This is an experience like no other.
For one of the most
unforgettable views in the world,
you’ll have to navigate slippery staircases,
terrifying vertical ascents
and an extremely hazardous plank trail
constructed hundreds of years ago.
You better hold tight to that rope
because you're about to find out
why they call this
the most dangerous hike in the world.
One of the five sacred mountains in China,
Mount Huashan has not one,
but five peaks.
Each peak is filled with its own
different obstacles and dangerous trails.
If you decide to scale the South Peak,
its highest,
you'll find yourself 2,160 m (7,087 ft)
above the ground.
And as you climb those unstable steps,
keep this in mind.
Every year Mount Huashan
is rumored to claim the lives
of at least 100 hikers.
This might be one of the world's
most perilous trails,
but the danger starts
long before you're on the mountain.
Mount Huashan is located in a remote area.
The nearest city is Xian,
and we use the word 'near' loosely
since it's still about a 120 km (74.5 mi) trip.
To make the journey from Xian
to the mountain,
you'll have to take a bullet train
and then catch a ride
to get you the rest of the way.
It is a long and challenging trip,
especially if you're not familiar with
the regional dialects.
Make sure you have a translator app
on your phone
to help you communicate with locals.
This is a place
where you want to make sure
everyone you talk to
knows exactly what you mean.
Of course, you want to reach the highest
of the mountain's heights.
Besides being the tallest,
the South Peak also features
the infamously narrow plank walk
constructed of beams
only 30 cm (12 in) wide.
These are precariously stapled
to the sheer cliff walls,
and with only three of these planks
crammed together to form a walkway
space is pretty tight.
Trust us,
you will want to wait
for the warmer months to make the trip.
In winter, the mountain can be covered
in snow and ice.
During the rainy season
in July and August,
it's incredibly slippery.
To lower the risk of taking a wrong step
and falling to your death,
April to June and September to November
is when to plan your adventure.
First, you’ll climb down the cliff
on metal rod stairs.
You’ll be wearing a backpack-like harness
with climbing ropes around your torso
attached to carabiners
clipped to a safety cable
along the mountain wall.
The carabiners you're outfitted with
might not look pretty
but never take that harness off.
In 2019, a university student
decided to take a selfie
to document her hike.
She lost her footing and tragically died
when she fell off the trail,
in part because she decided
to remove her harness for the photo.
Remember those precarious,
narrow stairs that we showed you?
We forgot to mention
one tiny detail about them
that could complicate things for you.
The stairs and the entire plank trail
is a two-way route.
While you’re headed down,
returning tourists will be coming up.
This means you’ll have to maneuver
over and around them.
Carefully.
Slowly inch over to allow other hikers
to squeeze past you.
This isn’t an easy task.
Moving your carabiner over theirs
can be pretty scary.
Some daredevils take the carabiners off
and walk across without it,
but it’s safer to just keep it on.
Especially when the wind picks up.
If you want to take
this once-in-a-lifetime trip
but you don't want to risk dying on planks
and steel stairs,
you might consider hiking
on a different part of the mountain.
While the North Peak and South Peaks
feature the most intimidating
and exhilarating trails,
the West Peak is the quickest
and smoothest hike.
You can walk around this area
toward the center of Mount Huashan
and take a cable car back
to the base of the mountain.
You made it to the end of the most
dangerous hike you’ll ever attempt.
Now, imagine doing that
on the highest mountain on Earth.
Only this time you’ll be carrying the gear
of several climbers.
Could you handle it?
Find out here.