Elevation Gain: 5840 ft
Distance: 18.5 miles

This is only the second overnight (wilderness camping) ascent I’ve tried, so there’s always a slight sense of trepidation beforehand. Also, as San Gorgonio is the highest peak in Southern California and our route was an 18.5 miles return I was quite daunted. I’m taking my son into the high mountains. There’s no mobile coverage. There are wild animals. He’s my ultimate responsibilty. Cue lots of good father son bonding opportunity and Man Vs Wild moments. For me this was the sixth and final peak in the So Cal Six Pack. For my son, Tristan, it was his fifth as he’s yet to complete Mount Baldy (watch this space).

I decided to do it as an overnight camp as I was worried the nipper – a mere ten years old – might find the 18 miles return too much in one day. Or maybe I was worried about myself being able to do it. Oooh, me knees. We arrived at the trailhead around 2.30 PM which I thought would give us enough time to hike the 3.5 miles in to the Halfway Camp to break the back of the hike and set up camp in the light. I must have had 50 pounds on my back as I was taking equipment (tent, two sleeping bags, clothes, hiking poles etc) and provisions (water, dinner, breakfast, lunch, snacks) for two. I’d read about how the first mile on this hike (via Vivian Creek) was very steep with a 1000 feet in elevation gain. It was tough, but as it’s the start you have fresh legs so you power on. As we ascended the air thinned and it got cooler. Then the topography evened out and we slowly ascended through manzanita fields to Vivian Creek where the water made it cool and the scenery very green – I bet this place gets busy with animals drinking during dusk.

We carried on the last mile to Halfway Camp and made it in very good time before sunset. Thankfully there was a group of three very friendly young US Marines at the campground which made me feel quite safe and protected from the threat of any encroaching bears, mountain lions or meth heads. The temperatures stayed quite mild even though we were high up and were definitely not as cold as our Mount San Bernadino hike where it reached minus 2. We hung up our food from a high branch (to keep it from the bears) and then hunkered down for the night.

We were on the trail the next morning – achey and stiff after not the best nights sleep – for 8am ready to conquer the peak. The scenery was breathaking. Apart from the chirp of birds and the odd gust of wind in the trees there was total silence. My tinnitus rang through the thin mountain air. Looking back you could see the clouds – of So Cal’s June gloom – swamping the valleys below leading to the Pacific. The twin peaks of Orange County’s two highest mountains – Modjeska and Santiago Peak – poked through the cloud cover like a pair of shark fins. On the other side you could see Mount Jacinto (the big peak that over looks Palm Springs) and I really started to get a sense of the scale and beauty of the mountains Southern California has to offer.

As is always the case with mountain hikes you’re always calculating. How long to the top? How many miles left? How long till the next rest? Not helped by Tristan asking these questions and externalising my inner thoughts. As we got higher the air really started to thin and as you pass through the 10,000 feet mark it got quite tough going – you feel exhausted, your limbs like lead weights, every next step an effort and ordeal. If you stop you really start to feel the altitude so it’s best to keep moving whilst trying to maintain a positive mental attitude. I can do this! Keep going! Who’s ******* idea was this??

As we passed through the tree line the scenery took a lunar turn as things got more barren. There was less vegetation and more rocky. Things were getting very tough. When’s this going to end? You see what you think must be the peak in the distance and it slowly gets closer. Then you realise it wasn’t the peak and there’s another one off in the distance behind it. This must be it? Now there were intermittant patches of snow. Looking around for markers you thing, this must be it, there’s nothing in the vicinity higher than this? Getting closer we could see people taking photos. We’d made it!

At the top you got a 360 perspective of a large swathe of Soutern California – behind us lay desert and eventually Arizona. In front were the coastal valleys (with smaller intermittant mountains) and finally the Pacific Ocean. This place has it all. We took our obligatory photos next to the sign and had a spot of lunch. I’ve climbed the six highest mountains in So Cal. What next? Well I suppose the first thing is to get down off this mountain.

Often the way down get’s really tought as it starts to play on your knees (which in my case are slightly arthritic). But at least you are going down, always easier than up, plus losing elevation means more oxygen. Tristan’s endurance and positive mental attitude really impressed me – no moaning or complaining. Just soldiering on with steadfast confiction and energy. I am one proud dad. I look forward to completing Mount Baldy with him and then he’s also bagged the Six Peaks. Then we move on to the High Sierras. One step at a time.

 

 

 

 

Distance:  15.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 5860 feet

 

Mount San Berandino

San Bernadino Peak always filled me with a slight trepidation as it involved an overnight camp. At almost 17 miles return I thought it might be too much in one day for ten year old Tristan (and possibly me). Plus I wanted the experience of wilderness camping and taking everything you needed up with you strapped to your back. We were meant to ascend Bernadino last year but it got closed due to forest fires. Hence our mission of doing the So Cal Six Peak in height order was thrown slightly out of sequence. We did Mt San Jacinto last year which is the second highest. Tristan has yet to compete Mount Baldy which is the fourth highest (although I’ve already done it twice).

San Gorgonio Wilderness

The drive up to the trail head takes you through inland Orange County, River Side County then San Berandino county up into the foothills by the small town of Mentone on the 38 which is a back route to Big Bear ski resort. The hike starts near the small town of Angelus Oaks. I was a bit worried as the camp site was five miles into the hike – a steep climb up  a mountain with enough water, food, tent, sleeping bags etc for two people as I couldn’t expect Tristan to hike up with all this. I also fretted over whether we had all the right gear. Don’t forget your tooth brush.

May 22 – still lots of snow

We parked up and started on the trail at around 1.30 pm. I made sure we had our permits for the hike. They love a permit in the US. Feels like any small activity requires a permit which I find a bit ironic in the Land of the Free. My backpack was heavy. It was an old skool ruck sack I’d had for years, more suited to Inter Railing than steep mountain ascents. The first mile was a steep climb as we entered the San Gorgonio wilderness – a couple of miles of switchbacks. It was pretty tough going but as it was the beginning your legs are still fairly fresh. The scenery was breathtaking, helped by the agreeable weather, sunny but not too hot – although I was still sweating like a glass blowers behind.

Into the wild we go…

As a worrier a lot of thoughts were racing through my mind. Thoughts like ‘who’s idea was this? Will we get to camp in time before it’s dark? Was that snapped twig sound to my left a mountain lion tracking us? Will Tristan be able to make it all the way? More importantly will I?’ Most of the thoughts illogical so you steam through them and keep going onwards and upwards, what what…

Backpacks at the ready

Thankfully, after the first steep mile or so things evened out as we headed through Manzanita Flats, a high meadow packed with the hardy and native Manzanita plant with it’s distinctive dark and spindly branches. This section went on for a couple of miles. Tristan was keeping up like a trooper. I wanted to go faster to guarantee not setting up camp in the dark. Temperatures were really dropping and clouds had started to roll in, although thankfully as we keep getting higher we managed to stay in the sunlight which kept the temperatures up.

Artsy wood grain close up

Then the last couple of miles to Limber Pine camp really started to drag on, not helped by the increased steepness and a bit of wind on more exposed stretches. Finally we reached camp around 7pm. It was freezing. We hadn’t bought gloves which was a school boy error. We found some shelter behind a tree and set up our budget (and hence heavy tent). I actually really started to feel the altitude and had to take a break from setting up due to dizziness. We had started out the day at sea level and the camp was at 9320 feet. Once set up there was nothing to do but sit in it. It was too cold to be outside – it actually got to minus 4 in the night. I didn’t sleep a wink. I’d failed to bring extra socks so our feet were freezing. Another school boy error. I kept hearing what I thought might have been a large mammal (bear or cat?) sniffing around inches from my head, then realised it might be my paranoia and it was actually the wind rubbing against tent material.

It feels good to be above the clouds…

The ground was cold and hard. I needed to go for a wee but the thought of venturing outside was too much. I hardly slept at all. I don’t think Tristan did either, not helped by being in a Thomas the Tank Engine sleeping bag he’d had since a toddler, and hence wholly inappropriate for a high altitude mountain camping expedition.

Quite an in-tents experience

We probably ventured out around 6am as the sun started to warm things up. I have to say the camp site was perhaps the most beautiful one I’d ever been to. Clouds rolled down beneath us, untrammeled wilderness, alpine meadows and mountains on one side, a hazy Riverside and Orange counties spread out below us. Mount Baldy grinned at us from across the valley. We had a quick brekkie and then set of for the peak around 9am.

Are we there yet?

If felt like we’d done all the hard work as we’d already done 5 miles with backpacks and the peak was a mere 2.5 from the campsite. We stopped of at the mountain spring near the camp and splashed our faces with ice cold snow melt. There was a lot of snow now, patches of the trail were covered in it. The switchbacks continued taking us higher and we turned a bend at the top to show insane views over San Gorgonio (the highest mountain in Southern California and our final peak to bag). The last half a mile snaked up the spine of the mountain and we finally hit the peak. We did it! The views were gorgeous. It was nice to have the whole day to enjoy the scenery and not be rushed as we’d camped up the mountain.

Peak time rush

As always the return journey dragged on, particularly the last two miles as my knee started to jar, not helped by the weight of the backpack. Tristan was a trooper, no complaints or grumbles. I couldn’t have done such a hike at his age. I’m very proud of him. Two more mountains to go and he’s done the So Cal Six Pack, a major achievement.

Top O The World To Ya.

San Gorgonio in the distance – our next challenge

Cloud 9.. and 10, 11, 14, 24 etc etc

Twisted trunk atop lonely knoll

Manzanita meadow

The only way to stop a bad guy with a bad idea is by a good guy with a good idea

Living in a country where guns are so predominant it’s equally fascinating and scary to observe. What’s particularly interesting is the illogical thinking you often come across that’s used to justify and preserve their existence and use. From what I can see a prevailing gun culture promotes a society based on fear. Everyone else has a gun. In that case – I also need one myself to protect myself from everyone else who also has a gun. The fear spreads and perpetuates. A nice little side bonus is the massively profitable industry this creates. Let’s sell guns to everyone who’s scared. I’ve even felt myself – through a process fearful osmosis that seeps into your being when you’ve lived in this country for over a decade – that I might need a gun myself to protect myself and my family. I only thought that – I would never actually go out and act on that fear. So I use the higher, non-fear driven, part of the brain to reason and work out that having a gun probably won’t make me safer. Or would it? When I go hiking or mountain biking in the wilderness I will take knife through a legitimate fear of being attacked by a mountain lion – hikers and bikers have indeed been killed by them here. Not many I admit. So it’s a genuine fear that leads my to weaponize to protect myself from animals. By logical extension, should I not also own a gun to protect myself from other people?

Probably not as owning this gun frequently leads to death through misadventure, a child finding it, accidental firing, suicide or drunken disputes that turn deadly. The fear of other people having guns and then getting one yourself can quickly backfire. Overall I try to not get into gun debates with people over here as I find the different arguments are polar opposite epistemological mountain tops you end up shouting across to the opposing view. I don’t like getting into shouty, circular back and forths that don’t resolve.

America’s whole history of gun culture and how their use is protected by a the Second Amendment – hence they’re viewed as a basic right – is totally at odds with a Europeans view on guns. We feel they are not needed. That society is safer and better off without them. And statistics back this up. It’s important to add, many people I know here don’t own guns and want tougher gun laws. Not everyone here’s an angry gun nut. But the one’s who are here are very vocal and aggressive about their perceived rights. I see some of the States that have ‘open carry’ laws like Arizona and Texas and hence some gun owners like to flaunt this and proudly carry their AK47 slung over their shoulder whilst shopping in Target or at the grocery store. I find that move very aggressive, hostile and intimidating, particularly to children. What sort of message is that sending out? ‘This is what I think my right is and I will flaunt’, they think, even though externally that move promotes the threat of violence.

Whilst mentioning Arizona, it reminded me of a contractor (builder) who came to my house to do some tile work. He was a nice guy and we used to chat about this and that. He always held up Arizona as kind of utopia, mainly down to it’s lax gun laws including open carry. One day he’d got in a minor road rage incident in California where the other driver had ‘flipped him off’ ie gave him the middle finger. He told me that would have never happened in Arizona due to the higher penetration of guns. Ie the fear of getting shot would have prevented the guy from raising his fingers. I thought that was a strange notion that some form of societal order and balance was imposed through the fear of getting shot and that this was a good thing. I guess it would work. But is it a good standard through which to regulate society? Thinking about it, it does even affect how I behave as if I feel a touch of road rage coming on I think twice about confrontations, or shouting or pulling up beside someone to have a rant as I think to myself, ‘hang on, they might have a gun’. I don’t really want to be one of those pointless deaths from a road rage incident. A page 6 News In Brief in the LA Times – ‘Man Shot On 405 Off Ramp’ – a sad and meaningless way to go.

On assignment for dotmusic, I bumped into Pulp frontman and now national icon, Jarvis Cocker. I think at that time Pulp had split up after pretty much defining the Brit Pop sound in the 90s. Jarvis was very friendly. Happy days in the backstage area. Lots more photos to follow.

Jarvis Cocker. Sorted For E’s and Whizz..and nicotine inhalers

…second highest mountain in Southern California..lets, er, do this…

Distance: 11.4 miles
Elevation: 10,834 feet
Vertical gain: 4,689 feet

Mount San Jacinto – are we there yet? Early morning trail start…

Originally our plan had been to keep in order of mountain height on the Six Peak Challenge and climb Mount San Bernadino. Sadly – due to wildfires – this mountain was closed so next up on the list was Mount San Jacinto. I was a little intimated by this one as I’d heard and read how tough a hike it was – not helped by it’s proximity to Palm Springs which of course also means it’s very hot. In fact if you have ever driven to Palm Springs from LA you will see it on the right as you cruise down the 10 freeway into Palm Springs. You can even take a cable car from Palm Springs to near the summit.

Are you having a giraffe? (Are you having a laugh?)

Our way in was via the Marion Mountain trail which is just outside of Idylwild, the main town in the San Jancinto mountain range. We camped the night before pretty much on the the trail head so as to ensure an early (and cool) start. My alarm went off at 4.45 am and we had started by 6am. This hike is steep. Luckily the first 3 miles were in shade as the sun was still rising – looking ahead you could ominously see the sun and where we would have to eventually break out of the shade. At times a lot of trail included scrambling up over steep boulders as we continued to gain elevation.

Mount San Jacinto – apparently a fungus?

Sometimes when I hike I think to myself – ‘do I actually enjoy this?’. I mean I love being outside in nature and the fact that my mobile phone doesn’t work. But many of these hikes are very tough and challenging and it becomes quite a mental test. I kept thinking I would be better off by the pool on a hot day like this. We were in a heatwave. I was tired starting the hike but you have to find the will to soldier through it and keep a good mental attitude. And Tristan didn’t fail to really impress me on this hike with his strength and positive mental attitude. We carried on up the valley admiring the hazy views and wildlife.

Did we peak too early…? Well no..

Even though it’s only 5.3 miles to the top it’s pretty unrelenting and hence it feels like it’s a lot longer. After 2.5 miles we completed the Marion Trail and hit the basic campground and the only flat (but short) section of Round Valley. Then we continued to climb now in full sunlight. It was hot and dusty. There is no drinkable water on the trail so I was carrying 3.5 Litres plus enough food and sweets to start a corner shop. I had to really focus to get through the last through couple of miles. Asking any hikers who were descending from the summit ‘how long left?’, the adult version of ‘are we there yet?’. The answers varied and were inconsistent – perhaps with a view to keeping your spirits up.

Looking East to the hazy desert…a band of smoke and pollution.

Finally we got to the last section with 0.3 miles left which was basically scrambling over boulders on steep mountain. There was a hut / refuge in which you could sign the book and at the very top a geographical marker. The views were awesome. A 360 panoramic on the whole of southern California. Looking East Mount Gorgonio was visible across the pass – although with clouds of smoke making all of it except the summit visible. At best of times – with the heat and pollution – the views are hazy. Looking over the steep escarpment Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley lay below us, a seemingly infinite sand and desert scape with no visible horizon. Looking West we could see Orange County and it’s highest mountain Santiago Peak. It was truly an awesome, top-of-the world view.

Ice cool stream for some much needed toe dipping..

Tristan was very happy and proud of himself. I was even prouder of him. This climb is no easy feat for anyone, but for a nine year old it’s a major accomplishment. Once you reach the top it’s a major psychological relief as the rest is – mainly – all down hill. The return did drag on. We had a nice little respite by paddling in stream we passed. Bizzarely, despite the desert heat, the water was icy cold. I didn’t see how there could be any snow or ice left to chill the spring water to this cold a temparature? There must be a deep mountain spring full of icy water from the snow melt. Incidentally, there are various ski descents of this mountain in water, although strictly for the intrepid / slightly mad.

Mount Jacinto..looking up the creek..without a paddle

As we carried on with the descent I could sense Tristan’s furstration for the last two miles as it never seemed to end. I was also getting annoyed by it – it becomes a good test of character. We’d left at just before 6am and arrived back at base camp at just after 5 so it was a good 11 hour trek in hot and slightly hostile conditions.  Tristan passed with flying colours. We have two mountains left to climb on this challenge but they are both closed by the large fire (17, 000 acres at time of writing) so this might scupper our plans to get this finished before our trip to England. Nevertheless it’s still a case of onwards and upwards…

Nice frond…

Guns and Coffee. Extra shot…

There’s about three gun shows in Orange County every year at the Costa Mesa fairground which is less than five miles from where I live. I went last year and took some photos and – as I am clearly a glutton for self-punishment – went again this year.

Says it all…

I am fascinated by American gun culture. Guns – and all the violence they bring – are so entrenched in the American psyche and I find it in equal parts baffling, illogical and disturbing. In a country so seemingly obsessed with safety and protecting it’s citizens, it seems illogical why guns would be so widely available and used. Yada yada..I am not even going to exhaust myself with the vagaries of the gun debate or hoping that things will change – they won’t. If after Sandy Hook and the gun slaying of twenty school children didn’t facilitate change – then nothing will.

Police line do not cross

The Gun Fair is massive. Upon entering it clearly says everywhere that you are not allowed to take photos – so I tried to surreptitiously use my camera phone. Hence the photos are not the best and not many of people’s faces. I was working undercover.  A number of times people saw me and commented and thankfully nobody called security. It’s no wonder the organizers don’t want photos taken as some of the imagery is quite shocking. Nazi memorabilia, rows of semi-automatic guns, children pouring over weapons, silencers, tones of ammo, ISIS target practice sheets, grizzled Second Amendment libertarians:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Trust your kids with guns..

As with last year I noticed the slightly fervent atmosphere as gun enthusiasts salivated over the latest fetishistic products in the vast halls. I was also surprised at how many children were in attendance. Lots of father son duos trying out different guns which definitely indoctrinates the youth into the ‘glamour’ of guns and weapons. There was also a large stand for Gun Trusts – ‘In a home invasion cowering in fear won’t keep your child safe… Train your kids’ – which I found quite disturbing and shocking.

ISIS target practice. Jihadi John?

That’s the whole engine of this industry. Fear. I even feel it myself. I was actually going to buy a large knife for hiking (bears, mountain lions), a purchase based on – actually quite legitimate – fear of animals in the wild and the need for self defense. I ended up not buying a knife as they were too dangerous and I didn’t want it in the house with kids. Similarly fear is used as a marketing angle to sell more guns – fear of intruders, fear of the apocalypse (still a lot of Doomsday Preppers goods). This fear marketing strategy doesn’t really cover the reality of all the accidental deaths from guns not protected. I read every week of kids shooting themselves  – or others – after finding the families unlocked weapons stash.

US of Eh?

As a person living in the US and with kids at school here it does all make me feel very uneasy. You really appreciate the values of the UK where the police don’t have guns and there isn’t such an extreme gun culture. It makes the whole place feel that much safer and reasonable. I think the gun culture atmosphere percolates through society and allows violence to be more of a norm or way of life.

This semi-automatic gave various gun enthusiasts a semi..

 

 

Guns R U.S

Aim high lady…

Brainwash them from a young age…

Pink for little girls…?

Don’t mention ze war…

Best of British

Open hold policy..

Cold metal: hard shaft

And this is California? I hate to think what a Texan gun show looks like…

Guns and Coffee. Extra shot with that?

Shooting practice…

In guns we trust…

Freedom ain’t free buddy!

The sweet smell of fear…

Dad, can I get this one?

Bourne Identity…

Cucamonga Peak – fifth highest mountain in Southern California…let’s do this…

Cloud bursting

We’d only had a week of from the last climb – and I’ll be honest I was still aching from 6 days before, particularly my calves. The beginning of the climb stars near the Mount Baldy hike so I was familiar with this pass. We started following the sylvan Columbine Spring stream in the steep sided North facing Ice House Canyon. I bet it’s beautiful here in Winter. The early-ish start – 7.30am – meant it was misty and damp, giving a lovely mystical look as if The Hobbit or a goblin might pop out from behind one of the thick cedar trees. As we got higher we passed massive boulder and scree slopes and took regular rests as I think we were all a bit achey still from last week. Tristan was doing well although seemed to want to rest more than any of us.

Misty mystical pastoral

The first major stop off point was the Saddle which is a junction where three major trails meet. One eventually takes you to Mt Baldy, another Ontario Peak and one to our destination Cucamonga. We were now deep in the San Gabriels and as we looked back down the valley we could see clouds lower down. The trail started to switchback and was quite steep in places. Some of it had quite steep drop offs to the side and on these sections I’d hold Tristan’s hand. I started to feel a little bit anxious – I’m with a young boy in the wilderness I’m responsible for his safety. We took regular rests and Tristan’s pace was quite slow. I like to plough on and get in the hiking zone where you’re just steaming forward. I also got a little worried with time – I don’t really want to be coming back down in the dark, although of course we had headlamps for this eventuality.

Looking back down the valley..

We admired the birds, mainly blue Scrub Jays, plus a bright yellow one I don’t know the name of. Also tiny, baby chipmunks and incredibly healthy (plump) and bushy tailed gray squirrels. Little boys love seeing animals in the wild. I really liked getting Tristan away from computer games, iPads and any other form of screen which are a sadly to frequent intrusion on modern living. I think Tristan also appreciated this. Going was still slow. Never mind – as long as we keep moving forward we should be fine. And any other trite life – hiking metaphors you can come up with.

Are we there yet?

I think we hit the peak at approx 3 o’clock. I was again immensely proud of Tristan and he was overjoyed at finally being at the top. It’s all downhill from here. The views were incredible – we were way above the clouds that spread out before us like a white ocean lapping at the foothills below. I took a great photo of Tristan sitting on a rock which I like to think he’ll cherish forever. Again we got to the top with no complaints, moans or grumbles, except from me playing the good role model.

Top of the world

Even though once you’ve reached the top and it’s downhill back this is when accidents can really happen as you are tired. Again I felt slightly worried – in a good way – of having to get my young son safetly back down the mountain. Again Tristan became quite floppy limbed and I held his hand on any sections that were steep or dangerous. I made a mental note to perhaps buy a harness for these tricky bits on the next climbs. We got back to the car at around 7 o’clock. The whole climb had taken 11 hours which is really too long for a climb of this long if we were to successfully complete the next mountains. I will have to do some training with Tristan on faster walking. Three more peaks to go. Onwards and upwards…

Clouds lapping at the lower hills like a white ocean..

Silly antics

Across the stream we go…

First hike in the So Cal six pack of peaks – Mount Wilson – 5710 feet. To give you an idea of scale Scafell Pike (the highest, ahem, mountain in England) is 3,209 feet…

Santa Anita Canyon

We started out at the trail head at Chantry Flats at 9 am – a bit later than anticipated. All of the guides had said to do the ascent via Sturtevant Falls – I was a bit disconcerted as we started to see that at the beginning of the trail we actually started to go down the mountain. Hang on a minute, I thought we’re meant to be going to the top? We must have gone down at least five hundred feet in elevation. Gulp. I could tell this bit was going to be painful at the end of the hike, a finale I could live without.

Keep going..onwards and upwards..

 

Tristan was all kitted out in his new hiking boots and we followed the creek in Santa Anita canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains. Luckily – and rarely – for the Los Angeles area, the weather was over cast and cool. A pre-cursor to the June gloom that normally occurs here. My favorite time of year as it reminds me of home. Perfect hiking weather. That’s the thing in this warm part of the world, hikes in the high summer months get very tough in the sun, especially as many of the hikes are exposed. We followed the creek admiring all the mini waterfalls and assorted cabins to the side of the trail. It was forested and verdant, at parts mulchy underfoot and a lovely damp peaty smell hung in the air. We crossed the stream a number of times and the cascading water sound gave us a nice soundtrack.

Got ladybirds?

We rested every 40 minutes or so as we started to gain higher in elevation and started on the switchbacks that snaked across and up the mountain. Tristan was doing very well. We ascended slower than I normally would have gone which is normal when accommodating a young boy. I was careful to always offer lots of encouragement and the odd energy bean – aka sweets to keep the sugar levels high. Spotting thousands of hatching ladybirds on a branch in one spot was a nice diversion. They must have been hatching. As is always the case the last couple of miles dragged on a bit. I looked at a neighboring mountain for reference thinking, ‘this is the highest mountain in the area, we have to get higher than that’. I sensed Tristan was getting a bit ‘are we there yet’, although without explicitly saying it. His attitude was also very good and positive. The boy was doing me proud.

Halfway house (I’m knackered)

Finally at approx 2.30 we hit the top. We were all ecstatic. Tristan had nailed his first big peak. We looked around for the geographic marker that states the mountain’s height for the obligatory summit photo. We then found out that someone – very annoyingly – had stolen it. At the top were lots of people who’d driven up as there are roads to view the astronomical observatory established over a hundred years ago by George Ellery Hale. We put on jackets as it was actually cold and had our packed lunch. Unfortunately the views were of course obscured by the cloud and normally you can see the twinkling lights of the LA basin. Overall I’d swap a cooler ascent for sweeping views. I think…

Not much view at the top

The next mission was to descend. I was a tad worried about Tristan as the descents can be long and arduous. He looked a little tired. I noticed his limbs were a bit floppy – but he kept going like a trooper. With no complaints. On any sections that were steep or in anyway dangerous I held his hand as I know it’s when tired that mistakes can happen. I swear the trail was longer than 15 miles as there were different ways of doing it and we took different routes. The last bit – which was a uphill, was a complete ‘butt kicker’. We arrived back at the car, happy and tired. Tristan ran when he saw the car. We did it. Onwards and upwards.

Down the hill we go…

Climbing the six highest mountains in Southern California with my nine year old son…

Wildflowers on Los Pino’s peak, Orange County’s fourth highest mountain

Having bagged Mount Whitney last year – at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) the highest mountain in the contiguous United States – it only seemed natural that I’d want to climb (well hike) the biggest peaks in Southern California. After doing the Whitney hike in a day – 22 miles return on challenging terrain with lack of oxygen – I felt that anything was possible. Also, my 9 year old son Tristan got wind of the idea and decided he’d like get in on the action. The list of peaks in reverse order of height are as follows:

1. Mt Wilson

Distance: 14 miles
Elevation: 5710 feet
Vertical gain: 4,200 feet

2. Cucamonga Peak

Distance: 12 miles
Elevation: 8,859 feet
Vertical gain: 4,300 feet

3. Mt San Antonio (Mt Baldy)

Distance: 10.2 miles
Elevation: 10,068 feet
Vertical gain: 3,900 feet

4. San Bernadino Peak

Distance: 16.5 miles
Elevation: 10,649 feet
Vertical gain: 4,702 feet

5. Mt San Jacinto

Distance: 11.4 feet
Elevation: 10,834 feet
Vertical gain: 4,702 feet

6. Mount Gorgonio

Distance: 17.3 miles
Elevation: 11,503 feet
Vertical gain: 5,840 feet

Despite the amazing views I decided to experiment with the macro feature on my camera

I’d been hiking with Tristan on various local trails and hills but nothing too extreme. I doubt we had ever done anything more than five miles. A few weekends ago we’d hiked Los Pinos peak in Orange County (4,555 feet – the fourth highest mountain in OC). I know, the fourth highest mountain in the OC is a bit ‘9th man on the moon’, although not a walk in the park for a young boy. To give you some idea of scale Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain, is 4,409 feet. To be fair, on the Los Pinos hike we’d driven quite a way up, I’d say the return hike was approx five miles so not the longest ascent in the world. Although a healthy jaunt in the high chaparral of California. I think this little jaunt piqued Tristan’s interest. I sensed a burgeoning interest in the wilderness, geology and the facts and figures of mountains. When I told him he’d climbed higher than the highest mountain in Britain he was very excited and I seemed to have opened the adventurers door.

Chinese travels continue… Xiamen in Fujian province, street markets, tea drinking, Gulangyu Island…

Xiamen

After two nights in Ghangzhou and walking what felt like hundreds of miles after two intense days traipsing around the fair I was ready to leave. Next stop Xiamen in Fujian province. At this point I’d like to say thank you to my hosts Edward and Makiyo who showed me around, translated, put me up, entertained and basically made the best trip possible happen. I am so grateful for their help – and sometimes in China you really need it.

China was one of those places where I had no idea what to expect – on any level – before visiting. It’s such a vast place, the most populated country on the planet, a place which, as it exerts such a large impression on the imagination, means there’s quite a big gap between the fiction of what you think it will be like and the reality of how it actually is. My impressions are also of course highly superficial after a relatively fleeting – 9 day trip – to a small part of this massive country.

Driving across Ghangzhou to the train station (more on this later) and then from the train station in Xiamen to where I stayed I had that feeling of being daunted again. Everything’s so big – just endless miles and miles of large tower block housing, much of it looking quite grim and unappealing. Basically workers digs. Small rooms for factory workers who work long hours for little pay. In the cities there isn’t much much greenery. Just lots of concrete and lots of people. An Orwellian dystopia, humans as drones. Life looked hard. Its the scale of it – 1.3 billion people who all need to work, eat and live. On an already dangerously overcrowded planet, I just find the numbers a bit overwhelming. However, from my brief travels there I never saw a desperation to the people, quite the opposite – very proud and friendly people, taxi drivers and waiters would often refuse or hand back tips, perhaps due to the Chinese honor code they find it demeaning to accept money thrown around by Westerners. Again I am sure there are other parts of this huge, diverse country where this isn’t the case and hunger and poverty will be the norm.

The train stations are simply immense. As with the Canton trade fair, the scale is mind bending – the terminus at Ghangzhou was bigger than Heathrow Terminal 5. The trains literally miles long. The timetables hyper efficient – the trains leave on the dot and you have to book your tickets days in advance and if you missed the train you were screwed. A massive mass transit system to cope with volume. In fact when it’s Chinese New Year and all the workers can leave their factories to visit their families, I believe it’s the largest human migration on the planet, all carried by the train system. As a world leader, China has invested massively in it’s infrastructure (America take note) and the roads, trains and subways are amazing. The trains were clean and fast – very impressive. This is where the help of our translator helped – once you get out into the cities no one speaks English. Not a word. I felt that if I got lost it would be a real test to find your way home again.

I’d never heard of Xiamen (3.5 million people, small for China) before but it’s well known in China and as it’s on the Strait of Taiwan, one of strategic and historical importance. I was staying right on the lake in the nicest part of town. This was my time to explore. We visited the fish market one morning which was a real eye opener and a great place for local colour, smells and people watching. In China if it moves it gets eaten – so there were snakes, toads, turtles, sharks, alligators, endless species of fish – all on sale ready to be cooked. As I a vegetarian I perhaps surprisingly didn’t find it that gross or shocking – in my world view, it’s shocking that a human would want to eat anything that lived, whether pig, snake, cow or shark.

It seems common for areas of the city to specialize in a certain area of trade. Hence there was an area – a few blocks – of painters and artists knocking up copies of classics like the Mona Lisa or Canaletto-esque Venetian city scapes. I think this congregation of similar skills is fairly common in China and there are even towns or cities that specialize in one thing, for instance one town will make all the Christmas decorations that will be exported and sold to the rest of the world. Another town (or city) will specialize in washing machines or TVs and so on and so. It’s really quite bizarre.

In Xiamen one of my favorite discoveries was the tea area. Again, a couple of blocks of everything related to tea – tea pickers, sorters, dealers, shops selling kettles, cups, machines. Outside older women sat on stools picking and sorting the leaves from the twigs and stems of the bushels recently transplanted from the plantations that surround Xiamen . In China everyone drinks tea – taxi drivers have their own flasks with their favorite brew. In fact it’s believed the quantities of tea drunk goes some way in explaining low obesity in China despite the fat rich diet. The hot tea flushes out all the fat and toxins. It’s served before meals and business meetings. In some situations there’s quite a strict ritual of how it’s brewed – the tea ceremony which I experienced a number of times. How much tea is used, temperature of the water, washing of the tea cups with the first strain of tea, smelling the leaves, smelling the brew – it’s an art form, a tea culture that goes back millennia.

Nanputuo Temple

This was another highlight in Xiamen for me. After a tasty lunch in a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant we walked up the hill to the Nanputuo Temple which is near the beautiful university. As it’s set on a hill you walk up and there are various Buddhist shrines and lots of monks. As with the Buddhist temples I’ve visited I love how the atmosphere is different to a traditional church – minus the sacred hush and holy reverence. The Buddhists seem more welcoming, open and accepting in their beliefs. This part of China is mainly Buddhist and for me it was another plus – the people seem kind and passive. I felt very safe at all times. I think most crime is low in China as the laws are very strict and well enforced. No deviation from the norm, a mass conformism to ensure the safe functioning of a society with so many people. Plus a hangover from the Communist days when strict conformism was much more the norm. As China has opened up to capitalism and westernized society is going through a massive change. An ever expanding middle class, consumerism and a vastly and disproportionally wealthy one percent much like Western cultures.

‪Gulangyu Island‬

This was another fascinating day trip. Just a 20 minute ferry ride off the coast of Xiamen, Gulangyu Island is car free and is stuffed full of colonial history and architecture. After China’s loss after the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, many foreign governments – British, French, Japanese etc – set up their administrative head quarters there. The architecture was stunning – large Victorian houses, French villas, art nouveau styles and palatial homes abound in the winding lanes where cars are banned. It really gave me a sense of history – a lot of older buildings frequently get knocked down in China to make way for new developments and it was reassuring to see this part had been protected.

Gulangyu Island is a famous tourist destination for the Chinese – particularly young about to be married couples who flock there to get their portraits taken with the classy architectural backdrop. Every street you turn down there are couples every where only adding to the romance of the place.