A focused, no-fluff toolkit for the Daocheng Yading Kora of Mt. Chenresig (6,032 m), Jambeyang (5,958 m), and Chanadorje (5,958 m). Every calculator was designed for this route — not adapted from a generic trek widget.
Every calculator embeds the actual gradient, altitude bands (3,700–6,032 m), and known bailout points of the Yading Kora. No "Taj Mahal converter" port.
Tools flag when the answer is "consult a local guide" or "descend immediately". We refuse to give false confidence at altitude.
The Kora is a Buddhist pilgrimage first, a trek second. Cultural tools (mani stones, kora direction, monastery etiquette) are first-class citizens.
Click any card to open the tool. Each is standalone — no login, no progress loss if you reload.
The single biggest risk on this traverse is altitude. These tools help you decide when to push, when to rest, and when to descend.
Combines Lake Louise AMS score with your itinerary, sleep altitude, and personal history. Outputs a 0–100 risk band.
Predicts your expected blood oxygen by day and altitude, flags when your reading is below the danger curve.
Periodic breathing at altitude is normal. Distinguishes harmless from warning-pattern insomnia and recommends action.
Generates a sleep-altitude schedule that respects the "climb high, sleep low" rule for the Yading Kora.
Walk through the Lake Louise criteria to get a clear Wait / Descend / Evacuate verdict for each symptom.
Not every headache at 4,500 m is altitude sickness. Differentiate dehydration, exertion, AMS, and red flags.
You will carry everything for 3–5 days above 4,000 m. These tools cut weight without cutting safety.
Three band-specific gear lists (3,700–4,500 / 4,500–5,200 / 5,200–6,000 m) generated for your season.
Personalises blister risk using distance, descent ratio, wet/dry feet history, and sock-system choice.
Decides whether a 25 g emergency poncho is enough or you need a 450 g hardshell for your month.
Splits your gear into must-carry vs lock-at-Yading-village based on route segment and water needs.
Shows what you save (and lose) by staying in Tibetan herder guesthouses vs carrying your own shelter.
Quantifies knee-load reduction on the Yading descent. Outputs a score and a 1-pole vs 2-pole recommendation.
The Kora can be done clockwise, counter-clockwise, or in pieces. Choose deliberately.
Weighs sunlight, wind, photo angles, and bailout access across the three standard ways to do the loop.
Splits total km and climb into per-day targets respecting the 600 m/day sleep-altitude gain rule.
Combines month, snow depth, morning freeze status and your group's experience into a Go/No-Go verdict.
Given your current GPS waypoint and reason (AMS / injury / weather / lost), picks the safest descent corridor.
Most underestimated section. Score the descent by month, water level, and visibility before committing.
Resolves whether your plan needs a licensed Tibetan guide (per 2024 Daocheng rules) or can be done solo.
The window between monsoon end and snow line drop is short. Choose your week, not just your month.
Matches your hard dates to the historical 4 best weeks per year, weighted by your risk tolerance.
Outputs the % of historical days in your chosen month where all 4 weather gates pass simultaneously.
Predicts the snowline height for any month using Daocheng historicals, flags when it intersects the pass.
Prints sunrise/sunset and "golden hour" times for each camp — useful for planning alpine starts.
Quantifies landslide, river-spate, and leech probability per river crossing for July–early September plans.
Above 4,000 m your body burns differently. Standard hiking diet fails — these tools adapt.
METs × duration × altitude factor. Outputs kcal + macro split, not a generic "3,500 kcal" guess.
Glycogen supercompensation schedule tailored to high-altitude start. Includes low-residue menu.
Personalised litres/day, Na/K/Mg ratio, and sachet cadence. Flags over-hydration risk (hyponatremia).
Picks the best kcal-per-gram foods for your menu under fuel-boil constraints (gas vs wood).
What can you actually eat at 4,500 m when your stomach is shutting down? Tailored to your triggers.
The Kora is a Buddhist pilgrimage. Conduct matters more than speed.
22 situational rules at mani piles, monasteries, lhakhangs, and sky burial sites — with the "why".
Tibetan script + Wylie + audio pronunciation for: help, hurt, sick, descending, ghost, fuel.
What "tsampa" and butter tea mean in Daocheng vs Litang vs Batang — and what's polite to refuse.
Step-by-step sequence at Chonggu Monastery doors, what to touch, what not to photograph.
Which colours go where, why you must walk clockwise, and when adding a stone helps vs offends.
3–5 day remote trek with hidden costs. These tools price it honestly.
Budget / Standard / Comfort tiers for 3, 4 or 5 days, with optional guide + porter + 4WD transfer.
Triggers hard-to-spot costs: oxygen-can surcharges, satellite-phone fees, yak-damage insurance, park-bus tiers.
Rates your party on pace-mismatch risk, fitness spread, decision-making culture, and shared red lines.
Yading Compass is a small, focused toolkit built for one purpose: helping trekkers, pilgrims, and outdoor planners prepare for the Daocheng Yading Grand Traverse (大转山 / ཡ་དིང་སྐུར་སྐོར་ཆེན་པོ) — the multi-day pilgrimage circuit around the three holy mountains of Chenresig, Jambeyang, and Chanadorje in Sichuan's Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
The traverse covers roughly 50–70 km of trail between 3,700 m (Yading village) and 5,950 m (the highest practical point at Tanggu La pass). It is one of the few high-altitude koras in the world accessible to non-Tibetan visitors, but it sits in a serious altitude band: above 4,500 m for 60–80 % of the loop, with three named cols and the unpredictable monsoon climate of the Hengduan range.
This site does not sell tours, insurance, gear, or permits. It contains 36 free interactive calculators built specifically for this route. Where a question cannot be answered responsibly by a calculator (e.g. "should I take Diamox today?"), the tool flags it and points you to a local Tibetan guide, a clinic in Daocheng town, or the Yading National Park office.
Limitations you should know up front:
The site is maintained by an independent trek planner who has done the inner Kora twice (2021, 2024) and the outer Kora once (2023). It is not affiliated with the Daocheng-Yading National Park administration, the Sichuan Mountaineering Association, or any tour operator.
Last updated: October 2026.
What we collect: Nothing personal. Yading Compass does not have user accounts, logins, forms that transmit data to a server, or analytics that profile individuals. All 36 tools run entirely in your browser using JavaScript — your inputs (altitudes, weights, dates) never leave your device.
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Reference only — not professional advice. The information, calculators, and tools on Yading Compass are provided for general informational and planning purposes only. They do not constitute medical, legal, financial, mountaineering, or tourism advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with qualified professionals.
Altitude sickness risk: Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) are medical emergencies. The decision-tree tools on this site are decision aids, not diagnostic devices. If you or a member of your party develops symptoms above 3,500 m, descend immediately and seek medical attention — do not consult a calculator.
Weather and snow data: Weather, snowline, and trail-condition data used by these tools reflect long-term historical patterns for the Yading area. Actual conditions can vary substantially day-to-day. Always check current forecasts (China Weather Service, weather.cma.cn) and the Yading Park Office hotline (0836-696-6999) before departure.
Regulatory requirements: Daocheng County periodically updates entry-permit, guide-mandatory, and environmental-protection rules for the Yading core zone. Verify the current requirements with the Daocheng Tourism Bureau (daocheng.gov.cn) or a licensed local operator before assuming any "solo" or "DIY" verdict from a tool on this site.
Cultural etiquette: Tibetan Buddhist norms in the Kham region are specific and sometimes locally variable. The etiquette tools on this site are summarised from widely-published norms and a single trek-planner's experience. When in doubt, follow your guide's lead and observe before acting.
No warranty: All tools are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The author assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or for any consequences arising from the use of the information contained herein.
External links: This site may link to third-party websites for further reading. The author does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of those external sites.