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2017-09-12 | A frog goes hiking: 志佳陽大山 (Zhi jia yang da shan)
志佳陽大山 (Zhi jia yang da shan) has a reputation of being one of the more difficult day-trip mountains to hike in Taiwan and it certainly didn't let us down. After the first three kilometers of forest trail awaits an uninterrupted steep ascent of almost 1600 meters over about 4.6 kilometers (average slope of ca. 35%).
While the way up is quite bearable given the light backpack the long hike back down takes its toll on thighs, knee, and toes.
The weather forecast had been pretty awful, so I left my camera at home and took pictures with the phone. Apologies for the bad quality. In my naïveté I also forwent sunscreen and a hat, which garnered me a bit of a sunburn. It just goes to show that mountain weather is hard to predict and you should always prepare for all eventualities.
Overview
(Click the image for a larger version.)
Elevation chart
環山 (Huan shan) to 志佳陽大山 (Zhi jia yang da shan) and back
GPS track
Hiking log
(As always, the altitudes are approximate.)
0300: Wake up
0410: Departure from the 四季朗溪吊橋 (Si ji lang river suspension bridge), 1550 m
0425: Spent about 25 minutes looking for the way along the river
0535: Break at 3.2 km, the end of the flat forest trail, 1700 m
0545: Continue
0825: 賽良久營地 (Sai lang jiu campsite), 2710 m
0935: 瓢簞山屋 (Piao dan mountain hut), 3140 m
0955: 志佳陽大山三角點 (Zhi jia yang da shan triangulation point) at 7.8 km, 3289 m
1100: Short trip to 志佳陽大山最高點 (Zhi jia yang da shan peak) at 8.2 km, 3350 m
1120: Back at 志佳陽大山三角點 (Zhi jia yang da shan triangulation point)
1145: Departure
1405: Break at 3.2 km
1455: Continue
1605: Back at the 四季朗溪吊橋 (Si ji lang river suspension bridge)
Photos
The continuation of the previous picture if you will. 桃山 (Tao shan) is the treeless peak far away in the center and on its left are 池有山 (Chi you shan) and 品田山 (Pin tian shan), the rocky one on the far left.
Looking back you can see 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan). On the left is 南湖大山 (Nan hu da shan) and on the right are 甘薯峰 (Gan shu feng), a.k.a. 中央南山 (Zhong yang south peak) and 無明山 (Wu ming shan).
At the center is the village of 環山 (Huan shan) where we had started our hike a bit more than five hours earlier.
From the triangulation point you also get a nice view towards 大劍山 (Da jian shan), the peak of which is just blocked from view on the right.
However, if you continue a few hundred meters you get to the real peak. Unfortunately, the trees there block the view of the surrounding peaks, which explains why the triangulation point is further down.
On the way down you spot all the things you walked past a few hours earlier in the darkness like fungi ...
The last meters of the hike. On the other side of the bridge is the trail head and the conveniently located hostel where we could take a shower before heading back.
2016-07-23 | A frog goes hiking: 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan)
After 羊頭山 (Yang tou shan) just over a month ago I now had the chance to climb 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan), the neighboring peak for which we didn't have time or energy at the time.
Instead of going in from 慈恩登山口 (Ci en trail head) we picked 820林道 (Forest road 820) this time, which starts just on the other side of the tunnel at 大禹嶺 (Da yu ling). The forest "road" is better described as the 8.5 kilometer long remains of an old logging road. It has been hit by so many landslides that it's hard to imagine vehicles passing through there many years ago. From the end of the road, at around 2500 meters above sea level, it's a 1.2 km short but steep ascent to over 3300 meters. It all adds up to a hike of about 20 kilometers that took us almost 12 hours including breaks.
The weather was flawless and the view was amazing. In hindsight it may have been easier to start from the other trailhead, but that's for another trip to confirm.
Below is all the technical information about the trip as well as the photos from the night before and of course from the hiking trip itself.
Overview
(Click the image for a larger version.)
Elevation chart
大禹嶺 (Da yu ling) to 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan) and back
GPS track
Hiking log
(As always, the altitudes are approximate.)
0645: Departure from 大禹嶺 (Da yu ling), 2550 m
0945: Break at around 8 km, 2580 m
1010: Continue
1030: Begin ascent at 8.4 km (waterfall), 2590 m
1230: Arrival at the ridge crossroads, 3340 m, break
1245: Arrival at 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan), 3371 m
1350: Departure from ridge crossroads
1505: Arrival at 8.4 km (waterfall), break
1520: Break at around 8 km
1615: Departure
1840: Back at 大禹嶺 (Da yu ling)
Photos
The view towards 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan), the pointy one in the far center. The sunlit area much closer is 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan) which we climbed the next day.
The sunlit peak on the left is 奇萊主峰 (Qi lai main peak) and the round one just right of center is 奇萊南峰 (Qi lai south peak).
合歡山隧道 (He huan shan tunnel) near 大禹嶺 (Da yu ling) the next morning. The trailhead is just on the other side.
820林道 (Forest road 820), which can hardly be called a road anymore. Over the years it has been hit by countless landslides.
From some parts of the trail you can see 佳陽山 (Jia yang shan) near the middle with the rock slide as well as 大劍山 (Da jian shan) just right of the grasslands.
While 1.6 kilometres literally is a walk in the (national) park there are 800 meters of elevation to climb on just 1.4 kilometers, which makes it everything else but a metaphorical walk in the park.
A great view of the 合歡山 (He huan shan) and 奇萊山 (Qi lai shan) area. The grassy mountain on the right is 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak) and the rocky one on the left is 奇萊北峰 (Qi lai north peak).
Finally at the top, posing with 無明山 (Wu ming shan) in the background. 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan) is already covered in clouds.
2016-06-14 | A frog goes hiking: 桃山 (Tao shan)
It took a long time for us to actually make up our minds whether we should go or not. The weather forecast had been bad for several days and the chance for rain rather high. But because the actual precipitation had been low for days we ended up giving it a try.
And luckily we did try! Despite the absence of sunshine and the occasional drizzle we stayed almost dry. Also, thanks to the high cloud cover we still saw most of the surrounding mountains.
As I always do when the weather forecast is bad, I left my camera at home and took photos with my toy phone instead. The result wasn't half bad and where it was a little bit of retouching did the trick.
Here is 單攻桃山, a single-day trip to Tao shan and back.
Overview
(Click the image for a larger version.)
Elevation chart
武陵吊橋 (Wuling suspension bridge) to 桃山 (Tao shan) and back
GPS track
The trail has a great view of the surrounding mountains. The tallest peak in the left half of the photo is 南湖大山 (Nan hu da shan), the pointy one in the right half is 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan).
And a little to the West you can see 池有山 (Chi you shan) in the front and 品田山 (Pin tian shan) in the back.
Looking back towards 雪山 (Xue shan). If you look closely you can see a little white blot; that's 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut).
2016-06-12 | A frog goes hiking: 羊頭山 (Yang tou shan)
羊頭山 (Yang tou shan), literally translated "Goat head mountain" is located a few kilometers off 台8 (Highway 8), which links 合歡山 (He huan shan) with 花蓮 (Hua lian). With a trail length of only 7-8 kilometers (depending on whether you trust the milestones or your GPS) it can easily be done in a single day.
We left around 0635 from the 滑雪山莊 (Hua xue mountain lodge) where we had spent the night and drove for almost an hour East to the trailhead. The hike itself took a bit over seven hours, including breaks, which meant we were back at the trailhead by 1505.
The weather was dry and mostly sunny, which made for a nice training hike for our upcoming hike of 桃山 (Tao shan). Ironically, the training hike turned out to be slightly more strenuous than the one we were training for, but that's a story for another blog post.
Overview
The yellow track is the drive from the mountain lodge to the trailhead. The green track is the hike.
(Click the image for a larger version.)
(Click the image for a larger version.)
Elevation charts
羊頭山登山口 (Yang tou shan trail head) to 羊頭山 (Yang tou shan) and back
GPS tracks
... where you have to climb the roadside fence to actually start hiking. By the way, here is where I lifted my legs high enough to see my shoes and noticed I was still wearing my sandals.
The sign at the trailhead says 羊頭山 (Yang tou shan) is the lowest of the 百岳 (Taiwan's 100 Highest Peaks) with its 3035 meters elevation but, depending on the age of the list you consult, the ranking looks a little different. On Wikipedia it ranks 96th.
Thanks to our good weather we saw quite far towards 花蓮 (Hua lian), which was covered by a sea of clouds.
In the right third of this photo you spot can a pointy peak, which is 奇萊北峰 (Qi lai north peak), as well as the forest-covered 屏風山 (Ping feng shan).
Close to the ridge line is the crossroad towards 羊頭山 (Yang tou shan), today's destination, and 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan), which with its 3371 meters elevation, didn't fit into today's schedule (or mindset).
Here you can see 奇萊北峰 (Qi lai north peak) again, just left of the tree, as well as the grassy hill on its right, which is where 滑雪山莊 (Hua xue mountain lodge) lies.
The round peak on the right is 畢祿山 (Bi lu shan). Further in the background you can see – from right to left – 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak), the wide grassy one, 合歡山主峰 (He huan shan main peak), the one with the cloud above it, and 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak), the grassy one left of the cloud. The rocky one on the far left is, once again, 奇萊北峰 (Qi lai north peak).
The triangulation point at the top of 羊頭山, 3035 meters above sea level. In the background you can see 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan), the impressive pointy one, and 無明山 (Wu ming shan), covered by a branch.
2015-12-02 | A frog goes hiking: 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak)
This was my second hike of 雪山 (Xue shan) but after the last trip to the main peak this time our destination was the north peak. 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak) is a little further away from the mountain hut than the main peak, so we stayed in 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut) for two nights.
The weather was once again great, so I'm seriously considering making a sacrifice to the weather gods to make sure it stays that way. There was a bit of fog right around the time we got to the peak but the view had been so good for the whole day that it wasn't much of a detriment. But see for yourself ...
Overview
The green track is day two, the blue and purple tracks are days one and three.
(Click the image for a larger version.)
Elevation charts
Day 1, 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head) to 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut)
Day 2, 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut) to 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak) and back
Day 3, 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut) to 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head)
GPS tracks
Day 1, 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head) to 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut)
Day 2, 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut) to 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak) and back
Day 3, 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut) to 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head)
Hiking log
(As always, the altitudes are approximate.)
Day 1:
0820: Departure from 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head), 2180 m
0925: Arrival at 七卡山莊 (Qi ka mountain hut), 2530 m
1005: Continue
1105: Arrival at 哭坡觀景台 (Ku po view platform), 3020 m
1335: Continue
1445: 雪山東峰叉路 (Xue shan east peak crossroad), 3180 m
1540: Arrival at 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut), 3150 m
Day 2:
0530: Departure from 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut), 3150 m
0810: Emerged from 黑森林 (Black forest), 3575 m
0830: Arrival on ridge line, 3710 m
0835: Arrival on 凱蘭特崑山 (Kai lan te kun shan), 3731 m
0915: Continue
1115: Arrival at 雪北山屋 (Xue bei mountain hut), 3660 m
1210: Continue
1230: Arrival at 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak), 3703 m
1300: Return
1315: Arrival at 雪北山屋 (Xue bei mountain hut), 3660 m
1335: Continue
1430: 凱蘭特崑山 (Kai lan te kun shan), 3731 m
1450: Enter 黑森林 (Black forest), 3575 m
1545: Arrival at 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut), 3150 m
Day 3:
0310: Departure from 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut), 3150 m
0410: 雪山東峰叉路 (Xue shan east peak crossroad), 3180 m
0450: 哭坡觀景台 (Ku po view platform), 3020 m
0550: 七卡山莊 (Qi ka mountain hut), 2530 m
0625: Arrival at 雪山登山口 (Xue shan trail head), 2180 m
Don't forget to look back, otherwise you might miss this great view. Of course from behind the water tank it's even better.
七卡山莊 (Qi ka mountain hut), about an hour from the trail head. It is mostly used by people who arrive in the afternoon or at night and prepare for a single-day ascent to one of the peaks.
The 哭坡 (Ku po), the "Slope of pain", isn't as bad as the name suggests. In fact, the part right after 七卡山莊 (Qi ka mountain hut) is probably more difficult and much longer.
The view to the opposite side where you can see 中央尖山 (Zhong yang jian shan) on the very left and 無明山 (Wu ming shan) near the center.
Mountain birds aren't scared of people much. This one hopped around me for minutes while I was eating my lunch. Apparently they have learned the convenience of befriending people.
Onwards after lunch break. Note the family with two kids who went all the way to 雪山東峰 (Xue shan east peak) and back in one day. That's the spirit!
雪山東峰 (Xue shan east peak), which we skipped this time. It's only a twenty meter walk from the trail but everyone had already been there several times.
Here you can see how steep the slope is. Still, if you pick the right stones to step on you can make good progress.
This is the trail, right at the edge of the slope. Ironically, it is also the path that's most tiresome to walk.
凱蘭特崑山 (Kai lan te kun shan) is not part of the list of Taiwan's 100 peaks but the one in the background is: 雪山北峰 (Xue shan north peak), our destination of the day.
The trail on the ridge makes sure you have excellent views in all directions as well as the occasional climbing challenge.
After walking a around four kilometers we were able to see where we had left in the morning: 三六九山莊 (369 mountain hut)
Looking back you can see 北稜角 (Bei leng jiao) near the center and 雪山主峰 (Xue shan main peak) to its left.
And looking forward you can see a whole range of mountain starting with 穆特勒布山 (Mu te le bu shan) on the left, 品田山 (Pin tian shan) in the middle and 桃山 (Tao shan) on the right.
A close-up of 品田山 (Pin tian shan) my favorite mountain so far!
After the fog got thicker and thicker I put my camera away which, incidentally, also makes for a much faster descent.