Eleven alpine peaks of Taiwan (2017)

PanShiBo

In the summer of 2017 two of us spent over a month (35 days) in Taiwan, hiking local mountains. Some of them were over 3,000 meters above sea level, including Yushan - the tallest peak of Taiwan.

Peaks climbed
Yushan        3,952 (tallest in Taiwan)
Syue Shan        3,886 (2nd tallest in Taiwan)
Beilengjiao        3,880  (3rd tallest in Taiwan)
Yushan East Peak        3,869  (4th tallest in Taiwan)
Yushan North Peak        3,858  (5th tallest in Taiwan)
Yushan North North Peak        3,833
Kanlantekun Mt.        3,731
Kanlantekun North Peak        3,705
Mount Tao        3,325
Chihyou         3,303
Syue Shan-East Peak        3,201

Yushan (玉山) is the highest mountain in Taiwan at 3,952 metres (12,966 ft) above sea level, giving Taiwan the fourth highest maximum elevation of any island in the world.

PHOTO: On the summit of Yushan, the tallest mountain in Taiwan

PanShiBo

Our YuShan permits were for the Jun-27th, so we left Taipei on the 25th. There is no direct bus from Taipei to YuShan National Park, so we had to take bus to RiYueTan first.

On Taipei metro



Getting bus tickets to RiYueTan was easy.



Some bakery for the road

PanShiBo

RiYueTan was full of local tourists taking boat rides across the lake. After purchasing our bus tickets to YuShan National Park for the next day, we took a hike to a local peak, called MaoLan.

PanShiBo

Although we already summitted 25 mountains of Taiwan, our primary goal of being here had  always been YuShan - the highest peak of the country.

Photo: wild flowers of YuShan National Park

PanShiBo

YuShan can be climbed via maintained trail in one day, yet actually reaching the summit is quite difficult because of the permit restrictions: every day about 3,000 applications are received and only 116 permits are issued. Unlike other permit systems (e.g. Yosemite's Half Dome or Mount Whitney, CA) you can apply only once in 6 months. There is no walk-in lottery. Even with the permit in hand, you can be out of luck if it rains - here it may rain in a big way (~100mm/day) with rather dramatic lightning, wind and thunder, as we witnessed ourselves.

PHOTO: Mt. MaoLan trail, RiYueTan

PanShiBo

Before leaving for Taiwan, none of us had an idea what the country was like, except "the food is good over there" (which is definitely true). However, we never expected to run into masses of local hikers, even inside cities, hiking in large and small groups at 30°C and 100% humidity, wearing very serious equipment like boots, backpacks, trekking poles, hats, gloves. There are hundreds of very well maintained trails, long and short. As a result, the best advice on the outdoors destinations we got from the locals, and not from the internet.  

PHOTO: California Climbers' Salute at the top of Mount Maolan, RiYueTan, Taiwan

PanShiBo

En-route to YuShan National Park. RiYueTan.

A sign of a good trip is that one doesn't miss home (an opposite statement is true too). Before the trip, we planned to climb YuShan and right after leave for Japan, but now we want to stay here longer. It's been 15 days since we landed in Taipei international airport, do we miss home yet? 8)

Taiwan hotels where  we stayed never required security deposits (which is nice)




RiYueTan is pretty much contained in this little stretch of street.


The flower of Mount MaoLan.

PanShiBo

YuShan National Park of Taiwan can be seen as Yosemite NP of California - many people come here to escape the summer heat and humidity of subtropical climate at sea level. The trailhead is located at 2,600m above sea level, so it is a lot cooler and drier. The forest also changes from rain forest jungles to pine trees and then to bare alpine, more like Canadian Rockies (with typical loose rock too).

PHOTO: Flowers of YuShan National Park, Taiwan

windy

:hw:  :hx:

PanShiBo

RiYueTan was a good transit spot for us en-route to our destination - YuShan National Park, Tatajia Saddle.


This bus will drop is at Tatajia Saddle.


Local dragon fruit is very sweet here. Different color too.


DongPu Shan Hostel is where hikers usually stay before leaving for YuShan.


We stayed here two nights: one before YuShan and one after.

PanShiBo

When weather is too bad for Yushan, hikers have other lower-elevation choices enough for a day. These mountains are also good for altitude acclimatization and warm-up before leaving for YuShan (which we visited too - we had just enough time).



Dongpushan Hostel is run by only a few local people - very effectively, considering high foot traffic - every day about 100 people come, stay and leave. Reservation is required or you might be out of luck.


Food can be ordered too.


Drinking water is provided (”就用那个大茶壶“）


Flowers of YuShan NP

vera

引自玉山国家公园的官网：“外國人住宿「排雲山莊」提前申請期限：預定入園日期前35天至前4個月間提出申請，於非假日（週日至週四）每日原則提供24個名額（每10個外國人+2名本國人之比例原則）。”

玉山不仅是台湾，也是东南亚的最高峰，那我们既然要去台湾，它一定是我们的首选。当博士让我做点research时，问题层出不穷，而且就像打持久战，对已经适应了无具体计划旅行的我来说，简直被搞得心力交瘁。

1. 玉山，3952m，TH2610m（塔塔加鞍部登山口），单程10.9km。看起来，这完全就可以是一个day hike。没错，确实如此。台湾人把这叫“单攻”。

2. 离登山口约3km，有一处东埔山庄，海拔约2500m，提供食宿，通常是来登玉山者借此停留的中转站。106个床位。需预约。

3. 在8.5km处，有一排云山庄，海拔3402m，提供食宿，有116个床位。此处离玉山主峰2.4km。

4. 排云山庄的申请就像开头说到的，至少要提前35天。谁能预料到35天后的天气？到底选择预订哪一天？光这问题就让我纠结得要命，烦死我了。（在此向俱乐部组织长远计划的各位致敬！你们真的太伟大了！）  最后拖啊拖，拖不过去了，就选了6月27号。选好了日子，就要在线申请，包括什么队伍名称、组织者详细资料（护照号码等一应俱全）、队员详细资料、留守者详细资料，还要上传这些证件，另外在申请时，还要把你的行程非常细节地列出来，比如说Day1 ... Day 2... , 每一天里，包括几点到TH、几点到途经的几个点、几点到排云、几点登顶、几点返回等等，填的时候我就在想，唉，这不就是编一个吗？烦不烦？尽管这样，我还是硬着头皮做了。

5. 如果单攻，也要申请，但情形不同，操作具体不知，因为它不在我们的考虑范围之内。原因如下：一日来回虽然没问题，但是仅玉山主峰而已。但是在主峰周围，很丰富，有东峰、北峰、北北峰，而从排云，2.2km可以另一方向到西峰，另外排云往主峰0.7km处分岔，向右上1.5km可到圆峰山屋接着到圆峰再往南峰......  总而言之，若想借此机会去更多的山，一天怎么够？即便在排云住两晚也不多。可是，持外籍护照的，玉山管理处只给你一晚（而且是非周末的）不用抽签的待遇，如果你想不止一晚，那你就得去和日均3000的申请者去拼谁的运气好，而且这抽签每次只抽一天的，想要连续抽中两晚，概率就更低了。当我打电话的时候，对方这么告诉我27号还有外籍名额，问我是选择27号还是赌运气？我只好认了，好吧，就申请一个晚上 的。

6. 申请到了排云山庄之后，外籍申请者无法付费，因为对方不接受国外转账，也无法用信用卡。但是不付费的话，就无法打印出入园证（进玉山，需要两证：入园证和登山证）。再问，答案是到了之后再付费，到时候工作人员会帮你打印出来，然后你拿了这张入园证，去“塔塔加小队”（警察）办理登山证（其实就是加盖了章）。

7. 排云山庄定了之后，申请东埔山庄的日期自然也就定了：26、28号。因为我们不可能有公车一大早到TH，那上山前和下山后都得有地方落脚才行。网上说，无餐可供，但提供地方让你煮食。那我们岂不是要带着炉子旅行？那餐具不也得带吗？正在这麻烦的时候，读到有的TR里说，东埔山庄的饭菜很不错，什么三菜一汤之类的，我马上跟着激动起来。台湾这里有一大好处，你可以直接打电话问，这比来来回回发邮件的效果好，你不会听到无休无止的voice message，一般都是对方马上接听，然后在对话中，对方及时回答你的问题，让你心里很踏实。我马上打给东埔山庄，确认了他们确实提供餐饮（太棒了），电话里可预订，然后告诉她到后付款就行（同样因为无法境外转账）。东埔山庄的基本情况是：一晚住宿300台币（提供睡垫、枕头和棉被），晚餐200，早餐80。晚餐的米饭、汤和早餐的稀饭、小菜部分没有量的限制。

8. 排云山庄则是这样的：住宿480（只有那种拼图式的泡沫地板作为睡垫），睡袋可租一晚300，晚餐300（一荤三素，素菜吃完可以再加），早餐150（馒头、稀饭，另外有肉松、笋丝、豆腐干之类的，还有热巧克力）。也是因为同样的原因，我们可以到后付款。

9. 交通问题：如何去东埔山庄？查来查去，每天只有员林客运的6739大巴经过这里，6739：日月潭到阿里山，中途停靠东埔山庄。每天从日月潭只发两班0800、0900，网上也说一定要预订座位。好嘛，又是一番折腾不提。

就这样，从温哥华到台湾，为了上面这些事操心就没停过。终于，这一切烦心事随着25号的到来（台北到日月潭），开始云开雾散，玉山，我们终于真正踏上了拜访你的旅程！我们真的来了！

PanShiBo

Vera did incredible job researching and booking everything (permits, lodging, food and transportation). Wow! At some point I was worried she will just get exhausted of sheer volume of bureaucracy needed, so I suggested to drop the idea of YuShan. Of course, Vera never gives up - amazing! 8)

On a side note, originally, she applied Yushan for the earlier date (Jun-20), but we decided to move the date a bit later to Jun-27, so would get used to the time shift (when in Vancouver is day, Taiwan is sleeping). That move was pure luck - on Jun-20 it was terrible non-stop rain and on Jun-26 it was blue skies. We also got to know local mountains hiking 25 peaks. Meanwhile I also fully recovered my right leg injured on Pitch 5 of The Grand Wall.

PHOTO: Yushan as seen from the summit of Dong Feng (East Peak)

PanShiBo

After checking in to Dongpushan hostel (called Lodge for some reasons), we had time to climb local peaks.

麟趾山 (2854m), 鹿林山 (2845m),  鹿林前山 (2862m) and 東埔山(2782) followed. That was a good warm-up before summiting almost 4K high peak of YuShan next day. Even then we felt a bit dizzy from the altitude. Second day was really fine - Vera could even outrun some young enthusiastic dude who tried (hard) to compete with us on speed ascend on the North Ridge of Yushan.

This was just across a sign "Do not approach wild life"..


Flowers of YuShan National Park

PanShiBo

Summit day

6:07 a.m. Breakfast at Dongpushan Zhuang. Many people skipped it, leaving the hostel at 1:00a.m. (a.k.a. "alpine" start).  Although we entered the trailhead at 7:00a.m., we met all of them near the peak of Yushan (at noon-time).


Police station - one must obtain their permit as well.


7:05 a.m. We now know how to properly call TH in Chinese - 登山口 8)


9:54 a.m. Modern structure of Paiyun - 116 people stay here every day. Food can be ordered. Sleeping bags can be rented.


11:55 a.m. The summit of Yushan is not very far from Paiyun.

PanShiBo

Yushan booklet's recommendations look very familiar (潘博士总结的Alpine Walk - 9 aspects) 8)

PanShiBo

Mount Yushan became our 55th peak above 3,000m that we climbed together. 8)

1. Mount Baker (USA-WA) 3286m
2. Mount Rainier (USA-WA) 4392m
3. Mount Whitney (USA-CA) 4418m
4. Mount Temple (Canada-AB) 3540m
5. Mount Dana (USA-CA) 3980m
6. Telescope Peak (USA-CA) 3367m
7. Cirque Peak (USA-CA) 3932m
8. Mount Belford (USA-CO) 4327m
9. Mount Elbert (USA-CO) 4399m
10. Mount Massive (USA-CO) 4396m
11. Mount Harvard (USA-CO) 4395m
12. Mount Bierstadt (USA-CO) 4285m
13. Mount of the Holy Cross (USA-CO) 4269m
14. Kings Peak (USA-UT) 4123m
15. Humphreys Peak (USA-AZ) 3851m
16. Mount Shasta (USA-CA) 4317m
17. Mount Rainier (USA-WA) 4392m
18. Silverhorn (Canada-AB) 3447m
19. Mount Athabasca (Canada-AB) 3491m
20. Mount Adams (USA-WA) 3742m
21. Mount Hoffmann (USA-CA) 3307m
22. Clouds Rest (USA-CA) 3025m
23. Tenaya Peak (USA-CA) 3140m
24. Mammoth Mountain (USA-CA) 3362m
25. Tioga Peak (USA-CA) 3513m
26. Mount Conness (USA-CA) 3837m
27. Echo Ridge (USA-CA) 3404m
28. Echo Peak #8 (USA-CA) 3377m
29. Echo Peak #7 (USA-CA) 3365m
30. Echo Peak #5 (USA-CA) 3389m
31. Mount Gibbs (USA-CA) 3893m
32. Tuolumne Peak (USA-CA) 3306m
33. Alta Peak (USA-CA) 3415m
34. Mount Silliman (USA-CA) 3410m
35. Mount Russell (USA-CA) 4294m
36. Mount Russell-East Peak (USA-CA) 4280m
37. Mount Carillon (USA-CA) 4131m
38. Mount Whitney (USA-CA) 4418m
39. Keeler Needle (USA-CA) 4340m
40. Crooks Peak (USA-CA) 4320m
41. Mount Muir (USA-CA) 4271m
42. Mount Langley (USA-CA) 4275m
43. Independence Peak (USA-CA) 3579m
44. University Peak (USA-CA) 4142m
45. Kearsarge Pinnacle #12 (USA-CA) 3570m
46. Kearsarge Pinnacle #11 (USA-CA) 3570m
47. Kearsarge Pinnacle #10 (USA-CA) 3646m
48. Kearsarge Pinnacle #9 (USA-CA) 3650m
49. Medlicott Dome (USA-CA) 3011m
50. Cathedral Peak (USA-CA) 3326m
51. Gaylor Peak (USA-CA) 3354m
52. Columbia Finger (USA-CA) 3158m
53. Echo Peak #3 (USA-CA) 3402m
54. Mount Hood (USA-OR) 3426m
55. Yushan (Taiwan) 3952m

PHOTO: California Climbers' Salute at the summit of Yushan, the tallest peak of Taiwan (3,952m).

PanShiBo

The area of Yushan National Park is very rich - can stay here for a few days and be busy. We had permit only for one night, so could do only north part. South area is left until next time. 8)



Dong Feng was fun. (No people too)


Canadian Rockies of Taiwan. Yushan East Peak.



California Climbers' Salute at Yushan East Peak (3869 m), Taiwan.


Chains here are not optional.

PanShiBo

The tallest peak of Taiwan, Yushan as seen from North Ridge.


We climbed total four peaks of the area: Yushan (3,952), Yushan East (3,869), Yushan North (3,858), and Yushan North North (3,833).

We were on the way to yet another peak, Yushan West when a ranger advised us "It could be raining, but not for sure". So we decided to turn back. 20 minutes down the tourist trail we were hit by a horrendous thunderstorm. Vera wanted to take out camera and take pictures of the show, but I was sure the camera would soak in no time -  if I were in my house in a shower, I would certainly receive much less water coming down on me. So we just put on our ponchos.

About ponchos. These are made of cheap plastic, so in the past I had been very skeptical of those, believing they don't breeze and as such are useless. I was wrong: we hiked ~8km under a non-stop downpour for two hours and arrived at the trailhead 100% dry, upper part that is - the boots had 100% water inside. So it now makes me think, why pay $600+ for those fancy Arcteryx things - when $1 cover is as good? Is it that the greedy industry hypes us to believe that only with their products we will succeed?  8)

PanShiBo

North Ridge of Yushan, with North Peak (3,858m) at the back.