About this journey
I am Wangwang, having lived in Dali for several years. Hiking is a great joy in my life. The seasonal changes of flowers, plants, and trees in the mountains bring me back here time and again, and each time I feel the same.
Our hiking group is made up of friends who love hiking. Besides me, there is a tailor with his Border Collie, DD who does extreme sports and crystal hunting with his dog Yuanbao, Wang Yue who loves history and culture, Huanhuan who runs the 'Huanque' restaurant, and Honghong who is a CrossFit enthusiast and cold meal maker. Yang Min from the wild mushroom gathering group has also joined us; her favorite route is 'Fern Forest.' Occasionally, members from other specialty groups join too.
You can learn more about our friends here: Our Guides
I can't say I've explored every corner of Cangshan, but I am quite familiar with the plants and forests at different elevations under various peaks of Cangshan.
One day, while hiking through a valley, I decided to climb up on a whim and was amazed to discover a huge fern forest. I had never seen anything like it elsewhere on Cangshan. I wanted to turn it into a hiking route. It's about 6-7 km, comfortable to walk, not too tiring. The elevation gain is 500 meters, making it a moderate hike, perfect for those who have some energy and enjoy walking in a natural forest.
Departure Time 1: 10:00 AM (the guide will bring tea and snacks, and we will have a picnic in the forest)
Departure Time 2: 2:00 PM (the guide will bring tea and snacks, and we will have a picnic in the forest)
Hiking Duration: 4 hours
Meeting Point: 5 km north of the old town
Streams, forest, different types of ferns, wild mushrooms in the rainy season, lemongrass, rhododendrons, and wild tea gardens—I will introduce them one by one below.
Bai fern (Hicriopteris glauca) – This is the most common fern in this forest. It grows densely along the hiking trail.
Maidenhair fern on trees
Scale fern – Grows on the ground, forming patches.
Wax fern – Grows on trees.
Oak fern
Mature fiddleheads (locally called 'dragon claw vegetables')
On my last hike here, I brought Jing and Yanzi from the foraging group. Their keen observation of plants helped us discover more ferns and many other plants.
We picked some lemongrass. Later at home, I used it to make Thai tom yum fish soup.
We also found wild strawberries and blooming rhododendrons, which can be picked for soup.
We came across a patch of Bai ferns, and Yanzi went in to check for mushrooms.
We even found some wild tea trees and were lucky to find the first mushroom of the season.
There were also some Smilax, which Yanzi said can treat cancer.
Of course, our little friend Zha Mao (a fluffy little dog) also joined us.
Scenery along the way is beautiful
Feedback from past guests
Photos
