Weekend Away: Moganshan

When I lived in Shanghai during the summer of 2008, the one "off-the-beaten-path" place that I was frequently encouraged to go was Moganshan (Mogan Mountain), an enclave of villages and mountains about 120 miles west of Shanghai.  I didn't make it out there then, but remembered the advice when I moved back here, and have been trying to find a good time to go ever since.  This weekend I finally managed to go.  I had my suspicions that Mother Nature would disagree with notion that the first weekend in December is a "good time" to explore Moganshan.  An old couple who lives in my apartment building, and who knows me as one of the foreigners in the building who can speak Chinese, told me that I was an idiot for going to Moganshan in December.  "You should go in July," they told me.  "Shi'er yue tai leng le, xiayu xia de tai duo le (December is too cold and it rains too much)."  While I can't argue with them at all -- the weather was pretty brutal (more on that below) -- I had a very pleasant weekend indeed.

Most of all, it was nice to escape the city for a while.  I am a city dweller, born and raised, and likely will always be.  But part of what I enjoy about living in an urban environment is my heightened appreciation for the peace and quiet that comes with retreating into the woods, mountains, beach, or lakes.  Other than the 24 hours on Halong Bay in Vietnam, which can hardly be described as "peaceful" considering the city multitutde of tourist boats, I realized that I haven't spend any time outside a major city since mid August (and then for only two days).  So it was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, to breathe air that wasn't palpably polluted, and to listen to the sound of very little at all, save for rain drops and wind.

The decision to head to Moganshan for this particular weekend was made easy when Pamela (my Chilean roommate) extended an invitation to join a whole group of her friends who were planning a weekend up in the mountains.  I eagerly tagged along.  A few of the guys organized the logistics: a bus to take us from Shanghai to the mountain and back, and a cabin/hostel/lodge, which we had enough people to rent out entirely, all for less money (and far less hassle) than it would have been to get there on my own.  All I had to do was show up.

The group of travelers was an eclectic mix of personalities and nationalities, all of them with either a direct or indirect connection to Maersk, the international shipping conglomerate where most of my companions are employed here in Shanghai.  Perhaps the only disappointment of the trip was that I was literally the only person in the group who wasn't in a committed relationship (either dating seriously or married) with someone else on the trip.  OK I lied.  I wasn't the only person not in a relationship.  One of the couples brought their 2 year old daughter.

Had I known that it was to be a couples retreat, I may not have chosen to come.  In retrospect, therefore, I'm glad I didn't have that news ahead of time, because everyone was very friendly and welcoming.  I felt a little like a 21st wheel, but not nearly enough to ruin the fun.  The weekend away was an unofficial farewell to two of the guys in the group who will be leaving Shanghai in a couple of weeks, so it would have been easy to feel like I was intruding on their bittersweet last hurrah.  But I didn't.  After a few hours on the bus out to the mountain (during which, I might add, people did not wait to begin the party), I was well on my way to being part of the group.


                           

We stayed here, at the Prodigy Outdoor Base, so-called because the owner doesn't want people thinking of it as a hotel, but rather more of a, well, base for outdoor activity.  We had enough people to rent out the whole cabin, so other than a few staff there to prepare the meals which came with our rental, we had the place to ourselves.

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These three pics are from the roof terrace of the cabin, when the weather was semi-clear.  Evidence that Moganshan can be quite beautiful when you can, well, see.  Keep these in mind for later.

Looking down on the tiny village of Houwu, where the cabin was located.  It's basically a village of three streets, one on top of the other on top of the other, with very steep steps connecting the levels.  We didn't see much evidence of life here, other than the ducks and chickens milling about

And then there was Saturday, our full day in Moganshan, when we braved the elements and took a very long hike over the mountains to Moganshan Village.  The hike was actually quite fun, despite the awful weather, but after several hours of trekking through the woods, undergoing a combination of freezing temperatures, cold rain, and heavy sweating from such intense hiking with so many layers on, everyone was very glad to be finished.

The view from the bamboo forest through which we hiked to get to Moganshan Village.  Literally every tree was bamboo, for miles on end -- quite remarkable, for someone who grew up on Seventy-Eighth Street and Broadway.

A path to....somewhere, we hoped, but we sure as hell couldn't see.

This "view" is from the highest point from our very steep upward ascent towards the village.  There is a sign nearby that says "Moganshan Scenic View Point," so one would have to assume that on a normal day, this would be pretty stunning.  In a way, it still is, for the lack of visibility.

The view from the porch of Moganshan Lodge, in downtown Moganshan Village.  I promise, there's a town here, through the mist.  It's not big, per se, but it's there. The lodge provided warmth, shelter, and refreshments for the weary hikers after a long day in the cold and cloudy rain.