To get there, we took the 666 bus (Foreshadowing, anyone?) from the Muzha MRT station to the village of Shihting, where we enjoyed a tasty pre-hike lunch of tofu, rice, and the standard boiled vegetables at a stand run by a Buddhist nun. We asked her where the trail started and, to our surprise, she flatly refused to tell us. She pointed at the sky, which had been cloudy for most of the day, and said it wasn’t a safe hike in the rain. A passer-by then volunteered the information, which produced an irate outburst from the nun. (Again, foreshadowing?)
The trail begins with about 45 minutes worth of stairs. . .
. . .and then moves into a series of winding footpaths, parts of which are steep enough you have to use the ropes provided for balance or even to just flat out pull yourself up.
The only part of the trail that had me worried was these steel ladders. At 30 or 40 meters long, some of them were a doozy.
Especially after it started raining. We were too occupied with maneuvering the slick metal and slippery rocks to get photographic proof, but turns out, that nun had good reason to treat us like dolts.
Then you have to walk the ridgeline. This section provided some protection on the sides, but on other stretches, it’s just you and the edge.
Huangdi temple, nestled in the mountains, is towards the end of the trail. The temple attendant had set out a nice spread of teas and chairs for hikers to enjoy.
The views were, per usual, misty and breathtaking.
We had a blast. Just be sure to check in with one of those nuns before approaching The Throne.
