Hiking Huangshan

**Okay, I just finished writing this. And I apologize in advance for another novel of a post. Sorry. 

(But I guess I'm not really all that sorry...)**

So, something China really loves to brag about are its mountains. This is interesting, because mountains are not the first thing most foreigners think of upon hearing "China." However, with a little experience and knowledge about China, one quickly discovers the vast presence of mountains in Chinese culture.

Case and Point: Chinese Art.
It's full of mountains.

One of China's most famous mountains (according to, well, everyone in China) is the beautiful, amazing, wonderful and majestic Huangshan - or, in English: Yellow Mountain. I think I can safely say that after nearly two years in China, I've had at least 30 different people tell me I need to visit Huangshan (and I think that may be an understatement). So, with only a month and a half left in this country, I decided it was finally time to take the trip to Anhui province and hike the infamous Yellow Mountain.

Huangshan, here I come!

While travelling alone has its numerous benefits, I decided I'd rather not venture Huangshan alone, so I invited one of my fellow foreign teachers/friends, Adam, to join me. Our journey started early on a Tuesday morning at one of the local bus stations.

Huangshan Crew 4LYF

**Side Story #1: We were actually a few minutes late for our bus (totally my fault), and about 5 minutes before it was scheduled to leave, I got a phone call. Turns out, it was the bus driver calling to make sure we were coming - I told him we'd be a few minutes late, and he said he'd wait for us! (This conversation was in broken Chinese, of course). I was so touched by his thoughtfulness; it's times like these I really love being in China.

The bus ride to Huangshan took about three and a half hours (Anhui province is just west of Zhejiang). Upon arriving, we had a quick lunch, took another shuttle bus to the base of the mountain, and then caught a cable car to assist in our ascent (ain't nobody got time to climb that whole mountain).

I swear they're 100% safe...
maybe.

**Side Story #2: Probably my favorite part of the whole day (aside from gorgeous views) had to be when we got on the shuttle bus headed for the base of the mountain; we stepped onto a bus full of middle-aged Koreans completely decked out in neon hiking gear. I kid you not, it was like we were smack in the middle of a Patagonia advertisement. I turn back to look at Adam who declares, "And I immediately feel completely under-prepared for this trip. Wow." This kept me laughing the entire 10-minute bus ride.

**Side Story #3: During the same bus ride, I sat next to a group of Chinese people (around my age), who pointed out that aside from the six of us (four Chinese, two Americans), everyone on the bus was Korean. They then asked me if this is what it feels like to be a foreigner... which was actually kind of sweet. Then, they asked some of the Koreans if they liked PSY, to which the Koreans (all above 50 years old, mind you) responded with an energetic round of "Gangnam Style" song and dance. Ah, the unforgettable moments in life...

Once at the top of the cable-car lift, Adam and I spent the rest of the afternoon hiking around the various trails of Huangshan. One of the best parts of hiking in China is that all the trails are paved; and all the slopes are complete with stairs. Also, one of the worst parts of hiking in China is that all the trails are paved; and all the slopes are complete with stairs. While the paved trails feel safe and secure (you don't have to worry so much about mis-stepping or tripping), it is a little rougher on the legs (no shock absorbency there). And while the stairs seem helpful and inviting, after about 10-minutes of nonstop climbing, your sweat-drenched, muscle-burning body tells you otherwise. I'm pretty sure I can blame China for my extreme resentment of stairs in the future (and if you don't understand how this is possible, just ask Rachel for further explanation. She knows).

Trails & Stairs.
All. Day.

Fortunately, the views from the mountaintops here make all those stairs mostly totally worth it. For one, the shape of the mountains is unlike any I've seen back home - when I look at the mountains here, it's like I can see the rock shooting out of the earth billions of years ago to form them.

I mean, just look at that...

Straight out of "Land Before Time"

Literally shooting into the sky!

Another unique trait of Chinese mountains is the constant flow of mist. Sometimes the mist is light and breezy; you can see it dancing along the wind. Other times it is so thick and opaque that you can't see anything beyond it. One of the coolest moments of the day happened when Adam and I had reached the top of one of the peaks - we looked down upon the valleys, cliffs and trees; it was a completely clear view. However, within two minutes. the mist had rolled in and when we looked over the precipice again, we could see literally nothing. It's amazing, but also totally eerie.

This is Adam being eaten by the mists.

It is pretty cool, though.

So after hiking for a few hours, dusk finally set in, so Adam and I (being the cheapskates that we are) started looking for a place to sleep. Yes, there are hotels at the top of the mountain, but they were way out of our price range. Adam (an experienced outdoors-man, thank goodness), suggested we save some cash and get rugged; that's right, we camped. Not only did we camp, but we went super hardcore and didn't even use a tent (mostly because neither of us felt like carrying one around all day). So, Adam found a nice, flat little area off one of the trails and set us up (we had a tarp, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags). And there we attempted to sleep. Needless to say, it was not my most restful (nor comfortable) night. But, I felt like a total B.A., so I think it was worth it.

We also packed our own meals,
Pot and propane courtesy of Adam!

**Side Story #4: At some point during the night, I woke up to Adam beating a metal pan against a tree. It turns out, he had heard something lurking around near our sleep-site and was attempting to scare it away. It wasn't until the next morning that we realized MONKEYS live on this mountain. And, let me tell you, monkeys are not animals to be messed around with. I'm not sure I would have been so willing to sleep outside had I known there'd be monkeys prowling around. Oh well - too late now! 

This monkey ain't no joke.

Bright and early on Wednesday morning (4:45am, baby!), we woke up in order to watch the famous Yellow Mountain sunrise. It was nice, but I think I would have preferred more sleep instead. We spent the rest of the morning hiking to some different peaks of the mountain. We had another run-in with some monkeys (on the trail this time - and totally freaky. One of them even hissed at me! What?!).

It's gorgeous!!
(Better if read in an Australian accent)

Then, we found another cable car station, headed back down the mountain and caught the bus back to Hangzhou. BOOM. Huangshan: Conquered in 24 hours by Adam and Olivia. Worth it? Absolutely. But maybe next time, I'll bring a tent...

Zai Jian, y'all!