Jalak Knight Solitaire

Originally posted on http://www.heywetried.com/jalak by: CarlPalmner

I'm not sure if this game is winnable or not but I *think* it is. It is certainly challenging.

This is a game to play in Jalak when you can't find anyone else who wants to play Jalak games. The goal is to raise every pillar by 1 step without breaking any rules.

Setup:
Flatten the field. It can be on any level except the top, but it must be "flat"--i.e. all pillars at the same height. Fine a starting pillar to stand on, and raise it by one step.

Rules:
Each turn, you must jump to another pillar. The only pillars you can jump to are those a knight would be able to reach in chess--those located 2 squares away from you and 1 to either side, so that all possible moves form "L" patterns (see the end of this post for examples).

If the pillar you land on is not currently raised (i.e. it is at the same level the pillars were at at the beginning), then you must raise it one step.

If you land on a pillar you have ALREADY raised (i.e. it is one step above the starting level), then you must lower it one step (back to the starting level). IMPORTANT NOTE: If the pillar cannot be lowered (because all adjacent pillars are raised, so you can't reach the side of the pillar to click it), then you have made an ILLEGAL MOVE and you must either undo it (go back to your previous pillar), or start the game over.

It may be possible, towards the end of the game, to arrive at a place where anywhere you go would call for you to lower a pillar that is impossible to lower. If this happens, you have officially lost the game.

The game ends when you manage to get every pillar simultaneously in the "up" position (i.e., the field is flat again, but it is one level higher than it was when you started).

COUNT YOUR TURNS: Assuming it is possible to win this game (and I believe it should be), count the number of times you move until you win and keep track of the total. The lower your number, the better you did at the game. Try to beat your own best scores!

APPENDIX: LEGAL MOVES (based on the chess knight's move)

P = player
X = illegal move
O = legal move

X O X O X
O X X X O
X X P X X
O X X X O
X O X O X

Assuming the player is at "P", he/she can move to any square marked with an "O" on this grid, relative to the player's position. So, for example, the following are all possible scenarios:

X X X X X . . . X X O X O . . . X P X X X
X X X X X . . . X O X X X . . . X X X O X
X O X X X . . . X X X P X . . . O X O X X
X X O X X . . . X O X X X . . . X X X X X
P X X X X . . . X X O X O . . . X X X X X