Caolian Ridge

Caolian Ridge, with its main peak at an altitude of 2646 meters, is located at the border of Luonan and Huazhou in Shaanxi Province. It is the highest peak of the eastern Qinling Mountains (Huashan Mountain Range) and faces the Western Sacred Mountain, Huashan, from afar. It is 100 kilometers away from Xi'an. On Saturday, we set off from Xi'an early in the morning, heading for Heizhang Platform. Taking the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway, it took us over two hours to get there. Following the narrow village road to the end, we reached the parking lot. On the weekend, we were blessed with good weather. There were quite a few people. It is said that there were more than two hundred people camping on the mountain last night. After getting ready, we set off. There are two routes up Caolian Ridge: the water route and the dry route. It is said that the water route is quite challenging, and not recommended for beginners. We took the dry route. The path was decent, a narrow sheep trail leading straight up through the woods, which was also quite cool. Later on, it was all about gaining altitude, struggling to climb on the dirt road mixed with gravel and rocks, which was also breath-taking. Before, I had seen a video of a donkey saying it was very easy, reaching the meadow in two and a half hours. But it took us four hours 😂, a true hero doesn't dwell on past glories 😀. We met a young couple who came up the water route, taking two hours longer than us 😂, saying the climb was devastating 😄. One of them refused to go any further. 😂😂 No more words needed, from the meadow to the summit, the beautiful meadow, the scenery was boundless, as if we had arrived in Xinjiang 😄. So beautiful, yes! ✌ Why go to Xinjiang when you can come to Caolian Ridge? The round trip of this hike took nine hours. We got down to the parking lot at eight o'clock in the evening. We returned at night. You can choose according to your own physical condition. Many young people climb at night 😄🤗