Chaos on Yandang Mountain: Climbers Face Cliffside Gridlock
BEIJING — Move over Mount Everest, there’s a new hotspot for overcrowding in the world of mountain climbing.
A daring group of travelers attempting to conquer Yandang Mountain in eastern China found themselves in a precarious situation earlier this week. They were stuck on a cliff, clinging to a rope along a fixed climbing route, for over an hour.
Images of the climbers hanging off the cliffside while waiting for others to make their way along the via ferrata – metal rungs secured to the mountain – quickly spread like wildfire on Chinese social media.
“This is terrifying! Someone like me, who’s afraid of heights, might just lose it up there!” exclaimed one Chinese online commenter.
“Not even for a pile of cash would I attempt this,” another declared.
Concerns were raised about what would happen if a climber were to fall and require rescue, but all participants were equipped with helmets, harnesses, and safety gear.
Wenzhou Dingcheng Sports Development Co., Ltd, the company responsible for managing the via ferrata, admitted to underestimating the influx of climbers.
“Due to our miscalculation of the number of customers, lack of an effective ticket reservation system, and deficiencies in on-site management, customers were left stranded on the climbing route,” the company stated.
The company announced a temporary suspension of ticket sales as they address the situation internally. They also plan to implement a traffic-control system for future visitors.
Located approximately 410 kilometers (255 miles) south of Shanghai in Zhejiang province, Yandang Mountain stands at a height of 1,150 meters (3,773 feet).
The first week of May marks the Labor Day holiday in China, contributing to the surge in tourist numbers in the area.
A sought-after destination for holidaymakers in China, Yandang Mountain was nominated for UNESCO World Heritage site status in 2001 and remains on the tentative list. — CNN