Hikers in the evening
At 9:00 AM on the 3rd, the Qinghai Lake ice hiking team set off from Erhai Lake and headed towards their destination, Shadao Island, covering a total distance of 35 kilometers. The last participant successfully reached the shore at 19:09 in the evening and the team camped in tents on Shadao Island that night.
After setting off from Erhai Lake in the morning, the hiking team moved westward, passing through scenic spots such as the East Lake Breeding Sheep Farm, Moon Bay, and Shadao Island, encountering wetlands, grass mats, deserts, and snow-capped mountains along the way.
At the Breeding Sheep Farm, herders drove countless flocks of sheep across the boundless grasslands by the frozen lake, while yaks grazed leisurely amidst the grass and the howls of Tibetan mastiffs created a serene atmosphere.
Moon Bay featured pristine white snow scattered across the flat lake surface, complementing the continuous desert on the northern shore, all set against a brilliant blue sky—absolutely stunning.
Shadao Island, located on the western shore of Qinghai Lake, is a desert terrain and is famous for its annual Sand Sculpture Art Festival. Some remnants of sand sculptures can still be seen along the shore today. In the afternoon, as the sun dipped low, the distinct light and shadow of the desert were clearly visible, with soft lines extending deep into the dunes.
A total of over forty people participated in today’s Qinghai Lake ice crossing, with the oldest participant being 53 years old and the youngest, Li Zi Yue, just 12 years old. Despite the thick snow cover on the lake, which added to the difficulty of the crossing, all participants persevered.
In the evening, all team members camped in tents on Shadao Island. The cold evening winds were fierce, and most had retreated into their tents before eight o’clock. The howling wind outside nearly blew the tents anchored to the ground away, adding an extra thrill to the experience.
Tomorrow, the entire team will depart from Shadao Island at 9:30 AM and head to the final destination, Golden Sand Bay, covering a distance of over 10 kilometers.