a genuinely fit hiker: comfortable with a long, steady uphill day (the Day 2 approach alone is 15 to 16 km with over 1,000m of climbing) and several hours at altitude. The guide provides the gear and shows you how to use it; you don't need to already know how.

Dafeng (5,025m) has the shorter summit day and is usually treated as a trekking peak. Erfeng (5,276m) is higher, takes longer (about 8 hours round trip against about 6) and has more demanding terrain, but it is closer to Yaomei, so the scenery is even more impressive. Sometimes Dafeng is open while Erfeng is not, because of the amount of snow and local regulations. The final choice is made in Siguniang town, and if you change peaks the price is adjusted (you pay more or you get a refund). If this is your first 5,000m summit, Dafeng is the natural choice. If you have walked at altitude before and want a harder day, choose Erfeng. Tell us your fitness and experience when you enquire and we will give you a straight answer.

Haba is harder (about 1,300m of climbing on summit day and a higher summit), snow-covered all year, generally open all year, and about 3 hours from Lijiang, so it fits a Yunnan trip. Siguniang is easier, often rocky rather than snowy in summer, impossible in winter because of too much snow, and close to Chengdu (about 4 hours by car), so it fits a Sichuan trip. Haba is the highest summit of its range, with a plunging view down to the Yangtze and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain opposite; at Siguniang you are lower than the surrounding peaks but the scenery is more alpine and snowier, with a splendid peak of more than 6,000m in view. Siguniang is busier in general with a much bigger Base Camp, while Haba is crowded mainly during China's national holidays.

Not in these three days. Each peak has its own Base Camp and its own summit day, so this trip is one or the other. Doing both is possible but not that interesting: it is better to continue with another trek, or to come to Mount Haba in Yunnan. Get in touch and we will advise.

Guides make the go/no-go call based on real-time conditions. The safety cutoffs exist so that a slow start or worsening weather gets caught early rather than turning into a rescue. Not everyone who starts Day 3 reaches the summit. That's the reality of mountain weather, not a flaw in the trip.

Yes. Chengdu is at about 500m, you sleep at 3,200m on the first night, at about 4,300m (Dafeng) or 4,200m (Erfeng) on the second, and the summits are above 5,000m. On Day 1 the road also crosses the 4,532m Balang Mountain pass, a first taste of altitude. Day 2 is a dedicated approach day for that reason. This three-day format has little built-in acclimatization, so a stay to acclimatize before you come is strongly recommended. Without pre-acclimatization, altitude sickness is very common. Taking acetazolamide as a preventive can help a lot (medical advice strongly recommended). A simple road trip in western Sichuan with one night at 4,000m in the days before the climb also helps greatly. Anyone with relevant health concerns should consult a doctor before booking.

No. A second night at high elevation is often when acute altitude sickness actually hits, so it's safer to descend the same day. If what you're after is a longer trip around Siguniang with several nights in the mountains and more time to acclimatize, get in touch: that can be arranged as a tailor-made trip for a group of hikers.

Yes. There's no minimum group size. Solo travelers are matched into the operator's guide system like any other group.

Day 2, the hike up to Base Camp, is done together with the group. On Day 3, summit day, you go at your own pace with your private guide, so your success isn't tied to the fitness or speed of anyone else in the group. If you're climbing with friends, you're welcome to stay together, each with your own guide.

It depends mostly on fitness, acclimatization and weather. In good weather, well-prepared climbers have a good chance of reaching the top. In extreme conditions, such as strong winds, heavy rain or snow, that can drop to zero. The safety cutoffs on Day 3 exist to make that call before it becomes dangerous, not after (the hard summit cutoff is 09:00). If you can't reach the summit because of time, weather or physical condition, the trip fee is not refunded.

In summer the summit is often free of snow. Winter is dry, while late winter and early spring see a lot of snow. The mountain is very popular with Chinese climbers because of its fame and its proximity to Chengdu: it is crowded on weekends, and I advise against going during China's national holidays. The mountain is closed in winter because of heavy snow, but the exact closure dates are not known in advance and change from year to year. We confirm exact availability when you enquire.

About a month ahead is typically comfortable. Book earlier for holiday weeks and busy autumn weekends, because places on the mountain are limited on peak days. Last-minute bookings are sometimes possible, so ask.

The trip and guiding are in Chinese, but your safety briefing is provided with an English translation, and guides are used to communicating with international climbers using offline translation apps when needed.

Local guides don't speak English, but we'll make sure yours is comfortable using his phone for quick, easy translation along the way. If you'd rather have an English-speaking guide for the whole trip, that can be arranged, but it costs more, is only available for groups, and works much better folded into a longer itinerary than bolted onto these three days alone. Get in touch if that's what you're after.

Siguniang (四姑娘山, also called Four Sisters Mountain or Four Girls Mountain) is in Xiaojin County, in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan, about 220 km and 4 hours by road from Chengdu. The price includes the round-trip transport from Chengdu.

In Chengdu at Tianhe Road metro station (天河路地铁站), at around 08:30 in the morning. Please arrive on time: Day 1 is a long driving day. We confirm the exact meeting point when you book.

On the first night in Siguniang town, the program puts you in a twin room shared with a traveller of the same sex. If you prefer a room to yourself, the supplement is 80 RMB, paid on site. At Base Camp you sleep in twin or multi-bed rooms; a free upgrade to a twin room is possible, to be confirmed with us before booking.

Usually in the early evening, but vehicles leave as they fill up after the descent, so the exact time can't be predicted. Book your onward train or flight for the next day.

A small daypack of about 30L for the hike (trail food, rain gear, layers), because your main bag goes up to Base Camp by horse. Bring at least two trail lunches and snacks, since lunches aren't included. High-top hiking boots, trekking poles and knee supports are recommended. Sleeping bags and mats are lent free of charge at camp. Crampons, gaiters and a headlamp are provided by the guide.

In the hiking area, daytime temperatures are around 15°C in spring (March to May), 15 to 25°C in summer (June to August) and 15 to 20°C in autumn (September and October). Mornings and evenings are much colder: 5 to -5°C in spring, 5 to 0°C in summer and 5 to -10°C in autumn. It is colder still near the summit. Winter is too snowy for this climb.

Local Sichuan-Tibetan style. In Siguniang town, dinner is hotpot for groups of 4 or more and stir-fried dishes for smaller groups. At Base Camp, stir-fried dishes and an afternoon tea. Portions are prepared for the number of people in the group. If you have food restrictions, bring your own food. Lunches are not included, so bring trail food.

Insurance is included for this climb. We still recommend that you have your own travel insurance for the rest of your trip in China. Riding a horse to or from Base Camp isn't part of our service: it is arranged on site and at your own risk. Your main bag, however, is carried by horse as part of the trip.

Siguniang means 'Four Girls' or 'Four Sisters'. Local legend says four fairy sisters turned into the mountain's four peaks: Dafeng (大峰, First Peak, 5,025m), Erfeng (二峰, Second Peak, 5,276m), Sanfeng (三峰, Third Peak, 5,355m) and Yaomei (幺妹峰), the youngest sister, at 6,250m. Dafeng and Erfeng are the two usually climbed on a short trip.

No, we don't organize it, but clients can easily do it on their own: it is a well-organized scenic area. You can arrive 1 or 2 days earlier, or stay on after the summit.

Siguniang sits in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, and the small mountain town at its foot is home to Tibetan and Qiang communities. The massif itself is known in Tibetan as Skubla, the mountain of the tutelary deity, and is sacred to local Tibetans.

Yes. Get in touch if you're interested in other private treks in Sichuan or Yunnan beyond this one. These all come with an English-speaking guide. When it is open, we also organize the 长坪沟 to 毕棚沟 traverse (长穿毕).

By WeChat Pay or Alipay, or by international bank transfer directly to our EUR account in China. If you already live in China, you'll probably have WeChat Pay or Alipay set up already; if it's your first trip here, you'll need one or the other anyway for day-to-day spending, so it's worth setting up before you arrive. If you'd rather not, the bank transfer works just as well: we'll send you the account details when we confirm your booking.