Martin's personal blog – A frog goes hiking
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2011-05-05 | A frog goes hiking: 單攻玉山 (Yu shan one-day trip)
It's been just about a year since my last hike to one of Taiwan's 100 highest mountains.
This time's challenge: Climb Taiwan's highest peak and come back the same day. The trail head starts at an altitude of around 2600 meters and 玉山主峰 (Yu shan or Mt. Jade main peak) stands 3952 meters tall. The distance to the top is about 12 km and the entire trip generally takes around 12 hours.
It's certainly not an easy hike, but very doable, at least if you don't go over the top with packing your backpack like I tend to. We stayed the night in 東埔山莊 (Dong pu mountain lodge), which is conveniently located about 2-3 kilometers from the 塔塔加登山口 (Ta ta jia trail head).
Unfortunately we had rather bad luck with the weather. The first five hours of ascent were largely dry but near the 排雲山莊 (Pai yun mountain lodge) we entered the fog and drizzle set in, which got worse as we hiked up to the peak.
A few hundred meters before the top I decided to leave my backpack at the side of the road and continued with nothing but a bottle of water, a small waterproof camera, and the Swiss and Taiwanese flags that I carry an all these trips. The heavy backpack had really worn me out and with the weight off my shoulders advancing was much easier.
We spent only a few minutes at the top to take the obligatory peak photos. After all, the fog was so thick that there was nothing else to take pictures of unless you're an artist who's heavily into gray shapes on gray background. Besides, it was too cold for eating, so we postponed lunch for a few hours half-way down.
Finally at the bottom, exactly 12 hours after we had started, we sprung for the shuttle back to the parking lot and headed home to recover our sore muscles and aching joints.
On the way home a strange feeling befell me: It just didn't feel like I had just been to the highest mountain in Taiwan. Hiking without a view is just not the same for the brain. Conquering the physical challenge was great but I'll definitely have to go back for the view and the feeling!
GPS track
Hiking log
(The altitudes may be a little off as I hadn't calibrated my altimeter.)
0300: Get up, eat breakfast
0330: Set out by car to the parking lot close by
0345: Start hiking from the 新中橫公路北側平面停車場 (New central traversal highway north side parking lot), 2595 m
0427: 塔塔加登山口 (Ta ta jia trail head), 2598 m
0503: 孟祿亭 (Meng lu pavilion), 2783 m
0633: 西峰觀景台 West peak view pavilon, 2988 m
0810: 排雲山莊 (Pai yun mountain lodge), 3406 m
1033: 玉山主峰 (Yu shan main peak), 3952 m
1040: Descent
1156: 排雲山莊 (Pai yun mountain lodge)
1330: 西峰觀景台 West peak view pavilon, lunch
1400: Continue descent
1545: 塔塔加登山口 (Ta ta jia trail head)
1556: Shuttle back to the parking lot
Photos
The 塔塔加登山口 (Ta ta jia trail head), the most commonly chosen trail for climbers of 玉山 (Yu shan).
View southwest from the 玉山群峰步道 (Yu shan many peak trail). There are no particularly well-known mountains visible, but since I went to the trouble to look them up: The tallest one of the four round peaks about a third from the left is 南面山 (Nan mian shan). The one in the middle in the far back is 新望嶺 (Xin wang ling). And, peaking into the view on the right side, is 棚機山 (Peng ji shan).
One of the few short sections of the 玉山群峰步道 (Yu shan many peak trail) where you need to watch your step.
Most of the trail is in the forest and leads over solid ground ...
... or simply over rocks.
This probably would have looked better against a blue sky background, but the barren trees with their interesting shapes make for good views.
Dramatic clouds over 嘉義 (Jia yi) and 台南 (Tai nan). Not surprisingly we did get a little taste of their load later on.
The trail is constantly subject to landslides and other dangers.
Because there was fog further up this section was really all the mountain view we saw that day. Nice, but not exactly why you go hiking the tallest mountain of the island!
The famous 大峭壁 (Big cliff). It is very impressive when you look up but fortunately the hiking trail runs safely at the bottom of it.
The 排雲山莊 (Pai yun mountain lodge), which is currently being renovated and expanded and should be finished around July 2011. Until then the only options are camping somewhere in the area or doing a one-day trip like we did. At least this way the amount of people at the top stays reasonable. In normal times you don't want to be there when a few dozen people are fighting for the best place to see and photograph the sunrise.
The other way of being virtually alone is going up when the wind is strong, the fog thick, and the view zero. Apparently I'll have to come back another day to take the photos I was hoping for.
Update (2011-05-14): I've uploaded the GPS track to GPSies: 單攻玉山 (Yu shan one-day trip)
2010-05-04 | A frog goes hiking: 合歡山 (He huan shan) - Day 2
I'm sure viewers of the first part have been anticipating the rest of the photos from last month's trip to 合歡山 (He huan shan).
Sunday first took us to 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak). And the two of us who still had enough energy bagged the - admittedly easy - trophies of 石門山 (Shi men shan) and 合歡尖山 (He huan jian shan) as well. The latter two are really just better hills but the wind sure made it fun. It brought back memories of our typhoon weekend in 墾丁 (Kenting) over two years ago. It was hard to stand at times.
Unfortunately the wind also brought a lot of fog with it, so if you're looking for more great views you'll have to come back in a few weeks or so. :-)
Nothing like a little ham and irony to start a new day ...
The area around 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak) is full with gorgeous 杜鵑 (Rhododendron) bushes.
The hiking trail up to 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak). In good conditions - weather and legs - a return trip might only take about an hour.
After a short hike we were at the top of 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak), the 33rd highest mountain in Taiwan with 3421 m altitude.
Joe at the top of foggy 合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak).
合歡山東峰 (He huan shan east peak) actually has two little peaks right next to each other and it's hard to tell which one is higher. The one in the back counts as the real peak with 3421 m altitude and the sign on the one in front carries the number "3409". If that's supposed to be the altitude then some people have some calibrating to do ...
Luckily there's a sign in all four directions that shows the view on a sunny day. Otherwise it would have been pretty hard to tell that the scenery is nice. :-)
It's hard to describe how a little bit of hot soup or tea makes you feel better when you're sitting in the wind at the top of a foggy mountain. But trust me, it does!
One of the many 杜鵑 (Rhododendron) bushes in the 合歡山 (He huan shan) area.
杜鵑 (Rhododendron)
杜鵑 (Rhododendron)
Checking off mountains at its cheapest! After a ridiculous fifteen minutes walk from the street we have reached 石門山 (Shi men shan), which is the 68th on the list of the 台灣百岳 (Taiwan's Highest 100 mountains). It is only 3236 meters high and barely stands out from its environment but thanks to its status as an important triangulation point it is part of the list.
![Checking off mountains at its cheapest! After a ridiculous fifteen minutes walk from the street we have reached 石門山 (Shi men shan), which is the 68th on the [http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/台灣百岳列表 list of the 台灣百岳 (Taiwan's Highest 100 mountains)]. It is only 3236 meters high and barely stands out from its environment but thanks to its status as an important triangulation point it is part of the list.](/gallery/data/he-huan-shan-day-2/images/700/20100411-155604_MR02711_D90.jpg)
石門山 (Shi men shan) may not be a huge mountain but it can certainly play in the league of the windiest mountains!
Climbing 合歡尖山 (He huan jian shan). This little peak doesn't count as one of the 台灣百岳 (Taiwan's Highest 100 mountains) but it's actually slightly more difficult and a lot more fun to climb than 石門山 (Shi men shan). Okay, the photo makes it look more dramatic than it really is but at least it's not just walking. :-)
Approaching the top of 合歡尖山 (He huan jian shan) ...
That's what people on Mount Everest must feel like ...
At the top of 合歡尖山 (He huan jian shan).
Yes, I know, I'm holding the flag upside down but that's only to express my disappointment over not being able to check off another peak from the Top 100 list. I guess I have to face the fact that from now on each one of them will come at a higher price!
2010-04-19 | A frog goes hiking: 合歡山 (He huan shan) - Day 1
As regular readers of my blog will have noticed we have been hiking quite a bit in the last months. After a bunch of smaller afternoon hikes to break in the shoes it was finally time to take our equipment - and our legs - to the next level: some of Taiwan's highest mountains.
The list of Taiwan's 100 highest mountains is pretty famous here but only few people are adventurous enough to complete it. Some mountains are only accessible after days of difficult hiking and the weather is a factor not to be underestimated.
Luckily some of these 100 mountains are quite easy to conquer. The easiest ones are all part of 合歡山 (He huan shan), so that it's perfectly possible to climb five of them in a good weekend of relaxed hiking. We managed to do four of them - two per day. On Saturday we hiked 北峰 (north peak) and walked up (it can't be called hiking ...) 主峰 (main peak).
So, what's with the frog you ask? Well, you'll see it in the photos below. Let's just say that green wasn't the color of my choice but now that I look like a frog I figured I might as well make this the motto of my Top-100 attack! :-)
Enjoy the photos! (If you liked them, there's a link to more at the bottom.)
The view from our homestay at night. Not too bad you think? Wait for daylight! :-)
The balcony of our homestay.
Daylight shines an interesting twilight on the 清境 (Qing jing) area. On the one hand there's the amazing mountain scenery that has also led to the area endearingly being called 小瑞士 - "Little Switzerland". On the other hand it displays the touristic and kitchy nature of anything human-built in the area.
On the right side you can see one of the countless "European-style" buildings in the area. What makes these homestays so ugly is not only the fact that the architect has likely never visited Europe but also that they try to combine all kinds of different styles into one.
But despair not! We had higher things in mind than joining city people staring at the origin of milk and eggs on the 清境農場 (Qing jing farm): Climbing several of Taiwan's 100 highest mountains!
View from the road that leads up to 合歡山 (He huan shan).
At the trail head ready for the hike up to 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak). The spirits are still high!
Hiking up to 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak). Joe and I were carrying heavy backpacks to train for more strenuous trips to come.
The male alpine version of the common image of city girls carrying umbrellas to escape the feared sun tan.
Looking eastwards and one kilometer to go.
I was rather stunned to see this. A huge reflector panel has been installed on the hill, apparently to make 合歡山 (He huan shan) clearly visible from other peaks in the area. I haven't seen it in action yet but trips to said other peaks are in planning! :-)
Group photo at the top of 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak).
Ivy posing with a backpack that she can hardly lift ...
... and for comparison the real backpack. :-)
Apparently hiking makes some people more tired than others. Then again, it does look inviting to take a nap in the sun at the top of a mountain!
At the top of 合歡山北峰 (He huan shan north peak).
Back at the trail head. The spirits are tired but happy. :-)
山
(If your computer doesn't display Chinese: The shadow looks like the Chinese character for 'Mountain'.)
At the top of 合歡山主峰 (He huan shan main peak), the 34th highest mountain in Taiwan with 3416 m above sea level. Given how easy it is to walk up there it's really not much of an achievement but hey, a list is a list. :-)
![At the top of 合歡山主峰 (He huan shan main peak), the 34th highest mountain in Taiwan with 3416 m above sea level. Given how easy it is to walk up there it's really not much of an achievement but hey, [http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/台灣百岳列表 a list is a list]. :-)](/gallery/data/he-huan-shan-day-1/images/700/20100410-173852_MR02598_D90.jpg)
Cooking noodle soup at the top of a mountain is the best way to lift spirits and warm you up!
Sunset from 合歡山主峰 (He huan shan main peak).
There are more photos in my gallery, so be sure to check it out as well.
Part two will be coming up soon ...