Mount Emei is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. At an elevation level of 10,167 ft (3,099), the altitude was nothing for me as I was used to living in Tibet and Bolivia. Mount Emei is one of the coolest places I have ever encountered in China. After spending 9 days in Sichuan—a place full of rich history and culture—this was perhaps the main highlight of my experience.

After taking the train from Chengdu to Emei, I took a packed express bus up the mountain; what was supposed to be a 2-hour journey, instead took 4-hours. As the bus climbed higher, the atmosphere became thinner and the weather colder; outside the mountain was completely covered in snow. After two long delays and getting stuck uphill, the bus finally arrived at its destination. 

It was 4pm, the last bus departure was scheduled for 6pm and I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time to climb the rest of the mountain. After the bus arrived, I bought crampons to avoid slipping in the ice and hiked up the mountain stairs for half-an-hour to reach the queue for the cable car. After taking the cable car—which lasted only 3 minutes— I arrived. 

I had chills. It was near sunset and nothing I had ever seen before compared to this miraculous view. But as the sun was setting, I realised I had to rush back to catch the last bus. I was too late and got stranded—at over 10,000 ft, -8 degrees! I nearly panicked. I considered staying in a hotel on the mountain but the prices were extortionate. In the end, I had little choice and an even smaller budget. Even though I got stranded, it was still worth the adventure. I had an experience I won’t ever forget.