• Christie MitchellRTW 2026 & BeyondChristie Mitchell
    Cable car ride up!!! It was REALLY high, and REALLY steep
    The mountain from the shuttle bus stopThe stairs just to get to the startCable car ride up!!! It was REALLY high, and REALLY steepYeah he doesn't get paid enoughFelt like Everest - the line to get to the top of West PeakView from the top of West PeakAfter climbing the ridgeStairs cut into the side of the hill to go upBetter view from the topView of climbing the ridge from the next peakThe stairs were no jokeView from South PeakStairs are still no jokeAnd at 7,070 feet ... I could have bought a hot dog!!Sooo many stairs... and so narrow you had to side step to go downView from North PeakVery proud of myself !!Weird robot at the bottom that stopped to "talk to me" about my dayView of the mountain from the train

    Huashan Mountain

    Yesterday in China ☀️ 59 °F

    Today was maybe the best experience I’ve had yet in China. I went to the top of Huashan Mountain on a gorgeous day!! It was about 75 miles East of Xi’An and its highest point was 7,070 ft! There are five peaks - West, South, North, East and central. I summited the first three!

    I took a cable car up part way to the West peak and then began climbing stairs - thousands of them. At times we were literally walking straight up and had to use chains to pull ourselves up. The view made it worth it. After the West peak I hiked about 90 minutes, straight up, to the South Peak - the highest point on the mountain. Then it was all downhill, but stairs, for almost two hours to the North peak where I rode a second cable car to the base.

    I was pretty proud of this old body - by the time I was at the bottom my legs were literally trembling. But I made it!!! Very proud.

    I know we have mountains that compare in the US … but what doesn’t compare is the accessibility! Crazy how “easy”’they make it for anyone to do this - providing mass transit right to the base.

    What I miss: Sharing these adventures with a friend. Hard to do this alone. 😢

    Steps: 26,915
    Miles: 11.03    Read more