26 July 2018
Elevation - 3,952 masl
Elevation gained - 1,342 m
Distance - 21.8 km
Total time taken - 13 hrs (2 days) for main peak
Climbing period - October to December
Difficulty - 3/5 moderate (achievable for anyone with moderate fitness and exercises regularly)
Trail type - Gravel trails and rocky terrains towards the peak
Requirements - Park permit, entry permit and a booking at Paiyun Lodge are required
Yu Shan also known as 玉山 or Jade Mountain is the highest peak in Taiwan at 3,952 masl and part of the 百岳 (the 100 most prominent peaks in Taiwan). The name supposedly derives from its appearance in winter, when its thick snow cover is thought to make its peak look like stainless jade. You can also find Yu Shan at the back of the NT$1,000 banknote! There are actually more than one peak on Yu Shan, including the: main peak, northern peak, southern peak and eastern peak and western peak. For this trip, we had sufficient time for 2 peaks, the western peak and the main peak!
Trip Planning
Although you don't need a guide for Yu Shan, a permit is required. It is also compulsory for you to book a bed at the mountain lodge - Paiyun Lodge, as camping on the mountain is not permitted. The whole process of getting the all the necessary permits is actually very complicated! I had to do hours of extensive research to figure this out.
Essentially there are 3 things you require: a bed at Paiyun Lodge, the Park Permit from the National Park and the Entry Permit from the police agency. It is actually more difficult for a Taiwanese local to obtain a Park Permit, as this is given through a process of balloting. As for foreigners, there is special scheme called the Paiyun Lodge Advanced Application, where 24 permits per day (from Sunday to Thursday) are reserved for foreigners and this application opens 4 months to 35 days before entry date. After the application, the email would then guide you to submit other necessary information closer to the trip itself such as the meal and sleeping bag order forms.
On the day of the climb you have to first go to the Paiyun Visitor Center to make payment and collect the Park Permit. After which you would have to head next door to the Tataka Police Squad to apply for the Mountain Permit. Ensure that you have your Park Permit, Mountain Permit and passport on hand in order to access the trail head! To save you the sheer confusion of this entire process, I found a more recent online guide with a pretty detailed breakdown and visual instructions.
Here is a photo of a detailed map of Yu Shan with distance markings and a even recommended 5 day itinerary to conquer all the peaks, if you are up for it:
Costs
Mountain Hut - NTD 480
(Including: mountain hut accommodation, dinner and breakfast)
cost indicated is per pax
Getting There
We stayed a night at Dongpu Lodge the day before the climb, as this was the closest accommodation to the trailhead at Tataka Anbu. This is so we could get to the trailhead early in the morning to settle all the necessary administrative processes. Dongpu Lodge provides regular shuttle service to the trailhead, every 15 mins from 6.30am to 5pm.
Day 1 - Journey to Paiyun Lodge and western peak
0630 | Check out of Dongpu Lodge and head to Paiyun Visitor Centre then to Tataka Police Squad |
0700 | Start the trek at Tataka Anbu trailhead |
1200 | Check in at Paiyun Lodge then continue to hike to western peak |
1400 | Reach western peak |
1745 | Dinner at Paiyun Lodge |
0630 | Check out of Dongpu Lodge and head to Paiyun Visitor Centre then to Tataka Police Squad
For context, Dongpu Lodge is a dormitory style lodge with only very basic amenities. It has a double decker bed with futons and no partitions in between. While we were there, they segregated the males and females on different sides of the room. The night before we had packed all the necessary things we needed for the climb into our hiking pack for the 2 days 1 night climb, and left the rest of our luggage at Dongpu Lodge. In the morning, we took the shuttle to Paiyun Visitor Center to make payment and collect our Park Permit. After which we headed next door to the Tataka Police Squad to apply for the Mountain Permit. Having finally settled all the tedious administrative work and ready for our climb, we took the shuttle to Tataka Anbu trailhead.
0700 | Start the trek at Tataka Anbu trailhead
The trail starts at Tataka Anbu and follows a dirt and gravel path that hugs the circumference of the mountain. As we were walking along the edge the mountain for most parts, we were offered beautiful vistas of the surrounding scenery. Every turn was a different view of the mountain landscape. We barely had the time to feel tired as we were so engrossed in admiring the views. I can safely say that Taiwan mountains have one of the best views! There were however a few turns that felt a bit precarious because of how narrow the path was with only a metal chain to hold on to, so just make sure to watch your footing carefully. Signs also cautioned of falling rocks at these sections! Along the trail you can also find ecotoilets (but you might want to skip the image of this).
At about 10am, we reached an observation deck - Baimulin West Peak Observation Deck, and decided to stop for a snack break while admiring the views. I had an onigiri to fuel up for the remaining hike. The trail then continues upwards, with the surrounding forest now shrouded in low-lying clouds (or fog).
1200 | Check in at Paiyun Lodge then continue to hike to western peak
It was about 12pm, 5 hours into the hike when we reached Paiyun Lodge. Since we had time, we decided to head up the trail to the western peak. All along the trail we would meet friendly locals who would strike up a conversation with us. They were all curious, as we were the only foreigners on the trail and would caution us on the cold weather in the mountains (we were pretty much undressed as we were amateur hikers). Although most of the local hikers looked alot older (there were also small kids as well!), their hiking pace was surprisingly fast! I guess hiking is kind of a national sport in Taiwan, since they are blessed with so many beautiful mountains.
The trail towards the western peak started to get a bit tricky as we had to clamber around rocks and tree roots, and teeter on the edge of steep and narrow trails.
1400 | Reach Western Peak
We finally reached the western peak at 3,518 masl after 2 hours of hiking, where we met a couple of local hikers. They were boiling a pot of hot tea to drink while admiring the views. The locals really do know how to enjoy a hike! The western peak had a small shrine and a small lookout area. As the mountain was shrouded in clouds, we didn't get much of a view. We chatted with the locals for awhile before descending back to Paiyun Lodge.
1745 | Dinner at Paiyun Lodge
We had an early dinner at 5+pm at the lodge, where they served rice with meat and vegetables and a bowl of soup in the common dining area. We spent the rest of the day resting and admiring the views from the hut (it is not everyday that you get to live in the clouds!), while also prepping for the summit hike the next day.
Day 2 - Summit for sunrise
0230 | Begin our climb to the summit |
0400 | Reach the summit and wait for sunrise |
0530 | Start our descend |
0730 | Reach Paiyun Lodge for brunch and check out |
1200 | Reach Dongpu Lodge to collect our luggage |
0230 | Begin our climb to the summit
The best thing about the lodge was the free flow hot milk tea provided in the morning! We filled bottle with hot milk tea to tide us through the cold. On a side note, it was my sister's first time climbing a high altitude mountain, and when I told her it would be cold she didn't think it would be THAT cold and only brought a pair of shorts!!! I on the other hand, was wearing leggings, fleece and a shell and was still freezing. So by then, the whole mountain already knew us as the Singaporeans as we were the only foreigners, and every time they passed us they would be shocked (and appalled) at how underdressed my sister was and ask if she was okay. She would always laugh it off. I guess we became the talk of the mountain.
That morning, we were up and out to conquer the summit early at 2.30 am, so we would have some buffer time. We hiked the gravel path to the summit in the dark with the only light source coming from our headlamps. Towards the peak, the path became a steep climb up where we had to clamber over boulders with both our hands and feet while clinging on to the metal chains along the route for support.
0400 | Reach the summit and wait for sunrise
We reached the summit earlier than expected, an hour before sunrise, and this was a mistake as it was crazy cold at this point with strong winds full on blasting at us. Our first priority was to take a group picture at the peak. And once that was done, we quickly huddled behind some rocks for a brief respite from the cold, counting down the minutes to sunrise. I had put on an extra fleece pants at this point but was still shivering non-stop. I am honestly not even sure how my sister survived this in her shorts.
A streak of gold gradually emerged from the horizon, and the scenery around us began to come into view. Yu Shan and the surrounding mountains was bathed in a beautiful golden glow and the view was breathtaking and worth the wait in the frigid cold. It took all the courage we had to step out of our hiding spot to take a second picture at the peak in the light of the sunrise. Me and my sister took a walk around the peak for more photos, while my friend went back to crouch at the hiding spot. I was actually shivering uncontrollably while taking the photos, but it was a sacrifice we had to make.
0530 | Start our descend
Once our photo mission was accomplished and the sun was fully out, we descended down the same way we came. In the light of the day, the trail somehow looked a lot steeper but atleast we could now see where we were going. We held on to the chains, rocks and whatever else we could as we carefully climbed our way down. The path then passed through a long sheltered walkway perched on the side of the mountain. This was to prevent falling rocks from hitting hikers, as the area had frequent rock falls.
0730 | Reach Paiyun Lodge for brunch and check out
Back at Paiyun Lodge, the dining area served us noodle soup. The best comfort food to regain our energy from fighting the cold all morning. We then checked out of Paiyun Lodge and made our way back down to the trailhead, admiring the beautiful views along the way.
1200 | Reach Dongpu Lodge to collect our luggage
It was noon when we reached back to Dongpu Lodge to collect the rest of our luggage, and we continued on to the next destination of our Taiwan trip. The roads were shrouded in a moving fog, creating a very different atmosphere from the day before.
My Thoughts
Yu Shan has one of the best views in my opinion, as the path runs along the edge of the mountain. It was a different breathtaking view at every turn! Remember to also dress sufficiently for the cold weather on the mountain (don't wear shorts like my sister please) - I would recommend wearing down for the summit climb. Something heartening and memorable for me was also the hospitality we received from the local Taiwanese hikers - they would chat us up, share their advice (likely our of concern for my sister) and even gave us tea! And of the local Taiwanese hikers we saw many were older retirees or children, it is surprising and impressive how hiking is an activity for all ages in Taiwan.