Sierra Blogging Post Archives

I just found a very cool website called Environmental Graffiti and have been having a lot of fun exploring it. They have many interesting articles, but this one stands out.

It's about Mt. Hua in China's Shaanxi Province and the hiking trail to the top - the world's deadliest hiking trail.

Mt. Hua is a popular tourist attraction as the area boasts many religious sites and temples among its peaks. There are safer ways to get to the top but if you're the type that prefers thrills, you can take the death-defying route.



The un-named hiking trail consists of three small boards nailed to the side of a rock face in some places. In other places footholds have been drilled into the mountain. In still others, drilled-in handholds are the only thing keeping you from falling off the mountain to the depths below.

According to local lore, as many as 100 people have died per year on the trail. The author of the article isn't convinced of that number, but no one really knows for sure. From the look of the photos, it sure seems plausible.

Whether the death stats are a publicity stunt or not, there has been no shortage of hikers willing to brave it anyway. People flock to the trail from all over the world - even in the winter when it's decidedly more dangerous. Imagine those boards covered in ice and snow.

I guess being able to say you've hiked the world's deadliest hiking trail is worth the risk to some people. But I think I'd take the safe way up.

Visit Environmental Graffiti for more great stuff like this.