Chagelazi

Chagelazi

jiayingcun Cawarong, Zayu, Nyingchi, Tibet, China | Xiong Chaoyang

🏔️ Overview

Chagelazi is a remote 6,000-meter mountain in southeastern Tibet, China, rising within the rugged mountain country east of the Himalayas. Reaching 6,146 meters (20,164 feet), the peak stands in Zayü County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, near the deeply dissected ranges and river valleys that form the western side of the Hengduan mountain system.

Chagelazi is particularly notable for its 1,721 meters (5,646 feet) of topographic prominence, enough to qualify it as an ultra-prominent peak. Despite this geographic importance, it remains far less famous than the major Himalayan summits farther west.

Mountaineering writer and explorer Tamotsu Nakamura identified Chagelazi as one of three outstanding 6,000-meter massifs in the Baxoila Ling, alongside Yangbayisum and Mukong Xueshan. This mountain chain continues southward toward the Gaoligong Shan of Yunnan and forms part of the extraordinary landscape of parallel ranges and deep river gorges found in southeastern Tibet and western Yunnan.

Unlike better-known Chinese peaks, Chagelazi has almost no established recreational infrastructure. There is no standard trekking route, commercial climbing program, or widely documented normal route to its summit.

⚡ Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Continent	Asia
Country	China
State/Province	Tibet Autonomous Region
County/Region	Zayü County, Nyingchi
Mountain Range	Baxoila Ling; broader Hengduan/Parallel Gorges region
Parent Peak	Classification varies; PeakVisor lists Mount Everest as the island parent
Elevation	6,146 m / 20,164 ft
Prominence	1,721 m / 5,646 ft
Isolation	Approximately 55.31 km / 34.37 mi
Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN)	Damyon (Damiyong), 6,324 m
Coordinates	Approximately 28.824° N, 98.061° E
Chinese Name	查格腊子
Prominence Classification	Ultra-prominent peak
Climbing Status	Very little documented climbing activity; no standard route is widely published

📍 Location

Chagelazi rises in southeastern Tibet, close to the northern continuation of the Gaoligong mountain system and within the extremely rugged country between major Asian river valleys.

The mountain is associated with Zayü County, an unusually varied part of Tibet where enormous elevation differences create landscapes ranging from relatively warm forested valleys to alpine meadows, glaciers, permanent snow, and high nival terrain.

Chagelazi belongs to the Baxoila Ling, a long mountain system described by Himalayan explorers as extending across important drainage divides in southeastern Tibet.

Tamotsu Nakamura described the northern Baxoila Ling as lying near the divide involving the Lohit, Parlung Tsangpo, and Salween drainage systems. Farther south, the system continues along the Irrawaddy–Salween divide and becomes associated with the Gaoligong Shan in Yunnan.

The geography is exceptionally complicated. Instead of one continuous high ridge, southeastern Tibet consists of long mountain chains separated by remarkably deep north–south valleys.

This broader landscape forms part of the Hengduan Mountains, one of Asia’s most topographically complex mountain regions.

Learn more about the wider setting in Mountains in China and Mountains of Tibet.

📏 Elevation & Prominence

Chagelazi’s generally accepted elevation in major mountaineering and peak databases is:

6,146 meters / 20,164 feet

Peakbagger uses this figure, as do the American Alpine Journal accounts of exploration in the region.

Some sources have reported approximately 6,155 meters, illustrating the measurement uncertainty that still affects remote mountains in southeastern Tibet. For consistency, Mountain Field Guide uses the 6,146-meter Peakbagger and American Alpine Journal elevation.

Topographic Prominence

Peakbagger gives Chagelazi a prominence of approximately:

1,721 meters / 5,646 feet

Its key col is approximately 4,425 meters (14,518 feet) above sea level.

That gives the basic prominence calculation:

6,146 m − 4,425 m = 1,721 m

Any mountain with at least 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) of topographic prominence qualifies as an ultra-prominent peak, often simply called an Ultra.

Chagelazi therefore rises as a highly independent summit rather than merely being a minor bump along a larger ridge.

Learn more in What Is Mountain Prominence? and Mountain Elevation vs. Prominence.

Isolation & Nearest Higher Neighbor

Peakbagger calculates Chagelazi’s topographic isolation at approximately:

55.31 kilometers / 34.37 miles

The nearest higher mountain is Damyon, also written Damiyong, which rises to approximately 6,324 meters (20,748 feet) northeast of Chagelazi.

PeakVisor places the nearest higher terrain about 55.7 kilometers away, an extremely close match considering differences in coordinates and digital elevation models.

Damyon belongs to a neighboring mountain system on the Yu Qu–Mekong divide rather than to the same immediate Chagelazi massif.

What Is Chagelazi’s Parent Peak?

Parent-peak terminology requires some care because different databases use different forms of topographic parentage.

PeakVisor lists Mount Everest as Chagelazi’s island parent, while Damyon is identified separately as its nearest higher neighbor.

These are not contradictory measurements. A parent peak is determined through a topographic hierarchy involving key cols, while a nearest higher neighbor is simply the closest higher summit or higher terrain.

For a deeper explanation, see What Is a Parent Peak?.

🪨 Geology

Chagelazi stands within one of Earth’s most tectonically complicated mountain regions.

The broader Hengduan and southeastern Tibetan landscape developed largely because of the continuing interaction between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. India’s northward collision with Asia thickened and deformed the continental crust, producing not only the Himalayas but also the Tibetan Plateau and numerous ranges along its eastern and southeastern margins.

The Gaoligong–Baxoila region has also been strongly influenced by major fault and shear zones.

Rather than simple vertical uplift, large blocks of crust have experienced:

Compression
Faulting
Folding
Strike-slip movement
Metamorphism
Rapid uplift and exhumation
Intense river erosion

Researchers studying the Gaoligong region have found evidence of substantial Cenozoic deformation and rapid exhumation associated with major regional fault systems.

Rivers have played an equally important role in creating the landscape visible today.

The Salween, Mekong, and other rivers of southeastern Tibet and western Yunnan have carved exceptionally deep valleys between the rising mountain chains. In some areas, neighboring rivers flow almost parallel while remaining separated by huge mountain ridges.

Glaciers, frost weathering, avalanches, rockfall, and seasonal runoff continue to reshape Chagelazi’s upper slopes.

🌿 Flora & Fauna

Chagelazi rises above one of the biologically richest mountainous regions of Asia.

The enormous elevation range surrounding the Gaoligong and southeastern Tibetan mountains produces dramatic ecological transitions.

At lower elevations, deep valleys can support dense forests. Explorers traveling through the wider region have described extensive pine and conifer forests, while higher slopes open into alpine grazing areas traditionally used for yaks.

Above the treeline, vegetation becomes progressively smaller and more scattered.

A simplified elevation sequence includes:

Temperate and montane forest
Conifer forest
Subalpine shrubland
Alpine meadow
High-altitude grass and cushion vegetation
Rocky subnival terrain
Permanent snow and ice

At Chagelazi’s 6,146-meter summit, conditions are too severe for meaningful plant growth.

The broader Gaoligong mountain system is also internationally important for wildlife. A major modern review recorded more than 200 mammal species across the wider Gaoligong region, including numerous threatened and protected species.

Species diversity is greatest at lower and middle elevations rather than on the exposed upper slopes of Chagelazi itself.

The steep elevation gradients, isolated valleys, varied climate, and position near several major biogeographic regions help explain why this corner of Asia contains such unusual biological diversity.

🥾 Hiking & Climbing Routes

Chagelazi should not be considered a normal hiking mountain.

There is no established recreational trail to the summit, no commercial trekking route, and no widely published normal climbing route comparable to those found on better-known Himalayan peaks.

Peakbagger currently lists no logged ascents or attempts, and mainstream English-language mountaineering sources contain very little direct climbing information about Chagelazi.

That does not prove that no human being has ever reached the summit. Records from extremely remote parts of Tibet can be incomplete. It is therefore safer to describe Chagelazi as a mountain with no widely documented ascent history rather than make an absolute claim that it has never been climbed.

What Would an Expedition Involve?

Any serious approach toward Chagelazi would likely require:

Extensive logistical planning
Travel through remote southeastern Tibetan valleys
Local authorization and current travel permits
Expedition-level navigation
High-altitude acclimatization
Glacier travel skills
Avalanche assessment
Snow and ice climbing ability
Self-contained emergency planning
Reliable satellite communication

Even reaching the base of a potential climbing route could be considerably harder than approaching many famous Himalayan mountains.

The surrounding landscape contains deep gorges, high passes, forested slopes, snow-covered ridges, glaciers, and few developed mountain trails.

🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Treat Chagelazi as a remote expedition mountain rather than a trekking destination. Anyone considering travel in this part of Tibet should verify current access rules, permits, road conditions, and local restrictions before planning an approach.

🌤️ Best Time to Visit

There is no well-established tourist or mountaineering season specifically for Chagelazi.

Weather in southeastern Tibet differs markedly from the drier central Tibetan Plateau because the region receives greater monsoon influence.

Lower elevations around Zayü experience a relatively long rainy season, while the high mountains receive heavy snow.

Exploration accounts demonstrate how quickly conditions can deteriorate. During a November 2007 expedition in the wider region, unusually heavy snowfall closed passes around 4,900 and 5,300 meters and forced route changes.

Spring

Spring can provide improving temperatures at lower elevations, but snow remains extensive in the high mountains.

Summer

Summer brings the strongest monsoon influence. Rainfall at lower elevations, cloud, landslides, swollen rivers, and fresh snow higher in the mountains can complicate travel.

Autumn

The post-monsoon period may offer clearer weather and better visibility, but temperatures fall rapidly and heavy snowfall can close high passes surprisingly early.

Winter

Winter conditions are extremely severe at high elevation. Snow, low temperatures, short daylight hours, and difficult road or pass conditions make remote travel particularly challenging.

For any expedition, current local weather and access information would be much more useful than relying on a fixed calendar window.

🧭 Nearby Mountains & Attractions

Damyon

Damyon, approximately 6,324 meters high, is Chagelazi’s nearest higher neighbor.

It lies northeast of Chagelazi in the mountain country separating the Yu Qu and Mekong drainage systems.

Like Chagelazi, Damyon remains comparatively obscure despite exceeding 6,000 meters.

Mukong Xueshan

Mukong Xueshan is another major massif of the Baxoila Ling.

Its highest summit is approximately 6,005 meters. Tamotsu Nakamura described its northeast face as a dramatic landscape of snow, ice, and steep mountain walls.

Yangbayisum

Yangbayisum, also approximately 6,005 meters, is the third major 6,000-meter massif identified within the Baxoila Ling alongside Chagelazi and Mukong Xueshan.

Gaoligong Mountains

South of the Tibetan section, the mountain system continues toward the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan.

The Gaoligong region is particularly famous for its forests, immense elevation differences, biological diversity, and position between major Asian drainage systems.

Salween River

The Salween, known in China as the Nu Jiang, cuts through one of the great mountain corridors of southeastern Tibet and western Yunnan.

Its deep valley contributes to the enormous vertical relief that characterizes the region.

Zayü County

Zayü is one of Tibet’s most environmentally diverse counties.

Lower valleys contain forests, farms, and relatively mild environments compared with the high Tibetan Plateau, while enormous snow-covered peaks rise nearby.

💡 Fun Facts

Chagelazi reaches 6,146 meters (20,164 feet).
Its Chinese name is 查格腊子.
The mountain has approximately 1,721 meters of prominence.
That makes Chagelazi an ultra-prominent peak.
Its nearest higher neighbor is Damyon, approximately 55 kilometers away.
Chagelazi is one of three major 6,000-meter massifs identified in the Baxoila Ling.
The other two major massifs are Yangbayisum and Mukong Xueshan.
The Baxoila system continues south toward the Gaoligong mountain country of Yunnan.
Chagelazi rises in one of the least internationally known high-mountain regions of China.
There is no widely recognized recreational trail or standard climbing route to the summit.
Peakbagger currently contains no recorded Chagelazi ascents or attempts.
Some sources report a slightly higher elevation of approximately 6,155 meters, but 6,146 meters is the figure used by Peakbagger and major mountaineering references.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Chagelazi?

Chagelazi reaches approximately 6,146 meters (20,164 feet) above sea level.

Some publications have reported approximately 6,155 meters, but the 6,146-meter figure is used by Peakbagger and major mountaineering references.

Where is Chagelazi located?

Chagelazi is in Zayü County in southeastern Tibet, China, within the Baxoila Ling and the broader Hengduan mountain region.

What mountain range is Chagelazi in?

Mountaineering sources place Chagelazi in the Baxoila Ling. This mountain system continues southward toward the Gaoligong Shan of Yunnan and forms part of the wider complex of ranges commonly associated with the Hengduan Mountains.

What is Chagelazi’s prominence?

Peakbagger gives Chagelazi approximately 1,721 meters (5,646 feet) of topographic prominence.

Is Chagelazi an ultra-prominent mountain?

Yes. Any summit with at least 1,500 meters of prominence qualifies as an ultra-prominent peak.

What is Chagelazi’s isolation?

Its topographic isolation is approximately 55.31 kilometers (34.37 miles).

What is Chagelazi’s nearest higher neighbor?

The nearest higher neighbor is Damyon, also written Damiyong, which reaches approximately 6,324 meters northeast of Chagelazi.

What is Chagelazi’s parent peak?

Parent classifications depend on the hierarchy being used. PeakVisor lists Mount Everest as Chagelazi’s island parent, while Damyon is its nearest higher neighbor.

Has Chagelazi been climbed?

There is no widely documented ascent in the major English-language mountain databases consulted for this guide. Peakbagger currently lists no logged ascents or attempts.

Because expedition records from this remote region may be incomplete, it is better to say that no confirmed ascent was found in the principal sources rather than state categorically that the summit has never been reached.

Can you hike Chagelazi?

Chagelazi is not a recreational hiking mountain. There is no maintained trail or established trekking route to its summit.

Any attempted ascent would be a serious expedition involving remote access, extreme altitude, snow and ice, complex navigation, and substantial logistical preparation.

Why is Chagelazi important?

Chagelazi combines considerable elevation with unusually high prominence. Its 1,721 meters of prominence makes it one of Asia’s ultra-prominent mountains despite its relative obscurity.

It is also part of the remarkable mountain landscape connecting southeastern Tibet with the Gaoligong and Hengduan ranges.

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📚 Sources

Peakbagger — Chagelazi — Primary source used for the 6,146-meter elevation, 1,721-meter prominence, 55.31-kilometer isolation, coordinates, and peak-list information.
PeakVisor — Chagelazi — Cross-check for elevation, prominence, Zayü County location, key col, island parent, isolation, and Damiyong as the nearest higher neighbor.
American Alpine Club — Deep Gorge Country: Three Parallel Rivers Exploration — Tamotsu Nakamura’s account identifying Chagelazi as a 6,146-meter massif of the Baxoila Ling and describing the geography, forests, high passes, snowfall, and neighboring mountain systems.
Frontiers in Earth Science — Rapid Exhumation Processes of the Gaoligong Mountain Range — Geological research on tectonics, uplift, faulting, and exhumation in the Gaoligong mountain system.
Zoological Research: Diversity and Conservation — The Mammals of Gaoligong Mountain in China — Research on mammal diversity, elevation patterns, conservation importance, and the northern Gaoligong region including Zayü.

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