Xiling Snow Mountain Front Ridge (Yinping Ancient Road)

The Xiling Snow Mountain Front Ridge, known locally as the Yinping Ancient Road, follows an old trading path along an alpine ridge above the Xiling Snow Mountain ski resort in Dayi County, west of Chengdu. Access is by tourist coach or self-drive to the resort base, followed by a shuttle or chairlift to the ridge starting point around 2,200 m. The trail itself runs about 10 km along exposed alpine ridgeline and forest track, gaining and losing elevation between roughly 2,200 m and 2,850 m, with no single sustained climb but frequent short, steep pitches. The surface is a mix of packed dirt, exposed rock, and old stone paving from the historic trade route, with minimal shade above the treeline and genuine exposure to wind on the open ridge sections. Key landmarks include the old stone waymarkers from the original Yinping trading path and several viewpoints overlooking the Dayi valley and, on clear days, distant peaks of the Qionglai range. Most hikers turn around at the highest ridge viewpoint before the trail descends toward more technical terrain further west. There are no refuge huts directly on the ridge, though the resort base has lodges and restaurants; the same slopes convert to a ski area from December to March, so trail markers and some paths are seasonal. No natural water sources are reliable along the ridge, so all water must be carried.