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Wawu Shan and Labahe (1 Viewer)

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

Well-known member
what is the situation with Wawu Shan and Labahe at the moment? Are they both completely closed off, or only parts of them, or what? And are there any reliable or halfway-reliable red panda sites other than those two (that can be reached by public transport)?

Thanks for any answers.
 
Labahe still closed when I spoke to Sid last week...think he's on tour right now.

West of Wawu now open (we got booted out the county in the weeks after the 'quake) but the park itself still closed last I heard

Emei good and lots of other sites available...Wolong/Balang, etc, etc...

Cheers
McM
 
thanks, I thought they were closed but wasn't sure of the current state.

I was planning on going to Emei Shan, Wolong, etc anyway. I'll just keep my fingers crossed for red panda then.
 
for anyone else, Labahe is indeed open, and easy to get to with public transport. In fact when i was there this week I was told that they were never closed at all and have been open all year. Not sure what to make of that.
 
Wawushan will be reopen before May 2015 and looks a good news but nobody knows what it will be like though. Labahe actually is openning all the year but the higher area (above the Red Panda spot) is closed due to rebuilding the boardwalk.
 
Getting to Labahe

Going to Emei Shan for a few days at the end of June, any idea how easy to get from here to Labahe? Or to/from Labahe from Chengdu?
Suggestions for a reasonably cheap week around Chengdu last week of June much appreciated
Thanks
 
Dear Chlidonias

Thank you for your answer, just discovered and reading your very detailed thread.

In a quandry about the week I have in Sichuan at the end of June.

The choice is between a nice week in Emei shan with perhaps trips west to Labahe and/or Wawu or a completely INSANE week to try and clean up most of Sichuan, if I can find equally crazed birders who fancy an insane challenge (assuming I can get a driver willing to do ludicrous long and dangerous night drives)

Anyone fancy a week (finish late sat night 28 june at Chengdu) doing a insanely mad clean-up of Sichuan in 7 days please get in touch by private message.
 
Our first trip of the season is heading towards Labahe in a few days time. When we were last there in November there was a big mess with road building and they talk about building a cable car + new hotel. Talking to staff on the telephone this week apparently the mess is even bigger. We'll keep you informed over what we find!!!!
 
mjgrunwell said:
or a completely INSANE week to try and clean up most of Sichuan, if I can find equally crazed birders who fancy an insane challenge (assuming I can get a driver willing to do ludicrous long and dangerous night drives)

Anyone fancy a week (finish late sat night 28 june at Chengdu) doing a insanely mad clean-up of Sichuan in 7 days please get in touch by private message.
Click to expand...

Michael,

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm but a one week clear up is not possible! You could do well in an intense two weeks and come close to a clean up on key species in 3 weeks. Some of the birds are quite hard!

cheers, alan
 
Roland was at Labahe today - closed
There were people at the gate - but they were very firm about not letting them in because of the development work.

He had come from Longcanggou (west side of Wawu) - still open despite road building. The track has been cleared and repaired, without too much habitat damage, all the way to the top marshy section - and you can now drive the whole length.
But they will lay a surfaced road sometime this summer - during which time it's uncertain over any kind of access into the park. Nobody knows when this will happen - but there's a chance it will affect this season's birding.
And just like Labahe another Giant Panda reserve will be getting a ski-slope - we're just one step away from them starting to train the Pandas how to ski!
 
Hi,

I have spent few frustrating months trying to organize a short solo visit in Sichuan, with an attempt to combine Emei Shan and Wolong. Emei Shan has not been a problem, even though its Wawu Shan extension failed.

In regard to July, my travel agent contacts say that it is not possible to visit Wolong/Balan Shan in July, in the rainy season. They refer to bird guide Mr. Chen. Should I give up?

Any ideas for high mountain locations close to Emei Shan or Chengdu?

It is a round-the-world private tour with a limited budget, and a goal to reach 7.000th species, with only 6 busy days in Sichuan.

By the way, the Chinese Embassy in Helsinki insists on all the nights being prebooked at hotels or guesthouses. According to my information, they decline applications with just the first night's accommodation. Furthermore, one needs to apply and collect in person, or use the service of certain travel agencies. A single entry visa therefore currently costs EUR 90.
 
Hi Petri this year many people are coming over on visas arranged through a single nights booking - visas obtained in the UK, Holland, and France. I also have a Brit birder coming over who got his visa in the US - but US birders who have had problems without the fully booked itinerary. Looks like Finland is strict.
To get that booked itinerary is pretty simple - just use an internet booking site that allows you to book without paying - after you get the visa you cancel the bookings. You are then not tied down with fixed itinerary - which is important in July since heavy rain can block certain roads and you may need to be more flexible with travel plans than May/June.

As for not being able to fit in Balang during July - even though there can be trouble with rain and landslides, that claim is a bit exagerated. If the direct route through from The Wenchuan road is blocked, then you have the back route through from Boaxin and the Jiajang pass which was again open last summer. You would then stay at Rilong and bird from the west side. If these routes were both blocked then you have the Kangding area with the4000m pass over zhedou mountain and the pass on the road to Moxi - these areas have a lot of the goodies you find on Balang.

If you're interested in a driver who's prepared to try Balang during July and knows the alternative sites if the roads do become blocked - give me a PM
 
Last edited:
china guy said:
Hi Petri this year many people are coming over on visas arranged through a single nights booking - visas obtained in the UK, Holland, and France. I also have a Brit birder coming over who got his visa in the US - but US birders who have had problems without the fully booked itinerary. Looks like Finland is strict.
Click to expand...
it is different rules for different countries. For me, as a New Zealander, I can only apply for a Chinese visa from within NZ (not whilst travelling), I need a full day-by-day itinerary, all accommodation booked, all internal transport booked [although they let me away with that one!], travel insurance...the works! They can also ask for a personal interview and demand a health assessment if they feel like it.


china guy said:
As for not being able to fit in Balang during July - even though there can be trouble with rain and landslides, that claim is a bit exagerated. If the direct route through from The Wenchuan road is blocked, then you have the back route through from Boaxin and the Jiajang pass which was again open last summer. You would then stay at Rilong and bird from the west side. If these routes were both blocked then you have the Kangding area with the4000m pass over zhedou mountain and the pass on the road to Moxi - these areas have a lot of the goodies you find on Balang.
Click to expand...
and it is worth noting if doing it independently, as I found out, that it is cheaper getting a driver to the top of the pass from Rilong than from Wolong despite it being roughly the same distance!
 
Hi Isreal - you're right about its easier to to find better deals in Rilong!!!!

The only big problem with Rilong is its altitude - over 3000m. If you're not acclimatized to altitude - which means at least 2 days in areas around or over 2000m - you can (not all people suffer these symptoms) have a rough couple days, with headaches and other bodily problems that feel like a bad hang-over.

The hotels on the East side at Wolong are far lower - bellow 2000m - you bird high sleep low, which is the perfect way of acclimatizing.

This winter we had two parties who didn't have the luxury of being able acclimatize - so instead, after reading up on altitude syndrome prevention measures, we advised them to dose with Ibuprofen 24 hours before going up, and carry on for the first 2 days at altitude. It seemed to work fine - Ibuprofen is an over the counter painkiller - and also easy to find in China where its called Fenbide. If anybody went straight up to Rilong and stayed the night - it could be worth taking these pills - since birding while feeling like you've drunk 30 pints of raw scrumpy ain't no fun.
 
Just a quick update on visa situation talked about a couple of posts back - my US guests, who were told they needed fully booked itinerary, changed visa agent and the first of the group has just got his visa with a single nights booking - in fact he got a 1 year multientry visa with just that one night booking.
This year seems a lot easier on the visa front
 
Thank you for your comments, China Guy and Chlidonias! My problem is that I have only two and half days for the visit. Well, half day for Swan, one for Balang Shan and one for Wuyping & getting back to Chengdu. Well, if he road was blocked then, I would also have the night, as my departure from Chengdu is on the following morning.

I will send the private message, as soon as I have figured out how to do it.

In regards to Visas, I guess the Chinese embassies have slightly different interpretation of their rules in each nation. It is, however, no problem for me, because I already have made accommodation bookings for the whole visit, as suggested in one of your messages.

I once flew from Coca (1.000 m) to Quito (2.800) and drove straight to 3.300 to sleep there in my car, and continued to 3.800 after five hours. Signs of altitude sickness followed, being relieved by driving down, at 2.200 m. Before retreat, I did however score with the target species...
 
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