Shaanxi has been a major force in China's history since time immemorial, as has the River Wei, a tributary of the Yellow River. The river meanders through fertile central Shaanxi paralleling the biggest mountain range in the province, the Qinling mountains. This is the area that is the heart of an ancient Chinese civilization with Xi'an, the capital of this province, as the window.

Known as one of the five best mountains in China, Mount Hua or Huashan is located to the south of Huayin city, 120 kilometres east of Xi'an. The 2,160-metre-high granite peaks of Huashan, looked admirably accessible and resembled the five petals of a flower. Listed as one of the top national scenic spots and forming one of China's sacred Taoist mountain areas, Huashan is famous for its breathtaking and magnificent cliffs. There is a 12-kilometre-long winding path up to the top that leads visitors to awe-inspiring views of the entire surroundings.

Huashan can be visited as a one-or-two-day trip from Xi'an. We left Xi'an in a taxi to reach the base of the mountain. There are two approaches to Huashan. The western one involves 10 kilometres of walking on a road before one starts climbing. We decided on the eastern approach, so the taxi brought us to the base of a cable car that goes up to the 1,500-metre North Peak, the first and lowest peak of the summit.

We had gathered our courage and decided to walk up to the North Peak and take the cable car down. The most popular way of climbing Huashan was to actually start the journey around midnight, quite naturally in a large group, well equipped with strong torch lights, in order to reach the peak at sunrise and see the magnificent play of colours on the sky. But for us, that was too adventurous. Knowing myself, I would have definitely had cold feet mid-way and caused trouble
for my fellow travellers.

Therefore our earlier plan stood; we started the climb in the late afternoon. It was a two-hour walk and we wore strong, sturdy shoes, carried drinking water and even some gloves in our bags as suggested by our guide. The initial path was quite ordinary, narrow and mildly winding. The weather was perfect and the cool breeze was refreshing. I was too excited because this was the first instance in my life where I would actually be walking up a mountain summit, who cares if it was the lowest one there. As we walked the views started to change, and the temperature also dipped a little. The path narrowed as we walked along the trail with steep cliffs on one side and lush greenery down below, which gradually was becoming smaller.

We took a "sip" break, but our guide told us not to drink much water, even if our throats were dry, because we would immediately feel nauseous.

Then our guide advised us to put on our gloves. Since the temperature was comfortable and there was no snow around, we wondered why, as we complied. Our question was soon answered, when we reached a flight of stony steps with rough chain-link handrails. My heart sank, all the courage that I had gathered vanished in the blink of an eye.

But there was no going back. We put on our gloves and started climbing up the stony steps - steps would actually be an overstatement since they were no more than tiny chinks cut into the rock for footing. The only thing supporting us was the chains. We should have worn bicycle gloves to protect our palms from the metallic bite of the chain.

The climb gradually became grueling and sometimes terrifying. Seasoned mountaineers would probably laugh about such a height, but to us it was an experience worth remembering. Getting accustomed to the steep rise, we concentrated on the scenic splendour again, the presence of which by now, we had almost forgotten. The steep ascents and plunging drops with the clear blue sky as the backdrop made the scenes absolutely majestic. After quite a while we reached the North Peak. The feel was like conquering Huashan, if not quite Qomolangma. The other peaks visible from here looked tempting but I did not have the courage to venture out further. We had booked a hotel and we retired to rest for a while before enjoying the sunset from a mountain peak.

The room was very basic but clean and comfortable; the feeling was like camping and sleeping in a big tent. It was time for the sunset and this was perhaps the clearest sky that I had yet seen in China. The fresh air was awesome and we were captivated by the soft shadows of the other peaks. The multi-coloured sky gradually gave way to an enigmatic blue horizon onto which the big round red ball dipped, with numerous twinkles from all over; it was so beautiful, such a simple natural phenomenon, made so special by the mystical ambience.

The temperature dropped perceptibly and we began to feel the chill. It was such a magnificent sight that it seemed even the cool breeze quieted down to watch the display.

The next day, early in the morning, after another date with nature, this time welcoming back the sun with the absolute fresh air and cold breeze, we decided to take our leave. We reached the cable car that would take us to the base and after a 10-minute scenic ride we reached the station. This cable car is supposed to be the longest in Asia.

Yet another surprise awaited us there; we had to walk downhill from the cable car station to the ticket entrance where the cars are usually parked. It was a lovely one-hour walk downhill with only a gurgling river accompanying us all the way. We returned to Xi'an after a thrilling experience, which happened to be my first adventure since I took up my new hobby, travelling, as part of my life.