Being a badass, part 2: hiking to the top (~6.5 km walk, ~750 m elevation).

This is a reasonable hike for those who get regular exercise...except for that torrential-downpour part. It felt like one anyway. This is why you see me carrying a purse ("A purse?! What kind of an outdoorsman...errr..woman are you?"): my bulky, serious-business Red Riding Hood raincoat did not fit into our backpack.

I'm certainly glad I brought it along: the all-consuming Gray fog you see is just a taste of things to come. I'm equally glad I opted against carrying my photographic equipment: there's only so much waterproofing that a supposedly waterproof camera can handle. Having lost my previous smartphone to precisely this kind of conditions last year, I've also stopped snapping once the massive rainstorm hit. You'll just have to trust me on that one.