Jiuhuashan North-South Traverse Optimized Detailed Guide
How to play:
① One-day light pack fast traverse, very difficult, requires 16-24 hours of activity, not recommended.
② Two-day light pack, difficult, requires 20-24 hours of activity, recommended.
③ Two-day heavy pack, very difficult, requires 20-24 hours of activity, not recommended, mainly due to many climbs, some sections with dense branches blocking the way, and scarce water sources.
④ Three-day heavy pack, difficult, requires 24-28 hours of activity, not recommended, mainly due to many climbs, some sections with dense branches blocking the way, and scarce water sources.
⑤ Multi-day light pack, recommended for travelers with flexible time and who want an in-depth experience.
Transportation: Drive to the endpoint Pingtian Temple, then charter a car to accommodation near the starting point, costing about 200 RMB per vehicle. Take high-speed rail to Jiuhuashan Station, or transfer from Chizhou Station or Tongling North Line, or charter a car to the starting point.
Food and Accommodation: Within 0-2 km near the starting point, there are many guesthouses such as Photography Home, offering food, lodging, and car services. Contact Hu Ge at 13030623158. On the first night of the traverse, stay at Sujiadang, which has many guesthouses.
Season: From February to May in the first half of the year, avoid snowy and rainy periods as ice can be slippery and dangerous. April to May features romantic mountain flowers and mild climate. From October to December in the second half of the year, check temperatures in October; if above 20°C, it is not suitable to go, as high temperatures make ridge traverses difficult.
Difficulty: Complex road conditions, many climbs, easy to get lost, high intensity and difficulty.
Equipment: Light pack around 30 liters, quick-dry clothes and pants, hat, must be slip-resistant and wear-resistant, headlamp and gloves are essential. One trekking pole. Slip-resistant mid-high hiking boots.
Supplies: Day 1: Two spots at Tiantai Temple, four spots at Huatai, Sujiadang guesthouses.
Day 2: No supplies along the route, only mountain spring water at Shami An, Qianfo Temple, and Yaoshi Hall; availability of hot water is uncertain.
Signal: No signal at Qixian Peak, Maowan Peak, Shami An, Duxiu Peak, and Wulao Peak sections; signal available elsewhere.
Evacuation points:
1. Three spots at Qixian Peak are strongly not recommended, very wild road conditions, strongly opposed.
2. To the left (west) of Shiwang Peak there is a cableway, and sightseeing bus can go to Jiuhua Street, recommended.
3. At Tiantai Temple Pass to the right (east) is Huguo Zen Temple; from Daoseng Cave descend to Huangshi Creek, there is a road down the mountain but need to arrange car in advance; walking down west to Phoenix Pine is recommended.
4. From Dream Stone Valley to the right can descend to Tea Garden Villa, there is a road to Huangshi Creek, or walk to Sujiadang, recommended.
5. From Xiaohuatai to the left can descend to Lower Minyuan, ancient path is steep and has landslides, not recommended.
6. Huatai Scenic Area plank road has cableway down to Visitor Service Center, recommended.
7. After Huatai Pass can descend via Tea Garden to Sujiadang, there is a road directly to the foot of the mountain, recommended.
8. From Daguling ancient path to the left descend, path is long and grass dense, not recommended.
9. From Shami An to the right can descend to Qingqiaowan, recommended.
10. From Tianxiangling Pass to the right can descend to Qingqiaowan, recommended.
11. From Qianfo Temple can descend to Jiuziyan Scenic Area, there is a cableway halfway up the mountain, recommended.
12. From Tianhua Peak can descend to Jiuziyan Scenic Area, steep cliff and many stone steps, not recommended.
13. From Shuangxi Stone Pass can descend to Shutang Waterfall, long route with few guesthouses, not recommended.
14. North and south sides of Duxiu Peak have deep and steep canyons, strongly opposed.
15. From Laoying Stone can descend to Lianfeng Yunhai Scenic Area, long route, not recommended.
16. From Shenxian Diaojiu Windmill descend to Lianfeng Yunhai, dense grass and poor road conditions, shortcut to high-speed rail station may not save time, not recommended.
Detailed tracks can be searched on Liangbu Road with keywords “Muguang/Danqi”