Mount Hua, a dangerous hiking trail in China

Mount Hua

Is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi providence. It is one of China´s Five Great Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance. The mount Hua receives annually thousands of tourists, and it is one of the holiest, spectacular and dangerous scenarios in china, in such sacred places like this you feel, upon arrival, that was worth through their risky path.

Mount Hua

Huashan Village at the base of the peak is a small city more than it is a village. The park lies immediately south of town. Peaks and important points of access are mostly named with cardinal directions:

East Gate: the new visitor´s center and ticket office are located here. The East Gate provides access to the North Cable Car. The North Cable Car goes to North Peak. A trail called the "Soldier´s Path" also ascends North Peak beneath the North Cable Car.

Yuquan Yuan(Jade Spring Temple): this is the start of the hiking trail to the top of North Peak. Yuquan Yuan is located at the south edge of Huashan Village. There is a ticket office here but no visitor´s center.

The West Cable Car ascends West Peak from the west side of the park.

Temples

Huashan has a variety of temples and other religious structures on its slopes and peaks. at the foot of the mountains is the cloister of the Jade spring, which is dedicated to Chen Tuan. Additionally atop the southern most peak there is an ancient taoist temple which in modern times has been converted into a tea house.

The padlocks with red ribbons you see here are everywhere on the way up the mountain. They symbolise love and are usually inscribed with the name of a loved one/partner/etc. The red prayer ribbons are usually attached to the padlocks.

What do you can see?

Sunrise: Refreshing Terrace, Shuguang Pavilion, Lion Peak.
Sunset: Paiyun Pavilion, Red Cloud Peak.
Cloud Sea: Jade Screen Pavilion, Refreshing Terrace, White Goose Ridge, Paiyun Pavilion, Bright Peak.
Snowscape: Jade Screen Pavilion, North Sea, Pine Valley, Cloud Valley, Hot Spring.

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What do you can do?

Watch the sun rise from East Peak by attempting a night hike. It won´t be as crowded as during the daytime, but you will see other hikers ascending as well. Be sure to bring along a flashlight, spare batteries and warn clothing. Such equipment can be rented from a store along the road leading to the West Gate entrance. Check the weather forecast before climbing because a rainy night will result in dense fog in the early morning which conceals the sunrise.
At East Peak, prepare yourself mentally as you ascend the famous yun ding, which are narrow steps half the length of your feet, carved into the stone, and stacked up at an angle so sharp that you are virtually climbing a stone ladder. Experience the thrill of clinging onto the iron chains by the side of the path with your arms, while slowly groping for a foothold on the slippery steps.

Steps to Mount

Next morning, walk from East Peak to the other peaks, where the scenery changes from rock outcrops to lush foliage. The mist will gradually fade away to reveal a breathtaking expanse of valleys if you look over the edge of the cliffs. Indulge in a sense of satisfaction as you survey the arduosly long journey you had completed during the night. 

With a safety harness walk out on the Changkong Zhandao,"Vast Sky Plank Walk". Climb a ladder that´s nothing more steel rods driven into a crack in the rock, and walk on planks a foot wide along the edge of a cliff dropping thousands of feet, and in places put you trust in footholds carved into the rock. 

Other than the "Vast Sky Plank Walk" one can choose to descend to the famous Chess Pavilion next to the east peak via the steep footholdings cut into the famous Chess Pavilion next to the east peak via the steep footholdings cut into the mountain. This is the only way to get there and like the plank walk there is now a harness of rent(¥30 or USD $4.62). In the very beginning of the climb down it is 90 degree steep but in overall it´s a little less frightening than the plank walk and the Chess pavilion is a great reward for the few visitors that manage to reach it.

Eating, drinking and sleeping

Biang Biang Mian Special Shaanxi noodles available on the mountain. The character for biang is a special character with 57 strokes only used in Shaanxi Province.

Small shops also sell typical snacks and drinks.

It is also advisable to bring your own snacks or food. 

In winter the restaurant close early due to low volume. If you arrive at dinnertime it is not uncommon for restaurants to be closed or to only have instant noodles. Cooking can also be difficult for the staff due to frozen water pipes.

Be sure to bring enough water for your hike. You may need to buy water on the mountain which will cost you about ¥5(USD$0.77). If you buy the water before coming the price should be about ¥1.5(USD$0.23). 

Most of the peaks have guesthouses where you can sleep in communal rooms of about 4 to 10 people. The price should be around ¥60(USD $9.26) to ¥120(USD$18.52). Non-communal rooms start at around ¥200(USD$30.87) a night.

Note that the guest houses are not heated, and they can be brutally cold during the winter. It is possible that the provided sheets and thin mattresses will not be enough, so dress warn and/or bring a sleeping bag and insulation for your head, where the most heat is lost. Restrooms are also located outside, so any breaks wil require a short walk outside in the cold.

There are no shower facilities or running water in the guesthouses. Bring moist towelettes, sanitation gel, or simply a small towel to douse with drinking water if you want to wash your hands or face.

For a more authentic experience, sleep by the edge of the cliff at East Peak. The ground slopes upwards towards the edge, thus it is relatively safe to sleep near the edge even though there are no railings. Alternatively, huddle up closer to the metal posts away from the edge of the cliff if you would like a safer place to sleep. Prerare enough warm clothes as the temperature drops close to zero at East Peak, with the wind chill.

The information to know before you go:

The hike is called "Plankroad in the Sky", remember this when you look for signage on the mountain. 

You do not have to hike the 6 hours up the mountain to get to the Plankroad, there are actually two cable cars that can take you up in less than 30 minutes. 

The easiest route is to take the Newer-West cable car and then hike the 30-40 minutes from the West Peak to the South Peak where the Plankroad is located. Then follow "Plankroad in the Sky" signage and you will arrive at the site in no time. 

The Plankroad itself only takes 30 minutes or so to complete. It consists of a staircase down which is metal rods in rock, becomes stone cut outs on the cliffside, then comes the actual plank and lastly more stone cut outs leading to the small temple. When you are done you must turn around and go back exactly the way you came.

Hiking

Know that the Plankroad is a two way trail and you will be required to pass on the outside of others at times. If you are truly afraid of heights you may want to be mentally prepare for this fact. 

You do not need to bring or purchase a harness. You will rent a mandatory harness upon arrival at the Plankroad and it currently costs $5 USD. 

Gloves are not really necessary for the Plankroad itself and in certain seasons you may actually feel uncomfortable with the heat. 

Prices and instructions on where to purchase as of Summer 2016 are as follows:

Tickets for everything other than the actual harness itself can be purchased at the Mount Huashan visitors center. To get onto the mountain you will need the following:

Entrance to the mountain is ¥180 (USD$27.82), ¥90 (USD$13.91) with a student card (during the off-season ¥100 (USD$15.45) and ¥50 (USD$7.73) it is worth trying any foreign ID card in lieu of a student card as the attendant likely won´t check it too closely(or at all). You need a Chinese student permit or an International Student Identity Card. 

There are 2 cable cars in operation. The one leading up to the North peak costs ¥80 (USD12.36) 1 way. The one leading to the West peak costs ¥140 (USD$21.63) one way (and lasts 20 minutes). With a student ID card it is 10% cheaper. 

To reach the North cable car station, you need to take a shuttle bus from the ticket station (¥20 or USD$3.09). To reach the West cable car station, you need to take a shuttle bus from the ticket station (¥40 or USD$6.18). Only park buses and specific vehicles are allowed up the mountains, and if you are not intending to hike up from the base, this is your only option.

Visitors at huashan mount

If you choose to hike the mountain it will take anywhere from 4-6 hours and is extremely strenuous. I only recommend this for those in very good shape. It is also advisable to hike the mountain at night and catch the sunrise. The trail up is illuminated, so no worries there. You can also opt to spend the night on the mountain itself, as there are several lodging options available.

The cable cars down stop operating at 7pm, so be sure to time accordingly if you plan to get down that way. You can chose to take one cable car up and the other down, just buy a one way at the botton and then get a return on the mountain when you are ready to head down.

The are food options all over the mountain prices are high, but good to know that they are there. Bathrooms also exist at every major peak and sometimes in between, so it is pretty convenient.

Plankroad in the Sky can have a backup of adventurers waiting to get on the dangerous hike, so you may have a wait. They only let a certain number of visitors on the path at a time ( for security) and they also close it down at a certain time of day (aroud 5 pm), so if you have your heart set on the trail, you may want to arrive on the earlier side. We also heard that weekends and holidays can get even busier, so plan accordingly.