Segment times are from my own track — my pace, not advice; guidebook times are transcribed verbatim from Sunriver Culture's step-time charts (Gaoshan Baiyue topographic maps), a public yardstick. Every station's position and name was checked by hand and aligned with Sunriver's naming, so names and elevations match what hikers actually call them. Route is for reference only.This route wasn't planned — it's a GPS-recorded log of my own hike in July 2025: the Xueshan West Ridge, a six-day traverse, six Baiyue peaks, 69.4km actual distance, 5199m total elevation gain. This is a one-way traverse with no doubling back, so there's less flexibility for resupply or bailing out than an out-and-back route. A few things to note:
- There's a huge, huge amount of arrow bamboo — protect both your upper and lower body with scratch-resistant, waterproof gear.
- Since a lot of the trail is covered by arrow bamboo or other plants, always push it aside and look before you step — there could be a hidden hole or a protruding tree trunk underneath.
- Not only are there plenty of boulder fields, most of the trail itself is rocky too — I'd suggest a stiff-soled shoe, or your feet will have to tough it out and recover on their own.
- Typhoons and earthquakes have left a lot of fallen trees and collapsed rock walls along the trail — take the high bypass when you need to; sometimes going back is really going forward.
- Some sections require wading through creeks, and rocks that have been sitting in running water for years are extremely slippery. If you can't go around, it's better to get your shoes wet than to risk jumping between rocks — going slow is actually faster.
- This route is naturally prone to afternoon thunderstorms — rain gear isn't optional, it's mandatory! Wet gear only gets heavier, so proper waterproofing is what actually lightens your load on a long traverse.
- This traverse doesn't double back — the trailhead service station is the last resupply point. Buy what you want now.
- Day 02 has a lot of exposed sections and the biggest climb of the trip (+1496m) — I'd suggest bringing 2 liters of water. Kupo is a relentless, continuous steep rocky climb; the contour lines bunch up tightly near the end, so pace your breathing and take it step by step.
- The descent from Xue Mountain's Main Peak to Cui Pond is all loose scree, and it's prone to afternoon thunderstorms too: tighten your laces first so your toes don't jam into the front of your shoe, extend your trekking poles, plant them and confirm they're solid before moving your feet, and keep your weight back — if you do fall, you want your pack to hit the ground first, and to absolutely avoid falling forward.
- Plan your water by section: there's running water 380 meters before Danan Mountain West Saddle Campground — past it, it's downhill into the campground, and you won't want to climb back up to fill up. The pond at Pipida Campground isn't running water, so fill up at the running-water source after Touying Mountain.
- Pipida Campground has almost no cover — pitch your tent in a spot surrounded by grass to block the wind, and use nearby rocks to weigh down every tent stake point.
- The round trip to Zhongxue Mountain, per the online record, takes 4 hours — by this point in the traverse you've already built up several days of fatigue, so if you're short on stamina or time, skip it and make it up on a future reverse-direction trip. The last 70 meters of climbing has several steep roped sections.
- On Day 06, the landslide walls on the forest road can only be crossed by a high bypass with full pack, especially the big one at 9K — don't try to contour around it. There's also a short creek-wading section; the shortest path isn't always the fastest one.
- This GPX keeps the original timestamps — that's the record of my own pace, not a suggested pace; hikers should judge by their own condition and the weather. Every track point has a timestamp.
- Water sources below are compiled from what our team actually saw in 2025-07 and fellow-hiker reports from 2019–2026: just because a spot isn't marked doesn't mean there's no water there, and a marked spot doesn't guarantee water either — I'd suggest asking the ranger station or your porter crew before you set out.
The switch points between full pack and summit pack are at the Campground below Huoshi Mountain (Day 03), the three-way junction just below Daxue Mountain (Day 04) and the Zhongxue Mountain Trailhead (Day 05). Water sources and campsite locations along the way are marked at the day-by-day stations. Actual conditions on the ground take priority over this record.
