Step aerobics up Huang Shan with half of China

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Day 463: Monday 5th October - Another day, another province

Not too much to say about today.

My bus leaves Hangzhou for Tunxi in neighbouring Anhui province at 11:20am. This should give me plenty of time to get up and get ready at my own pace. However, I was of course forgetting that this is China and the bus station is over 10 kilometres from my hostel! The verdict on reception is that a bus would take an hour to do the journey due to it being busy because of the holiday period so I opt for a taxi instead as I don’t have much more than an hour by the time I check out. It takes about three and a half hours from Hangzhou to Tunxi which is the city closest to Huang Shan (translates as Yellow Mountain). When I’m awake long enough to enjoy it, the scenery outside is beautiful.

Whilst I’m at the bus station I sort out the next leg of my journey to Wuhan. It is a bit strange to be booking a ticket out before I’ve even properly arrived but whilst I’m still in the holiday period I’m taking no chances. I manage to get a ticket to Wuhan no problem for the day after tomorrow. Now to find the hostel. Thankfully in my phone call with the hostel yesterday they told me to catch the number 9 bus to the train station which I do once I find it outside the bus station. Everything is going too well today. However, as I’ve said before, In China without the ability to speak or read the language you never really know what is fully going on.

At the hostel I book a bus to Huang Shan which will pick me up at the hostel but at ungodly hour of 5am. With tomorrow sorted out I relax in the hostel and then get talking to a guy from Hong Kong, Johnny who lives in Shanghai now. I go out to downtown with him in the evening for dinner. We eat in a hundred year old restaurant situated on the old street in Tunxi which has quite a nice feel to it. But no late night for me, it’s an early start tomorrow.

Day 464: Tuesday 6th October - The right location, the wrong day

I get up no problem, mainly thanks to another guy in my dorm who is also catching the bus to Huang Shan at 5am. I sleep all the way on the hour long bus journey and I am still half asleep when we arrive. I had thought that the bus I got was taking me all the way to the mountain but unfortunately not and I have to get another bus up the mountain once I arrive in Tangkou. It is about 7:30am when I start the climb up the first of many steps of Huang Shan. I am momentarily woken from my early morning drowsiness when I have to hand over the entrance fee - 230 Yuan (£20). I had almost forgotten about China’s extortionate entrance fees since my return 10 days ago until now.

I spend the first part of the morning trudging up the many steps from Ciguang Temple. I just can’t get going but then I never was a morning person. The lack of suitable nourishment for breakfast doesn’t help but it’s more than that. Half way up the steps I stop for yet another rest and soon become a minor celebrity on the mountain. There aren’t many western faces around and when the Chinese see me I get numerous requests for photos with families, children and teenage girls. It’s good fun though and puts a smile on my face.

Huang Shan is a granite massif consisting of 36 separate peaks, rising above 1,800 metres. Famous throughout Chinese artistic history, Huang Shan represents the typical mountain in Chinese paintings. Many peaks have very fanciful names such as 18 Arhats Worshipping the South Sea, Lotus Flower Peak, Celestial Capital, Paint Brush etc. Once I get up to the start of the western steps I can see what all the fuss is about Huang Shan’s iconic beauty - the scenery is incredible 360 degree views, granite peaks, and views across a sunny haze as far as the eye can see.

Before venturing on to the Western Steps I venture up Celestial Capital Peak, which is a further 1321 steps (no I wasn’t sad enough to count them!) to add to the thousands I’ve probably done already. This is the ultimate step-aerobic work-out! Stunning views unfold below from the top, the sun is shining and it is well worth the climb. There are quite a number of tourists around this section but nothing unmanageable. There are many padlocks on the top of the mountain, engraved with the names of young lovers who lash them to the chain railings for eternity. I sit for a while admiring the view and glad I took the advice of Ho-Yun and Ross - the couple I met on the slowboat in Laos - who told me about this place and showed me their stunning photos which provided the motivation for my visit.

I’ve woken up now and after getting lunch at the bottom of Celestial Capital Peak I’m looking forward to tackling the western steps and seeing how far I can get. I’ve realised already that Johnny plus the guy on reception at the hostel were right - you really need an overnight stay on the mountain to see it all. To get around the western and eastern steps in one day is really pushing it especially if you do one of the side climbs like I have just done.

I soon realise though that I’m not going to get as far as I would like after the initial section of the western steps near the cable car station is packed with people. I don’t exaggerate too much by saying that half of China is probably on the mountain today! The afternoon is not fun, what enjoyment can you take from natural beauty when you are forced to queue up behind people trying to climb the steps, or wait for others to descend the narrow pathways before you can progress??The horizon may stretch as far as the eye can see but I’m getting very claustrophobic. I make it to Lianrui Peak decorated with rocks named after animals which I can see tour guides pointing out to their groups. Lotus Flower Peak is sealed off so I continue on to Aoyu Peak. I never get there though, the queue of people trying to funnel up through a Gleam of Sky is too much. This isn’t enjoyable any more so I turn around and head back down the mountain.

Progress is slow until I get clear of the Western Steps section. The amount of people is just crazy. I can understand it as it is still in the week long national holiday and this must be one of the top attractions for miles around but it is still ridiculous that they let so many people on to the mountain. Surely the numbers are detracting from everyone’s enjoyment? Constant stopping and starting, queues and trying to keep out of people’s photos when they are stood right where you want to go all test the patience.

I get to the bus station at about 3pm, take a bus down to Tangkou and then another back to Tunxi. I’m tired and sore despite only seeing about 40% of the Huang Shan mountain range. To see it all I would have needed a night on the mountain. But, that doesn’t appeal. Not this week. If there were no crowds this place would be magical but today they spoilt it for me. The scenery was beautiful and the climb up and views from Celestial Capital Peak made it well worth the trip to come here. However, due to the timing of my visit I will have to disagree with my guidebook which rates it as one of China’s top 10 sights.

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