稻城亚丁一日 · 雪山与圣湖

稻城县城海拔约 3700 米，有「世界高城」的说法，一条主街从这头到那头。城北的尊胜塔林由一大片白塔组成，清晨光线斜照，塔尖是金色的。本地人清早会来转经、转塔，手里拿着念珠，顺时针一圈一圈地走。如果昨天刚到高原，这一天不要急着进景区，在县城慢慢走一走、喝点热水、早点睡，比什么都管用。稻城亚丁机场在县城北边，海拔四千四百多米，是世界上海拔最高的民用机场之一，刚下飞机那会儿最要小心。

Daocheng town sits at about 3,700 metres and calls itself a 'high city'; one main street runs end to end. North of town the White Stupa Forest is a broad field of white stupas, their gilded tips catching the low morning light. Local people come at dawn to walk the circuit with prayer beads, clockwise, round after round. If you only arrived on the plateau yesterday, do not rush into the park today — walk slowly around town, drink hot water and turn in early; that does more for you than anything else. Daocheng Yading Airport lies north of town at over 4,400 metres, one of the highest civil airports in the world; the hour after landing is when you must be most careful.

香格里拉镇本地人叫「日瓦」，是亚丁景区的门户，海拔约 2900 米，比县城低、比景区里舒服，很多人在镇上住一晚适应。景区门票和观光车票都在游客中心买，观光车是从这儿开进亚丁村的唯一方式，自己的车开不进去。买票时把门票、观光车票、要不要骑马一次问清楚；氧气瓶、雨衣、干粮这些镇上都有卖，比景区里便宜。

Shangri-La town, called Riwa by locals, is the gateway to the Yading park at about 2,900 metres — lower than the county town and easier than inside the park, so many people spend a night here to acclimatise. Tickets and shuttle fares are bought at the visitor centre; the shuttle is the only way in to Yading village and private cars cannot enter. Ask about admission, shuttle and horse hire all at once. Oxygen canisters, rain ponchos and dry rations are sold in town and cost less than inside the park.

亚丁村在景区里的半山腰，海拔约 4000 米，是景区内唯一的住宿点，全是藏式民居改的客栈。村子不大，一条路穿过，晒着青稞和衣物，牛在路边走。住这儿的好处是早上出门就能看雪山，坏处是海拔高、夜里睡不好——如果担心高反，住山下的香格里拉镇更稳妥。村里的观景台能同时看到仙乃日和夏诺多吉。

Yading village sits halfway up inside the park at about 4,000 metres and is the only place to stay within it, all guesthouses converted from Tibetan homes. The village is small — one road through it, barley and clothing left out to dry, cattle wandering the verge. Staying here means snow peaks at your door in the morning, but the altitude is hard on sleep; if altitude worries you, staying down in Shangri-La town is the safer choice. From the village viewpoint you can see both Xiannairi and Xianuoduoji at once.

冲古寺是亚丁最老的一座寺庙，就在仙乃日脚下，白墙金顶，经幡围着，海拔约 3900 米。从寺后走木栈道上行约半小时，到珍珠海（藏语叫卓玛拉措），湖不大，水很静，晴天时仙乃日的雪峰和经幡一起倒映在湖面上，是亚丁最经典的一张画面。这一段路不长但是上坡，慢慢走，走两步歇一步也不丢人。

Chonggu is Yading's oldest monastery, right at the foot of Xiannairi at about 3,900 metres — white walls, a gilded roof, prayer flags all around. From behind it a wooden boardwalk climbs for about half an hour to Pearl Lake (Drolma Tso in Tibetan): a small, still lake that on a clear day holds both the snow peak of Xiannairi and the prayer flags in its surface — the classic Yading image. The stretch is short but uphill; go slowly, and there is no shame in resting every few steps.

洛绒牛场海拔约 4180 米，是一片开满野花的高山草甸，几条小溪从中穿过，牦牛和马在吃草。站在这里，央迈勇在南、夏诺多吉在东，两座雪山把草甸夹在中间，视野非常开阔。往里到牛奶海、五色海的路从这里开始，能走就走，走不动可以骑马。这里海拔高、风大，待久了容易冷，记得加衣服。

Luorong pasture lies at about 4,180 metres, a high meadow of wildflowers cut by little streams, with yaks and horses grazing. From here Yangmaiyong stands to the south and Xianuoduoji to the east, the two peaks bracketing the open grass. The route deeper in to Milk Lake and Five-Colour Lake starts here — walk if you can, ride a horse if you cannot. It is high and windy, so you cool down quickly; add a layer.

牛奶海（藏语叫俄绒措）在央迈勇的冰川下面，海拔约 4600 米，湖不大，四周是灰色的冰川砾石，水面是化开的绿松石色，边缘泛白，所以叫「牛奶海」。从洛绒牛场走上来大概两小时，全是上坡的碎石路，海拔又高，走起来喘，很多人选择骑马。到了湖边别激动地跑，慢慢走到水边坐下，喘匀了再看。

Milk Lake (Olong Tso in Tibetan) sits below the Yangmaiyong glacier at about 4,600 metres. It is not large — grey glacial gravel all around, the water a molten turquoise paling to white at the edges, which gives it the name. From Luorong pasture it is about two hours up on stony ground, with more climbing the higher you go; at this altitude it leaves you short of breath, and many take horses. At the lake do not run about in excitement — walk slowly to the water, sit down, get your breath back, then look.

五色海（藏语叫单增措）是这条线路上最高的地方，海拔约 4700 米，就在牛奶海再往上爬半小时的地方。湖水深浅不一，光一照会呈现蓝、绿、深蓝几层颜色，藏族传说里这是能「返演历史、预知未来」的圣湖。站在这里往四周看，仙乃日和央迈勇都在眼前，雪山连着雪山。这是全程最费力的半小时，上来了就多歇一会儿，慢慢看，不着急下去。

Five-Colour Lake (Zeng Tso in Tibetan) is the highest point of the route, about 4,700 metres and another half-hour's climb above Milk Lake. The depth varies, so sunlight shows the water in bands of blue, green and deep blue, and Tibetan tradition holds it a sacred lake that can 'show the past and foretell the future'. Looking round from here, Xiannairi and Yangmaiyong are both in view, peak behind peak. This is the hardest half-hour of the day — once up, rest a good while and take it slowly; there is no need to hurry back down.

回到香格里拉镇，吃一顿藏式晚饭最舒服。酥油茶是砖茶加酥油和盐打出来的，咸香，暖胃，也补点热量；糌粑是青稞炒面，用手捏成团，配酥油茶吃；牦牛肉可以炖、可以烤，肉紧实、味道重；还有牦牛酸奶、青稞饼、藏式火锅。高原上胃口可能不太好，先喝汤、少油腻，别吃太饱。饭后早点休息，第二天如果还要上高原，身体才缓得过来。

Back in Shangri-La town, a Tibetan dinner is the most comfortable way to end. Butter tea is brick tea churned with butter and salt — savoury, warming, and a bit of fuel; tsampa is roasted barley flour, pressed into balls by hand and eaten with the tea; yak can be braised or grilled, firm and full of flavour; and there is yak yoghurt, barley bread and Tibetan hotpot besides. Appetite can be poor at altitude — start with soup, go easy on the oil, and do not overeat. Turn in early; if there is more altitude tomorrow, the body needs the night to catch up.