This painful-looking video captures a man slipping and sliding down a set of icy stairs in an attempt to descend a mountain in China.

Smatphone footage shows two hikers encountering a frozen set of stairs on their way to climb down Hongyanding Mountain, near the city of Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday, December 19.

Then one of them, reportedly a more experienced mountaineer, mustered up the courage and decided to literally break the ice with a rock to secure a safe path down the stairs.

But several steps down, the video shows him sliding down the remainder of the stairs on his bottom and ending up in a bunch of trees, as his friend continues filming.

The friend said: 'He wanted to help us clear the way. There was no danger. Luckily he was fine.'

He emphasised the importance of prioritising safety and staying within one's capabilities while trekking on icy mountain trails during the winter season.