Wusun Ancient Trail Hiking—An Epic Adventure Across the Tianshan Mountains

✅1. Trail Background: 🚩Historical Significance: The Wusun Ancient Trail was a military and trade route during the Han Dynasty, connecting the Wusun Kingdom (modern-day Ili River Valley) and the Qiuci Kingdom (modern-day Kuqa). It was likely traversed by Zhang Qian during his missions to the Western Regions and Princess Jieyou during her diplomatic marriage. 🚩Geographical Boundary: Spanning the Tianshan Mountains, the trail starts from Tekes County (Qiongkushitai Village) in the north and ends in Baicheng County (Heiyingshan Township) of Aksu Prefecture in the south, covering approximately 120 km🥾. The highest point is Akebulake Pass at 3,860 meters above sea level. ✅2. Hiking Highlights: 💓 🚩Diverse Landscapes: Includes grasslands🌱, dense forests🌲, wildflowers🌼, snow-capped mountains🏔, glaciers🧊, and lakes💧. - Qiongkushitai Grassland: A Kazakh herding village at the starting point, where forests and meadows intertwine. - Kokesu River Canyon: Requires river crossings (fast-flowing and waist-deep in summer) between steep, cliff-like banks. - Heaven Lake💦 (Akkul Lake): A glacial lake at 3,100 meters with milky-blue water💎, known as the "Eye of Wusun," offering stunning reflections of snow-capped mountains. - Akebulake Pass⛰: The most challenging section, featuring scree slopes and snow, requiring a climb to the 3,860-meter-high pass. - Heiyingshan Canyon: Red Danxia landforms at the endpoint, resembling the desolate surface of Mars. ✅🚩Challenges💪: - River Crossings: About 50 icy crossings of the Kokesu River, requiring ropes or horses🐎. - High Altitude: Risk of altitude sickness at the pass, with temperature swings exceeding 20°C🥶. - No Supply Points: 5 nights of camping⛺️ with no showers or signal📶, except for temporary herder camps near Heaven Lake (horses available for rent). ✅3. Best Time to Hike: - Ideal Season: June–September (Heaven Lake is most beautiful in July–August, but rivers are at their highest; September offers vibrant autumn colors but colder temperatures). ✅4. Itinerary: D1: Gather in Yining D2: Yining–Qiongkushitai Herding Village–Qiongkushitai Valley Camp D3: Qiongkushitai Valley Camp–Qiong Pass–Kunuosayi Camp D4: Kunuosayi Camp–Zip Line–Grassland Station Camp D5: Grassland Station–Koke Alapiye Gorge–Heaven Lake D6: Heaven Lake–Second Lake–Akebulake Pass–Bozikelige Valley D7: Bozikelige Valley–Heiyingshan Township–Kuqa D8: Free Departure ✅5.🎒Recommended Gear: 🪧Clothing Waterproof jacket/pants🧥, fleece, quick-dry clothes, down jacket/pants, other personal clothing, hiking boots👟, water shoes, moisture-wicking socks, sun hat, fleece hat, gloves🧤, sunglasses🕶️, neck gaiter 🪧Accessories Thermos, headlamp💡, trekking poles, knee pads, large backpack/duffel, daypack🎒, raincoat, power bank, down sleeping bag 🪧Other Gear Utensils, trail snacks🥯, toiletries🪥, ID🪪, etc. ✅🚩Lightweight hiking with professional outdoor guides (1:6 ratio)✅ 🚶Trips start in June! Ready to join us?✌