I remember in my first playthrough, around the time that you get assigned to go to High Hrothgar, I followed an alternative path to the monastery. For some reasons I didn't see the 7000 steps and I travelled back to Orphan Rock, and I scaled the mountain. It was extremely hard, finding creatures and stuff. I came across a dungeon with some bandits and a giant frostbite (or wounded, dunno) inside. When I was getting closer and closer to High Hrothgar I came across a wispmother, which annihilated me and led me to abandon my quest, when I found about the 7000 steps.
I tried searching the wikis but I didn't find nothing, can somebody enlighten me on what this path is told, and if it is supposed to be secret or something?