What to expect at Mount Huashan
Mount Huashan is one of China’s five sacred Taoist mountains and as such, is one of the country’s most famous and sacred mountains. Located in the Shaanxi Province, you’ll find it around 120 kilometres east of Xian and its famous Terracotta Warriors.
Rising 2,155 metres at its highest, it is well known for its Taoist temples and the five peaks of East, South, West, North and Middle peaks. Hiking to each of these peaks is a memorable experience with views of steep cliffs and breathtaking scenery.
But is Mount Huashan really the world’s most dangerous hike?
Well, is it? My short answer is no. Here’s why.
The dangerous bits you see on social media are mostly optional. In fact, you can even take a cable car up there and hike on tracks that, for the most part, have safety rail. Don’t get me wrong, the hiking is hard going, but you can still enjoy Mount Huashan without placing yourself in any real danger unless you choose to.
Mount Huashan earned the title of ‘world’s most dangerous hike’ due to one particular section called the ‘plank walk’. Located at South Peak, this is the walk you would have seen on social media where people are shown to be hiking along planks of wood secured into the vertical cliff face of the mountain.
So on the plank walk, you step off the track and onto two planks of wood attached to the cliff face. There is no rail, and you must hug the vertical face of the cliff and inch along sideways, hanging onto the safety chains. A harness is available for rent, and while it affords some protection, it only goes around your chest.
It’s a very VERY long way down…
It’s a long way down and falling off Mount Huashan would mean certain death.
The real danger came when you needed to pass someone coming in the opposite direction. You would unclip your harness, reach around them, clip it back on the other side, and monkey around the outside of them while they attempt to melt into the cliff face. You would have to dangle a little off the cliff to do this because the plank is only large enough for one person.
However, this is no longer the case. The plank walk is now hiked in groups. A group can’t start until the group before them has returned. This eliminates two-way traffic on the planks but, unfortunately, leads to long waiting times.
You don’t have to walk the plank to experience Mount Huashan
More importantly, you don’t have to do the plank walk to experience the best of Mount Huashan. It is completely optional, and in fact, it leads nowhere! You actually have to backtrack along it less you plan to stay up there forever. Many of the questionable tracks on this mountain are optional.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some sections of hiking on Mount Huashan that are definitely more dangerous than your average hike. Especially if you are ill-prepared. But to call it the ‘World Most Dangerous Hike’? Surely there must be worse than this in the world?
What to expect from Mount Huashan
Mount Huashan is not a gentle walk on a dirt path with simple switchbacks up the mountain. The path is man-made and brutally steep in spots. An abundance of persistent stray cats seem to have found their way up here, and should you wish to multi-day hike, there is only very basic accommodation available.
You will need to pack some tissues and hand sanitiser for the toilet and be warned, I have awarded one of the toilets on this mountain the prestige award of being the grossest I have ever experienced. The lucky runner-up belongs to a crowded train in Vietnam. The best technique is to hold your breath and don’t let your eyes linger on anything too long lest your start gagging.
There are gorgeous little huts and temples dotted at the peaks and along the mountain ridges of Mount Huashan. The scenery is spectacular and the signage is excellent. The majority of the signage is in English as well as Chinese.
Getting to North Peak
If you choose to hike to North Peak, it will take a gruelling 2 to 5 hours, depending on your fitness level. You are basically climbing stairs from the foot of the mountain up approximately 1,500 metres and you will be pulling yourself up by chains in some sections. If someone above you slipped, it could potentially have a domino effect.
See the photo above for just how steep this challenging hike is.
Don’t worry if this seems overwhelming as there is a cable car that bypasses this section of Mount Huashan and deposits you just below North Peak.
North Peak to Central Peak
This section of Mount Huashan sees you descend a little and then climb back up a spine-like ridge. There are great views of North Peak if you turn around and look behind you. Central Peak doesn’t really feel like a peak, it’s kind of a flat section with a lovely temple.
Central Peak to East Peak
Keen hikers will often start out in the dark to ensure they reach the East Peak of Mount Huashan by sunrise. There is a viewing area and a guest house to stay in overnight here.
The real highlight? East Peak has a beautiful chess pavilion that needs to be seen to be believed. However, getting to it is one of those dangerous sections. You will need to go over a section backwards and lower yourself down by hanging onto chains and jamming your feet into crevices cut into the rock face. You can hire a safety cable to clip yourself in for this vertical cliff ladder.
Unfortunately, this section was closed due to snow when we reached East Peak, so sadly, we had to be content with admiring it from afar. The toilets here were gagworthy.
East Peak to South Peak
This is where you will find the well-known plank walk. Please remember the plank walk is optional, and you don’t have to traverse it to reach all five peaks of Mount Huashan. If there is snow, the plank walk section will be closed.
If you don’t want to experience the plank walk, just follow the signs to South Peak and ignore the plank walk signs. This is the highest peak at 2155 metres, so make sure to take some photos at the top.
South Peak to West Peak
You will need to descend slightly again and walk along another spine-type ridge to reach West Peak. There is a coffee shop, temple and a guest house here. If your legs have had enough of Mount Huashan, you can take a cable car back down the mountain from here or you can loop back around to North Peak where you started.
You can also start at West Peak
Of course, you don’t have to follow this exact route. You can start your journey at West Peak after taking the cable car up. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the West Peak cable car. I have been told when you are going back down, the journey starts in a mountain tunnel which means you emerge out the other side dangling very high up in the sky.
The verdict on Mount Huashan. Is it safe?
Hiking Mount Huashan is a fantastic, memorable experience even without the more riskier sections. It can be achieved with no specialised equipment, a reasonable level of fitness and a decent amount of determination.
I felt completely safe on Mount Huashan but I did come prepared with proper hiking shoes and a bag full of water bottles and snacks.
Would it be less dangerous if people used more common sense? I suspect so. I saw quite a few visitors ignoring warning signs that a route was closed or were hiking in inappropriate gear, such as small heels.
Visiting Mount Huashan is an incredible experience that combines natural beauty, physical challenge, and cultural exploration. It is a destination that appeals to hikers, spiritual seekers, and those fascinated by Chinese history and mythology. However, it is essential to prepare adequately, follow safety guidelines, and be aware of the physical demands associated with hiking Mount Huashan
How to get to Mount Huashan
Mount Huashan is located in the town of Huayin, only 120km from the city of Xian, famous for its Terracotta Warriors.
If taking the high speed train, depart from the Xian North Railway Station and head to Huashan North Station. This is on the Zhengzhou-Louyang-Xian line and takes around 40 minutes. The regular train takes around two hours between the Xian Railway Station and the Huashan Railway Station.
If you prefer to take the bus, these depart from a parking lot at the Xian North Railway Station. You’ll want to grab the earliest bus you can and it drops you at the West Gate at the base of the mountain. If you miss the last bus back for the day, it will be pricey to grab a taxi.
Resources for booking your holiday to China
Getting to China
China is huge. You will have to research and decide what city you wish to land in first! Once you have this first step worked out, head over to Trip.com to score a great deal.
Where to stay in China
The Grand Mercure Central in Beijing and the Grand Mercure in Xian are both top choices.
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