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The snow-streaked rock pyramid of Erfeng seen from the ridge of its sister peak, cloud breaking over the Siguniang range

Mountaineering / Erfeng expedition

Private expedition · guided

The Erfeng expedition.

Five days to the 5,276-metre summit of Erfeng — the hard-trekking, non-technical sister of Dafeng — run as a private expedition with a deliberately patient acclimatisation plan: three camps below the summit before the climb.

  • Duration5 days
  • Nights4
  • Highest pointErfeng summit, 5,276 m
  • Starts & endsChengdu
Ask about this itinerary

Erfeng from the ridge · the second of the four sisters

Highest point5,276 m

Erfeng summit — a step up from Dafeng, still non-technical

Climbing stylePrivate only

your own dates and group, from one climber upward

Camp nights3 of 4

tents at 3,700 m and 4,200 m; hotel nights in Rilong and Chengdu surround them

Season25 May – 25 Oct

the window the mountain's snow conditions suit a guided ascent

Why this route

The second sister, taken seriously.

Erfeng, 5,276 metres, is the second of the four sister peaks of Mt. Siguniang — the step beyond Dafeng for anyone who has stood on a first 5,000er and wants a taller one without jumping to technical climbing. The route is a hard trek on snow: no ropes for most of the mountain, an exposed final slope where the guide sets the line, and an itinerary built around altitude rather than speed.

This is the well-paced version. A hotel night in Rilong at 3,100 metres, a camp at 3,700 metres that gets a full day of acclimatisation, a second camp at the 4,200-metre base, and only then the summit push — five days where every day before the climb has a job. Run privately, so the dates, the pace and the turnaround decisions belong to your group.

Route Briefing

West from Chengdu to Rilong, two camps up the valley at 3,700 and 4,200 metres, and a summit morning that has you back in Chengdu the same evening.

  1. Day 01Chengdu → Rilongthe mountain road, a hotel at 3,100 m, first acclimatisation
  2. Days 02–04Up the valley in three stepscamp at 3,700 m with a full acclimatisation day, then base camp at 4,200 m
  3. Day 05Summit → Chengdupre-dawn start, 5,276 m, and the drive home

Along the way

The climb is the point — the valley is the pleasure.

The days below the summit pass through the country that makes the Siguniang range worth a week: alpine forest, glacier-carved valley walls, and the views that come with sleeping higher each night.

The mountain

The four sisters · the valley camps · the summit

The range from the camps
Both camps sit with the Siguniang peaks in view — Dafeng behind you, Yaomei Feng's 6,250-metre pyramid ahead.
Summit morning
The pre-dawn climb puts you on the exposed upper slope as the light arrives; on a clear day the view runs across the whole Qionglai range.

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Day by day

Five days, none of them wasted.

The plan is the acclimatisation: every camp below the summit exists to make the climb probable, not to fill the week.

  1. Day 01

    West to the mountain

    Chengdu → Rilong, 3,100 m

    The drive from Chengdu climbs through the panda sanctuaries to the base town of Rilong at 3,100 metres. The afternoon goes to altitude the gentle way — a walk above town, an early dinner and an early night.

    Overnight in a hotel.

  2. Day 02

    Up to the first camp

    Rilong → camp, 3,700 m

    On from Rilong to the camp at 3,700 metres, where the tents are already moving up with the pack animals. The afternoon is for resting high: short walks, plenty of fluids, and the first proper look at the summit line.

    Overnight in tents.

  3. Day 03

    A full day at altitude

    Camp, 3,700 m

    The acclimatisation day that most compressed itineraries skip. A higher walk with a light pack, back down to sleep at the same camp — climb high, sleep low, and let the body do the work it needs a full day for.

    Overnight in tents.

  4. Day 04

    To the foot of the mountain

    Camp → base camp, 4,200 m

    A short move up to the 4,200-metre base camp, early to camp, early to bed. The guide walks through the summit morning — timings, clothing, the turnaround rules — while there is still daylight to ask questions in.

    Overnight in tents.

  5. Day 05

    Summit morning, and home

    Summit, 5,276 m → Chengdu

    A pre-dawn start for the non-technical summit climb — snow, an exposed upper slope, and the 5,276-metre summit of the second sister. Back down past base camp, pack up, and the drive to Chengdu the same evening.

Private departures

Your dates, your group.

This expedition runs privately between 25 May and 25 October — no fixed join-in dates. The price per person falls as the group grows; every departure is guided end to end.

Prices per person for the full 5-day expedition, by group size. Season: 25 May – 25 Oct.
Group sizePer personBooking type
1 climber CNY 23,460per person Private only
2 climbers CNY 14,550per person Private only
3 climbers CNY 12,900per person Private only
4 climbers CNY 11,310per person Private only
5 climbers CNY 10,250per person Private only
6 climbers CNY 9,640per person Private only
7 climbers CNY 9,300per person Private only
8 or more CNY 9,090per person Private only
Deposit
20% of the trip cost confirms your booking.
Cancellation
60+ days before departure: full refund. 30–60 days: 50%. Within 30 days: no refund.

A join-in version of this mountain runs on fixed dates — see the Dafeng summit trek for the group-format first 5,000er. The Dafeng summit trek

What's included

What the price covers, and what it does not.

A guided private expedition: leadership, permits and the mountain logistics are in the price.

Included

Arranged and paid for before you arrive.

  • A mountain guide

    Private guiding from Chengdu to Chengdu, including the summit day.

  • Camps and camp food

    Lodging and tents at the campsites; breakfasts and dinners while camping, basic mountain food above base camp.

  • Shared climbing gear

    Ropes and group technical equipment.

  • Gear carrying

    Up to 10 kg of personal gear carried for each climber before base camp.

  • Permits and support

    Climbing permits, logistics and medical support, and every transfer on the plan.

Not included

Yours to arrange, or ask us about.

  • Chengdu lodging and meals

    And lunches throughout; flights and trains.

  • Personal gear

    Including crampons, harness, helmet, boots and ice axe — these can be arranged.

  • Summit certificate

    And optional porter service above base camp, horse-riding, and tips.

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Enquiry

Ask us about this one.

Tell us your dates, group size and climbing background. We will come back with availability, the acclimatisation notes and a written outline.

Response time
One business day
Booking
20% deposit confirms
Format
Private, your dates

Trip details

Fields marked are required. This enquiry is filed against this itinerary, so you do not need to repeat the outline. This is a private expedition — tell us your dates and group size and we build around them.

Read next

The Dafeng summit trek · The beginner ice climb · Your first 6,000-metre peak: the ladder upward · How a private expedition works