Tian Men Shan

Tianmen Shan

Up early for this day – the Doorway to the sky. we have checked out of the hotel but left our luggage with them for the day. We will be back for a few hours before moving to next place later.

Our car picks us up and takes us to the Cablecar station.

 

Cablecar
Now there are two ways to go up this mountain. By road on the bus and by Cablecar (7 Kms) one of the longest – takes 30 minutes to the top.

We are booked to go up by bus. Our bus takes us to this point.

Ruth

From here the road is called the “99 turn road” and is listed as the 10th most danger-est road in the world. (This now means I have been on number 1 and number 10). Ruth managed to get me in the front seat beside the driver for our ride up. Checkout the road.

Road1

road3

road4

road5

road6

road7
Almost to the end of the road and this was what I saw.
road8
Time to get legs working again. That ride up was hair raising – I was in a seat belt – the other passengers were not and I had some photos that got all blurred because of the bumps and sharp corners. One right hand corner was so sharp he turned left and did a figure 8 to line up for the corner.
999 steps
Now remember me telling you about my 300 steps yesterday and being out of breath. Ruth decidedĀ  she did not want me going up these 999 steps. This photo does not show how steepĀ  they get towards the top. So off Ruth goes to the top with me staying close to our guide for another way up. Firstly Ruth’s start.
ruth1
There she is at the start of the two staircases.
Ruth3
She is near the rock with the red letters. Now this is how I got up. Inside the mountain. Up 5 of these.
Elevator1
Till I got to here.
Ruth5
And look who is sitting down for a rest. She claimed she was taking photos and who am I to argue with her.
Ruth8
She made it and now you can see how steep the steps were. My little champion did it in about 35 minutes.
in the hole
We all regrouped and were off again – this time to the real top.
walkway
and up another 7 escalators like this
elevator2
Till we got to the top.
Top
Time to regroup again. so a quick shot of the road again.
from the top
this is China and on all hills or Mountains you will find a Buddhist temple
temple
Now we are off and the walkway around the top of this mountain – still early so mist and cloud still around.
walkway1
Don’t look down – it’s hundreds of metres.
walkway2
Part of the walkway is glass – so you can look down – check out the red slippers you have to put over your shoes.
glass walkway
Once off the glass walkway back on the concrete walkway.
Ruth8
Not sure how we got in front of our guide during the crossing over from one side of the mountain to the other side.
ruth9
View back to the city were the cablecar starts – checkout the new motorway. I believe we are at 1600 metres .
valley
Still more walkway to go. around the corner is a swingbridge.
walkway6
Yes a bridge about 1000 metres above the valley with bits of cord between the sides to stop you falling.
swingbridge
Ruth is almost across – had to do the arms in the air photo first.
swingbridge2
We still have a fair way to go.
walkway11
Some more great signs
signs
Looking back to the other side before we crossed the bridge.
walkway12
And how do you get the supplies to the little shops up this mountain? This is a common way for merchants to carry their goods – one strong piece of bamboo
waterman
another sign
another sign
It is very clear to me – what the sign said in English is not what it said in Chinese – cause they climbed and hang cloth!!
hanging cloth
We missed the second glass walkway cause they changed extra and we where ready to finish by this stage.
walkway13
Back down in the cablecar – not sure who’s job it is to climb this ladder or is this the fire exit.
ladder
Great views of the roadway from the cablecar.
roadway
Last look back at the Tianmen hole – “Door to the Sky”
doorway to the sky
This cablecar is 7 kms and finishes in the city
cable1
Right beside the building and over houses and factories

cable2

cable3
Back to where we started this morning – what a day BUT it is not over yet.
cable4
Back to our luggage at the hotel – we have two hours before being picked up at 4.00 pm for a 5 hour bus ride to next destination.