The most dangerous hiking trail in China. Mount Huashan and death trails

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Well, a little more extreme and adrenaline for today. Some people are tough opponents of all this, and a decent part of the thrill!

If you can't live without thrill and just dream of a new portion of adrenaline, then the extreme "attraction" on Chinese grief Huashan is for you. Daredevils come here, who want to prove their own fearlessness to themselves and the world, and people who are weak in spirit, who dream of getting rid of their inner uncertainty. Huashan Mountain is an effective pill for fears and an effective self-affirmation vitamin.

The flower mountain, and this is how the word Huashan is translated into Russian, is a sacred chinese mountain, which unites five petal-shaped peaks, and is located near the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province. Many fascinating tourist routes have been laid here - among them there are both lifts on the cable car and hiking. Curious travelers, if desired, can get to each of the five peaks of Huashan - South, North, West, East and Central.

The most convenient way is to use the funicular and climb from the foot northern mountains up to its top. The road to the West Peak is also safe. Hiking up to the North Peak, originating from the eastern entrance, with all the sinuosity and steepness of the ascent, although it requires a fair amount of physical preparation, is also not associated with great risk, since it is laid along fairly wide stone steps.

But there is also such a tourist route, which is able to bring the most impressionable tourists to a fainting state - this is the transition from the North peak of Huashan to the South. Some travelers, having taken the first step, literally turn to stone with horror, unable to disengage their cramped fingers and move. And there is nothing surprising in this.

5 Clickable

This road, laid along sheer vertical cliffs, is not in vain called the death path () - falling off narrow boards into a bottomless abyss would mean certain death, but the flow of tourists seeking to make a risky climb does not thin out. Travelers step on boards nailed over the abyss and move to the top in an embrace with a rock or holding on to chains firmly soldered to a stone wall.

No railings and fences - just you, a crazy wind, and hundreds of meters under your feet. Of course, there is some kind of insurance - all daredevils are put on a belt with a rope and a carabiner on it so that they can cling to a safety rope stretched along the entire route.

The reward for brave tourists will be not only the marvelous panorama that opens from the South Peak - the highest of all five "petals" of the Huashan flower, but also a whole bunch of stormy emotions experienced by travelers who have overcome the climb. The news that climbing the most dangerous path is not a one-way route, but a round-trip road sounds like a bolt from the blue for many tourists, but the descent, as a rule, is already easier.

Couples in love who believe in lucky omens leave symbols of inextinguishable feeling on the top of the conquered mountain - shiny locks and red ribbons, the abundance of which ripples in the eyes. Each of those who have conquered the dangerous path happily shares their extraordinary sensations from the ascent - at first it is a panic fear, and then a delightful euphoria from the fact that they did not give up, managed, overcame, won.

120 km east of Xi'an, the granite peaks of the Huashan massif rise above the northern plains. This is one of the five sacred mountains of China, in their system it was called Xiyue, Western Peak. Taoists especially revered her.

In total, Huashan has five peaks: the highest is South (2154 m), then East (2096.2 m), West (2082.6 m), Central (2037.8 m) and North (1614.9 m). The shape of the location of these peaks resembles a lotus flower. Perhaps because of this, the mountains got their name.

The ascent to Huashan, which is about 14 km, is very dangerous. In some places there is no road, the steps are simply carved into the sheer rock. In ancient times, Huashan was called "The steepest mountain in the Middle Kingdom."

The most famous section of the trail is the Green Dragon's Rib, with chasms on either side of the steps.

It takes six to nine hours from Huashan village to the top of the mountain, but it is possible to stay overnight both in the village itself and in fairly modest hotels along the route up.

By the way, massive chains were fastened to the walls of the mountain relatively recently - for Western tourists. And earlier, Huashan was climbed simply - on the planks. It’s good that at least in some areas of this amazing route the chains do not adhere to the rock itself, but are suspended in the form of a railing from the outside of the path.

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The Path of Death is a kind of attraction for thrill-seekers, which is located on Mount Huashan (Huàshān) almost in the very center of China, namely in the province of Shaanxi. The famous trail is located on a sheer cliff at a height of several hundred meters and consists of 3-4 boards fastened together and laid along the mountain. The route involves an approximately 30-meter trail, where at the end there is a special platform with views of the surroundings, and the way back.

Peak tourist season on Mount Huashan falls from May to October. However, in winter, Mount Huashan is also open to the public, but it is not recommended to conquer its peaks.

Accidents on the Death Trail at Mount Huashan

Only the most courageous can take such a step as the passage of one of the most dangerous and terrible routes in the world. The path of death is so narrow that any wrong step can lead to an accident.

But, fortunately, official statistics do not confirm the tragedies. Nevertheless, locals sure that one way or another people are dying here.

Trail Features

The Death Path, despite its name and exciting experiences, attracts everyone every year large quantity tourists and the Chinese themselves. That is why you have to wait in line here, because the trail has the same beginning and end. At the end of the trail, an incredible view from the top of Mount Huashan awaits all those who have reached it, but the most important thing is those emotions that will last a lifetime.

Passing the Path of Death is not recommended for the faint of heart, because on the one hand there is a colossal rock, on the other hand - deep abyss. But of course, you will not have to go through the trail without equipment. The most courageous who dare to go through it are put on a belt with a small cable. As you move to the peak of the mountain, you need to hold on tightly to the chains that are attached to the rock itself along the path.

History of appearance

The Death Trail didn't just appear out of the blue, nor was it made specifically to attract tourists. The original wooden path through Mount Huashan was built by monks about 700 years ago. At that time, the trail consisted only of boards, and chains, handrails and equipment were made relatively recently.

Mount Huashan in China

Mount Huashan, which means "Flower Mountain" in Chinese, consists of five main peaks, namely North, East, South, West and Central. The highest is the South Peak, which has 2154 meters in height.

Mount Huashan was still a place for hermits quite recently, but in recent years this place has become so popular among tourists that everything is done here to attract them. But as for the Path of Death, it attracts extreme lovers only with its phenomenal atmosphere. The most reckless tourists decide to walk along the path from the Northern peak to the Southern one.

The Death Path is not the only route to overcome. There are many unusual trails here, including cable car ascents and hiking ascents, all of which are safe, but require excellent physical fitness and attentiveness from travelers. If you wish, you can conquer each of the 5 peaks, on some you can even rent a hotel room, guest houses or just rent a room.

How to get there

To get to the Path of Death, you need to go a long way: first get to the mountain, then get to the nearest peak, and only then to the path itself.

You can get to Huashan Mountain in the following way:

In the nearby city of Xi'an, take the subway (red line No. 2) and get to Xian North RailWay Station.
Next, you need to climb up from the subway and go to the station to the right of the exit, from where trains periodically run to the HuaShanBei station, that is, HuaShan North. Travel time by train will be no more than 40 minutes.
Then from the station square you need to go to the nearest bus stop from where bus number 1 runs to the very foot of the mountain.
Already there you can take a bus that goes to the funiculars, having previously bought a ticket in national park where Mount Huashan is located.

You can climb the mountain itself in two ways: by cable car through the East Gate of the park or directly to the North Peak of the mountain, from where routes to other peaks are laid.

The road to the trail has a long beginning. First you need to go a long staircase on the northern peak, which is called the "Heavenly Stairs". It seems that it leads to the sky, since it is impossible to see where its steps end. At the end of the stairs there are houses and there is a village where there are even hotels. And the road to the Path of Death continues. Next, you need to go to south side mountains, where the famous Death Path is located.

Panorama of the Path of Death and its environs:

Video: Death Path, Mount Huashan

If you talk to climbers, skyrunners or cyclists, they will tell you that trekking is just the little brother of outdoor adventure. fresh air: it goes too slowly and lacks adrenaline.

But this is not always the case, some of the most dangerous adventures, despite the fact that in essence they are a simple walk, can put the traveler face to face with real dangers that threaten the risk of death.

Here we present the 10 most dangerous hikes in the world:

1. Huayna Picchu, Peru Death Walk Road.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu can be a difficult trek and it takes a few casualties each year. But the real danger begins when you follow the footsteps of the past in mythical city to Huayna Picchu, this trek is better known as the "Death Trek".
The old Inca staircase is carved from granite and rises to a height of 300 meters; at the same time, these steps are rotten in many places, rock falls often occur, the stones underfoot are rather slippery and wet ...
Clouds and fog often obscure dangerous twists and turns over open chasms, and hikers often have to hang on to old steel cables.

Climbing this road is the easiest part of the journey, but descending often causes panic attacks among tourists.
But still, this path is worth it to see the beauty of the mountains on a sunny day and enjoy the view of Machu Picchu, which lies at the foot of Huayna Picchu

2. Trekking to base camp Everest

Because of a large number hiking trails, trekking is very developed in Nepal - tourists have the opportunity to get to know beautiful nature this country.

To understand how diverse trekking is in Nepal, you can simply get acquainted with the proposed routes. The most popular route is the "Three Passes", as well as the track, end point which is the camp of climbers at the foot of Everest.

The trek to Everest (8848 m) is an opportunity not only to see eternal ice and heavenly masses, but also people from all over the world, full of courage and courage, ready to challenge the highest. Here you will see the most famous Buddhist monastery Tjangbochi, and at dawn climb the Kala Patar peak (5545 m), from where you can enjoy a majestic view of Everest and the famous Khumbu glacier, the peaks of Lhotse (8501 m) and Nuptse (7879 m).
The route is interesting primarily for those who would like to try themselves in the world of mountaineering, heights and require good health from the participants.

Spur of one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, Pumori is the best place for those who want to look at the pyramid of Everest (Chomolungmy, Sagarmathi, 8848 meters) from the southern, Nepalese side, but are not able to pay tens of thousands of dollars or simply do not want to climb the southern saddle, Lhotse, Nuptse , Pumori itself and other seven- and eight-thousanders in the area, from where, of course, Everest can be seen better.
If you live in a former Soviet Union, you are a little physically prepared, you have at least two weeks of time, a warm jacket and a sleeping bag and at least a thousand dollars - you can walk along beautiful country Sherpas to the top of Kala Pattara - the very spur of Pumori - and see one of the wonders of the world, the highest peak peace Everest.

Of course, any person following simple rules and guided by common sense, he will be able to go through a simple route alone or in the company of nice people, without getting sick, without dying, and even enjoying what he saw.

There is one main condition - do not rise quickly! Height can kill you, it's very serious. During the autumn season of 2001, that is, in about 2 months, 15 people died from altitude sickness in its various manifestations on the way to Kala Pattara. Do not repeat their mistakes, do not climb more than 400-500 meters per day after 3000 m above sea level, plan two or three acclimatization days, and at the first signs of altitude sickness (headaches, nausea, euphoria, incoherent speech) - sharply , immediately down! without waiting for the morning, and the lower the better.
Usually a descent of 300-500 meters is enough to save a person from death, and soon he will continue on his way as if nothing had happened.

3. Mount Hua Shan, China

These photos may make you dizzy. Picturesque and terrifying at the same time mountain path V Chinese province Shaanxi.

It's hard to believe, but this narrow wooden path through Mount Huashan was built on almost vertical rock about 700 years ago by hermits seeking immortality deep in the mountains.

The path is so narrow that one wrong step can lead to tragedy. Fortunately, tourists passing through it are protected by a special safety cable. But it’s scary to even think about what will happen if it breaks.

There are no official accident statistics, but according to local rumors, about 100 people die on this trail every year... If these rumors are true, then Mount Huashan is the deadliest peak in the world.

This route has seen many deaths throughout its history, and in 1942 it was the scene of fierce fighting between the Japanese and Australians.
For a long time this route was in oblivion and desolation, until in the last decade a tourist boom unfolded in Papua, and travelers rediscovered this 100-kilometer route that runs along the outskirts of Port Moresby to the village of Kokoda.
Since then, the route, which generally takes between 4 and 11 days, has chalked up six casualties.
Throughout it, tourists face malaria, heat, cold nights, and daily heavy rains in the afternoon, soaking them to the bone. On this route, tourists mostly go ankle-deep in mud and clay, stepping over huge slippery tree roots, and streams, which often turn into real turbulent mountain streams and waterfalls in conditions of tropical downpour.

"The Grouse Grind", Vancouver, British Columbia

There are many beautiful trekking routes around Vancouver, British Columbia, and The Grouse Grind is not one of them. This short route with a climb of 850 meters for only 2 kilometers. But being on this route 2830 steps makes this path one of the most stepped. That is why some climbers and fitness trainers use it for training.

Since 1999, 3 people have died on this trail, in addition, about 80% of the rescues in all of Vancouver are on this trail, on average, 12 rescuers are required to complete one rescue operation.
The main causes of accidents on the trail are falls, attempts to pass at night, the loss of the route line and the wandering of a person in the forest ...

According to statistics, 55 people died on this route until 1985, after which, apparently, the country's officials got tired of counting the tragic statistics, but despite this, this route still takes human lives every year.

The "Dragon Traverse" is a 65-kilometer hike through the Natal National Park (Natal national park), and which reveals to the traveler some of the most beautiful alpine reliefs in the world.

The most difficult part of the route is considered to be two fragile stairs at its very beginning, which go to the crest of the ridge, on which, together with tourists, there are animals that are driven out to pastures ... But overcoming these difficulties is worth such an effort, the tourist eventually ends up in a beautiful natural mountain amphitheater, the area of which is three times more area .

If you want to see with your own eyes the landscapes from the film trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" directed by Peter Jackson, you should go to the mountains of Mount Aspiring National Park in south island New Zealand.
However, at the same time, you can skip the route passing through the Cascade Saddle, this is an 18 km trekking that takes 2 days and goes through the most beautiful beech forests and alpine meadows.
Despite beautiful landscapes opening from this route, in the last few years, at least 12 people have lost their lives on it. Basically, the cause of the tragedy was the careless crossing of the waterfall.
Local authorities V Lately even made a proposal to either rebuild the route or close part of it to make it as safe as possible.

This route along the Aonach Eagach ridge is considered one of the most impressive in Scotland. The route is 6.5 kilometers long, passes through the Glen Coe Valley, crosses two ridges and Mountain peaks, and offers tourists the best panoramic views in the country.
In addition, this route passes along a steep scree, sometimes located at the very edge of the cliffs, and steep grassy slopes on both sides of the trail make it impossible to get off the ridge in case of unforeseen weather situations.
It is on the ridge that most of the problems begin for tourists who try to get off it before climbing to the top of Sgorr Nam Fiannaidh peak (960m). This route has recorded several fatalities every year.

The Kalalau trekking route runs along the coast of Na Pali in Hawaii, this region is the most isolated place in the jungle of the country, here tourists can observe steep slopes huge volcanoes and a virgin ocean beach at the end of the route.

But the 35-kilometer crossing in both directions through tropical paradise can change very quickly.
On this path, tourists must cross three mountain rivers, which in rainy conditions can turn into deadly mountain streams in the blink of an eye, in addition, tourists are very often at risk of rockfalls, especially at raging waterfalls, where the path is especially narrow.

Many hikers have died and many have been injured on this trail, but the narrow passages are not the best. great danger route, more than 100 people died while swimming on the beaches of this trail, and the locals living near this trail can sometimes be aggressive ...

The Royal Path (Spanish: El Caminito del Rey) is a structure consisting of concrete and crutches driven into the rock and railway rails. The trail is located between the Chorro and Gaitanejo waterfalls in the El Chorro Gorge near Alora in Malaga, Spain.
The road is located at a very large distance from the ground, its length is 3 kilometers, the width is only 1 meter.
The trail is currently in a very dilapidated condition.
The handrails are destroyed almost everywhere, in many places the structure itself is also destroyed, therefore, for safety reasons, this path is officially closed for tourists.

The Royal Path was created at the beginning of the 20th century (in 1905) as an auxiliary path for workers employed in the construction of the Conde del Guadalorce hydraulic structure (dam), from one side of the canyon to another. After the construction was completed, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, in order to attend the opening ceremony of the dam, walked along this path, watching the construction, and in honor of this the path was called "El Caminito del Rey" - the Path of the King.

Despite the fact that officially the Royal Path is closed to the public, many people who are not afraid of heights still pass it, specially stretched along the most dangerous places a path where there are no longer handrails.

Only mountains can be better than mountains, and it's hard not to agree with that. China is an amazing country full of natural and man-made miracles. After the post about Mount Yaoshan in Guilin, I would like to continue this topic. Let's fast-forward from Guilin, 1,500 kilometers north, to the ancient capital city of Xi'an, 130 kilometers east of which stands Mount Hua Shan.

closest to the mountain Big City– Xian, it is from there that most visitors come to the mountain. Buses from Xi'an leave for Huashan starting in the early morning, the journey takes approximately 2 hours (distance 140 kilometers). You need to look for the bus in the square near railway station, which is near the gates to the city and the fortress wall. Attention! Do not confuse with the station for high-speed trains, which is located in the settlements. For the way there, we paid 22 yuan per person (2014 price), the return trip cost already 38 yuan. Good advice: always look at how much the locals are paying and protest with all your might if they demand more from you. No one tried to deceive us on this particular bus, but there were incidents in other regions. And yet, do not focus on other tourists, only locals. For example, on a bus on the way to rice terraces couple in guilin European tourists paid for tickets for 80 yuan, while the real price was 20. And they were not embarrassed by anything! Holy innocence. You can also get to Huashan Village by train, but I don't see much point in that. Firstly, a train ticket is more expensive, and secondly, you will have to take another taxi from the station, while the bus brings you to the entrance to the park. Yes, the buses are modern and quite comfortable, these are not minibuses where you need to sit bent over in three deaths and eagerly catch air from a narrow window.

Perhaps the most important question when planning a visit to the mountain is whether it is possible to do it in one day from Xi'an and return back in the evening. The main conclusion is that you can visit the mountain in one day and return back to Xi'an is absolutely real. Since 2014, this has become even easier. The fact is that quite recently a new cable car was built to the western peak. In the most recent edition of the Lonely Planet guide at that time, and it was in May 2014, they still did not know anything about the new cable car line.

For starters, here is the current map of the mountain, click to open big size. Note that north is at the bottom of this diagram. The Huashan plateau consists of four peaks: northern, western, southern and eastern. The northern peak is the lowest (1615 meters), it is through it that the ascent to the top will begin. Two roads lead to the northern peak: hiking trail, which very quickly turns into a series of stairs with almost vertical rises in places, and a cable car that quickly and effortlessly takes you to the northern peak. We went upstairs on foot and the entire ascent took us exactly 2 hours. As for me, there was nothing terrible in this ascent, I can’t say that it was very difficult. Of course, you need to soberly assess your strengths and remember that the load on your knees will be crazy. You can descend the mountain from the northern peak, having previously described a full circle through all the other peaks, and returning back, or from the western peak. The second option is much more attractive in terms of time, because you do not need to return back to the northern peak. The passage between the northern peak and the main plateau takes at least 2 hours, don't believe Lonely Planet, who claims that this distance is overcome in half an hour.

So what do we have. The first option is for the laziest or if time is running out: you climb the northern peak on the cable car, go to the western one and descend in the same way. It will take about three hours for everything.

The second option is personally tested and described later in this post: hiking to the north peak (2 hours), from there to the west (another 2 hours), from the west to the south (about an hour) and from the south peak through the heavenly path in a small circle back to west to the cable car station will take another hour. Add to this a total of 4 hours on the road from Xi'an and back and it turns out just a whole day.

Another option came to my mind after visiting Huashan. If your path further lies in Beijing, or you are going to Xi'an from Beijing, and this is very likely to be the case, you should consider this option. Some high speed trains Xi'an-Beijing stops in the village of the same name, which means that it is not necessary to return to Xi'an on the same day if the transfer to Beijing is scheduled the next day. Optimally, as for me, it would be to stay for the night in the village of the same name. In the morning, arrive from Xi'an, take a leisurely walk on the mountain, go down in the evening and spend the night in the village of Huashan, and take the train to Beijing the next morning. Or vice versa, on the way from Beijing, get off at Huashan, spend the night, climb the mountain early in the morning and leave on the last bus to Xi'an.

By the way, you can spend the night at the very top. Here are the prices for the “heavenly” hostel.

At the beginning the road goes along the gorge practically without gaining height, this is the most boring section of the route. You just go straight and nothing happens.

Porters are constantly climbing the mountain. It can be seen that physical labor in China is worth nothing, because the same thing could be lifted by a cable car.

So they go up and down, there with goods, and back with waste. Prices at the top are 3-4 times higher than the earth, but do not be afraid. A bottle of water, which usually costs 1-2 yuan, will cost 4-5 yuan at the top, and if a portion of “earthly” pies costs 5 yuan, then you will have to pay 15 yuan for a portion of “heavenly” ones. That is, even the inflated prices are still divine and very far from European or American, where out of the blue they fight so much that you want to spend your next vacation again in Asia.

We go there! The smooth road quickly ends and a string of stairs begins. The Chinese literally built a staircase to the mountain and in some places carved steps in the stone walls! Remember Mount Yaoshan? The Chinese will not go around, only straight! In Europe, climbing such a mountain would take a whole day along a long serpentine through forests and fields, but this is China.

All stairs are equipped with handrails. Do not forget to buy rag mittens, they will come in handy. They are sold at any kiosk, and if you forgot, grandmothers along the way will be happy to sell them to you.

Height gains very quickly. With each next step, the views are getting better and better, you don’t notice fatigue at all, you just want to go up and so that the road does not end.

West Peak, height 2038 meters.

This grandmother climbed Huashan on foot, are you really weak? :)

Here is the northern peak. We must pay tribute, all tracks and transitions in excellent condition. Everywhere there are railings, garbage cans, toilets (free!), There is no danger in the ascent. Even special shoes are not required, light comfortable sneakers will be just right.

The Koreans have a halt for lunch.

View of the western peak from the northern one.

On the northern peak.

Cowboy Myalorbo.

Why not El Capitan in Yosemite?

The northern peak is a little distant from the rest of the plateau, it is like an extended appendix to the main array of three peaks. The hike from the northern to the western peak took us two hours. I would like to personally communicate with the person who wrote in the Lonely Planet guidebook that the same distance takes half an hour.

One of the most famous views of Huashan is the climb from the northern peak to the western one. The western peak is 400 meters higher than the northern one, so the trail climbs monotonously, gaining 400 meters in height. I don’t understand where the figure of 30 minutes came from, the fact that the author visited the mountain is doubtful. By the way, you need to consider that there may be traffic jams at the top! Domestic tourism in China is blooming and smelling, so there is a risk of getting stuck at the top in a crowd of Chinese grandmothers. We were lucky and there were relatively few people that day, so 2 hours is without traffic jams.

The northern peak is left behind.

The Blue Dragon Ridge is the entire trail. To the right is the cable car station at the northern peak.

cable car going to the western peak.

Blue Dragon Ridge, on the way to the western summit.

Pay attention to the columns with flashlights.

During a trip to Central China, I advise you to definitely visit one of the five Sacred Mountains of Chinese Taoism - Mount Huashan (Huàshān), located in the province of Shaanxi, about 123 km east of the city Xi'an.

This mountain consists of five main peaks (peaks) - North, East, South, West and Central, resembling a flower in appearance. From here it got its name: "hua" - a flower, and "shan" - a mountain.

Huashan has great religious significance in China and is an object of mass pilgrimage for Taoists. In addition, it is famous for its amazing rocky landscapes, as well as monasteries, pagodas, temples, caves, and very dangerous climbs to the peaks.

You can climb Mount Huashan on foot from the town of the same name below (there are two walking route), and by funicular (to the North Peak). Usually pilgrims climb only on foot and spend the night on one of the peaks, and the next day they go around all five peaks.

In general, to get on foot to any of its five peaks, you first need to climb to North Peak, the lowest (1614 meters). As mentioned above, it can be reached by two routes:

The first is the traditional and most popular route"Hua Shan Yu", developed back in the 3rd-4th century AD. Its length is about 6 km (on average it takes about 5 hours), it starts from the village of the same name town of Huashan.

Second - new route"Huang Pu Yu", running parallel to the cable car through the Huang Pu Yu Gorge (Huang Pu Yu).

A number of narrow paths depart from the North Peak, along which you can get to four other peaks - Western (height 2038 m), Central (2042 m), Eastern (2100 m) and South (2154 m). Until 1998, this was the only way to get to other peaks, but then an alternative was built in the east of the mountains. New way goes around the ridge and branches into several paths leading to the peaks of the mountain.

East Peak is considered the best place to watch the sunrise. Next to it is the "Dawn Cave", near which tourists usually pitch tents. From the top there is a narrow path, literally hanging over the abyss, at the end of it there is a small pagoda. Here is the approximate sunrise time:

Spring: 05:00 - 06:00

Summer: 04:30 - 05:20

Autumn: 05:00 - 5:20

Winter: 5:30 - 06:00

By the way, most peaks have guest houses where you can stay both in a separate room (from 120 USD per night) and in rooms for 4-20 people (from 20 to 40 USD per person). Not cheap, but the pleasure of meeting the sunrise at a bird's eye view is worth it. Please note that the guest houses are not well-maintained (no running water, toilets outside) and are not heated, even in winter.

Some thirty years ago, Mount Huashan was a place of solitude for hermits, but over the past two decades it has been gaining popularity among tourists (for whom they even built a cable car), and not only among pilgrims, but also among extreme sports lovers.

Very steep climbs, dangerous narrow paths and suspension bridges- it is because of them that the routes to the peaks of Huashan are called the "Paths of Death" and "The Most Dangerous Paths in the World", it is they who attract fans to tickle their nerves here.

The peak tourist season on Mount Huashan is from May to October, but the most beautiful time to visit - September. During the winter months, the mountain is open to the public, but, nevertheless, this is the best time for hiking.

Usually tourists get to Mount Huashan from nearby city Xi'an, located 120 kilometers. Buses run from Xi'an to Huashan town (35 yuan one way, in season they want from 6 am, travel time 2 hours). From here to Eastern or Western gate national park Huashan, where the mountain is located, can be reached by taxi (10 USD per car). Cable car - 80 yuan one way, 150 round trip. Entrance to the national park is also paid - 180 yuan per person.