On January 30, reporters learned from the Qinghai Mountain Sports Management Center that the 2012 Qinghai Lake Ice Trekking Event, jointly organized by the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area Protection and Utilization Administration and the provincial sports bureau, will officially commence on February 1.
It is reported that the Qinghai Lake Ice Trekking Event is another highlight in Qinghai Province’s efforts to promote “Beautiful Qinghai” and expand winter sports tourism. The inaugural event in 2011 received high praise from outdoor enthusiasts and was successfully included in the “China Sports Premium Tourism Routes Recommendation List” unveiled in Haikou last year. This year, to better promote Qinghai’s winter sports tourism offerings, extensive publicity for the 2012 Qinghai Lake Ice Trekking Event began well in advance. Currently, the event date, route, and participant numbers have all been finalized.
Liu Xinghai, director of the Qinghai Mountain Sports Management Center, introduced that the biggest feature of the 2012 Qinghai Lake Ice Trekking Event is the integration of sports and tourism. Through the activity, it aims to convey eco-friendly and low-carbon concepts, helping outdoor enthusiasts enhance their environmental awareness while challenging extreme sports.
On February 1, a trekking team of over 60 people will depart from Xining and arrive at the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area. The official trekking will begin the next day, with the first leg spanning 28 kilometers—from Erlangjian as the starting point to Erhu Camp as the endpoint. This section of ice is relatively flat, with multiple ice cracks visible along the way, offering great visual appeal. On the morning of February 3, the trek will continue from Erhu Camp. Along the route, trekkers can see ice holes opened due to illegal fishing, as well as walls of ice formed by large-scale surface contraction. The 35-kilometer hike will end at Shadao Camp. The trekking route on February 4 is from Shadao to Golden Sand Bay, covering a total distance of 15 kilometers and taking approximately over four hours. With this, the full 80-kilometer ice trekking event comes to an end.