Who says Nangong Mountain is only for adults to climb? A 5-year-old completed the entire hike on their own, and the secret is all in this guide

Just came back from Nangong Mountain with my 5-year-old and I have to share this hard-earned pitfall-avoidance guide! Nangong Mountain is famous for its steep cliffs and sea of clouds, but hiking with kids really requires some skills! Most online guides are aimed at adults, so this one is specially made for families with children to help you avoid all the traps!💥

⚠️ First big pitfall: choosing the wrong route!

Nangong Mountain has two main routes: the North Route (main entrance) and the South Route (back mountain). When hiking with kids, definitely choose the North Route! The North Route is well developed, with smooth stone steps and a cable car that goes directly to the core scenic area. The South Route is more primitive and steep, suitable for professional climbers. We saw a family coming up the South Route, the child was crying nonstop and the adults were struggling too.

✅ Our golden route:

Scenic area entrance → shuttle bus to cable car station (must take! Save your energy) → cable car up the mountain (15 minutes, amazing view of the sea of clouds) → after getting off the cable car, start hiking: Guanyin Watching the Sea → Golden Summit → Sky Corridor → return to cable car station. The whole trip with breaks takes about 4 hours, totally manageable for kids.

⚠️ Second big pitfall: missing the best viewing time!

The sea of clouds isn’t always there! The best chance to see it is on a clear morning after rain! We purposely stayed at a farmhouse at the foot of the mountain the night before and started hiking at 7 a.m. the next day. Sure enough, we saw the magnificent sea of clouds, and the kid was so excited they kept jumping! If you arrive at noon, you’ll most likely only see fog.

🌥️ Weather monitoring tips:

Use apps like “Tianwen Tong” in advance to check cloud cover forecasts. The best cloud cover is between 30%-70%. Too clear means no sea of clouds, too cloudy means just white fog.

⚠️ Third big pitfall: insufficient supplies!

All supplies on the mountain are carried by porters, so they are very expensive! A bottle of water costs 10 yuan, instant noodles 15 yuan. We brought:

Energy snacks: chocolate, nut bars, fruit

Enough water: at least 1.5L per person

Simple lunch: rice balls, sandwiches

👕 Clothing guide (very important!)

The temperature at the summit is about 10℃ lower than at the foot, and it’s windy! Use the onion layering method:

Base layer: quick-dry clothes (sweat but don’t catch a cold)

Middle layer: fleece (warmth)

Outer layer: windbreaker (essential!)

Never wear pure cotton underwear; when wet with sweat, the wind can easily cause a cold!

💡 Little items to boost happiness:

Trekking poles: a great help, kids can use child-sized ones

Light backpack: reduce burden

Walkie-talkies: signal is weak on the mountain, handy for family communication

Final reminder: the Golden Summit plank road is quite dangerous, be sure to hold your child’s hand tightly! But the scenery is absolutely worth it! When we stood above the clouds, looking at our kid’s excited face, all the hardship turned into a full sense of accomplishment. If this guide helps you, please give me a little heart~❤️