LINKS FOR ARTICLES IN "THE NARROW PATH TO HEAVEN" SERIES
Preface: Introduction to the Mountain
1. Setting-Up Base Camp  
2. To Go Further, or To Go Back Down? 
​3. The Real Climb Begins

​There is a Road Map to Heaven, but few who know it, and even fewer take it!

​“Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Matthew 7:13-14). “Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). 

“Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air, but I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). “With fear and trembling work out your salvation!” (Philippians 2:12).

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INTRODUCTION : HEAVEN IS MOUNTAIN THAT WE MUST CLIMB
Click here for Part 1: Setting-Up Base Camp
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THE HAIKU STAIRS, HAWAII
"The Staircase to Heaven"

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IN THE BIBLE, THE MOUNTAIN IS A SYMBOL OF GOD AND HEAVEN

Moses receives the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai

Mount Horeb, the place where God appeared to Moses under the form of a burning bush

Our Lord spends forty days and forty nights amid the desert mountains

Jesus preaches a sermon on the mountain (Matthew 5, 6, 7)

During the Exodus to the Promised Land, God manifests Himself as fire on top of Mount Sinai

Mount Tabor, the location of the transfiguration of Our Lord

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Looking down onto Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

Our Lord's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives

ABOVE & BELOW: Christ the Redeemer statue on Mount Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

"The Staircase to Heaven" on
​"Paradise on Earth"

​The mountain is a Scriptural symbol of both God and Heaven. Thus our journey to Heaven is often looked upon as climbing a mountain. With this analogy in mind—and linking it to St. Paul’s analogy of our road to Heaven being like a race in which all run, but few get a prize—we shall first of all, by means of introduction, look upon natural, physical, earthy mountain climbing and then compare it to and explain the way that our spiritual mountain must be climbed.
 
So let us take a trip to Hawaii, which many call “Paradise on Earth”, for our first look at mountain climbing. “The Stairway to Heaven” on Oahu, Hawaii, also known as “The Haiku Stairs”, is possibly the greatest attraction on the entire island. There are 3,922 stairs leading up the imposing mountain ridge, often at a vertical incline, with only a hand-rail to catch you from falling into the valley below.
 
Originally the stairs were built in 1942 by the U.S. Navy, as a top secret radio station for transmitting radio signals to ships that were sailing in the Pacific Ocean. In order to obtain the necessary height for the antennae, the Navy stretched them across Haiku Valley, a natural amphitheater surrounded by high ridges. To accomplish this, they needed “easy” access to the top of the ridges, so they installed a wooden ladder up the mountain. The ladder was later replaced by a wooden staircase. Once a cable car was in operation, most workers preferred to ride the car to the upper hoist house rather than enduring the tedious climb up the stairs. Some remnant parts of the wooden ladder may still be seen beside the metal steps. When the Naval base was decommissioned in the 1950s, the United States Coast Guard used the site for an Omega Navigation System station. In the mid-1950s, the wooden stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps — by one count, 3,922 steps.
 
The stairs were then opened to the public until 1987 when they were deemed unsafe because of disrepair. The city of Honolulu spent almost a million dollars repairing the stairs and was considering re-opening the stairs in 2002, but resident complaints and safety concerns halted the re-opening and the stairs have been closed ever since. That hasn’t stopped hikers and tourists sneaking past a security guard, who is posted at the bottom of the stairs, to experience the thrilling 4,000ft long and extremely narrow and steep hike, along an 18-inch wide staircase, reaching heights of above 2,000 feet.
 
In 2003, the stairs were repaired, costing the city $875,000. As of early 2012, land usage rights issues have not been resolved. The City and County of Honolulu has stated that there is currently no plan to open the stairs for public use, citing liability concerns, although it has been noted that the mayor is vocally open to reopening the stairs under his chosen and required circumstances. Dozens of people, however, routinely hike up the stairs every day. In August of 2012, show singer Don Tiki and the comedian Fritz Hasenpusch made the climb and Hasenpsch died of a heart attack during his Haiku Stair climb. As of December 2016, a security guard is still posted at the base of the stairs. In the two year period between 2014 and 2015, 11 hikers were arrested and 463 were cited―the vast majority of hikers get away “scot-free”. The City Prosecutors Office has said that criminal trespass in the second degree carries a $1,000 fine. Even in simple trespass cases, the judge has the discretion to hand-down fines of up to a thousand dollars. Undeterred, many still hike the stairs on an almost daily basis.
 
Over Valentine's Day weekend 2015, a powerful storm passed over the island of Oahu which caused significant damage to a small portion of the stairway but can still be climbed to this day.

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China's "Heavenly Stairs" on
​Mount Hua are not so heavenly!

Located a short day trip outside of Xian, Mount Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains of China and has a long history of religious and historical significance. Reaching the northern summit takes approximately 5 hours and requires ascending a series of steep stone staircases (like most mountains in China).

Mount Huashan's crags and spines make for a beautiful, all be it, precipitous trek. So much so, that it has been labeled the world's most dangerous hike. Probably the most infamous of all the attractions is the Plank Road in the sky, located on Mount Huashan's south Peak. Fifty yards of wood, precariously nailed to the side of a cliff, takes you on a stroll over 3,000 feet above a spiky mountain range below. Nestled high atop the southern-most peak of China’s holy Mount Huashan, the Huashan Teahouse is a Buddhist and Taoist temple that now offers refreshments to anyone daring enough to reach it via what has been described as one of the most dangerous hiking paths in the world.
 
Mount Huashan actually consists of five separate peaks, each with a temple on it thanks to the religious significance that has been ascribed to the mountain for centuries. However the most remote peak to the south is home to the temple, which has incorporated a tea ceremony to answer the demands of the increased number of visitors, who are drawn to the site by the pull of danger.
 
Originally Huashan was called Xiyue―meaning “Western mountain”―because it was the westernmost of the five sacred Taoist peaks.  It is the dominant mountain in Quinling mountain range. Formerly the five mountains were dotted with temples but today only a few remain. These days the majority of visitors to Huashan are Chinese youth on vacation.  However the mountain routes are still trekked by devoted pilgrims and wandering monks intent on visiting the sacred shrines.  
 
The East Peak is about 6,857 feet high above sea level. It is also called Facing Sun Peak because the top of the peak is the best place to watch the sunrise.
 
The Middle Peak is also called Jade Maiden Peak. Story goes that Nongyu, the daughter of King Mugong (659 B.C.-621 B.C.) of the Qin Kingdom (770 B.C.-476B.C.), was tired of the life in the court. So she and her husband moved to Huashan and lived alone at Middle Peak. The West Peak is about 6,846 feet high.  It is always called Lotus Peak because of its unique shape. This peak is formed by a huge rock. Hence it's very steep.
 
The North Peak was called Clouds Stand by ancient people. Today it is called the Cloud Terrace Peak as it looks like a flat terrace in the clouds. The peak is about 5,295 feet above sea level. An important site on the North Peak is Zhenwu Hall (God of North). Three sides are cliffs that are nearly impossible to climb and the fourth side is the 'ear rubbing cliff'.  This route gets its name because there are places on this precipitous path where tourists can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff.
 
The majestic South Peak is the tallest. With an altitude of 7,087 feet, ancient people called this the 'Monarch of Mt. Hua' because it is the highest peak of Mt. Hua. It is also the highest peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of China. The temple for the God of Mt. Huashan is situated on the South Peak. Tourists who summit South Peak are rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. The famous Yellow River wanders far below and everything seems small. The South Peak is the dangerous peak at the center of our story.  The South Peak is very popular for climbing despite its peril.
 
To reach the temple, one must begin at the base of the mountain with a series of steps known as the “Heavenly Stairs,” a long trail of stone steps carved right into the mountain that is so steep, one slip could cause hikers to tumble down them uncontrollably. Once at the top of the steps, a rickety cable-car ferries hikers high above a mountain valley, to the base of the Southern peak.
 
A tortuous 10-mile stepped path leads to the Black Dragon Ridge (Bilong ji) where other trails lead to the major peaks. The most dangerous place is called 'Changkong Zhandao' a wooden plank path built along the surface of a vertical cliff. In order to reach certain temples and the caves of the sages great courage is needed. The climb to the top is a very challenging hike that includes sheer cliffs and substantial elevation gain (more than 5,000 feet, much of it on stone steps).  The climbers must scale several steep cliffs with only a linked chain for support.  Below is the bottomless gulf which makes tourists shake with fear.   To fall is certain death.
 
For the ascent of the Southern peak, the trail almost completely disappears as hikers must sidle along the sheer mountainside across a thin ledge made of what looks like scrap wood, stapled and lashed together like an afterthought. Even the planks fall away at some point leaving nothing but a chain and some pegs to stand on, hundreds of feet off the ground. In some sections of the cliff path, there are no planks at all — just notches carved into the stone. Once past this section, another set of worn stairs leads to the temple, although their sharp grade makes the previous steps seem like child’s play.
 
Thanks to the increasing number of visitors to the site in recent years, the Chinese government has taken steps to make the route safer, by shoring up the ledge planks and cementing in more guide chains. However despite the increased safety precautions a number of hikers each year continue to plummet to their deaths from the dizzying trail. But no matter how many people continue to perish on the often snow-covered path, the promise of serenity and a warm cup of hard-earned tea keep people coming back in larger numbers each year. 

What Can We Learn From This?

First of all, mountains are mentioned frequently in the Bible because mountains dotted the landscape of biblical regions. In other words, while mountains have a significant symbolic value in the Bible, they first and foremost are part of the physical reality of the Bible. As a result, mountains and hills are mentioned over 500 times in the Bible. Mountains have a logical religious symbolism for biblical cultures since they are “closer to God” who was believed to dwell in the heavens (as in the sky). The mountain is elevated above the world, which signifies that we should not be immersed in the world and what it offers us, but we should be above the world. As a result, God often reveals himself on the mountaintop.

Here are just a handful of the many references to mountains in Holy Scripture:
 
►  MOUNT ARARAT (Genesis 8:1-5). Noe’s ark rests here after the flood. Ararat has an elevation of 16,854 ft.

► THE BURNING BUSH ON THE MOUNT HOREB.  God appeared to Moses in the burning bush on Mount Horeb: “Now Moses came to the mountain of God, Horeb. And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and Moses saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt” (Exodus 3:1-2).

► MOUNT SINAI (Exodus 19-20, 24). Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God here, which is also a symbol of God’s Covenant with Israel. Sinai has an elevation of 7,497 ft.

► MOUNT SION (2 Kings 5:1-10, 3 Kings 8:1). David captures area and it becomes the City of David, later the location of Solomon's Temple. Sion has an elevation of 2,510 ft.

► MOUNT CARMEL (3 Kings 18). Elias calls God to light a sacrifice on fire proving to the Prophets of Baal his is the one true God. Mount Carmel has an elevation of 1,724 ft.

► SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Matthew 5,6,7). Jesus announces the Eight Beatitudes, gives us The Lord's Prayer and many other teachings.

► ​MOUNT OF THE TRANSFIGURATION (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36). Before the disciples' eyes, Jesus is transfigured next to next to Moses and Elias on Mount Tabor, and it also where He appeared after the resurrection. Tabor has an elevation of 1,886 ft.

► MOUNT OF OLIVES (Luke 22:39-49, Acts 1:9-12). Jesus prays here before his arrest & crucifixion. Later he ascends from the Mount of Olives into Heaven. The Mount of Olives has an elevation of 2,710 ft.
 
 
Just before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites had to do battle with the Amalec, whereby Moses mounted a hill that overlooked the plain. “And Moses said to Josue: Choose out men: and go out and fight against Amalec: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill having the rod of God in my hand. Josue did as Moses had spoken, and he fought against Amalec; but Moses, and Aaron, and Hur went up upon the top of the hill. And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel overcame: but if he let them down a little, Amalec overcame” (Exodus 17:9-11).
 
In the Old Testament, the mountains of Sinai and Sion are most significant. Mount Sinai, of course, is associated with Moses, and is the place where Moses received the gift of the Law, the Ten Commandments. Thus, Mount Sinai is a symbol of God’s Covenant with Israel. Mount Sion, to the south, is the location of Jerusalem and the Temple of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is a symbol of God and Heaven. It was the location where the Temple of God was built and it was where Christ preached and died.
 
St. John speaks of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven: “And there came one of the seven angels and spoke with me, saying: ‘Come, and I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb!’ And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God” (Apocalypse 21:9-11).
 
In the New Testament (Mark and Luke to be precise), Jesus appoints the Twelve Apostles on a mountain. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus delivers the Eight Beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount, conjuring an image of Moses who received the Commandments on Mount Sinai. Matthew’s mostly-Jewish audience would immediately pick up on the comparison between Moses and Jesus. Matthew, in particular, has 6 significant mountain “scenes” in his Gospel: Jesus’ temptation (4:8); the Sermon on the Mount (5:1); a number of healings (15:29); the Transfiguration (17:1); Jesus’ final discourse (24:1); and the commissioning of the Apostles (28:16). Perhaps the most significant mountain scene in the Gospels, however, is the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus is accompanied by Moses and Elias, who themselves encountered God on the mountaintop in the Old Testament. Now, they encounter God through Jesus and Jesus, in turn, is seen as the fulfillment of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets Elias. Our Lord then dies on Mount Calvary.

Heaven is a Mountain We Must Climb!

If God and Heave are symbolized by the mountain and God is the Supreme Being—then we could, for the sake of argument, liken God and Heaven to Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. To get to Heaven, means to reach the peak or the summit. Many have tried, most don’t even want to bother, and few have succeeded.
 
Similarly with climbing Mount Everest—very few persons have reached its summit (just over 4,000 since 1953, when Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, became the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which, at 29,035 feet above sea level, is the highest point on Earth.

​Mount Everest sits on the crest of the Great Himalayas in Asia, lying on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Called Chomo-Lungma, or “Mother Goddess of the Land,” by the Tibetans, the English named the mountain after Sir George Everest, a 19th-century British surveyor of South Asia. The summit of Everest reaches two-thirds of the way through the air of the earth’s atmosphere―at about the cruising altitude of jet airliners―and oxygen levels there are very low, temperatures are extremely cold, and weather is unpredictable and dangerous.
 
The first recorded attempt to climb Everest was made in 1921 by a British expedition that trekked 400 difficult miles across the Tibetan plateau to the foot of the great mountain. A raging storm forced them to abort their ascent, but the mountaineers, among them George Leigh Mallory, had seen what appeared to be a feasible route up the peak. It was Mallory who quipped when later asked by a journalist why he wanted to climb Everest, “Because it’s there!” If asked why we want to climb to Heaven, we could also say: “Because it’s there! And it’s a helluva lot better than falling down into Hell!” Going down is always easier than climbing up—and down is where most souls go: “Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! (Matthew 7:13-14).

​A second British expedition, featuring Mallory, returned in 1922, and climbers George Finch and Geoffrey Bruce reached an impressive height of more than 27,000 feet. In another attempt made by Mallory that year, seven Sherpa porters were killed in an avalanche. (The Sherpas, native to the Khumbu region, have long played an essential support role in Himalayan climbs and treks because of their strength and ability to endure the high altitudes). In 1924, a third Everest expedition was launched by the British, and climber Edward Norton reached an elevation of 28,128 feet, 900 vertical feet short of the summit, without using artificial oxygen. Four days later, Mallory and Andrew Irvine launched a summit assault and were never seen alive again. In 1999, Mallory’s largely preserved body was found high on Everest―he had suffered numerous broken bones in a fall. Whether or not he or Irvine reached the summit remains a mystery.
 
Several more unsuccessful summit attempts were made via Tibet’s Northeast Ridge route, and, after World War II, Tibet was closed to foreigners. In 1949, Nepal opened its door to the outside world, and in 1950 and 1951 British expeditions made exploratory climbs up the Southeast Ridge route. In 1952, a Swiss expedition navigated the treacherous Khumbu Icefall in the first real summit attempt. Two climbers, Raymond Lambert and Tenzing Norgay, reached 28,210 feet, just below the South Summit, but had to turn back for want of supplies.
 
Shocked by the near-success of the Swiss expedition, a large British expedition was organized for 1953 under the command of Colonel John Hunt. In addition to the best British climbers and such highly experienced Sherpas as Tenzing Norgay, the expedition enlisted talent from the British Commonwealth, such as New Zealanders George Lowe and Edmund Hillary, the latter of whom worked as a beekeeper when not climbing mountains. Members of the expedition were equipped with specially insulated boots and clothing, portable radio equipment, and open- and closed-circuit oxygen systems.
 
Setting up a series of camps, the expedition pushed its way up the mountain in April and May 1953. A new passage was forged through the Khumbu Icefall, and the climbers made their way up the Western Cwm, across the Lhotse Face, and to the South Col, at about 26,000 feet. On May 26, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon launched the first assault on the summit and came within 300 feet of the top of Everest before having to turn back because one of their oxygen sets was malfunctioning.
 
On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900 feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high, about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step. Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m., the climbers arrived at the top of the world.

Similarly, with regard to our climb to Heaven, if we at first fall and fail, then like Christ in His repeated falls during the Way of the Cross, we must rise and press on to the summit of our own Mount Everest, or Mount Calvary. It is a crucifying experience that brings excruciating pain. But the way to Heaven is up the mountain, carrying our cross all along the way! “And Jesus said to all: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me!’” (Luke 9:23).

MOUNT HUA, CHINA
"The Heavenly Stairs"

These photos show the steep climb that is necessary to get to the teahouse on the southern peak of Mt. Huashan in China. The base of the mountain is called "the Heavenly Stairs"

The stairs at the start of the journey

A little higher up the base of
​the mountain

Small villages, here and there, have grown alongside the stairs

Below, you will see "towns" that sprang up to support the temples at the peaks. This area is still fairly safe, and doesn't require much caution.

Now for the exciting part. First you take a cable-car ride to the base of the southern peak.

After the cable-car drops you off, the path gets tighter and tighter, until the only way to continue is by sections of planks put together to bridge the gaps. Things become more and more tricky as the path becomes narrower. 

If you thought that was a narrow and dangerous path, then check this out! ​The railing is a series of chains and planks, padlocked to metal stakes that have been hammered into the mountain face.

This narrow and precipitous path goes on for over 50 yards or half the length of a football field, ​When meeting someone going the opposite direction, the only possible way to pass is by backing up to the closest landing, then letting the other person pass.

You could look upon the chain as being the chain of your Rosary beads, or as being the beads themselves!

There is nothing like danger to make to pray better and more intensely!

Looking at the potential fall off the plank to a certain death, reminds one of the potential fall into Hell and eternal death!

​After moving around the side of the mountain, the mountain begins to slope, so we can stop going around, and start moving in a more direct line to the peak. You can make out steps on the left side of this picture.

Those steps are not just a few rungs, but climb upwards, almost vertically, for a long way.

The final stretch goes straight up the mountain face. Toe holes have been hammered out.

Once you make it to the top, there is a long path that saddles the mountain top. This path brings you to the peak.

And finally, the peak! Atop of this peak is the southern temple, a tea-house which is probably more revered for its location than its tea.

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This particular tea-house is on the South Peak, and is found at an altitude of 7,087 feet.

Click here for the next article
Part 1 : Arriving at Setting-Up Base Camp on Our Climb to Heaven