Set an alarm to 05:00, take a taxi to the train station, get onto the train, switch in Hangzhou, and get off in Tonglu (桐庐), take another taxi — to arrive 4 hours and 330 kilometers away from home. For a hike. Maybe it’s crazy, but the alternative is to stay home. You’ll have plenty of time, but well — not a hike.

It’s my second time walking Maling Ancient Road (马岭古道), this time with my parents. It’s a mostly flat road, following the river, and with around 15 kilometers; a doable length even for retirees. We didn’t expect the weather to be so hot in October, at 36°C — so in open areas without any shade, we need to lower the pace, and when we do arrive in the shade, we take plenty of breaks to cool down our overheating heads.

What’s new for me is that we walk the road from Shishecun (石舍村) to Luci (芦茨乡), instead of the other way around. Also, the scenery has changed a lot, this being the tail end of summer rather than winter. And I finally found Renshou Bridge (仁寿桥), built over 100 years ago — but now hidden in an unused corner of the river.