There are winter walks, and then there is Xiata (夏塔). Tucked into Zhaosu County in far western Ili, the Xiata valley follows an ancient Silk Road pass that once carried travellers and armies over the Tianshan toward the Muzart glacier. In winter it is a blue-white corridor of snow, frozen river, and smoking hot springs — and, for a fit skier, one of the best snowshoe or touring days in the region, the kind you describe to friends for years and they half think you are lying.
The Route in Brief
You start at the Xiata scenic-area gate and follow the valley northwest. The path tracks the frozen Xiata river, with glacier-bound peaks rising ahead. In summer it is a muddy hike; in deep winter it is a firm, snow-packed highway for snowshoes, backcountry skis, or steady boots. The turnaround is the hot-spring area, where natural pools steam against the cold and the snow falls in slow, fat flakes that settle on your shoulders without melting, and the steam smells of sulphur and old stone.
This is backcountry, not a resort. The tree-well and backcountry safety notes I wrote apply directly here, and I mean that literally — people have been lost in this valley after wandering off the river track into the trees, where every drift looks the same and the light flattens until you cannot tell upstream from down.
Why Skiers Love It
The valley floor is gentle enough for intermediate touring, and the scenery is the kind you normally pay helicopter prices for elsewhere. I have skied the lower flat sections on light touring gear and then swapped to snowshoes for the rougher middle stretch where the river braids and the snow gets deep. Either way, the silence is total — no engines, no music, just the squeak of snow underfoot and the occasional crack of ice on the river, which sounds exactly like a rifle shot the first time and exactly like home by the tenth.
For touring-gear planning, the resort day-pack checklist is a good starting point, adapted for a longer day out with extra water, a foil blanket, and a headlamp you hope not to need but carry anyway because the valley swallows the afternoon light two hours before the sun is actually down.
The Hot Springs
At the far end, rudimentary hot-spring pools sit among the snow. They are basic — concrete, busy on weekends, glorious midweek. Soaking while snow falls and peaks loom is the payoff that makes the cold morning worthwhile. Bring a swimsuit; this is not a clothing-optional setup, and the attendants will hand you a polite but firm refusal if you forget, along with a towel that has seen better decades but still does the job of making you decent.
Getting There and Permits
Xiata is south of Zhaosu town; a car or tour from Yining is standard. The scenic area has an entry system and limited winter staffing, so confirm access before you go — winter closures happen after heavy snow for avalanche control. I once drove three hours only to find the gate closed, so build in flexibility and a backup plan like the Kuerdening area nearby, which rarely closes and offers its own quiet snow, and where I spent a perfectly good consolation afternoon watching a woodpecker argue with a frozen tree.
Safety, Honestly
The valley is avalanche terrain in places, and rescue is far. Go with a partner, tell someone your plan and your return time, carry comms, and turn around if the snow feels unstable. The underrated resorts piece is fun reading, but Xiata is the real deal and deserves real respect — the beauty is exactly why people underestimate it, because it looks like a postcard and behaves like a mountain, and mountains do not care about your itinerary.
Who Should Go
Fit snowshoers, backcountry skiers, and photographers. Not for beginners or anyone uncomfortable in remote winter. It is a crown jewel of any Xinjiang skiing adventure that includes touring, and it is the single walk I recommend most to confident winter travellers who ask me what they absolutely should not miss, ahead of several places that are far more famous and far less memorable.
Need a vetted winter touring plan? Reach me and I will help you time it safely around snow and staffing, and tell you which week the ice on the river is firm enough to trust, because that window opens later than you think and closes faster than you hope.
Gear Checklist for the Valley
Xiata rewards preparation. I carry snowshoes or touring skis, gaiters, a spare glove, two litres of water (frozen by noon, so a flask inside the jacket), a foil blanket, a headlamp, and a whistle. The backcountry safety basics apply: tell the gate staff your plan, carry a partner, and turn back at the first sign of unstable snow. The valley is beautiful enough that the disappointment of turning around is temporary, while the consequences of not turning around are not. I keep a small ziplock of tea and sugar so that the hot-spring stop at the end feels earned rather than merely convenient.
The Glacier View
Far up the valley, weather permitting, you catch the first glimpse of the Muzart glacier’s terminal ice, a blue-white cliff hanging above the pass. I saw it only once; usually cloud or snow hides it, which somehow made the sighting better. Even without the glacier, the hanging valleys and the frozen waterfalls along the river are worth the walk. Bring a camera with a real grip, because mittens and a cold body make fiddly controls impossible, and you will want the shot.
When the Gate Closes
Closures are common after snowfall or high wind, and they are not negotiable. The staff cite avalanche control, and they mean it. I now build Xiata as a “maybe” day with a Kuerdening backup, so a closed gate costs me nothing but a change of playlist. If you are on a tight schedule, go early in your trip while you still have flex, not on the last day when a closure ruins the plan.
Xiata Versus Kuerdening
Kuerdening is groomed, fenced, and easier; Xiata is wild, remote, and harder. Both are Ili winter at its best. I send first-timers to Kuerdening and returning travellers to Xiata, and the difference between the two is roughly the difference between a guided tour and a private expedition. Both deserve a place in any skiing plan that includes touring.
The Verdict on Xiata
If you take one thing from this: Xiata is a full day, not a photo stop, and it rewards the prepared and punishes the casual. Go with a partner, go with time to spare, and go with the understanding that the mountain sets the terms. The hot springs at the end are the carrot, but the walk itself is the point — the corridor of snow, the frozen river, the glimpse of ice on the pass. I have done it four times and the valley has never been the same twice, which is the highest compliment a winter walk can earn. For the confident traveller it is the best day in Ili; for anyone else, it is a lesson in why remote winter demands respect before it offers reward.