Yellow Mountain III: descending the Western Steps(2)
Further along and the route splits into two with a gate blocking one of the routes. It's obvious which way I should be going, but I can't help following others who are sneaking under the huge gap at the bottom of the gate to explore a little further. It turns out that the gate leads to an almost vertical descent of steps that lead down between a gap in the rocks. It looks a perilous enough staircase without imagining the extra danger that the frozen ice adds to it.
A Chinese guy hovers at the top and I watch him with interest. He turns to the others and says: "I'll let the laowai go down before me and see what happens!" This causes much mirth until I reply: “I might be a laowai, but that doesn't mean I'm crazy!" I content myself with a photograph and am happy to take the alternative route.
Meeting the Guest Welcoming Pine
The alternative route takes a lower but equally splendid path that feels as though it is cut into the rock face itself. The views are magnificent and this is by far the most interesting and picturesque section of the mountain so far. The steps drop steeply in ragged zigzags down one cliff face, only to turn and snake their way up the next. It turns out this is the beginning of the climb to Lotus Peak, but as it is closed, the steps lead downwards yet again.
The route is at times labyrinthine, curling between narrow gaps in the rock face, or winding through caves. Every few step opens out onto another breathtaking view or offers an interesting distraction to the fact that I am tramping in sub-zero temperatures along around 15km of concrete steps.
The pine trees are particularly impressive, with their rough stems and intricate patterns of branches. Some stand alone on distant peaks looking like bonsai trees whilst others grow in the path that has somehow been laid around them.
Yet another rock formation sits on the side of the path and this time is famous because it looks like a mobile phone. I can see the resemblance, but to me it looks like a pear. I wonder what it looked like before mobile phones were invented.
It's sometime later that I come out of the relative quietness of the pathway and onto a large terrace that is packed with people. It's the concourse belonging to the Jade Screen Hotel which is also where the Yuping Cable Car drops off visitors who don't want to walk the full length of the Western Steps. Not without reason does the mountain's most famous pine tree reside here.
The Guest Welcoming Pine is, compared with other pine trees I've seen, rather over-rated, but one can't fail to see where it earns its renown. Situated at the top of the Western Route it stretches its branches out over the path like long arms ready to support the weary traveler. Of course, now it is safely ensconced behind ropes and a canny photographer makes a good living charging people to get their photos taken with it.
The Western Steps Have One Last Surprise
The Western Route is without doubt the most scenic of my whole trip and I'm delighted I chose to end my trip with this descent. I’m also delighted I'm not climbing up, because the Western Route is incredibly long. The non-stop (no exaggeration) steps wreak havoc with even the fittest of knees and especially after 2 days climbing on the mountain, my legs are beginning to hurt.
The route passes the closed stairway of Heavenly City Peak which reaches up to 1810 meters.
As the path descends, the trees begin and the temperature slowly increases. I can feel my feet beginning to thaw and I start to feel warm again, a novelty after 3 days on top of the mountain. The sun beams down through the trees and it feels almost like Spring.
It's at this point that Yellow Mountain has one last surprise in store for me. Here, only a kilometer or so from the foot of the mountain, I hear a crashing in the trees to my left. I stop and take a look and there is a monkey, sat in the tree, and apparently completely oblivious to my presence. I take out my camera and get a shot before he jumps off and back into the undergrowth.
I reach the car-park at the bottom of the Western Steps at 2:15 pm in the afternoon. It has taken me around 6 hours to make the full descent and I’m hungry and exhausted, my legs don’t even want to climb up the step onto the bus, but I make it. It seems like the first time I’ve rested in days...
