Hengshan is the third mountain in my Five Great Mountains plan. I chose to depart on New Year’s Day in 2021. The timing was relatively urgent because I was on duty on New Year’s Day itself. To save time, I bought a sleeper ticket from Shenzhen Station to Hengyang Station, which departed after 9 p.m.
After work at more than 5 p.m., I first had a bowl of noodles near Bihaiwan subway station. Because I was in a hurry and anxious, I left my tea cup at the noodle shop after eating. I only realized it when I arrived at the subway entrance, so I had to go back to get my tea cup, which was quite embarrassing!!!
Then, I took the subway to the train station. While waiting in the waiting hall, I saw many people with hiking sticks and outdoor backpacks. Their destination should be the same as mine, which is to go to Hengshan.
Recently, short video platforms like TikTok have been posting about the rime scenery of Hengshan. It just so happens that the temperature in Hengshan has been relatively low during the New Year’s Day holiday, with continuous rime wonders for several days. Many people should also go there for its fame.
The train departed from Shenzhen at around 21:35 and arrived in Hengyang City at more than 5 a.m. the next day. I dared not play with my phone and quickly lay down on the sleeper to rest and save energy for tomorrow’s mountain climbing.
At half past five, after getting out of Hengyang Station, I went to the nearby bus stop and took a bus to the central station for 2 yuan. Then, I took a coach from the central station to the Nanyue Scenic Area for 16 yuan. It took about an hour and a half to get off at the Nanyue Scenic Area bus station. The picture above was taken after getting off at the Nanyue Scenic Area bus stop. The time I arrived at Nanyue was around 8:30 a.m.
Then, I walked from Nanyue Bus Station to Nanyue Archway, then to Nanyue Temple, and finally from both sides of Nanyue Temple to the Hengshan Scenic Area ticket office.
This is the Nanyue Archway, and the mountain in the back is Hengshan.
This is Nanyue Temple. Due to the epidemic, the inspection was relatively strict, so I didn’t go in. I continued to go to the Hengshan ticket office behind Nanyue Temple in the direction of the left hand.
After passing through the small path, you will see the Hengshan Tourist Service Center.
The tickets I booked online in advance were redeemed here.
Since I am hiking up the mountain, the place to climb is not here.
You have to walk about 300 meters to the left from the tourist center to Shengli Archway, and start hiking from here.
It is still winter now. Although there is a big sun, the temperature is still relatively low, and everyone is basically wearing cotton jackets.
The road ahead is a highway, which is relatively easy to walk on, with a gentle slope upward. After passing the ticket inspection point, take the Fan Yin Valley route, which is a classic hiking route.
There are mountains and lakes, and this route is recommended.
The scenery ahead is good and very quiet.
This should be Huayan Lake. It’s about 9 o’clock when I get here, and the road below is all for mountain climbing.
There are many branches on the top, and it is possible to take the wrong road. It is recommended to look at the map more often. When I walked to Yu Ping Villa, I took a small road. Hengshan feels too big, and it takes too long to walk other routes. There is only a shortcut.
These are all small roads, and I passed through someone else’s residence in the middle. I didn’t know how to go, so I asked an aunt, and she told me a small road.
This is the entrance of the small road. When I just got here, I happened to see two young men coming down from here.
This road feels relatively ancient, and there are not many people. It was not until the end that I met other people, and I was also very tired on this road. It is a real mountain road. It was about 10 o’clock when I got here.
After coming up, there is another sign. Haha, it’s a shortcut. I have summarized a sentence: all shortcuts are particularly tiring, and this is the price of being close.
This road is basically uphill, and some parts of the road surface are frozen. Safety comes first, and it is very tiring. Moreover, the temperature is high, and the rime on the trees will fall off. Pay attention to safety. Many are large ice blocks falling off. It is recommended to take the main road, which is to follow the highway up the mountain from the ticket inspection point. The safety is relatively high.
At half past ten, the shortcut was over, and the end was also a highway. I was exhausted and took a rest on the side of the road for a while. I asked others how long it would take to reach the top, and the replies were about one and a half to two hours. At this time, I was a bit frustrated. The shortcut was too strenuous, and my legs were a bit sore.
When I walked to Tiefo Temple, I looked at the navigation map.
Follow the highway and walk with the main force. At around 11:10, you can see the top. It’s not far, come on.
There is not much rime left, and it has all melted. It is also easy to be hit. If you encounter a tree, run past it quickly, and safety comes first.
This is a viewing platform with a broad view, which is convenient for everyone to take photos.
Then to this peak that is not the top, this is the place to take the bus, and you can choose to ride up or down.
Continue to follow the main force towards the peak, because it is New Year’s Day, there are many people, and there is still a long way from here to the peak, continue to climb.
At 11:56, reached the top.
In summary, it was my first time climbing Hengshan, and I was not well prepared and a bit careless. I always thought that after climbing Huashan, Mount Tai, and Yellow Mountain, other mountains should not be so tiring. As a result, I stumbled, and my legs ached for a week after going back. It may also be related to the shoes. This time, I wore a pair of new shoes that didn’t fit very well.
At half past twelve, I started to hike down the mountain, and it took about two and a half hours to get down. Since I had booked the last train ticket from Hengshan West Station to Shenzhen at more than 7 p.m., I walked down the mountain quite quickly. At around four o’clock, I took the bus from Nanyue Station to Hengshan West Station.
The whole journey is calculated as departing at more than 9 p.m. on the first day, and arriving at Shenzhen North at half past ten the next day. The distance is relatively close. If it is a weekend, my method can also be tried. Depart on Saturday night and come back on Sunday night. It needs to be reminded that Hengshan has a long journey, and physical strength must keep up. If the physical strength is not enough, it is still recommended to go on a double rest day, and two days are relatively sufficient.
I didn’t take too many photos this time, and some pictures can’t be found, which makes this strategy not very sufficient. I will go back and climb again on a weekend, and write a more detailed strategy. Thank you.