Mt. Huashan.

The Soldiers' Trail.

A few days before i left for China a friend told me about his most incredible experience in China. He described climbing Mt. Huashan, one of China's Five Holy Mountains. He said the mountain is extremely beautiful and home to several Taoist temples. Though a challenge to reach, the spectacular views are worth it. Say no more.. there is no way i would miss it.

Everyone takes the cable car up the mountain.. everyone but me.

When the bus group i was traveling with reached the foot of Mt. Huashan, we were presented with two options. Either take the mechanized cable car to the top or hike the punishing "Soldier's Trail" straight up the side of the mountain - guess which i chose? The guide tried to talk me out of it, telling me i would never have enough time to reach the summit before the bus left. I told him i would take my chances.. this is what i came for.

It didn't take long for the views to begin.

Words to live by.

And i was right. The climb up the trail was beautiful. It was also peaceful, as i was the only one out of several thousand who took the trail option that day. On my way up, i encountered a handful of Chinese who had taken the cable car up, but were descending via the trail. They all looked at me as if i was crazy, but all greeted me with smiles and a hearty Ni hao! (hello). I even got a few Lihigh! (you are hardcore/awesome!).

Bridge and waterfall.

This guy lives in a small hut halfway up the mountain.

The trail itself was composed almost entire of stone steps, steps that led up for two miles into the sky. At several points, the steps were no more than carvings into the mountainside. Luckily, whomever built this trail (i am assuming it was soldiers, hence the name) thought to include heavy chains bolted into the rock. As you might imagine, this made climbing the carved steps possible.

This is exactly what i came for.. oh yea!

A view from halfway up the mountain.

After several grueling, sweaty hours, but less than half the time that the guide suggested, i reached the summit. As i paused to catch my breath and cool off, many of the cable car riders stared at me as if i was an alien. They were probably thinking “Who the hell in their right mind would want to CLIMB up here?” The answer: this guy.

I wish more mountains were made this way - climbing is fun!

The top of the mountain is home to several Taoist temples. It also hosts several shops and food stalls. I was completely dismayed to discover not hundreds, but thousands of Chinese tourists pouring out of the cable car and flooding the mountaintop. The crowds were so thick, it literally had the feel of being at Disneyland.

Temples and crowds.

A Taoist temple with incense sticks burning.

I didn't stay on the mountaintop long. After battling the mountain in relative peace during the climb up, i didn't feel like battling the crowds on top. After checking out a temple or two, and with time running downfor me to meet the bus back to Xi'an, i climbed into the cable car with five strangers and floated back down the mountain.

The Disneyland crowds line up for the cable car ride down the mountain.

Beijing Hikers.

Beijing Hikers exploring natural China.

Shortly after arriving in China I picked up several local English papers to see what is happening in Beijing. I am still blown away by the sheer number of options you have as a Beijing resident. Regardless of your interests you are sure to find something interesting. The city offers everything from tango classes, calligraphy lessons, art exhibitions, Chinese opera, live jazz, organized mountain bike trips, and even pickup games of cricket. In terms of culture and activities, I feel Beijing is right up there with DC.

My first weekend I linked up with Beijing Hikers, a local group that heads outside the city every weekend to get some fresh air and explore the natural environment. As you all must know by now, this is right up my alley. I was excited to get my first glimpse of China outside the capitol.

Our group of 14 met up at a Starbucks just before 7am and we all piled into the minibus waiting nearby. An hour later, we were outside the city and winding up the side of a steep green mountain. Despite being so close to the city, the area in which we were hiking is very rural and a number of farmers could be seen working their small fields.

Not what you'd expect to see in China, is it?

We began the hike in a small village and were soon pressing through lush vegetation at the bottom of a canyon. In some ways, the area reminded me of Shenandoah in Virginia. After a few hours, the canyon opened up in spectacular fashion. The group scrambled over rocks and helped each other along as we continued on our way.


I met an awesome Australian couple named Karl and Amy during the hike. They are originally from Melbourne, so we had plenty to talk about. Karl works as an editor and amateur photographer for a major newswire service while Amy works for IBM. After several years in Hong Kong and Singapore, they moved here. They were pretty impressed with my knowledge of Australia, especially the fact that I still follow the footy (Aussie rules football). In case you are wondering who i barrack (root) for, the Hawthorn Hawks are my side. They are currently in 2nd place out of 16 teams and are having their best season in years!

My first encounter with the Great Wall.

I knew that we would get to see a remote section of the Great Wall on the hike. What i did not realize is that i would get to see the 'Wild Wall.' The sections of the wall most visited have been rebuilt in order for tourists to see how the wall once appeared. The section we visited is how most of the wall (or what is left) appears today.

Truly.. the nickname Wild Wall is well deserved.

Remnants of the guard tower.

Personally i prefer Wild Walls over tame walls.