I am not yet been brave enough to ascend Mt St Catherine, Mt Kublal or any of Grenada’s high peaks due to my fear of heights.
My knees constantly remind me not to venture too far off the ground, but I was determined to reach the top of Mangshan Mountain, and to get there, I went by cable car. One of the highlights of visiting Chenzhou in Hunan Province, China, was taking a whisper-quiet cable car across valleys of a primaeval forest of Mangshan Mountain National Nature Reserve with its 1,000-year-old trees. I tried to forget that somewhere way below were indigenous snakes, the gloriously bamboo-green Mangshan Pit Vipers, and looked toward the horizon at the approaching mist.
The view from the cable car across Mangshan Mountain National Nature Reserve. Photo: SLCT
Climbing to Five Fingers Peak in the mist with almost zero visibility was a personal achievement. The mountain trail was clearly defined, with wheelchair access, securely railed, and bench rest stops placed for the best views. On that day, unfortunately, the only views were mist and more mist, and yards and yards of red ribbons tied around pillars, posts and on the trees: prayers and wishes of the many travellers on that trail. At the steepest part of the climb, an almost vertical ascent, suddenly, there was a glass lift, next to a flight of steps, next to an escalator. An escalator. On the mountain.
Prayer ribbons. Photo: SLCT
On arrival at the restaurant at the top, we were greeted by members of the Yao ethnic group, whose spirited performances and warm welcome songs removed the chill as much as the traditional hot tea and snacks offered. The walk down was easier and more scenic. We went past several praying stations and a temple until we reached a second glass lift that took us about 120 feet down the other side of the mountain. A 30-minute soak in the hot springs offered at the hotel was the perfect end to a wonderful day, and enough time to imagine what a similar one in Grenada would be like: cable car from one parish up to Grand Etang and onwards to Mt St Catherine, then onwards to another parish, and sulphur springs.
The escalator at Mangshan Mountain. Photo: SLCT