Mount Taibaishan

I wanted to bag a high peak in China during this trip. I chose Mt Taibaishan (Supreme White Mountain) because it is one of the highest mountains east of the Tibetan Plateau in China proper. Although China has an abundance of ultra-high mountains, they're mostly in the Central Asia or Tibet portion of China; in lowland China most mountains are in the 1000 to 3000 meters range. Mount Taibaishan has an elevation of 3767.2 meters (12360 feet). A wild home for Taoist recluses in ancient times, Mount Taibaishan's higher sections now constitute a natural preserve abundant in rare plants and animals. Although quite high, it is not too high to need special equipment, special logistics or special permits, and it has a reasonable tourism infrastructure.

We took a train from Luoyang to Xi'an, then busses to the foot of Mt Taibaishan, then hired a taxi to the cable car lift, where another few hundred meters took us to the upper lodge. This place is at about 3200 meters elevation, the weather was chilly and misty all the time. On the mountain roads and the cable car we were treated to spectacular scenery much like a traditional Chinese painting. Silouettes of massive mist-shrouded mountains, tall pine trees, rhododendron thickets in full bloom, lush canyons. We stayed at this rather primitive lodge without heating. At high elevation like this nights were very chilly, we were bundled up in heavy coats. In the morning we decided to hike up the trail, but the length of the route is nearly 8 miles to the summit, and there was heavy drizzle. When we reached a point at 3511 meters elevation rain fall became heavier, and our ponchos don't help much in the blowing wind. There was a little make-shift buddhist shrine there (Avalokiteshvara). We turned around after snapping pictures of each other. A few other tourists turned around with us as well.

We came back down the mountain in a bus, and the air temperature went from chilly to hot over the 2000 meter drop on the winding mountain road. I got a cold soon after when we reached Xi'an.