＂Savage Pentathlon＂ Movement in Shennongjia —— Climbing Laojun Mountain

"Climb Laojun Mountain, cross Shennong Valley, ride Dajiu Lake, hike Longping and challenge Feilada". In the summer of 2020, in addition to the beautiful scenery of Shennongjia and the fresh natural air, there is also the "Savage Pentathlon" movement of Shennongjia waiting for you to experience.

The first issue of Shennongjia’s "Savage Pentathlon" will introduce you to the outdoor hiking in no man’s land-boarding Laojun Mountain, and take you to experience a most beautiful and mysterious adventure. Shennongjia is mysterious and has fantastic lakes and mountains, and the full charm of natural ecology has fascinated countless donkey friends. Crossing Laojun Mountain is the core area of the original forest in the true sense of Shennongjia, and you can explore the majestic, steep, wonderful and mysterious secret.

Travel routes: Muyu-International Ski Resort-Amitabha-Azalea Forest-Laojun Mountain-Caiqi Village-Tianshengqiao-Muyu.

Amitabha-the hiking tour officially opened.

In the outdoor camp of the international ski resort, we had a simple rest, put our equipment on our backs and set off. Walking along the winding mountain road for a while, the first thing that caught my eye was this stone tablet. The guide said that this is a boundary pillar of the Tang Dynasty, which has experienced thousands of years of ups and downs in the world, alternating cold and summer, but still stands. Now everyone takes this place as the traditional starting point for hiking, and our hiking trip officially begins here.

Starting from Amitabha, the terrain is complex and changeable, with a steep slope rising nearly 70 degrees, a forest stream with one foot deep and one foot shallow, a wet mud road with three slippery steps, and a moss-covered "stone ladder" with one foot high, all of which bring great challenges to teammates living in the city every day.

Dujuanling Camp-Looking up at the starry sky

As the hiking started late, it became darker and darker after walking for several kilometers. We took the time to wade through several streams and through a bush, and then we came to a camp called Dujuanling. At this time, we didn’t see the azaleas all over the mountain, only the thick meadows around us, so we camped here.

As night fell, the temperature in the camp began to drop. After a simple dinner, everyone got into the tent early to avoid the cold. There is no bonfire and no party at night, only the starry sky. Because I went to bed a few hours earlier than usual, it was only one o’clock in the middle of the night when I woke up. I opened my tent and looked up at the starry sky. I found stars and the Milky Way was clearly visible. I couldn’t help but daydream that the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl were still trysting in the Milky Way in such a cold night.

City Wall Rock —— A Rare Geological Wonder

Outdoors, it is rare to sleep in the sun and dry your ass, especially under such beautiful scenery. Everyone gets up early, holds a camera, chooses a position to capture the most beautiful morning light. My little sister in the same trade also put on an elegant white skirt and took a picture of her back against the rising sun, which made her feel different.

After packing the tent and having a delicious breakfast, under the guidance of the guide, we quickly rushed to the next goal-the city wall rock.

According to Baidu’s query, the city wall rock was originally called "city wall conglomerate", which is a red gravel accumulation at the foot of the mountain and belongs to Cretaceous stratum. Because the shape of the rock group resembles the city wall, it is called the city wall rock by geological circles.

The rock contains fossils such as Meihu Actress, Short Oat Actress and Short Darwinian Actress, which is a very precious geological relic. It is rare to find this rock in Laojun Mountain, Shennongjia.

The top of Laojun Mountain-White clouds bow down to the mountains.

After a short walk, we arrived at the pass of Laojun Mountain, because our next crossing route was not in the direction of Laojun Peak, so everyone unloaded their bags and rushed to the top empty-handed.

Standing on the top of Laojun Mountain at an altitude of 2,926 meters, I looked around, white clouds knelt at my feet, and the mountains bowed before me. Suddenly I felt like a rainbow, and I was the only one who could feel a sense of reigning in the world.

At this time, we stand on the big stone and have a wider view. On the right, the road to the mountain is a vast meadow, and people walk in it, which looks so small; Look left at Jiuchonggou, winding mountains and dense forests; Behind them are several old pines that have been waiting for countless years. They are worshipped by people and stand upright among the cliffs. We stayed here for a long time, some shouted, some took pictures as souvenirs, some sat on the floor, and everyone enjoyed the fruits of this trip very relaxed.

Huayan Cave-Fargesia, Meadow and Rhododendron in Groups

Walking into the alpine meadow, you also step into the alpine rhododendron forest, as if you have strayed into the paradise described by Tao Yuanming. What kind of blue is the sky, what kind of white is the cloud, what kind of soft is the ground, what kind of bright flowers are, what kind of clear water is, what kind of pure people are, and everything is so quiet and pure.

The rhododendrons in other places can’t compete with the alpine rhododendrons in Shennongjia, because the rhododendron flowering period here extends to June, allowing people to constantly roam the sea of flowers.

Turtle Gorge-The Primitive Forest in the Valley

At the foot of Laojunzhai, we stopped walking along the ridge and cut across the valley to the left. From the beginning of the cut, the real jungle crossing began.

In addition to climbing, descending and crossing dense forests, almost every valley bottom will meet streams. There are large and small streams, and the small ones can easily cross, and the big ones need temporary bridges. Of course, streams also constitute beautiful scenery in the mountains.

The whole area of Laojun Mountain is a no-man’s land that is not open to the outside world, so the ecological vegetation here is completely protected. The natural lodging trees, vines, moss on rocks and precious plant fungi together constitute the unique state of Shennongjia virgin forest.

Primitive forests are air conditioners. Forest trees can absorb carbon dioxide, dust and toxic gases in the atmosphere and release oxygen through photosynthesis, so the air we breathe during hiking is particularly fresh.

Leech ditch-the leech test of hiking trip

After a day’s crossing, we came to the legendary leeches ditch camp. When we heard the name, we felt a little goose bumps and panicked. We guessed that leeches must be everywhere here, so there was no camp. Our worries are unnecessary. The guide has already come to the river to wash his hands and clean his face and tidy up his equipment. He said with a smile: The leech ditch is just a legend.

After the rest, we immediately walked down the slope, and finally saw almost people not far away, and saw the long-lost fireworks, which made us feel cordial.

Colorful flag village-authentic mountain village life

After inquiring, this village is called Caiqi Village, and when we get to this village, there will be a good road down the mountain. There are not many residents in the village, and occasionally several families still keep adobe houses with local characteristics.

The old wooden ladder in the attic, the stove buried in the ground, the bacon hanging on the roof, the beehive and the cornfield in front of the door suddenly aroused everyone’s interest and made people feel the original mountain village life in Shennongjia. The big brother who led the team told everyone that it is more meaningful to perceive the local culture and experience a natural lifestyle during the trip.

The villagers in Shennongjia are hospitable, not only sending the wild fruits picked on the mountain for everyone to taste, but also keeping us for dinner. The hospitality, coupled with physical exhaustion, followed by hunger, and we had an unceremoniously delicious meal. When we left, we quietly left a little money on the old coffee table as today’s food expenses. After all, it was not easy for the villagers.

A section of the road down the mountain was not hardened, and the off-road vehicle that picked us up bumped on the deep mountain path, swaying left and right, and sitting in the car felt like a massage, shaking away all the fatigue of the day.

Lying in the car, enjoying the cool breeze, while recalling the journey all the way: the empty hilltops, dense forests and gorgeous flowers, far away from the noise and prosperity of the city, we finally found our original yearning for nature. Although we will leave this mysterious land of primitive wilderness, after all, we have been, walked and seen, and the best pictures we saw along the way will be stored in the depths of our memories forever.

Matters needing attention in "Savage Pentathlon"

Shennongjia is the first batch of national park system pilots, and it is relatively strict in the protection and management of ecological resources. Therefore, there are strict regulations on the route design, activity organization, activity reporting and other contents related to hiking projects. Friends should carefully watch the following contents and must not blindly enter the mountains.

1. Route recommendation: Muyu-International Ski Resort-Amitabha-Rhododendron Forest-Laojunshan-Caiqi Village-Tianshengqiao-Muyu.

2. Reporting Department: Shennongjia National Park Administration

3. Leader’s recommendation: Shennongjia International Travel Service Xiawaike is the only outdoor sports product sales enterprise authorized by the National Park Service, which can provide you with more professional, warm and standardized guide services.

4. Contact information of activities: Teacher Mao 13886827345

5. Other precautions: fully consider your own physical strength and choose the appropriate savage pentathlon;

Report the activities in advance and equip outdoor sports equipment;

It is forbidden to use fire without permission to avoid forest fires;

Protect the ecological environment and prohibit indiscriminate mining and digging.

Editor/Yi Xianjun

Source/Shennongjia Scenic Area

Editor/Wang Xiaoling

Editor in Chief/Yi Wei

Sina Weibo: Shennongjia Wenlv, Shennongjia Forest Culture and Tourism Bureau

Wechat WeChat official account: Shennongjia Tourism, Shennongjia Forest Culture and Tourism Bureau

Official Tik Tok: Shennongjia Tourism

Portal:

Shennongjia forested area culture and tourism administration

Shennongjia tourism information network

Shennong wenlvyun

Official App: Shennong Wenlvyun

Original title: "Shennongjia" Savage Pentathlon "Movement-Climbing Laojun Mountain"

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