Adventure travel can be deadly (2)

No one registers

Last month, a corpse was found at the mountain peak of 3,500 meters above sea level on Ao Mountain in Shaanxi Province. The man got lost in the middle of the climbing. As Tian Guaixu, a local resident of Taibai County near the mountain, told the Shaanxi Media, he has encountered more than 20 dead bodies on high-altitude areas of Qinling Mountains (Ao Mountain is one of the main peaks of Qinling) in Shaanxi Province when he is there to pick herbs. Some has been there for years.

One of the most "famous" ye you, in January this year, 24 adventurers and three crew members were stranded aboard a fishing boat for five days at Xisha Island, South China Sea, due to strong winds and high waves on the sea. Most of the travelers had no idea about the condition of the ship before boarding. Luckily, Sanya city maritime salvage and rescue center saved them so that everyone made their way home.

"We do have rules," says Chen Xutong, a member of the Xi'an Search and Rescue Team with three years of experience. According to Chen, the Chinese Mountaineering Association stipulates that everyone who plans to climb 3,500 meters above sea level should register with the local government.

But when he checked with local officials, they told him no one had registered though hundreds of climbers had attempted in Taibai County where lie the most popular mountains loved by trekkers.

If someone doesn't register and leave their route and schedule, they cannot be rescued if they get into trouble, Chen says in a telephone interview with Shanghai Daily.

From B1

Though Shanghai native Xu Guang was an experienced trekker, the Hemu route through a dense forest in the sparsely populated zones in northwest China is still extremely risky. The path is rugged and wild animals including wolves and bears roam the area. The weather is unpredictable; heavy rains can mean flooding. Hikers have to detour through the forest.

Xu was heading into areas where even the local Kazakh nomads don't venture because it's dangerous.

Another route

Another popular and hazardous route is the tramp from Ao Mountain to Taibai Mountain, the main vein of Qinling Mountains. Climbers must pass many peaks higher than 3,400 meters. The weather is treacherous and can change from minute to minute; hikers can encounter dense fog, rain, snow and hail without warning.

It's an adrenalin rush that draws climbers back for more.

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