Shidu is a scenic destination located along the middle-upper reaches of the Juma River in Fangshan District, 96k (60 miles) away from Beijing. There are 10 bends along this segment of the river, on each of which a ferry crossing was set up in the past. Hence Shidu, which means "10th ferry crossing" in Mandarin. The area is distinctive due to its winding river course, deep here and shallow there, along with rolling hills and sheer rock walls, which combine to make for some truly spectacular visuals.
As a group of 14 Hutong schoolers, we would spend 2 days in the area, lodging in a local hotel and experiencing the sights, sounds, and crisp air of Shidu. That's right - no Beijing pollution here. Besides being able to see the sun, you can safely inhale without having to wonder whether a gas mask is in order. In short, paradise.
The second we got off the bus, I decided to initiate a little Tough Mudder Shidu action. Yeah, by the looks of it, a climb up one of those mountains would definitely involve a bit more than strolling up a well-worn foot path weaving its lazy way to the top. I wasn't disappointed - after dodging past the seemingly endless sea of vendors stocking standard tourist merchandise (i.e. mass-produced wooden Buddhas, beads, ice cream, bottled water, you name it) and navigating past the busy part of town to get near a mountain, I was able to execute a serious workout that involved running, jumping, climbing, slipping, rolling, and just about everything else short of parachuting just to get to the top and back down again - but don't let me get ahead of myself, lets start at the beginning.
Our driver was awesome. What other Chinese national would put up with a busload of boisterous, unruly Western youngsters out for a joy ride? Portable speakers blaring everything from Aerosmith to Snoop Dogg ensured the driver would keep his foot on the gas to get us to Shidu (and himself out of the bus) in record time.
Shidu's main venue: a winding river with paddle boating, kayaking, sunbathing, horse riding, and bungee jumping (no swimming? I know, I was disappointed too). Those two blue arches jutting out the side of the mountain are the bungee supports - at 200 kuai a hop, not a bad deal. People were jumping off all day, so we know the place is making good money.
You could take the ski lift up to the top to bungee off, or go see some of the other sights up there, like the old temple. Notice the little waterfall on the side of the cliff - there are natural streams all over these mountains. Boating is still one of the main attractions. The Hutong crew went off to ride horses, splash around on boats, and indulge in copious amounts of cheap ice cream. I had another task in mind...
The objective? The peak on the right. While just as tall as the left, it looked a whole lot more approachable then the others around, with less cliff faces not to be taken without serious gear (my climbing kit consisted of gloves, hands, and determination). I had to get around the tourist town (and the locals' watchful stares) to get near the mountain.
While the front of Shidu is all vendors, shops, and attractions, behind this wall of capitalism I found a true village with chicken coops, farm plots, and tiny houses - it instantly reminded me of rural Ukrainian areas I've run through - you know, the ones where all the dogs in town bark in chorus after you pass simply because they're so unused to runners.
After navigating to the top of the village, I hopped across a quiet gate and blew across a courtyard to get into the trees. Just in time too - as soon as I was in the treeline, a large gray dog (wolf?) came from behind the house, sniffed, and started barking in my direction. He was promptly instructed to shut up by someone inside the house (at least it didn't sound like "I love you, my faithful four-legged friend"). Told ya I didn't bring much gear - Camelbak with 3 liters of water, sunscreen and bug repellent (thanks, Mom) plus my trusty gloves. Oh yeah - I had my headlight in case the day went a bit long or I had to signal a rescue chopper in on my position - no way could they get a stretcher up this rocky, precarious mountainside on foot if I decided to break anything vital during my excursion. I don't think the Hutong School had any of this in mind when they took out trip insurance for this particular go.
The first of many cliff faces I ran into. Warning, kids: no serious cliff face climbing without safety harnesses and a competent partner. (No worries, Mom, I found a way around).
The mountain on the climb up. The peak on the left is where I would end up after about an hour of climbing, jumping, and scampering up and around the natural growth and rock formations of this beautiful place.
Shidu! The town is laid out below, with the bungee areas directly behind my head and our hotel to the right. The last few sections were technical, with some serious bouldering involved. Going Tough-Mudder-shirtless was order of the day - hence the cuts on the arms and body. I had a blast, now about that fall and the angry farmer on the way back down...
No comments:
Post a Comment