M-whY

And so I began, paying the ridiculously high 100 yuan admission fee. Signs (in chinese and english) read 'Since ancient times, there is one path and one path only to the summit,' reminding hikers to stay on the trail and perhaps suggesting that the cable car is for wimps. Two words took turns occupying my thoughts during the climb. My first reaction was 'Wow'. Surrounded by sheer cliffs, with inscriptions carved into nearly every rock face, and accompanied by a running brook; There was plenty to look at along the way. According to what seems to be a Taoist tradition, places of worship were built right into rock. (The Hanging Monastery back near Datong was Taoist too.) Formidable granite peaks loomed in the distance, reminding me just how far I had to go...

Which brings us to my other thought: 'Why?' Why was I doing this? I maintained a unhurried, leisurely pace, but not very far into it, my body started complaining. Actually, the complaints started way before I even got on the trail, all the way back when I first decided I was going to do this. It's been like this a lot lately: My mind issues an order, 'We're going to do this today,' and my body counters with, 'No, too tired.' The mind always wins, but the body drags on like a petulant child, making each step of the 6km ascent agonizing and slow. As a compromise, I stopped at the first food stand I came to and refueled with some lunch.

Also on sale were these locks, whose purpose puzzled me until I realized it was some sort of tradition to chain them along the paths. Most were etched with well-wishes for family or loved ones. Some sections had so many, they must've easily numbered in the thousands. At some point, my legs stopped aching and I was able to quicken my step; It was as if my physical self realized no one was listening to its objections and it might as well cooperate. Like this, I was able to wind through the '18 bends' without much trouble. Until I reached the 'Thousand Meter Pillar', and the protests began anew.

"[If anyone falls, give a yell so we can get out of the way,]" nervously joked the guy in front of me. It must've been at least a 60 degree incline - pictures don't accurately convey how precarious it was. If it weren't for the chains, I would've turned back immediately and looked for the cable car. My reward for reaching the top were even more stairs. It would be like this all the way to the North Peak summit.

Here, I was joined by all the day trippers who had come up the easy way. The views were magnificent. The twisted trees on rugged slopes made for great backdrops. I sat on a bench, wondering whether I'd have enough daylight to make it to the other peaks, or if I should check into the accomodations here on the North Peak, when a Chinese guy about my age asked if I would be interested in continuing on with him. His three other friends had been thoroughly exhausted by the climb and wanted to go down via cable car the same day, leaving Gary was looking for a new partner. So together, we crossed the Green Dragon Ridge, past trees showcasing their autumn colors, while the sun set in the west and the moon rose in the east. Like I said... Wow!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!