Neng Gao An Dong Jun & Qilai Nanhua Route　D5 Waypoint

D5 Itinerary

Water day

Leaving the Andongjun Mountain Junction, the descent begins; first you reach the small Bamboo Grove Campground, 500m from the junction, then after another 400m of descent, the creek-wading and running-water terrain starts. After Waypoint 67, you might consider changing into shorts and wading shoes, or just let your regular shoes get wet and wade through — but even in the autumn-winter dry season, the water is deep enough to go above the calf, so there's no way to keep your footing perfectly dry. For safety, I'd suggest prioritizing steady footing over trying to hop around. Today, with several creek crossings against the current, you can't move fast, and it feels more frustrating — like you've walked a long time for very little progress. Be patient and move carefully.

From Waypoint 67, where the water starts, to the Creek Bed Campground where we camped that night is only 7.5K, but including breaks it took me nearly 6.5 hours in total. There are no sika deer at the Creek Bed Campground, but apparently there are weasels (?), so I'd still suggest keeping your gear and food put away; there's running water at Waypoint 71 near the campsite. Since the Creek Bed Campground is next to a rocky riverbed, if tent stakes don't go in well, gather plenty of rocks to weigh the tent down instead.