Story 05: Training weekend III

When I had looked at my weekend destination with google-maps eyes, I though this would be the easiest training so far. Not at all, it was the most difficult...

  

The way from my computer to the place where my treking starts was exceptionally easy, because I had been in those mountains before (who has leaved in Kunming – and I think most of you did – knows that in those mountains is one of the most popular temples, which is imbedded in high rock cliff).

However, my attraction was not the temple but the mountain ridge, which is covered with very scenic stone formations, more than 10km long. I followed my old rock tradition and this time I except the rock I took also 4kg heavy water melon and six 2litre water bottles (OK, I’ll mention two cans of beer only marginally...;-) That evening, I weight my rucksack and it had 32kg! (Now you probably know why this trip happened to be the most difficult for me...)

Can you spot some tourists with umbrellas?
..and guess why I chose that peak in the distance..?

I had planned to follow the mountain ridge, to have beautiful views on both sides. And so, I started my trek straight on the top of rock formations (also because I wanted to train my walking balance on ’not-even’ surface). The plan was good...but the reality was different: I was dangerously staggering on high rocks every time when my ‚rocky friend in the bag‘ outbalanced me into every possible direction. If you add the fact, that sometimes I had to jump from one rock to another, that the rocks on their tops were sometimes only pinnacle wide and that some of them measured over 3m, then you can imagine why the travel of 1,5 kilometre took me 1,5 hour.

Finally, when I got to the top of the mountain, I saw in the distance so beautifully shaped hill that I fell in love with him on first sight. And it was the moment when my next plan (that finally destroyed me completely) was alive. I had jumped off the rocks and started to follow a footpath, so I could get to my lovely destination as soon as possible (at this point only 6km was dividing us apart).

If you have ever did trekking in China – and I think most of you did – then you know, that some footpaths are displayed on google aerial views but they don’t exist in reality. Either, they are already covered with some vegetation, or only they look as footpaths on the map (google and China are not in very good relationship and therefore they don’t update maps very often). 

While wading through low thorny bush but high grass, I was thinking and calculating the time which would take me to (this time already starting to be not lovely but) unfriendly opponent.  It was already late afternoon and I still had to go the same way back. That could be on sharp rocks or even more: after dusk, a suicide attempt and if I don’t hurry I would have to stay camping in the mountains. Also, I started to feel tiredness in my legs from playing badminton game the day before (btw.: badminton is the most popular sport in China, even more popular than ping pong!).

‚Unfriendly opponent‘ surprised me again by not rising from the mountain massive on which I was walking, but there was a deep valley dividing them and I had to descent into it first. All that sum into fact, that I came under my ‚opponent‘ already a bit late (at 4.30pm!). The hill wanted discourage me also by how steep it was and that he wasn’t shaved as it looked from a distance. However, after a short hesitation (when I tried to calculate my time for return) I decided that I would choose the challenge and I started to climb up following an imaginary line straight to the top.

Bush with thorns, high grass with hidden stones and dry branches, also very steep slope (I was climbing also with my hands almost all the time which resulted in bloody cuts on my skin – literary!) very soon took a lot of my energy and after one and half hour of climbing I was still only in half way to the top. The energy from me successfully sucked also my 32kg ‚rocky in the bag‘ which I was still dragging on my sholders. And therefore, I had finally decided (this time exceptionally cleverly) to give up this fight and enjoy the sweet melon on a nearby rock formation (to be honest, I also wanted to eat part of my heavy load from rucksack...)

Soon came the time when I really had to go back (it was nearly 6pm in the evening). Who has rested during some exhausting trekking knows, that after a small rest your legs get double weight and change into iron poles. That happened to me as well and while descending the steep slope I felt every muscle in my legs. 

The way back started to be time hunting challenge. Even I had already remembered the way back, I still managed to get lost (I experimented with some ‚shortcuts‘...) and the way back became longer that it necessary had to be. With every step I took, I felt every muscle in my legs, after feeling every small stone under my shoes, after feeling pain in my shoulders and back from heavy rucksack, I finally got to the place where the wading through savannah ended and the look-like footpath started. Only here I really believed that I would not have to stay camping under the stars tonight. 

Without any injury, but completely exhausted, I approached my motorbike already in dusk. I still dragged the rock in my rucksack all the way home, just to find out how heavy load made me so exhausted today.

Unfortunately, I already know now that these ’rocky friends‘ will not say goodbye soon....

 My China remark III:

You have probably known that Chinese people are very superstitious and they believe in lucky numbers. So for example, a wedding (but also a new shop opening or moving into a new flat) is always planned on a day, which was firstly portend by a witch. That this is extremely important for them proves, that the weddings happen on any day of the week including working days. There are only few ‚proper‘ dates for wedding during the whole year (depending on both partners’ birthdays) and they are strictly followed. However, the wedding consist only form supper which is served in some decent restaurant and last only for two or three hours. After that, all wedding guests go home…

Story 04: Training weekend II

The previous weekend took it’s toll and my knees hurt together with my bonny back which couldn’t stand a bouncing heavy rock on him again. All their protests resulted in slightly less weight of rocks that I was planning to take with me this time.

 This weekend destination (19.May 2013) was nearly equally far as the last time but in completely opposite direction - I went west, toward Anning Spa Spring Valley. 

GPS on my mobile ignored me completely between all those surrounded high hills and I had to drive my motorbike to the nearest village, check the destination and then go back to ‘wilderness’ again.   

As my back suggested I didn’t took one big rock but instead I took a bunch of smaller rocks and accompanied them with three 2-liter bottles and middle size but heavy enough watermelon (this time definitely more delicious load).

The path started straight off from the main road and I didn’t have to drive around to find any foot of the mountain as the last week – I was in between mountains straight away. 

And soon I was exploring a small path going through the forest and next to few rice terraces again. This time I planned to follow the path as much as I could and see where will I end up, but already after 1 hour I lost my way and patience and I found myself rolling through thick bushes and very old and dry rice terraces that were masked with leaves, bushes and trees.

Small highlights however, were two shelters that I found on the way – one made from the mud and another from wooden branches, but both half devastated and deserted. One of them was surrounded by wooden logs from which used to be prepared wooden charcoal in the adjacent mud-stone stove. Wandering who was making charcoal coal all the way up here and how hard must be the life for some of those local people, I left the site.  

The higher I was going the more spectacular views were appearing under me and after some time I found myself out of forest in a river-bed-like cannon that leads me straight to the top. The only company up here was a herd of goats that starred to me without a single motion so for a short while I was in doubts if they are really alive or only staffed figures (maybe I was partly hallucinating from stove-hot direct sun and from the heavy rucksack on my shoulders).  

Only thinking about my all-day-effort reward - the sweet and big watermelon in my bag (still bouncing on my bonny back with every step I took) I had been still progressing to the top and looking forward for my reward to be eaten soon. Fortunately, after not very long time I really reached the top which surprised me with a view on other side of this mountain – there was a small but nice village only half the kilometer away! That means that after a long climbing and trekking away from civilization I was actually coming back and closer to it...;-)

The top view was very beautiful and everywhere where I looked, I saw picturesque hills and hills again. Dirt roads were making their curvy and steep ways from valleys to the top of mountain and then following the long ridge. And while looking at these strips across mountains, I had got an idea that the next weekend I would take an off-road bike trip through all those hills – that would be fantastic! 

After some time that I took for rest, refilling my belly and eating my rucksack load I took the way back. The rule that finding the way from the mountains is much easier than finding it on the way up, proved to be right again. After steep and small-rocks-slippery slope where I have to descend sidewise, I got back to the forest where I found a buried pipe line and by following it I got soon into a village which was not very far from my parked motorbike (this time I parked it in a small forest so I didn’t bother to mask it…).

The knee sleeves and proper hiking shoes proved to be extremely valuable and after all day hiking I didn’t feel any pain in my legs at all (however, the next day I felt that I have some muscles on my legs as well….;-)

Now, I am really looking forward to come back here the next weekend but that time on my bicycle. It would be not just enjoyable training but also great down-hill ride!!!

My China Remark II: 

Did you know that in China they cut the whole chicken into soup (including head and feet) and with the all its bones? They cut chicken into around 3x3cm pieces together with bones and boil it with vegetable to make not so bad tasting soup. 

However, sometimes you find floating chicken head with beak on the top of your soup... And the most delicious chicken parts for Chinese are feet which they boil / roast with everything, including nails...

Story 03: Training weekend I

When you are about to take one of the most difficult physical challenges in your life you need to really do some training. And because I promised that I will train, then my first on-the-mountain training was done ‘already’ last weekend (12.5.2013)

It was not any mountain as high as I’m planning to climb, but I did my best and tried to find for some high mountain range around the place where I live.

After more than an hour of looking and searching on google-maps and after trying to figure out from aerial views where is some good mountain range for hiking, I have finally decided to go east to the close, but  not very big (in Chinese terms) and beautiful lake called poetically Yangzong Sea.

If going on the peak is a physical exercise then finding a way to the foot of a mountain is definitely an orientation challenge (especially if you don’t speak Chinese and can’t read Chinese characters…). And so, after 1.5 hour driving behind dusty and big lorries, on my Chinese local brand motorbike, I came into a small village. There I drove through labyrinth of tiny streets that from the beginning look only like driveways into shelters-look-like houses. Fortunately, only after 30 minutes of way loosing and finding the way again, I was suddenly driving on a full of rocks covered dirt road leading to my destination. As I was still hoping to get a bit higher to the mountain, I was very soon stopped by extremely steep path-way with big ditches crossing the road.

There was a place where I parked and masked my motorbike with lots of leaves and grass. There was a big rock next to my parked motorbike and because I felt sorry for him to be alone I put him into my rucksack and with a big enthusiasm I left to climb the mountains.

My enthusiasm was dropping with every time when I lost my way in the forest, until I had made a radical decision to climb the mountain following an imaginary line leading straight to the top. And so, very soon I was falling over branches, trees and making my way through 1.5m high grass…not exactly what I thought I will do this trip, especially when I was carrying 50 tons heavy rock and the hot sun made me sweaty straight away. 

After 1.5 hour of crossing through this ‘jungle’ I suddenly found myself between graves (Chinese people bury their relatives in remote places anywhere in the surrounding mountains) which meant that there must be at least a small path leading here. Of course there was and not only a path...so my all effort could had be much smaller if I followed just dirt road all the way up here…

Nevertheless, very soon I was fallowing a small path which led me straight to the top and now I could see that I am definitely not where I planned to be or thought I would be...

However, the views around were very scenic and I could see quite far on both sides as this mountain ridge was just rocky and grassy without any high trees. Nice views to big Yangzong lake on one side and to picturesque rice terraces under me on the other side, boosted me with more energy and I was able to go few kilometres further straight on the ridge (some short sit-downs and drinking pauses enhanced the beauty of this place).

Finally, I got to the point where the ridge was going down and the forest was starting again. I thought for a moment that I will try to go through this bush again but coming clouds with a mist in a distance persuaded me that hiking back in the rain would be not the best finish of such a lovely day. 

Therefore, I had turn back and with my lovely stone in rucksack I started a race with quickly coming clouds. Even that the winner was me (despite few drops that caught me for a few minutes) I ended up completely sweaty but with a thought that I did good workout for my soon coming life-time challenge…

I was descending through steep forest again (this time on the path) when my knees started to protest together with my feet as could be a result of my ‘trekking shoes’ called trainers?

The back pain followed shortly because it was not used to, to attack a stone in my backpack (and believe me the stone is much harder than my bonny back). After all these ‘small’ pains I managed it all the way back to the place where I still found my this time not-stolen motorbike (China is not the safest place to live bikes or motorbikes without a live guard watching).

You might imagine how big relief it was to take the stone out of my rucksack and how happy my back was afterwards.  

Finding the way back home is always much easier as finding way to never-been places and therefore in a nearly no time I was having shower and thinking how beautiful can be training for Muztagh Ata.

I hope this enthusiasm will last me for a bit longer…;-)

My China Remark I: 

Did you know that giving birth in China is taken very seriously...and I mean very seriously!?

After a birth, the woman is not allowed to leave her room for 30 days and every day she has to eat one whole chicken. During the whole month she is even not recommended to take a shower and stay in bed, not watching TV or even working on a computer. Her husband or her mum takes full care of her.