Mount Hua Shan, China

Located in China’s Shaanxi Province, Hua Shan is a courageous feat. You must be brave, or perhaps just foolish, to take on this striking mountain. Considered the most dangerous hike on Earth, the hazards here are not difficult to spot.

Unable to resist? You’re not the first. The views from Hua Shan’s summit are spectacular, and the route is all laid out, but you shouldn’t expect this to be a simple ascent. You’ll need to balance on the narrowest ledges, cross the terrifying plank walk and negotiate the impossibly-steep steps that have been hewn into the craggy mountainside.

If someone approaches from the opposite direction, there’s little room to get past, and your position being precarious, the best you can hope for is a chain to cling on to. There are no official statistics on deaths toll on Mount Hua Shan but it has been estimated that about 100 people die every year. 

Number 19