Four Girls (Siguniang, Yaoniangfeng)

Mountain/Rock

Four Girls (Siguniang, Yaoniangfeng)

Page Type: Mountain/Rock

Location: Sichuan Province, China, Asia

Lat/Lon: 31.10660°N / 102.90276°E

Elevation: 20505 ft / 6250 m

Page By: Kenzo Okawa

Created/Edited: Apr 6, 2003 / Dec 12, 2007

Object ID: 151557

Hits: 21499

Page Score: 89.51% - 78 Votes

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Table of Contents

The status of the new routes and attempts

Images

Overview

Other names of Four Girls Mountains are Siguniangshan, or Siguniang Mountains. These all have the same meaning.
It is said that the Four Girls Mountains are the goddess of the mountains in southwestern China ( The king is Minya Konka).
The highest peak in this area is Mount Fourth Girl (6250m), a knife edged rock peak.
Mount Fourth Girl has three peaks on the southern ridge. These are called Third Girl(5355m), Second Girl(5276m) and First Girl(5025m).
In July 1981, seven Japanese made first ascent via the southeast ridge. Refer to "http://www.doshisha-sports.net/record/contents/28_1.html".
In July 1992, another seven Japanese made ascent via the south face and west ridge. Refer to "http://www.jac.or.jp/info/kiroku/1993/yonko-page.htm".
In October 1994, Charlie Fowler made ascent via the south face and the southeast ridge (In November 2006, he was killed in the avalanche at the west Sichuan). Refer to "http://www.charliefowler.com/writing.html".
In April 2002, Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden made ascent via the Northwest face. Refer to "http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/news/".
In November 2004, two American and four Chinese made ascent via the south face and the southeast ridge. Refer to "http://www.aaic.cn/home.htm", "http://www.adventure-video.com/siguniang/".
Even the easiest routes here are difficult climbs. In the past, few climbers attempted these peaks, one party or less every year. Recently, there has been a great increase in tourism. There has also been a corresponding increase in climbers� attempts on these peaks
This area is in the eastern part on the Trans Himalayas which is called the treasury of the gene.
It is at the eastern end of the Tibetan cultural sphere, too.
A lot of flowers of alpine plants bloom in this steep and complicated landform of glacial origin.

Four Girls Mountains include many beautiful peaks such as the following;

Note-1 ) Another name of the main peak of Four Girls Mountains
Generally, the local Tibetan peoples call the main peak and other three remarkable peaks of the southern side "Sukola"(phonetic notation is not strict) without distinguishing between them. This comes from the original name (refer to Note-2).
Recently, many Chinese mountaineers have visited, and call the main peak (Fourth Girl) Yaoniangfeng.
The general public Chinese refers to the Four Girls Mountains as Siguniangshan, Fourth Girl as Siguniang, Third Girl as Sanguniang, Second Girl as Erguniang, and First Girl as Daguniang.

Note-2 ) The origin of the name of Four Girls Mountains
The name of Four Girls Mountains comes from the original Tibetan name "sukolajiddha" (phonetic notation is not strict). It means the mountain god who protects this local area, where is called "rGyal-rong" or "rGyalmorong" or " the Queen Valley ". It is a generic name and not a proper noun. It does not have the meaning of the four girls or the four sisters.
"The Four Girls Mountains" is the name what the Chinese created and recorded by the following process in the old times.
a. Consider that this mountain group has four remarkable peaks. Chinese pronunciation of four is close to "su" in the Sichuan Province, and phonetic notation is "si".
b. It has beens guesed that the Chinese characters "sigu" look like the pronunciation of the Tibetan name"suko".
c. The Chinese phonetic notation "gu" is close to the pronunciation of "ko".
d. The Chinese phonetic notation of mothers-in-law is "gu", and a single woman (girl) is "gu-niang". The Chinese preferred girl to mothers-in-law.
In this area, the Tibetan and the Chinese are changing from the old times. As a result, most Tibetans have forgetten the original Tibetan name or its meaning, and Chinese name or its meaning is in use. At present, only a few Tibetans like a high-ranking priest, hand down this process and the meaning of "sukolagidda". The story is of the incarnation of four girls who were sisters, who saved a panda, starting the local legend what was made in the times after this origin.
Another new Chinese name of the highest peak (Fourth Girl) Yaoniangfeng, it means the peak of youngest girl.

Getting There

Four Girls is located near the town of Rilong in Xiaojin County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in the Sichuan Province. In the town of Rilong you can find many hotels.
Beware that may 1st - 7th, and october 1st - 7th are a holiday in China, so the hotels are very crowded, and they also change their rates.
Nearest major airport is in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. This is a 3-hour flight from Shanghai.
From Chengdu it's a 6-hour bus trip to Rilong.

Red Tape

You pay the Management Bureau an entry fee (about $8) at the entrance gate in the Nature Reserve.
There are three valleys in the Nature Reserve. At the entrance gate in each valley, you pay the entry fee and other (like a camping fee).
At present, any climber who reaches the summit pays the Sichuan Mountaineering Association a mountaineering fee.
Please inquire to the office at the entrance gate or the following for the details. The Sichuan Mountaineering Association "http://outdoors.www29.cn4e.com/sma/".
Sometimes, the rules changes. You should confirm them at the entrance gate or at the travel agency.

Camping

Before setting up a tent, go to the entrance gate where you'll have to pay a fee.

Mountain Conditions

Will research this soon. For now see the Nature Reserve website. Also see external links below.

http://www.sgns.gov.cn/scholaweb/conts.htm (Chinese)

External Links

Tibet-tours.com's Siguniang Shan Page
Queen Valley
Zhihua Wen's Siguniang Mountain photos
Climbing the lowest of the four girls.
Airtibet.net's Siguniang Shan mountainteering trip
PlanetMountain.com's Siguniang page ("Garden of Eden")
Climbing grades, logistics (in Italian)
The introduction of Four Girls Mountains
Here, you can see the part of the beautiful nature of Four Girls Mountains.
The Goddess on the Mountains in Southwestern China
Chengdu ODO OUTDOOR CLUB
A professional Mountaineering guide service
Cybercast of November 2004 climb
Dispatches from a successful ascent of Siguniang.
An introduction to the mountain

The status of the new routes and attempts

The status of the new routes and attempts on Mount Fourth Girl by Cosmin :
South:
1981 - Japanese team, SE ridge. FA of the mountain. Summit. Style - expedition siege.
1992 - Japanese team, SW ridge. Summit. Style - expedition siege
1997 Charlie Fowler, variation of the first Japanese route. Summit. Style: solo
2003 - Jon Otto, T Boelter, vcariation on the first Japanese route. Failed. Style - expedition siege
2004 - Jon Otto and a Chinese team, variation on the first Japanese route. Summit. Style - expedition siege
2006 - C. Andron, Waiwah Yip, SW face FA; no summit intended. Style: big wall
2006 - P Batoux and French team, attempt of new line on the S face. Failed. Style: alpine
2006 - Sun Bin (China) - Sept and Oct. attempts on SE face (Ch. Fowler route). Failed. Style: Alpine/Solo
Trip report here: http://emg.com.cn/mountain_girl4justdoit.asp
North:
1981 - J Tackle, J Donini, K Schmitz - attempt on the NW face. Failed. Style: big wall
2002 - M. Fowler, P. Ramsden - FA of the NW face. Summit. Style: alpine
2004 - Tom Chamberlain, Dave Evans, etc - attempt on the NW face. Failed. Style: alpine
2005 - Chad Kellogg, Joe Puryear and Stoney Richards - attempt on the NW face. Failed. Style: big wall
2006 - P Batoux and French team, FA of Siguniang N independent peak. Summit. Style: alpine
Posted Nov 22, 2006 3:25 am

Images



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