24 Hours of Vertigo for a Cuppa

To most, vertigo is merely the sensation of whirling and loss of balance; a condition characterized in the movies by varying camera focus during a POV. In reality, vision is a small part of the feeling.

I never thought I was afraid of heights, but this is the first time I've ever looked down at the sky. I've been climbing China’s Mt. Hua Shan for the past 24 hours, and with a lack of physical fitness, the word “difficult” would be the understatement of the year. I've always been the type who’d rather untie a knot than pull it apart, so while hitching a ride on a cable car is a possibility; it’s simply out of the question. I'm on a quest for a cuppa in the world’s highest tea house, and with the summit in sight, I’ll be damned if I let this mountain get the best of me.

“Don’t look down,” “hold on to the chains,” “come on, hundreds have done it!” These words offer no comfort. Not even my safety harness can subdue the fear. While I know a 2,000 metre free fall is unlikely, the creaky foot-wide platform haphazardly pined to the cliff face with a couple rusty screws seems somewhat treacherous. I've been told I'm safe, but the word of a tour guide with the primary goal of receiving a hefty tip isn't something I feel particularly comfortable betting my life on.

It’s a wonder why any sane person would build such a structure so high in the mountains. Minutes before I started the ascent up “the heavenly stairs,” the guide said that the Daoists believed it brought them closer to the heavens. Whether the converted temple is a site of religious importance or not, being up here makes me think that they were merely ancient adrenaline junkies looking for a rush.

With every shimmy the traverse to the summit triggers yet another unknown sensation. I don’t know whether it’s the clouds obscuring my view of Earth; the constant hiss of the angry wind; or that I'm relying on an iron chain that's worn way beyond its years… perhaps it’s just the vertigo? Regardless, the East Peak of Mt. Hua Shan is only one of five summits; the only I’ll ever visit.

So this cuppa better be worth it.