Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain)

Since we arrived in China we've heard so much about Huang Shan and have wanted to go there. A beautiful mountain out in the countryside that has become an icon of China's beauty. Sometimes while living in the city it's hard to remember that China does have these natural ornaments, which makes going and seeing them all that much more spectacular.

We took the bus from Fuyang to Huangshan city, and on our way it started to really rain. We hadn't discussed yet whether we were going to try and climb the mountain the day we arrived or the next day. So I told Eliot that I didn't mind hiking in the rain but I thought we should hold out until the next day in case the sun comes out. So we made our way to the hotel at the foot of the mountain and decided to scout out where we were going to go the next day to start our hike. Sure enough on Sunday we got clear blue skies and a gorgeously sunkissed mountain.

The hike up was spectacular as we made our way through a valley between two of the peaks, then we took the steps around the backside of one of the peaks and made our way to the top to hike along the ridge to the highest peak. When I say "hiking" I mean climbing steps. There were no trails that we had to navigate, the only path to go was straight up for 6km (just under 4 miles). We definitely made several stops along the way to take in the views and catch our breath. When we did finally make it to the top, after about 3 hours, the view was just that much more exquisite, having hiked it rather than taking the cable car. We both felt so good about the day. It was also another one of those times when I am so greatful to be with someone who loves to go and do the same things as I do and is happy doing them together.