The Hua Shan Trail (华山) - China's Killer App

Every once in awhile there is an application so amazing that it justifies purchasing an entire new computer system.  Like the original VisiCalc spreadsheet, Netscape browser, or Space Invaders.  Or, I don't know, maybe DOOM.

Machu Picchu was the killer app for Peru - as soon as I saw it I knew I had to visit it.  Likewise the Angkor template complex in Cambodia.

China's killer app is the Hua Shan trail (华山), otherwise known as The Most Dangerous Hiking Trail in the World.

Take a look at the pictures in some of the following links:

http://www.ratestogo.com/blog/most-dangerous-hiking-trail/

http://www.hotelclub.com/blog/huashan-trail-worlds-most-dangerous-hiking-trail/

http://www.dailydawdle.com/2012/11/the-most-dangerous-hiking-trail-in.html

I mean seriously, who would think that is a good idea???  People have DIED from trying to hike this trail.  I know safety standards have come a long way (and maybe we're now a little bit overly safety conscious) but what person in their right mind would ever build a trail like this, let alone hike it.

But not only do thousands of people hike this trail every year (one of my 中国同事 tells me he has hiked it "many times" as a teenager) they've even built temples and guest houses at the summit.

I have to visit this crazy trail, and meet the people who built this and thought hiking it would be a "fun" thing to do.  Maybe I'll even hike the trail myself!