Hello!

This mid-August I'd like to hike from Dimaluo to Cizhong. I would like to go without a guide - so I was wondering if anyone might have a GPS route for this track?
Also I am still looking for a travel companion for this little adventure. So does anyone know a good place in Kunming where I could find someone who might be willing to come with me? Or would even someone here be interested in coming with me?
I know there has been a post about this topic before but it's already a little bit old so I started a new one.

Thanks!

www.eastbysoutheast.com/tag/cizhong/

This is a great article that should be saved and read.

Sounds like a place to go and see. A Tibetan village that is 80% Catholic is really unusual. "No Recourse," is the most likely outcome for Cizhong.

Very interesting history of the Catholic missionaries in the ethnic-Tibetan area of NW Yunnan & in Sichuan as well - heavy-taxing local Buddhist monastery & missionaries that didn't do that.

@DomV. did you do the hike?? any updates??

@sbarella, yes I did the hike in the end of August. I found two guys in Bingzhongluo who came with me. It was really worth going and just an amazing experience.

We started from Aluos guesthouse where they explained the way to us. I would rather not recommend to go in July/August as there were a lot of mud slides along the way, one actually happened when we were passing. Also the weather was quite rainy and some days were foggy. I have heard that October would be the best time to go. You might get a little bit of snow already at that time though.

If you are fit and heatlhy the hike can be done in 2,5 days with two overnight stays at Aluos shelters. You will find food and blankets there. Aluo promised us that the key would be hidden but we could not find it. That's why we had to climb through the window in the first one and through the roof in the second shelter.
I would take a tent and a sleeping bag because especially the first day is pretty tough and you might not make it to the shelter (we didn't). Most of the time you will somehow find someone who can speak Mandarin. We always asked for the way and that is just how we could get to Cizhong.
Just a short overlook over the route:

Day 1:
Dimaluo (2100m) - Baihanluo (there is a nice church there) - mountain top (3800m) - Aluos shelter (3000m)
Day 2: Aluos shelter - mountain top (4100m) - Aluos shelter (3100m)
Day 3: just walking along the valley for 4 hours and walking down to cizhong 2 hours.

If you want to reach Aluos shelters you will have to walk all day. The first one is in a valley. Going down the mountain on the right hand sight (should be the south). There is a little fence around it.

The second shelter was build by him and HongXin. We first thought it wouldnt be his his shelter but it is. There is HongXin Lodge written on it. When you have come down the second mountain you will have to walk surprisingly long time to reach it (maybe 3 hours).

Just a short overview. If any questions just ask =)