Route Fact Cards: Ten Templates, Not a Ranking
A fact card is not a guide. It puts trailhead, transport, permits, campsites, water, retreat and rescue on one screen — and every dynamic field must be re-checked with the official source.
A route fact card answers seven questions: where the trailhead is, how you reach it, what permit or reservation is required, where you can camp and find water, how you retreat, who can reach you, and which season works. Everything on the card goes stale, so treat the card as a checklist of what to verify rather than a source of truth. These ten are templates, not a ranking.
Guides tell you what a route is like. A fact card tells you whether you can actually do it this week — and what happens if you cannot finish.
The ten templates
1. Changping Valley, Siguniang Shan (Sichuan)
Trailhead: Rilong, Changping Valley gate; Chengdu–Rilong bus or charter. Permit: reserve and outdoor permit per current local rule; the Changping–Bipeng traverse requires a guide and registration. Camp and water: Muluozi and similar, season-dependent. Retreat: back the way you came; do not push deeper with altitude symptoms or bad weather. Season: May–October; snow and ice in winter. Watch: altitude gain, afternoon storms, horse and hiker traffic.
2. Gongga, southwest slopes (Sichuan)
Trailhead: Zimei village, Shangmuju or Yulongxi — confirm transport and lodging first. Permit: reserve and village rules as locally applied; some sections need a guide or pack animals. Camp: Zimei Pass, Gongga Monastery, Yulongxi; all high. Retreat: back, or down to a village; signal is poor. Season: May–October; landslides and cloud in the rainy season. Watch: altitude, narrow windows, never solo.
3. Yubeng (Yunnan)
Trailhead: Xidang or Ninong; shuttle and walking rules per current park policy. Permit: park ticket and shuttle; book Yubeng lodging. Camp: guesthouses in the village; Sacred Waterfall and Ice Lake as day trips. Retreat: out via Ninong or Xidang; landslides in the rainy season. Season: April–June and September–November; snow in winter. Watch: commercial traffic, mule trains, carry out your rubbish.
4. Tiger Leaping Gorge high trail (Yunnan)
Trailhead: Qiaotou or Daju; ferry and shuttle as operating that day. Permit: park ticket and ferry fee. Lodging: guesthouses along the trail; easy resupply. Retreat: down to the road or the ferry; rockfall and slippery ground. Season: October–May; rockfall in the rainy season. Watch: not technical, but gorge exposure, rockfall and heat are real.
5. Kanas to Hemu (Xinjiang)
Trailhead: Jiadengyu or Hemu; shuttle and ticket per park. Permit: park reservation; check border rules and drone restrictions. Camp: Hemu, Xiaohei Lake, Kanas; lodging is tight in peak season. Retreat: road and shuttle; weather and snow. Season: June–September; autumn colour mid to late September. Watch: temperature swings, rain and snow, long distances, stay on the trail.
6. Wugong Mountain (Jiangxi)
Trailhead: Longshan, Shenzi or Dongjiang villages; access via Pingxiang. Permit: park and meadow camping rules per current policy; no fires in the fire-ban period. Camp: Jinding, Fayunjie, Shenjia courtyard; crowded on holidays. Retreat: cable car and road; storms and high wind. Season: April–June and September–November; exposure and thunderstorms in summer. Watch: no shade on the meadow, holiday congestion, carry out rubbish.
7. Taibai Mountain (Shaanxi)
Trailhead: Tangyu or Houzhenzi; park and reserve rules differ. Permit: reserve and park reservation. The Aotai traverse is prohibited or restricted — do not attempt it. Camp: Daye Lake, Yuhuang Pool; high altitude. Retreat: back, or the cable car; hypothermia and altitude. Season: June–September; technical conditions and closures in winter. Watch: sudden weather, boulder fields, losing the route.
8. Tour du Mont Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland)
Trailhead: Les Houches or Chamonix; a three-country loop. Permit and lodging: huts must be booked well ahead; some sections need transport. Camp: huts and campsites; water is easy. Retreat: cable cars, roads and huts; weather windows. Season: late June to September; residual snow early in the season. Watch: thunderstorms, hut cancellations, and the fact that this is not a zero-preparation route.
9. GR20 (Corsica)
Trailhead: Calenzana or Conca; north to south. Permit and lodging: huts and campsites booked ahead; some sections technical and exposed. Camp: huts and campsites; water season-dependent. Retreat: roads and huts; weather and wind. Season: June–September; heat and storms. Watch: more technical than the TMB. Do not underestimate it.
10. Kungsleden (Sweden)
Trailhead: Abisko or Nikkaluokta; above the Arctic Circle. Permit and lodging: STF huts and campsites; book in peak season. Camp: huts and campsites; mosquitoes. Retreat: huts, boats and buses; weather. Season: June–September; snow and river crossings early. Watch: insects, fords, distance, and no solo on remote sections.
What every card must re-check
- Official opening, reservations, capacity limits, closures.
- Transport, shuttles, last departure.
- Campsites, water, lodging.
- Rescue number, nearest hospital, signal coverage.
- Weather window, snow conditions, fire bans.
The card is a checklist of what to verify, not a substitute for verifying it.