This wasn’t the first time I’d been in over my head in the mountains of China. Only this time, I was literally in over my head, in luxurious green plant life that had effectively closed this trail. I couldn’t see my feet below me or Kent in front of me. Thorns were scraping my bare legs raw, and twigs snagging in my hair temporarily had me temporarily immobilized. Our first adventure on Laoshan was shaping up to be a wild one!
The Race Route
Despite all evidence to the contrary, we were on a hiking trail. In fact, we were in a national park – on a race route! A friend of ours had provided us with a GPX track that we were faithfully following, wherever it might lead. Deep in the prickly overgrowth, we had cause to wonder about the accuracy of the file. How could anyone, even the most tough and nimble of mountain goats, actually race in these conditions?
One minute we’d be sure we were off-course, only to suddenly stumble into a crumbling staircase. We would then climb, slowly and carefully, to a summit that would take my breath away. Each time we peaked, I would forget my reservations about the route. I’d exclaim over Laoshan’s natural beauty, dizzy with wonder – and a hint of vertigo.
Then the trail would plunge over the edge again and completely disappear. We’d be left with no choice but to swat our way through Laoshan’s prickly forest- searching out the next clue. Once again we would wonder what on earth we were doing on this poor excuse for a trail. And so it went for the first three hours of our run, like the world’s slowest roller coaster.
To tell the truth, the Laoshan 100 race route had been suspect since the very beginning. From the end of the road where our taxi driver left us, we wandered through a construction site, up a steep, deforested hillside – and very nearly into (what we could only guess was) an abandoned mine!
Slightly anxious but undeterred, we’d bushwhacked our way across one valley just to access the trail. Which, when we got there, wasn’t much more than a rabbit track through a deep woods!
But perseverance paid off. Suddenly, the path widened as we rounded a bend. The dirt underfoot turned to stone, and there was a little footbridge over a river! These delightful signs of civilization offered strong reassurance that we were on some kind of trail. We bounded happily up a series of stone steps, stopping at some scenic viewpoints along the way. Now we were on easy street.
Or were we? As abruptly as it had started, the constructed trail ended. We searched high and low, seeking it’s continuation. But the only way to go was up, on a choose-your-own adventure boulder scramble up a steep gully.
We scrambled on all fours out of the forest and up into the high, rocky heights of Laoshan. On our first, terrifyingly triumphant peak is where we encountered the eroded remains of a brick footpath. A short distance along, there was an informational sign, inscribed in Chinese, English and Korean. Encouraged, we carried on.
Our original destination was a monastery 22 kilometers away. However, we quickly realized that at our painstakingly slow pace, it would be hours and hours before we made it across Laoshan. We were on a race course, supposedly doing training for another race. But we were basically crawling through the overgrown forest and on broken stone steps. Time to reconsider the day’s route!
On one precipitous peak, we simply couldn’t find any path going forward. So we had a little pity party for two up there, shared a granola bar, and reversed course. We began a steep descent toward a village we could see below, prepared to cut our run short and figure things out from there.
But the narrow dirt trail we were following met a paved road well above the village. We looked at each other, shrugged, and set off up the road. We were now well off the race route, but at last, we were running!
The asphalt hugged the hillsides as it made its way back up toward’s Laoshan’s granite crags. Then it plunged into the yawning black mouth of a tunnel. Mildly frightening yet somehow hilariously fun, we careened into one another and bounced off the walls as we ran into the darkness. Sound reverberated off unseen rock walls, and the whoops we made to ward off our fears echoed back at us. We could just make out a hint of daylight at the far end and stumbled towards it.
We popped out of the tunnel and zipped downhill, the challenges of our earlier wayfinding receding into distant memory. On this side of the path, there was nothing fearsome. There were orchards full of blossoming trees and little roadside stalls selling fruit. And as we made our way downhill, more and more tourist vehicles on the road.
In an attempt to return this run to the trails, we veered off the road a couple of times and tried to find our way into Laoshan’s foothills. We were foiled every time by fences, and so accepted our fate to complete our run on the road. Our mountain road soon ended at a highway, and we ran a short distance alongside the traffic to complete this unexpected loop of Laoshan’s far northwestern corner.
We managed to hail a cab, and headed home itchy, sweaty and covered in scrapes and scratches.
Our run on Laoshan was definitely not the high caliber training we were after for our upcoming race in Lavaredo. But it was training of a kind: training for toughness and for flexibility. We were also coming to learn that trail running in China can be very adventurous indeed!
The Road Repeats
One week later, and all of our wounds – physical and psychological – had healed. We wanted to go back to the mountain for more. With another long day of training on the books, we headed back to Laoshan. Only this time, we decided we’d approach things a little differently!
Feeling certain after our experience and a little more research that our first run had been on a closed section of trail, we opted to return to the road. After all, we already knew we could find it – and knew the route was runnable, too!
And so we found ourselves running up to the tunnel we’d found the previous weekend, this time armed with headlamps and adjusted expectations for the day. I was mentally prepared to stick to the road for steady-speed elevation training.
But this Laoshan run didn’t unfold exactly as planned either. On the far side of the tunnel, we took a short breather to look around. And lo and behold, there was a trail up to the top of the tunnel! We had to explore it. And once we discovered there was a well-trammeled trail on top, well, there was no stopping us!
We headed vaguely southeast on one of Laoshan’s craggy ridges. Our trail was narrow and exposed, but not nearly so harrowing as our first foray. For one thing, the trail itself was visible, continuing up a green mountain slope. And Koreans had visited before us, leaving their reassuring hiking club ribbons hanging everywhere.
Still, it was not a trail for the faint of heart. Deteriorating masonry clung to the edges of stone spires. Sometimes the route seemed to run straight into a massive slab of granite. We’d pick our way carefully around to peep out over precipitous drops into the forest, before we realized we were intended to clamber over.
The literal high point of the trail was also the high point of the day. A thick fog had rolled in to blanket the slopes of Laoshan. We stood on a high saddle, watching the swirling mist alternately hide and expose a waving Chinese flag on a dramatic boulder. Sometimes we could see a long stretch of the ridgeline we’d just run. It’s vistas like these that make it feel worth risking life and limb.
From there, we descended on a faint trail eading to that familiar paved road. Up we climbed, again, back to the tunnel. And from there, back up to the trail above it!
The trail atop the pass ran in both directions, and we’d only so far explored one of them. We wanted to check out the other side too!
Both of us were glad we did, because we got to scrabble around a few more scenic rock formations. Then it was back down to our favorite road once more. It was a day of hill repeats, with a side or two of adventure!
Despite choosing a more conservative running route for our second Laoshan adventure, we found a way to explore more of this lovely mountain. Looking at our GPS track later on, we realized we’d regained the high ridge on our second outing. Our second route very nearly overlapped the first trail. We’d found the way after all!
Know and Go! Laoshan
Need to know
The adventures described above took place on the very outskirts of Laoshan National Park. This is far, far from the tourist trail. Indeed, the area we visited is seldom included in descriptions of Laoshan. It’s north of Hualou Scenic Spot, already pretty far from the most visited places. In fact, the only time the area is considered part of Laoshan is during the Laoshan 100 ultra.
As outlined above, the route we followed was alternately exposed and buried in the foliage. As such, it’s a tricky, often painful route – best undertaken by expert adventurers only.
In other words, if you’re looking for a cheap ride to the trailhead and a well-defined route for the mountains, this is not the trek for you. Try Jufeng instead!
Transportation
For an adventure like this, you will need either your own transportation or an advanced command of Chinese. We have neither, and it’s a miracle we managed. Didi drivers got us to the general area, but not without some confusion and miscommunication. I wish I could provide more information, but I remain unable to find more about this area.
Hike & Run
…only if you know what you’re doing. Although there’s dearth of information about the area, there are loads of trails here. We found our way with the help of a GPX track, and encountered numerous use trails and roads as well. Start your search by looking up Juru Peak – Yingpuding, Peak of Saddle and Crown of Hawk Peak.
But if I can urge you once again to use caution, I would very much like to do so. Try something a little more tame first, then take a Chinese friend along for this one.
Stay & Eat
…in Qingdao, of course! Little known perhaps to the west, my former home is a bustling, wealthy metropolis of over 10 million people. It’s home to an international airport, a major port on the East Sea and a busy rail station. There are plenty of accommodations and eateries to suit all budgets.
Other Notes
The Laoshan adventures described above took place in June 2019. We never did get to run the Laoshan 100 – maybe one day!
If you’d like to learn more about Laoshan, I recommend checking out Jufeng.
Enjoy lovely Laoshan!