Not Sweating the Small Stuff

Update - Shangri-La Restaurant Post

A kind reader has just sent a URL expanding the post on the restaurant at the summit (LINK) of one of the five peaks of Huashan Mountain, 240 kilometres out of Xi'an in western China.

As well as giving the following ...

Huashan Mountain is located some 240 kilometers away from Xi’an, approximately a two and half hours drive. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. Huashan Mountain is well-known for its sheer cliffs and plunging ravines. It is the most dangerous mountain in China for climbers.

There are five peaks in the mountain, among which the most famous three are Sunrise Peak (East Peak), Lotus Flower Peak (West Peak), Falling Goose Peak (South Peak). The Sunrise Peak is a fine place to enjoy the sunrise view in early morning, which is frequented by travellers. Huashan means flower mountain and it got the name from the Lotus Peak, which resemble a beautifully blooming lotus flower. The falling Goose Peak is the highest among the five. The two other less visited are Jade Maiden (Middle Peak, legend goes that a jade maiden once saw riding a white horse among the mountains hence the name) and Cloud Stand Peak( North peak).. The path to the 2158 summit is nearly vertical, which now is equipped with iron chains to protect climbers. The climb to its summit makes it clear how the impenetrable mountain repelled those invaders over centuries.

Renewed as a sacred mountain, Huashan boast a lot of religious heritages. Buddhism and Daoism temples, pavilions, buildings and scriptures scatter around everywhere. The most famous historical sites include Yuquan Courtyard, Zhenwu Palace, Jintian Palace and much more.

Cable cars are available and take tourists to the northern summit of the mountain. If you want to challenge your endurance and physical strength then choose to climb the mountain. However, you are kindly advised to begin your arduous journey early in the morning, even before the sunrises, this way during your trek you can be lucky enough to nourish your aching body with the breath-taking sunrise which dances over the horizon when you reach the summit at morning.

... there's a video people on one of the scarier parts of the ascent ...


... which I hope ...

... will give you that 'being there' experience, as it did me!

My toes are still tingling.