Sunday, July 12, 2009

HuaShan (華山)

Hua Shan is about 2 hours away from Xian. We are at the foot of the mountain, looking up. 華山的山腳。

有兩個方法上山。 一是吊車, 二是走樓梯。 It is about 4,000 steps from the lower cable car station at the foot of the mountain to the upper station up the mountain. The upper station is quite close to the Northern Peak, the lowest of the four peaks. We took the cable car because we did not have enough time. Partly, it was also because of my vertigo. I should be able to make it up, when I do not have to look downward. But I am not so sure about coming down.

There are still thousands of steps to climb, even from the upper cable car station. Much of the supplies are carried up the mountain, on the shoulders of labourers. I don’t think I can do what they do.

The Dragon’s Back. We climbed half way up (the left side of the photo), but have to turn back before getting to the top for fear of missing the last cable car ride down the mountain.

Looking down from half way up the Dragon's Back. The lowest of the peaks, the Northern Peak, is in the middle of the photo.

The Northern Peak, the lowest and easiest to get to.

The Dragon's Back, from a distance.

The mountains are really really striking.


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