Some photos

PanShiBo

2017.06.19 Mount Datun Multi-peak Trail (contd.)







At the other end of traverse. Quiet empty Buddhist temple and bus station.


This bus was free.

PanShiBo

2017.06.20 GuanYin Mtn.

California Climbers' Salute at the top of GuanYin Mtn, Taiwan




Taipei city as seen from the top of GuanYin Mountain

Lynn2014

咋觉得博士和Vera在城市里面hiking的能力比不上在荒野:wink: 不过这“基隆” “鸡笼”的确实很搞，也很搞笑   :lol:  :lol:

看了好想去啊~ :arrow:

vera

是啊，第一次这样在一个陌生的地方利用公交辗转去TH（而不像在温哥华，只要TH的GPS有了就行），还真觉得智商不够用。

另外，头两天的亲山级步道太亲民了，我们以为台湾的trail都是这样。可谁知道呢，后面的山路却难得超乎想象，非GG、Harvey可比。待我们慢慢道来。

PanShiBo

2017.06.20 GuanYin Mtn. (contd.)

Many Taipei trailheads can be reached by air-conditioned regular buses. Everyday we see day-hikers like us - on the buses and metro.


View of the Pacific Ocean from GuanYin


Many trails have signs. Yet many others don't - where you hope your GPS batteries don't die too soon.




Once off maintained trails, the terrain can quickly and without warning turn into class 3 or class 4, where fixed ropes are not optional anymore.


Zz mountain

PanShiBo

2017.06.20 GuanYin Mtn. (contd.)

Mountains MianTian, DaTun and QiXing as seen from the top of GuanYin


Off-trail mountain shelter. Neat and well kept.

vera

6.19 大屯山六峰东西纵走 （1）

国家公园就是有不一样的魅力，这不，隔了一天，我们又来了。看了网上的《健行笔记》，博士发现有些地方可以多峰连走，且路线不重复，这对喜欢summit的我们来说再合适不过，一番research后，博士的决定出来了：去大屯山这一片！连日的雨，唯“亲山”级步道可以担此重任。

因为是第二次了，我们很熟练地上了“红5”，前面隔了一排，对面上来二位中老年男士，一看登山杖加背包就是爬山的模样。我悄悄对博士说，不知道他们会去哪里爬山，等会儿我问问。果不其然，他们也是去阳明山公园，待会儿也要转108，只是要去向天池、向天山，是我们计划里的一段。“你们要去哪里？”“大屯山。” “哦，今天可能会下雨，那里会危险的。”“不是石阶步道吗？”（这里把trail都叫步道，我也习惯了）“不是啊，从南峰到西峰，不是亲山级的，没有台阶，雨天很滑的。而且你们这个样子，又没穿长裤，嗯，不行不行。” 其中一人玉山也登过，马上从他的手机里调出他大屯山一日多峰的GPS，开始讲解给我听，一边摇摇头对他的同伴说，“哎哟，他们还以为是来郊外旅游的。” 同伴很是友好，马上offer我们，“你们还是跟着我们去吧，去向天池，那里只有下雨的时候才有机会看到水，等天气好了，就都干了。” （原来它是暂时性湖泊）同伴再看看我们的hiking boots，也摇摇头，“不行不行，你们穿的也不对，这样的天气，要穿雨靴。” 一看，他真的套着高及膝盖的雨靴，我吃惊极了，还有这样去hiking的？“这个既防滑，又便宜，最好了。” （我不知如何回应，只能“哦哦”地听着）

说着说着，阳明山总站到了，我们一起下来转108，那位更有经验的问博士（我告诉他博士是我的领队），有GPS吗？你们还是要去大屯山吗？有电筒吗？博士点点头，我说我们有头灯。同伴看着他的头儿，“要不我们跟着他们吧？” （他看来比较心软，担心我们会有危险）头儿没说话，只是摇摇头，说他们没带头灯，怕跟着天黑前下不了山。我看看博士，他的决定岂容他人一说就轻易更改？我们便在他们二人的叮嘱声里提前他们一站，在二子坪下了车。

二子坪，这是我们的TH？跟前日见的下一站小油坑大不相同，这里只是一个公车的停靠站，没有Vis Ctr，路边似乎有几户人家，有户紧挨路边的好像是个驿站，还可以点餐。因为下雨了，我就建议博士坐下来，等雨的时候吃点东西不也挺好嘛。可是，看着菜谱，这个店让你想起水浒里的孙二娘，旁边还有野狗的叫声不断，让你不免心惊，我们便坐不住了，站起来，离开了店家。

雨蒙蒙里，看着登山口，深吸一口气，我们的多峰连走要开始了！

PanShiBo

2017.06.20 GuanYin Mtn. (contd.)

Local enthusiast, among many. We like this place too! 8)

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山)

Huge amount of trailheads in Taipei area can be reached by public transport. XiangShan' TH is located at metro station (named as such: 象山) 8)

California Climbers' Salute at the XiangShan, Taiwan


PHOTO: XiangShan, Taipei 101 ( "a landmark supertall skyscraper") and GuanYin mountain at the skyline.

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山)  - (contd.)

We pass this temple everyday- our hotels across the street.


At BanQiao market


Today's breakfast




Trailhead is hard to miss.







XiangShan offers best views of Taipei.

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山) - (contd.)

XiangShan, like all our trips in Taipei area were traverses, we started at one point and finished at another. Good maintained trail with views.

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山) - (contd.)

XiangShan was recommended to us by the receptionist of our hotel. One of the best urban hikes - good views along very clean maintained trail with Buddhist temples on the way, it is a traverse so don't have to come back the same way, and trailheads are reached by public transport.





Night photography could be the best from here. 8)

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山) - (contd.)

We spent 10 great days in Taipei, hiking every day, and none of our hikes was return type - all were either traverses or loops with public transportation to the trailheads. They ranged from urban-family-type to wild jungles ("hope-my-gps-batteries-dont die too soon" type)

MuZhi Shan


California Climbers' Salute at MuZhi Shan.

PanShiBo

2017.07.02 高雄

Probably like everywhere else (including Vancouver) in GaoXiong they too believe this is the sure way to build  self-confidence. 8)

PanShiBo

2017.06.21 XiangShan (象山) - (contd.)

Today a Taiwanese person whom we got to know, unexpectedly, quite on a personal (and friendly) level, asked us why we came to Taiwan. As if we always are supposed to know the reasons why we are doing what we are doing. Why some people are making music?  Or why some people want to know why other people are making music? Anyway does it really matter afterall? If you woke up smiling and went to bed smiling, your  day was not wasted, and that's what counts in the end, no?

PanShiBo

2017.07.01 GaoXiong (高雄)

We have been to Taiwan 18 days. Our plans here now grew bigger than the time left (21 days) -  we decided to cut on Japan leg. 8)

PHOTO: Secret beach of GaoXiong, 中山大学的秘境海滩 - the best open ocean swim I've ever had.

Lynn2014

Hahahahaha  :D  :D  :D

PanShiBo
2017.07.02 高雄

Probably like everywhere else (including Vancouver) in GaoXiong they too believe this is the sure way to build  self-confidence. 8)

PanShiBo

2017.07.06 LuoDong (罗东), Taiwan

Today is the first day of the second half of our "Journey to the East". First half (20 days) just passed as quick as one day. It was a lot richer than we expected. As Vera pointed out, Taiwan's food is mild, "not too spicy" - which is probably characteristic of the entire place: very good, but nothing to the extreme, which is good, as extremes often tend to produce the opposites, no? 8)

PanShiBo

2017.07.07 WuLing NongChang (武陵农场), Taiwan

I was skeptical about hitchhiking in Taiwan, although we were recommended this mode by a local Taiwanese hiker. We stayed at WuLing NongChang campground, and decided to catch a bus to LuoDong (罗东) 5km away departing in an hour. There are only two buses a day. So we tried the thumb or we would miss the bus. The very first passing car stopped, and the driver apologized as there was no room for us. In a few minutes a  second passing car stopped as well and was full too, but they offered to squeeze themselves quite a bit and let us in. Nice couple with kid from Taipei. 8)

PanShiBo

2017.06.22 XiaoZi Shan, Taiwan

Human memory is selective, and what it chooses to remember (and to forget) we can't control. What will I remember about this Taiwan trip 10 years from now? Will it be the incredible warmth of the ocean waves of GaoXiong, or the taste of the freshly brewed tea that a LuoDong hotel owner offered us, or the crazy screaming of cicadas, I don't know.

The XiaoZi Shan (孝子山平溪) was suggested to us by a friendly Taipei cafeteria owner where we had breakfast every morning. Instead of approaching the peak the "normal way" (15 minutes from the bus stop), we of course, picked full day traverse through jungles, with no people around, in 30°C 100% humidity. Great. Hope my memory will keep it. 8)

PHOTO: The cables of XiaoZi Shan, PingXi, Taiwan