Full Moon Mountain: a short, sharp climb

At the top of the waterfall the bed of the stream widens into a huge area of flat rock, over which the stream pours in the wide, low Silver Curtain Fall. Take the path to the left here, climbing above the stream, past an ornamental shelter, and the start of the safer trail up to Full Moon Mountain is below the Little Maid Waterfall, a small cascade on a tributary which enters the main stream just above Silver Curtain Falls.

Climbing stiffly, the narrow mud trail is nevertheless fairly easy at first, although further up it becomes rougher, and fixed ropes begin appearing, to aid the climb, especially welcome after wet weather, when the roar of the waterfalls drifting up from below is unmistakable.

Finally the climb becomes rocky, with several small, easy pitches to scale, and these become bigger and trickier until, reaching the middle slopes of the mountain, the way is almost straight up for a spell, with the trail negotiating a way around several big, rocky bluffs, while taking some of the smaller rock faces head on. It's a slow climb, and great care is needed in several especially exposed spots.

Finally the rock faces are left behind, the trail is once again merely steep, and suddenly, it levels out onto the small, wooded and thoroughly anticlimactic summit of Full Moon Mountain. Hikers hoping for a view will be sadly disappointed. The reward of tackling Full Moon Mountain is all in the getting up there.

Once safely on top, there are three ways down: retrace steps back along the outward path (be careful!), take the other even harder route down to Virgin's Waterfall (definitely not recommended), or take the trail ahead, which climbs gently through the woods, away from this lofty, narrow neck and on to the main ridge behind.

From here a trail climbs over the top of the ridge and on to even loftier summits, while take a right at the first junction, and a trail gently descends, swinging back into the gorge of the Dabao Stream, to return you safely to the top of Silver Curtain Waterfall.

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