Introduction

Minya Konka Range is a massif of high mountains in Eastern Himalaya in western Sichuan Province. It is home to over a dozen 6000+ peaks and the eastern most 7000+ meter Mount Gongga (Gongga Shan). Minya Konka Range is part of Daxue Mountain Range. Among the mountains of Minya Konka Range, there is Mount Edger (6618m), Jiazi Feng (6549m), Daduomanyin (6380m), Grosvnor (6376m), Leduomanyin (6112m), Langgemanyin (6074m), Little Konka (5928m), etc. Most of the mountains in this range have been climbed and summated since last century. This range covers from north to south a total distance of 100km and west to east around 40km. The Minya Konka mountain range is around 300 km west to the capital city of Sichuan Province Chengdu.

How to get there

To get to Minya Konka Range you need to drive for one day from Chengdu. Chengdu has an international airport which is called Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The drive from Chengdu to Miniya Konka Range takes about 7 hours. With another motorway under construction, it may need much less time to travel to Kangding in 2018 maybe only half day. There is also a small airport in Kangding called Kangding Airport. It is located northwest of Kangding and the flight takes only 1 hour to fly from Chengdu. Although the airport is at 4200 meters’ elevation and after arrive at the airport it is another 1.5 hours’ drive to Kangding from the airport. Driving is more popular way to get there.

Climbing Season

Minya Konka Range is in the Temperate Mountain Climate zone. Raining season is from June to October. From November to the next May is the dry season. Annual rainfall is around 800mm mainly in the months of July, August and September. In the summer (July and August), it is usually cloudy and temperature differs a lot between daytime and nighttime. Also in the summer, the temperature can drop as low to -20 C sometimes. In the dry season, it is usually good weather. Former attempts to the mountains in Minya Konka range were all conducted around between rain seasons and dry seasons. The eastern side of the range is warmer and has more rain than that of the west.

Elevation and Mountains

Highest peak mount Gongga is 7556 meters high. There 40 peaks that are over 6000 meters and many 5000+ meters’ mountain. There are also hiking trails from north to south at the west of the range, and more small trails used by local nomads in the valleys. Elevation of these trails is between 3500 meters and 5000 meters. The nearest town Kangding is at 2500 meters, Moxi is at 1900 meters. These two places are usually used as a stopover for a climbing trip. Chengdu is at 400 meters.

At the northeast of Minya Konka Range are the Wuse Mountains. Among them there are Tianhaizi Shan (6070m), Baihaizi Shan (5924), Bijia Shan (5880) and Sehaizi Shan (5778). This part of Minya Konka is usually refered as Lamoshe.

In the northwest of this range locate the Jiuhaizi Mountains. It is located west to the northern part of Minya Konka Main Range. The hiking valley Riwuqie is in between. At Jiuhaizi Shan, there are 6 peaks at the elevation between 5200 – 5600 meters and unclimbed mountains. Among them the highest one is around 5528 meters, which has a close resemblance with Little Konka.

From north to South there are Little Konka (Tshiburongi 5928m), Jiazi Feng (6549m), Mount Grosvenor (Riuqi Feng, 6376m), Mout Edgar (6618m), and three unnamed peaks between Mount Edgar and Mount Grosvenor that are 6145m, 6206m and 6134m, Roddmian (6112m)

In the middle part of Minya Konka Range there are Mount Gongga (7556m) and Daddomain (6380m), located 12km northwest of Mount Gongga. 3 km south to Daddomain there are two more peaks 6004m and 6074m. Langemain (6249m) and Zhongshan Feng (6886m) are at further south. Zhongshan Feng is located 4km northeast of Mount Gongga. There are also 6652 meter mountain between Zhongshan Feng and Mount Gongga, 5960 meter peak and 5962 meter peak between Roddmian and Daddomain, the 5588 meters Nama Feng, the 5720 meter peak, the 6214 meter and the 6186 meter peak east to Mount Gongga located at the north range of the Hailuogou Park.

In the south of Minya Konka Range there are Long Shan (Zhu Shan, 6684m) located 5km southeast to Mount Gongga, 6468 Tai Shan 2km south to Long Shan, Sanlian Shan (6368m) 1km southeast to Tai Shan, Dai Shan (Jinyin Shan, 6410m) 3.5km southeast to Sanlian Shan, Nyambo Konka (6114m) located 5km southwest to Tai Shan and west to Dai Shan, a 6124 meter peak between Nymbo Konka and Tai Shan and 1.5km southwest to Tai Shan, a 6046 meter peak 2km northwest to Nymbo Konka and lots of 5000+ meters mountains.

Among these mountains the 6000+ meters mountains have been climbed and many 5000+ meters mountains are unclimbed. 6000ers in Minya Konka have been tried but only a couple of times overall.

Approaching:

East

East of Minya Konka Range is usually used by tourist for example the Hailuogou Glacier Park but it is also used a way to go to a base camp to climb Mount Gongga. However there are other valleys that are still not facilitated. There are valleys include Mozigou Valley, Yanzigou Valley, Nanmenguangou Vally, Balck Valley. To climb Mount Edger, climbers usually go in from Nanmenguangou Valley.  In each valley there are glaciers. To get to the east of Minya Konka Range, by driving it takes around 7 hours from Chengdu. Normally the town Moxi by the entrance of Hailuogou Glacier Park is used as a stopover and supply place. Moxi is a small tourist town where accommodations and food are available.

North

North of Minya Konka Range is Kangding. Kangding is a big Tibetan town where you can find supplies of food. The drive from Chengdu to Kangding usually takes about 7 hours. The new town of Kangding is very close to the valley as the north entrance of Minya Konka Range. The valley is called Moxigou Valley and is used as the popular hiking trial in China. Moxi Valley is at the WEST of Minya Konka Range and it goes all the way to the south of Minya Konka Range. Kangding is the capital city of Garzi Tibetan Prefecture. It has decent hospitals and big shops.

West

West of Minya Konka Range normally takes longer time to get to. It is by driving 14 hours from Chengdu. There are villages instead of towns at the west. To get to Moxi Valley and to enter from the west one needs to go either from Jiagenba or Shangmuju. From south of Moxi Valley is the trail to Base Camp of Mount Gongga west face. And to go the peaks south of Minya Konka Range, you can either enter from Moxi Town from the east or Moxi Valley from southwest.

Climbing History

Minya Konka was first explore in the 1930s.

The essential places to be planned for trips to Daxueshan Range include Kangding by its north, Caoke to its south and Moxi to its east.

List of Peaks in Minya Konka Range