What this solves

Sunrise at altitude in Yading is later than the published Chengdu times by 30-40 minutes because Daocheng sits at ~29°N and the Three Holy Mountains rise another 1,000 m above the town. Most generic sunrise calculators get this wrong. The tool uses the correct latitude + altitude-adjusted golden hour.

Pick a month and camp

Month

Camp / segment of interest

Day-of-plan

Display time format

How to read the schedule

Each segment shows four times:

Golden hour (warm light on peaks) is roughly sunrise + 30 to sunrise + 90 minutes in summer; shorter at winter. The "alpine start" recommendation is camp-specific and accounts for elevation gain + break time.

Limitations

FAQ

Q: Why is the Tanggu La alpine start time 04:30 in October?
A: October sunrise at Tanggu La is ~07:30. You want to be on the summit ridge by 09:00 (3 hours from base) for the cleanest light. With breakfast + pack-up, 04:30 is the right departure.

Q: How early does it actually get dark at altitude?
A: Dark falls fast. At 4,800 m in October, full dark is 19:30. You have ~30 minutes of useful twilight after sunset to find camp.

Q: Do I need a headlamp for the alpine start?
A: Yes. Even on a full-moon October morning, the first 30-45 minutes of trail are technical enough that you want a headlamp. Bring spare batteries.

Q: Is the moon relevant for Tanggu La?
A: Yes — full-moon summit nights (September 2026 has one mid-month) allow night ascents without headlamps and dramatic moonlit photos. New-moon periods are the safest for daytime-only ascents.