how hard is the climb to the paiyunlou hotel in the west sea canyon from the beihai hotel?

Question

How hard is the climb to the Paiyunlou hotel in the West Sea Canyon from the Beihai hotel? Last autumn I hiked from the Beihai Hotel and took the lefthand stairs directly up through the forest to the weather station, and missed the West Sea Canyon area totally. I think I should have taken the righthand route to the West Sea Canyon instead since I missed a lot of scenery. So, I will go back in April 2011 and hike from the Beihai hotel to Paiyunlou Hotel on the righthand path to see what I missed. Is it hard to go this way? Very steep path? More ups than downs? Also, if I take the Yuping cablecar down to the base, will I miss much photographic opportunities such as bridges and weird rock formations? I already have some great sea-of-cloud photos & buxian quiao (fairy bridge), but want some more bridges and interesting pathways so I will skip the cablecar if it's better to walk it.

Mr.moc · Answer

Sandi, i am going to Huang mountain in coming summer. My itnerary is very close to the one you said.  I let you know the answer after I come back.

Mr.Bonch · Answer

I'm just back from Huangshan. It makes no sense not to take the cable car -- there are trails up, but the forested views are nothing special. The views begin from the upper cable car station. The only reason for hiking up is if you want to escape the crowds. There are about 10,000 people/day on Huangshan's narrow trails. Loudspeakers, guides summoning their flocks with shrill whistles, etc. Fairy Bridge was the least crowded trail. Lotus Mountain, the high point, was so packed that it took 15 minutes of shoulder to shoulder jostling to get the last few feet to the summit. The scenery is amazing, but don't expect Taoist peacefulness: the whole place is like Fifth Avenue on Boxing Day.

Ms.Diana · Answer

Hi Ms. Sandi, I too plan to visit Huangshan in April 2011.  I am going by myself.  Please e-mail me if you are interested in company or if you can provide me with some tips!  :)gmail.com|dianahomeIt's my first time to Huangshan.  I would appreciate some tips too.  Is it necessary to hire a guide?  How demanding are the hikes?  Are trail maps pretty accurate and detailed?Thank you very much!!Diana

Ms.Sandi · Answer

Hi Diana, I opted to do France in April, so won't be going back to China until maybe September. Yes, it is fairly easy to navigate Huangshan. There is no likelihood of getting lost since there are so many people hiking that mountain too! I would recommend staying the night at a hotel at the top, and coming back down the next day to fully appreciate the experience. Coming down takes longer than going up, if you go the eastern side up and the western side down (more to see!). Guides aren't necessary but make for good commentary if you want to know some interesting facts or have some company. I have a bit of a writeup about my hike at virtualtourist.com under 'huangshan tips', but i've just told you most of it here. Have fun! I'm 42 and not in shape so if I can do it, almost everyone else can too!

Ms.Diana · Answer

Hi Sandi!  Thank you so much for the info.  I was a bit worried about doing this solo as a few people had told me that I should not go by myself...  Thanks again.  Have fun in France!

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