Although questioning Mother Nature’s wonders is not the point, we average people expect some sort of reward when we decide to go for a hiking trip. Putting aside the fact that breathing clean air, seeing lots of green and having a pretty view is already something to be grateful for, in a few words: if I am going to expose my body to a physical test, I would like to get a reward for it. Something other than just nice “random” scenery; I would like a prize for sacrificing my urban organism and exposing it to sweat, bruises and respiratory effort.

The constant ascent along the rocky paths of the mountains around Cangshan offers the chance to see clearly why this part of Yunnan is so popular – its setting. Seeing Cangshan from old town Dali makes it easy to understand local people’s rooted admiration for their geography, and why the Ming Dynasty explorers were sent precisely to this area to accomplish their domain over the region.

When beginning the winding path up and alongside the walls of rock, the perception from the view below is a series of exuberant vertical woods shooting out from the crags, before reaching up to form a perfect seam between lush vegetation and the sky. Before it starts getting monotonous, the middle point of view is filled by the live image of old town Dali, a low, flat monochromatic fabric spotted by temples and buildings, and the peaceful grandeur of the Erhai Lake in the background, all of which is framed by the tyrannical mountain slopes.

Up to here, the reward is quite satisfying but knowing there’s still a ways to go, expectations remain. Since the plan was set for a day trip (something about four hours on the move) I expected the rewards to be less grand than they would be a a further spot (which is possible if the energy and time are available). Luckily, nature shut my arrogance up by leading the way to a split in the rock, where streams of water start coming down from the top of the mountains, pooling periodically into crystalline ponds; eighteen brooks tumble down from Cangshan, watering the fertile plain and emptying into Erhai Lake. The ponds are so clear that from afar, you can hardly believe there’s water covering the pebbles. But what makes this particular area so special is that besides being open and bright, what actually makes the streams so bright is the creamy white texture of the stones’ surface. They look less rocky and more round as a result of the water running over the surface, which at the same time twists the white color with wavy hues of gray. A big bright blanket covering the rugged cracks, bright enough to reflect the sun and overexpose the sight. Frolicking and refreshing, the shiny ponds were a pretty good prize that will stay as an amusing memory beyond the photos.

[nggallery id=45]