What you see below are photos of the magnificent Mt. Hua Shan in China. At its base is a gigantic stone stairs they called the “Heavenly Stairs,” which leads to one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the world.
The terrifying trails up to the top involve steep staircases, vertical ascents, and a narrow plank path made of wooden platforms bolted onto the mountainside.
At the very top of Mt. Hua Shan is something you definitely don’t associate with deadly hiking trails, exhilaration and adrenaline-pumping adventure.
The journey starts here.
This is the easiest part of the climb.
Countless people from around the world have taken on the challenge of trekking Mt. Hua Shan.
You’ll pass little villages and houses along the way.
When you get this part, you can take a gondola to the southern peak.
When you get to the other side, this plank path awaits you.
This is where things become truly dangerous, with nothing but planks to walk on and a rail of chains to hold onto.
No one will force you to wear safety gear. But it’s encouraged.
Do these photos make your stomach drop?
It certainly did mine.
There’s almost nothing from keeping you from falling, but this rail of chains.
There are parts also that you must climb with toe holes cut out.
Mt. Hua Shan has been a place of religious importance since the 2nd century BCE, when a Daoist temple was established at its base.
Pilgrims, monks and other religious people have inhabited the mountain and the surrounding area.
A network of precipitous and dangerous trails allows them to access the five summits of the mountain.
Due to a recent influx of tourists, the trails have been reinforced. But they’re still dangerous and carry a reputation for fatal falls.
Aaron Feen
Aaron Feen
Our palms are sweating just looking at this path.
If you’re brave enough to keep climbing…
You will find at the end of the journey something interesting.
7,087 feet up on the mountain’s southern peak is a Taoist temple that was converted into a tea house.
Thousands of people climb this world’s scariest trail to end up at a tea house.
Take a look at the tea house at the top of Mt. Hua Shan.
