Earth’s Deadliest Hiking Trail

Mon, Dec 8, 2008

Featured

Environmental Graffiti Will be Changing Dramatically Soon. Get a Sneak Preview By Signing Up Here.

Mt. Hua Trail
Image via C-HAD

Danger and thrills are why many people visit Mt Hua, which is located in China’s Shaanxi province. Hiking up Mt Hua and exploring the surrounding area is a popular attraction as there are many temples and religious sights located throughout the area. Some of the most amazing sights, however, are at the top of the mountain.

There are safe, more tourist friendly paths up the mountain but for those looking for a truly awe inspiring experience there are also more dangerous routes, such as this one. It includes sections which are nothing but scant three boards hugging the mountainside and a massive vertical drop only a step away.

Mt. Hua Trail
Image via harryalverson

It has been reported that as many as 100 people per year have died on the trail in the past, though how the trail could remain open with such a high mortality rate makes the claim somewhat skeptical. The trail is anything but safe, however. There are many sections where the only footholds are those that have been drilled in to the mountain, and other places where chains bolted to the mountain are the only handholds that protect against a very long fall.

If you can see this, then you might need a Flash Player upgrade or you need to install Flash Player if it's missing. Get Flash Player from Adobe.

(skip to around 2.00 mins in if you’re short of time)

In spite of the danger though, people continue to visit the remote mountain in droves. In the middle of winter, with even the safe tourist path covered in ice and snow, people continue to climb the mountain and take in the beautiful sights that the peak provides.

Mt. Hua Trail
Image via harryalverson

Source 1, 2

If you want to find out all the latest news on the environment, why not subscribe to our RSS feed? We’ll even throw in a free album.

, , , , , , ,

You Might Also Like Our Friends' Posts From the Intertubes

“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”


This post was written by:

Stuart - who has written 3 posts on Environmental Graffiti.


Contact the author

4 Comments For This Post

Leave a Reply

  1. gaffer Says:

    WOW that is pure madness . even with all the safety equipment , just because you’re on a plank of wood above the abyss , the feeling must be overwhelming . i seriously don’t think i would go that far . great video . nice story .

  2. Missing Bolivia Says:

    Outstanding video. It looks sorely tempting but…

  3. emily Says:

    I have actually been to Mt. Hua and even though i didn’t go down that particular path, I did encounter plenty of ways to kill or mame myself. It was absolutely one of the craziest experiences of my life, but I would go back in a heartbeat. The shear beauty, grandure, and drop are simply amazing!

  4. online payday advance Says:

    That is absolutly crazy to hike on the 3 boards with that far of a drop below you. I love to hike but I would never hike on anything like that, I would be so scared to.

1 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. DeeJayDog.TV » Dangerous Paths to New Heights Says:

    [...] his dangerous hike up Mt. Hua, located in China’s Shaanxi province. (Found via this great Environmental Graffiti post–check it [...]

ss_blog_claim=68ded206efcf0b5d4bf955123f191aba