Vitalii

Photos from my pilgrimage to the mountains of China in 2010

By Vitalii, in Daoist Discussion

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Taomeow   

Taomeow
Posted (edited)

How do you get back down? I don't mind going *up* stairs, but down kills me... repelling option? ;)

Here's from my experience.

 

Was hiking locally (Santa Ana mountains) with a friend, and when we were on top of wherever it was we climbed, it rained, and "down" became slippery. I was pretty unsure of my footing all the while going down, slipping here, sliding there, but then I was completely stuck on a huge boulder, ass bare (the boulder, not me) and pretty much straight up vertical (with a rope anchored into the side). My friend, an experienced mountaineer, climbed down and back up to show me how to do it several times -- no way, I couldn't replicate it. He engaged some other hiker's help and the two of them stood under the boulder and showed me how they would just catch me if I fall. Nope. Couldn't do it. I thought I'd have to spend the rest of my life on that boulder, or shame myself into a helicopter rescue or something. Then another hiker came along, a Japanese guy looking like a ninja. He quickly assessed the situation and told me, "whoa, those slippery sneakers, eh? Take them off!" He took off his own, and the socks too, threw them down, and followed them down barefoot, nimble as a mountain goat. I saw the light then. I took off my sneakers and socks, and it was a different world! I could now climb down and go back up and back down again just for fun, no problem. Feeling stuff is everything. :)

Edited by Taomeow
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i am   

i am
Posted

A lot of the mountains in China have stairs. Stairs everywhere over there! Stairs stairs and more stairs...

 

Just be happy there isn't a gondola going up to the top of Hua Shan or Huang Shan...yet.

 

Nice photos! I had planned on hiking it, but couldn't find people to do it with, got a sinus infection, and got intimidated by the guide book telling me I'd need to take a bus part way, get out on the highway and hitchhike the rest of the way! If I had some other people to boost my courage, maybe. But I wimped out.

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BaguaKicksAss   

BaguaKicksAss
Posted

 

Here's from my experience.

 

Was hiking locally (Santa Ana mountains) with a friend, and when we were on top of wherever it was we climbed, it rained, and "down" became slippery. I was pretty unsure of my footing all the while going down, slipping here, sliding there, but then I was completely stuck on a huge boulder, ass bare (the boulder, not me) and pretty much straight up vertical (with a rope anchored into the side). My friend, an experienced mountaineer, climbed down and back up to show me how to do it several times -- no way, I couldn't replicate it. He engaged some other hiker's help and the two of them stood under the boulder and showed me how they would just catch me if I fall. Nope. Couldn't do it. I thought I'd have to spend the rest of my life on that boulder, or shame myself into a helicopter rescue or something. Then another hiker came along, a Japanese guy looking like a ninja. He quickly assessed the situation and told me, "whoa, those slippery sneakers, eh? Take them off!" He took off his own, and the socks too, threw them down, and followed them down barefoot, nimble as a mountain goat. I saw the light then. I took off my sneakers and socks, and it was a different world! I could now climb down and go back up and back down again just for fun, no problem. Feeling stuff is everything. :)

 

Cool story! You have any idea of the bill for those rescue copters?!

 

I hike around mountains in vibrams quite often :) :) :)

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Taomeow   

Taomeow
Posted (edited)

Cool story! You have any idea of the bill for those rescue copters?!

 

I hike around mountains in vibrams quite often :) :) :)

I was so broke then, I'd probably have to opt for living on the boulder, perhaps drinking rainwater and eating... um, lichen?..

 

I tried vibrams, was not impressed... but I made myself a pair of huaraches, the running shoes of the Tarahumara Indians, who are some of the best runners in the world and probably the best on mountainous terrain. The ones I made are only a prototype, flimsy (I used an old leather bag and a cork mat), but the comfort is unmatched -- barefoot essentially yet with your soles protected. The day I lay my hands on a piece of real thick leather, I'll make the real ones (Tarahumara are said to make do with even old tires, but they've had a kind of training I didn't, so I'll go for the classic.)

 

 

Edited by Taomeow
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BaguaKicksAss   

BaguaKicksAss
Posted

I was so broke then, I'd probably have to opt for living on the boulder, perhaps drinking rainwater and eating... um, lichen?..

 

I tried vibrams, was not impressed... but I made myself a pair of huaraches, the running shoes of the Tarahumara Indians, who are some of the best runners in the world and probably the best on mountainous terrain. The ones I made are only a prototype, flimsy (I used an old leather bag and a cork mat), but the comfort is unmatched -- barefoot essentially yet with your soles protected. The day I lay my hands on a piece of real thick leather, I'll make the real ones (Tarahumara are said to make do with even old tires, but they've had a kind of training I didn't, so I'll go for the classic.)

 

For running down a deer over several days... *or* getting over pesky boulders :).

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