Luoyang Departure: Laojun Mountain, Chongdugou and Jiguan Cave, 4 Days 3 Nights

An hour and a half on the expressway from Luoyang reaches Luanchuan. Jiguan Cave lies eight kilometres west of the county town, and the visit comes after lunch. Outside, the November wind already cuts at the face; two steps inside the entrance the air turns warm and the rock sweats. Walking the loop and coming back out, the warmth has moved from the skin inward. Dinner in town is acorn jelly and a bean curd hotpot.

Attraction introduction: Jiguan Cave sits in the hills west of Luanchuan and is formed in limestone, with about 1,800 metres of developed passage over several levels. Stalactites, stalagmites and stone curtains line the route. The interior holds a steady eighteen degrees or so through the year, which makes it one of the few places here that ignores the season.

Tips: The floor is wet and the steps carry water, so smooth soles are a poor choice. Guests generally find it best to shed a layer at the mouth and put it back on outside, otherwise the middle of the walk turns clammy. In practice nothing steep is scheduled today: cave first, early night, legs saved for the two days that follow.

Into the mountain at half past eight, shuttle to the lower cable station, up the first line and then the second, and the entrance to the Ten-Li Painted Screen is right at the top station. The walkway is pinned to the cliff, rock on one side and air on the other, and it takes about two hours end to end. Lunch at a service point on the mountain, then back along the same path to the summit area to find a spot out of the wind as the sun drops. By dusk the lamps come on and the halls float one by one along the ridge.

Attraction introduction: Laojun Mountain is the highest point of the Funiu range, built of granite, with a peak forest topography that is uncommon in the north. The Painted Screen is a long walkway along the cliff face with the view open the whole way. The summit shrines are spread along the ridge and roofed in bronze tile, so after sunset the light inside them turns the ridge into a line.

Tips: The last uphill ride on the main cable closes at 15:30, and after that the only way up is on foot. Guests generally find the return walk on the screen leaves the legs heavy enough that a second summit push the next morning is hard. In practice the first day stops at the screen, the summit is seen at lamp lighting, and the climb itself waits for tomorrow.

Up again at half past seven on the same line, and the summit is still in mist when the group arrives. Cloud rolls over the far side of the ridge in waves, the roofs appearing and disappearing. By nine it clears and the Funiu ridges stand one behind another into the distance. Down for lunch at noon, then thirty five kilometres north east to Chongdugou, arriving as the light goes.

Attraction introduction: Cloud on Laojun Mountain gathers after rain clears and on autumn and winter mornings, when moisture is held under an inversion and the view down from the summit is a flat white sea. Chongdugou has two valleys, Jinji River and Dicui River, both with a stream at the bottom and bamboo on the banks, the densest stretch closing overhead so completely that locals call it the bamboo corridor.

Tips: The second entry uses the same ticket, checked again but not repurchased. Guests generally find the summit far quieter in the morning, since most groups come up after ten. In practice departure is at half past seven to hold those two hours, and the transfer afterwards doubles as the rest stop.

Breakfast in the valley, then upstream along Jinji River from eight, the stream keeping pace and waterfalls arriving one after another. The volume is smaller than in summer, which makes the sound clearer rather than weaker. Back for lunch, then across to the Dicui River valley in the afternoon, where the bamboo stands and the light comes down through it in stripes. The coach leaves at half past three and the expressway puts Luoyang back within reach before dinner.

Attraction introduction: The two valleys of Chongdugou run in different directions: Jinji River is waterfalls and a stream bed, Dicui River is bamboo and gentle slope, and the shuttle links them on a two day pass with unlimited rides. The bamboo here is a slender running species, planted dense, and in November the leaves are still green enough that wind through the stand is audible from a distance.

Tips: Both valleys in one day is a push, especially the many steps along Jinji River. Guests generally find the easier order is Jinji in the morning and Dicui in the afternoon, since the bamboo side is almost level. In practice departure is set for half past three, leaving time to wash up and buy mountain produce before any driving after dark.