There were no trees here, no west view of the river.

I climbed to the top of a small rise and realised that the mist was little more than a few feet deep, and though it was only a short climb, I found myself completely above it and looking at a wonderfully clear view of Skiddaw with the sun setting in the west.

A bird's-eye view of China would indicate that China's terrain descends in four steps from west to east.