Mount Huashan Day Trip: China's Most Vertical Hike

Mount Huashan (华山, Huàshān) is the westernmost of China's Five Great Mountains and by far the most alarming. It's a mass of pale granite thrust straight up out of the Wei River plain, with five peaks connected by ridges so narrow that the paths are cut as staircases into the rock with iron chains for handrails. Taoist hermits have lived here for two thousand years, and the temples on the summits are still active.

Realistically, this is a full committed day out of Xi'an, not an afternoon. The efficient version uses the West Peak cable car — a spectacular 20-minute ride over gorges — then walks the ridge circuit across the South Peak (2,154m, the highest), East Peak, and Centre Peak, and descends via the North Peak cableway. That's about five hours of moving, most of it on steps, with long exposed drops but proper railings.

The famous Plank Walk in the Sky, a metre-wide boardwalk bolted to a vertical cliff face, is a separate paid add-on with a harness. It's safe, heavily supervised, and the queue can be brutal — an hour or more for a few minutes of walking. Decide in advance whether you want it.

Costs add up: entry, two shuttle buses, one or two cable cars and train tickets means budgeting ¥450-550 ($63-77) per person for the day. Go on a weekday, start with a train before 8:00, and check the weather — in rain or fog the ridges close and you'll have paid for cloud.

Getting there: High-speed rail from Xi'an North (西安北) to Huashan North (华山北), 30-40 minutes; frequent departures from around 7:00.