A couple weeks ago, a friend introduced me to a new travel company website,
Yejo, for excursions around China, and suggested that we set off for a weekend hike in the mountains. To be honest, I have been feeling rather stressed lately, not to mention a lack of stimulation and fed up with all of the negative energy around me constantly, so I decided that some serenity in the mountains was just what I needed. The pictures looked incredible and I just couldn't resist, so Anna, Keri and I packed our backpacks and headed out.
Just like an other excursion in China, it was an unforgettable adventure from start to finish! Our bus, loaded with 24 people of 10 different nationalities, set off around 8:00 pm on Friday night heading west to JingHua Village in the ZheJing Mountains. Five hours later, our large bus drove through a very tiny village, up hill on dirt roads (rather scary on a bus) before coming to a stop at our guesthouse. The guesthouse turned out to be surprisingly pleasant - large house with several rooms loaded with beds, a couple bathrooms, and a really friendly local family. It was nearly 1:00 am by the time we made it to the guesthouse and we had an early start in the morning, so we all headed straight to bed. The next morning, the roosters woke us up with the sunrise and the family made us breakfast while our guide studies his hand drawn map of the mountain trails.
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| Guesthouse & the hand drawn map |
Soon, we were loaded back up in the bus ready to begin our 6 hour hike to the summit where we were to set up camp for the night. The family from the guesthouse accompanied us as our guide and our carriers - they carried all of our food, tents and camping supplies. The tour bus struggled as it drove into the mountains, around curves, up hills, down slopes, before it finally broke down right in the middle of the road, up against the guard rail so we couldn't even open the door. Entertaining to say the least as we watched several people climb in and out of the windows in an effort to fix the bus, but in no time, it was up and running again.
Finally, we began our hike at 10:30 am. The first hour of the hike was beautiful - breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain range, lush green jungle in every direction, blue skies and sunshine and not another soul in sight... just perfect. Quickly, the hike became a bit more difficult as we began climbing straight up the rocky terrain for the next hour. I was worried that I wasn't going to make it if the next four hours were the same but after a quick break, the hike mellowed out a bit back into the slow incline, winding around the mountain for another couple hours.
Around 2:00, we found a small opening near a stream and set up for lunch. Without getting too comfortable, Anna and I quickly headed back onto the trail. Following lunch, our hike took an unexpected turn... Our "leisure" hike had become increasingly more difficult as the rocky terrain, unstable ground, fallen down trees and flowing streams made for an interesting series of obstacle courses in our path. Additionally, it had began raining and our guide was losing patience and running far ahead of us. Nearly five hours into our hike, the guide told us that we were still at least four hours from the summit (straight up) and we were not going to make it before nightfall, so he offered us an easier alternative - a three hour hike down hill to a park where we could camp for the night. The choice seemed obvious - it was definitely not the trail that we wanted to be hiking in the dark, and the "six hour" time frame was proving to be only accurate at running speed, so we chose the "easier downhill" option.
Before I begin the downhill tale, let me first tell you that I will never again assume that the downhill option is going to be easier.... After backtracking for 15 minutes, we found ourselves against a rock wall that we needed to climb. Mind that it is down pouring at this point and we are all carrying 20 pound backpacks but we accepted the challenge and began following the guide. Next we came to steep slope of rocks, trees and mud thanks to the rain. I will never really be able to describe the exhilarating adventure of this portion of the hike, but it was the scariest and most difficult/challenging thing I have ever had to do physically.
With each step, the muddy hill turned into a slippery slope. Rocks began to avalanche as the hikers below dodge them. We found ourselves sliding downhill through the mud on our butts from one tree branch to the next hoping that the roots wouldn't pull out of the ground. Trying to plant my foot on the ground for stability was a hopeless and trying to find traction on a hill of ice. I had to dig my hands in the ground to keep myself from sliding 80 meters down to the cliff, and taking out anyone below me in the process. At one point, I was holding onto a tree branch when it snapped and I luckily slide down to the next tree barely snagging it with my arm (I now have the bruise to prove it). As a team, we came together in effort to help one another - survival mode. Anna keep telling me, "Put your foot here... don't step here.... grab here.... climb this way... watch out for this rock..."
Just when I thought the worst part was over, yet another challenge lay ahead. At the edge of the 100 meter mud slope, the only way down was a local-made bridge, similar to something you would see in Indiana Jones movie - bamboo sticks holding up small planks of wood insecurely fastened down with just about a foot gap between each one. The planks were not stable enough to walk across, it was a rather steep slope and the 200 meter rocky fall of death lurking below was enough to even make my knees shake. We had to sit on our butts and "crab walk" down the bridge.
It took us nearly 2 hours to make our way down the 100 meter mud slope and another 100 meters of bridge, and by the end, I was feeling on top of the world. Honestly, while I was doing it all, I was only thinking
Ok, what do I need to do... and only thinking of the best way to keep myself safe. I did not process what I had actually done until I was at the bottom, looking up at what I had accomplished - an amazing feeling! Covered in mud from head to toe, Anna and I jumped into the fresh stream at the bottom the waterfall to clean up a bit... never mind that it was absolutely freezing water, it was the best tasting water I had ever had in my entire life!
That night, we didn't make it as far as we had hoped before the sun went down, and we found ourselves a cozy half built Chinese Temple in the middle of the park where we set up camp on the cement floors next to the sound of rushing water over yet another waterfall. The next morning when we woke up, we had another hour hike to get out of the park. We followed the rushing rapids of the stream through the valley of the mountains the rest of the way out and I was thankful that we had saved that last hour for the light of the next morning because it was the most beautiful (and my favorite part) of the hike.
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we camped in the building in the upper right corner
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