Here’s some pics from another hike. This one, Da Nanshan, was much better than the first, but still nothing close to a wilderness experience. The views were great. The trail wasn’t a road, but still a cement path…alternating between stairs and winding walkways. There were small little shelters located in strategic spots for good views. I went with one of my Chinese teachers, Helen.

Here’s a shot of the mountain from Shekou below. We ran the entire ridge from right to left:

This hike was similar to the hike of Icicle Ridge that Aidan, Michael, and I did back in 2003. This was much easier though, about 1/4th the elevation and distance. Still the steep stairs that led to the top had me sweating pretty hard. We vowed not to stop until we got to the top, so we paced ourselves. Along the way, I learned the best phrases when riding in a taxi, especially when the driver doesn’t know where he’s going (which is common).

Some more views:

I can see myself coming back here for a workout. It can be done pretty quickly when you’re in shape. Maybe you can run the whole ridge in an hour and a half? Maybe less. Hard for me to tell ’cause we stopped so much and checked out the views. Once you climb up the opening ridge it’s pretty easy. Best not to hurry down; the stairs are steep and it wouldn’t be pleasant to trip.