Soaking Wet Jade


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Asia » Taiwan » Chiayi » Yushan
June 17th 2014
Published: June 23rd 2014
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Taiwan North to South

Taipei, Chiayi, Yushan Main Peak, Tainan, Kenting National Park

On the Summit of Jade MountainOn the Summit of Jade MountainOn the Summit of Jade Mountain

Yushan National Park
"Yu (玉)" is Mandarin for jade. "Shan (山, one of the few easily recognizable characters)" is mountain. Yushan is otherwise known as Jade Mountain. Taiwan sits on the convergence of 2 tectonic plates making it a very rugged island nation and, while quite small, somehow manages to squeeze in nearly 300 peaks over 3000 meters in elevation. Yushan Main Peak (there are 5 total: Main, North, East, West, and Front) is Taiwan's highest at 3,952 meters (12,966').

After tackling the mountain of bureaucracy necessary to secure an ascent permit I was able to summit Yushan last Tuesday in conditions that are best described as crap. After sweating my tchotchkes off in Taipei I never would have thought it possible to be so miserably cold anywhere in Taiwan even if it were 4 kilometers high. A minor typhoon had passed Taiwan on its way to Hong Kong leaving buckets of rain in its wake, so much so that the park service initially prevented anyone from ascending the mountain on Monday which was going to be the first day of my 2 day ascent with a night spent at high Paiyun Lodge. I was able to change the trip to a one
Summit MarkerSummit MarkerSummit Marker

Yushan National Park
day ascent which was actually pretty easy but in hyper safety conscious Taiwan, standard park protocol is to issue one day permits only to hikers who can prove that they have been to the summit of a 3000 meter mountain. Fortunately, I could direct the park official to this blog's entry detailing my 2011 climb of Aconcagua (with photos to prove it) which was sufficient to secure permission to climb the mountain in one day.

After the hike I spent 2 days in boiling hot, otherwise forgettable, Tainan. Last Friday I came to Kenting National Park at the very southern tip of Taiwan where it's also extremely hot and humid but the ocean breeze makes is almost bearable. Very popular spot with Taiwanese particularly over the weekend but today it is much less crowded.

US$ ≈ 30 New Taiwan Dollars (NT)

Yushan National Park



Home of Jade Mountain, its satellite peaks, and countless other mountains. The area is very beautiful and there are myriad of trails. With good weather, could spend several days there.

Accommodation and food No shortage of bunk space at Dongpu Villa Hoste, NT300/person/night. There's a decent kitchen for self catering, hot
Still Crap on Yushan Main PeakStill Crap on Yushan Main PeakStill Crap on Yushan Main Peak

Yushan National Park
water for a bucket shower, and cable TV with a couple of English language movie channels to while away the time waiting for a typhoon to pass, fixing a permit issue, or, in my case, both. It's about a km down the road from the visitors center where there's a limited selection restaurant (closes 16:30) and a PC with free internet access. The hostel is closer to the Paiyun Mountaineering office (possibly WiFi) where permits can be printed and water bottles can be topped off from a purifier. The Tatajia saddle and beginning of the trail to Paiyun Lodge is 2.8 km from this office. Can walk along the road or catch the park's 6:30 shuttle from the Paiyun office for NT100.

Transport Getting out from Yushan proved to be even more of a challenge than getting in. If I'd had my act together I could have probably caught a lift with other hikers at least as far as Alishan (last local bus to Chiayi departs at 17:10) after my day trip to the summit. As it stood, I hadn't organized my gear back at the hostel so opted to spend a third night. At 7:30 the following day, I was at the side of the road fruitlessly trying to cadge a lift anywhere but it wasn't until 9:30 that a Taiwanese field biologist took me to Alishan and as a bonus was able to get me past the ticket gate without paying. Barring a free lift, the Sun Moon Lake buses pass near the hostel ~11:00 and 12:00 but best to confirm this at the visitors center or hostel. Upon arrival in Alishan ~10:00, there wasn't a bus heading to Chaiyi main station until 11:40 but a local (Taiwanese are super friendly and tirelessly helpful people) introduced me to a shuttle driver who was corralling passengers into his comfy, AC VW van for imminent departure purportedly non-stop, direct to Chiayi's train station for the same price as the bus, NT250. Much to my chagrin, we did stop 2 times so fellow passengers could purchase the region's famous tea and later bunches of lychee fruit which caused me to wait from 12:45 an extra hour in Chiayi for the next NT68 slow, local train to Tainan (many departures during the day, 1 hour duration, or faster limited express trains too but all trains thankfully with AC). Save all train tickets because they are needed to exit the turnstiles at the station platforms.

Jade Mountain summit hike All in all, I was extremely happy to cover ~25 kms round trip to the peak and back in one day rather than overnighting at Paiyun Lodge. The high alpine hut sits at an altitude of 3402 meters and since I have trouble sleeping at altitude it was far better to spend the night down at much lower Dongpu hostel (~2600 m). Sleeping at Paiyun costs NT480/person/night and I don't think the kitchen facilities are available to hikers meaning I would have needed a stove if I'd wanted anything hot to eat or drink. It was raining pretty hard the day of and before my hike so everything probably would have been wet the whole time on the mountain had I spent the night at Paiyun Lodge. It was kind of cold up there too when I stopped for a lunch break on the way to the summit. So, just to reiterate in case it's not clear from this description of the conditions, with proof of a 3000 meter summit it is easy and recommended to hike Yushan as a one day
One of the Two Immobile GuardsOne of the Two Immobile GuardsOne of the Two Immobile Guards

Presumably very uncomfortably hot, Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei.
trip.

After a decent night's sleep I woke up ~5:00 with a few groups of hikers intent on a 2 day trip to the summit. After a couple of coffees, a banana, and bread smeared with Taiwanese "milk creamy spread" (cake frosting, I think), I left the hostel at 6:00 for the short 10 minute walk to the mountaineering office to get some filtered water (no charge) and wait for the 6:30 shuttle to the trailhead. I was the only passenger so we left a couple minutes early and I was on the trail at 6:36. Almost immediately it started to moderately rain so I donned my rain pants and opened my umbrella so I would not have to sweat to death under my jacket. The trail was almost entirely cut right out of the cliffs with long drops where a slip would have proved extremely painful if not fatal. There are numerous gullies and ravines spanned by walkways and bridges - 86 to be exact as they are marked. It didn't take long to hike the 8.5 kms to Paiyun Lodge, reaching there at 9:18 where I snarfed an early lunch, hydrated, ditched the daypack, and split for
Changing of the GuardsChanging of the GuardsChanging of the Guards

Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei.
the summit at 9:48. After gaining ~200 meters in elevation from the lodge the trail burst above the treeline where the wind was fierce. It was easy to follow to the summit where I topped out at 11:03, snapped a few pics, and bolted one minute later.

The hike back down to Paiyun Lodge was a bit quicker, arriving there at 12:00, and after ~30 minutes l made the final push back to the hostel. I reached the saddle at 14:53 but there was no shuttle waiting for me so I had to walk the remaining distance and reached Dongpu Villa Hostel at 15:33. The hostel caretaker had set up a heater/dehumidifier in the room which helped immensely in drying out all my soaking wet clothes.

Taipei



Sweltering, hazy capital city that I could have by-passed on the way to Yushan as the airport is far from the center but close to a major train station with good links to points further south. Aside from prepping for the mountain, I did check out the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall where there is a very elaborate, well choreographed changing of the guard ceremony held on the hour. The memorial
Changing of the GuardsChanging of the GuardsChanging of the Guards

Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei.
also contains a museum with much of Uncle Chiang's accumulated booty.

Accommodation and food Spent a couple nights at Inn Cube in an air conditioned room that must have been inspired by an even more diminutive version of Japanese capsule hotels. Weekend rates (Friday and Saturday) are NT900, weekdays NT690 with spotless share bathrooms, WiFi, hot/cold drinking water dispenser, and a fridge but no other kitchen facilities. Really great staff at the Cube as I needed major help sorting the climbing permit and accommodation at the Dongpu hostel in the park. The location is good, right across the street from Taipei Main Station (rail and bus stations to all destinations as well as 2 metro lines). Under the station is, naturally, a huge shopping mall with many restaurants including the hugely popular Take Away Sushi where a box of 8 pieces with rice was NT80. Also an attached so-so bakery. A rolled up 'pancake basil omelet' (NT35) and fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (NT45) from street vendors was a fine breakfast. There's a great supermarket near the hotel where I as able to stock up for my trip to Yushan.

Transport Tayouan Airport to Taipei Main Station is about an hour by Kuo Kong Bus for NT125 although I think there is another company offering the same service for NT90. Plenty of FOREX booths with good rates but I used a fee-free Bank of Taiwan ATM to grab a stash of NT. Heading out of Taipei for Yushan I first caught a bus at 6:30 to Chiayi for NT350 (half hourly departures through the day, cheaper and faster than the normal, i.e., not HSR, train) arriving ~9:30 behind the train station from where the local buses for Alishan departed. That bus left at 10:10, cost NT250, and arrived ~12:40. In Alishan there are a couple of buses that make the run to Sun Moon Lake at 13:00 and 14:00, stopping at Yushan visitors center ~40 minutes later for NT73. Annoyingly have to pay NT150 to enter Alishan even if only to change buses.


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View from Chaing Kai-shek Memorial HallView from Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall
View from Chaing Kai-shek Memorial Hall

National Concert Hall (r.) and National Theater (l.), Taipei.


23rd July 2014
Drying Out at Dongpu Villa Hostel

Ni how
haha I have photo with you and your backpacker !!!!:) STAY safe with your travel and good day!!!!!!!^^ I will keep to fallowing your blog ^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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