Hi. I've read that many people do the overnight hike up Mt. Huashan in time to watch the sunrise from the summit.
If I only had one full day and wanted to do the round-trip during the day (waking up at my hotel in Xi'an), how possible is it to do the full hike? Can we hike uphill and buy a cable car ticket for the return?
Also, what will the weather be like up there in late May?
Thanks!
homeskillet
1
zhet
I haven't been to Hua Shan, but I know people who have, so I am not speaking from personal experience. But no one else has answered, so I thought I'd give it a try.
It's easy to do Hua Shan in a day if you take the cable car one way. The ShuYuan hostel runs tours out there, and I assume other hostels do, too, but I don't know that. That's the easy way to get there. Otherwise, you can take a train there, climb up for six hours, then take the cable car down and the train or a bus back.
Late May in Xi'an should be pleasant, though possibly rainy, but on the mountain it'll still be quite cool at the top.
2
tomgriffith
I went to Hua Shan the other day, got a minibus from Xián which cost Y30 and takes 90 mins. Walking up the most scenic route from the very bottom takes about 5-6 hours all the way to East Peak. Taking the cable car cuts 3 hours off the trek, but it only runs from 9am till sunset I think. This time of year, the hike in the dark would be very dangerous - lots of narrow steps, and snow and ice. It hit about -5 or -10 on East Peak, but it will be warmer in May. Feel free to email me at tomjgriffith@gmail.com with any further questions.
3
idgemeist
Mount Huashan is best seen (or not) at night, we just did it in the may holiday. It was a bit nerve racking at times but nothing too freaky, though we did take a guide which was provided by Hq Hostel. Once the colours start appearing you will feel your body being reinvigorated. It is also possible to do during the day in a day trip from Xi'an. The train is the cheapest way, 10 kuai, though you will then need to negotiate a transfer to the park (we paid another 10/person). I heard that if you take tours from a hostel you might be roped into stopping at souviner shops along the way, and/or have to wait until the bus fills up-not sure about this. At this time of year I think climbing during the day could be pretty hot. It was a bit chilly when we got to the top but nothing drastic, and once the sun came out it was no worries. It is definately a great experience.
Good luck
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