Yushan Trek (玉山）

Yushan (玉山), or Jade Mountain is the highest mountain in north-east Asia with a height of 3952m above sea-level. It is notably higher than the famous Mount Fuji which stands at an altitude of 3776m. Yushan, is located in the central mountain range of Taiwan, as part of the Yushan national park (玉山國家公園). The main peak (玉山主峰, 3952m) is the highest point of Yushan, followed by the east peak (玉山東峰, 3853m)，north peak (玉山北峰, 3833m)，and south peak (玉山南峰, 3711m).

My trekking adventure to Yushan was back in end April 2006. Arriving at Taipei on a Friday night on Jetstar. The journey from the airport to Taipei was very convenient, except the usual peak traffic on the expressway going southwards towards Taipei. We took a coach from the airport at around NT130 per pax to the heart of Taipei. In the next morning, managed to do some last minute shopping for some trekking gear. There was quite a variety to choose from and the prices are much better than in Singapore for certain items.

After meeting our local guide for the trek at about noon in Taipei, we were off to central mountain range of Taiwan. The drive from Taipei to the province of Nantou (南投) took about 5hrs. We rested for the night at the little mountain village of DongPu (東浦) where some of our trek mates took a dip at the hot spring there. After breakfast, we were on our way in our mini-van through the winding road to the start-point of our Yushan trek. Along the way, repair works on the road were a common sight. This was due to the damages done by the typhoons a few months ago. The mountain roads in Taiwan are constantly battered by the elements of mother nature. Every earthquake, landslide and typhoon may possibly destroy bridges and roads, especially in the mountain regions.

After 2 hours of driving, we were at the Tatajia visitor centre watching a video segment before our trek. It is regulatory that trekkers going up Yushan must watch the video segment which explains much of the national park conservation efforts and basic guides to trekkers challenging Yushan.

After a group photo at the trek start point, we were off for our 2 hours of continuous walking before lunch point. The starting point altitude was about 2400m, and hence the air was cool and at times chilling though the sun was shining. The entire distance from the start point to PaiYun Lodge was 8km. The initial 2 hours trek covered an altitude gain of 500m, with the rest point at an altitude of 2900m. The initial path skirts along the sides of the mountain. The path includes bridges and steep climbs that can really suck the air out of you. Adequate physical fitness is required if you wish to truly enjoy the ascent. In total, there were about more than 80 bridges before reaching the rest point (PaiYun Lodge,排雲山莊) . You can see the bridge no.1 near the start of the trekking entrance. There were ecology toilets along the way to give trekkers some privacy while they relieved themselves, but be prepared for some pungent odour acclimatization.

At around noon, we were at our lunch point. We were having our little outdoor feast with hot piping noodles in soup, fresh ham sandwiches, salads, coleslaw and some hard-boiled eggs to boost our energy. Suddenly a wave of cloud came rising along the mountain sides and the temperature dropped drastically. Everyone was putting on their fleece jackets and outer shells. The area was quickly enshrouded in thick mist, bringing with it some cold light rain. After some minimal repacking, we were off for the remaining trek to the PaiYun Lodge at an altitude of 3400m. From where we started off after our lunch, it was another 500m of climb. Again the path routes around the mountain as we gain altitude. These parts of the trek through many heavily forested areas and most of the trail consisted of bridges built into the side of the mountain. The bridges were similar to those of railway tracks with gaps between the wooden planks. You can actually see what is below as you walk cautiously across the bridge. With the weather deteriorating, the trail gave a mysterious and artistic mood for some mythical shots.

As we approach PaiYun Lodge, we could see the steep slopes of the mountain opposite with much of their surface bare due to landslides and thus void of vegetation. You can experience the majestic and awe of such a huge mountain. At this altitude (3200m), the only sounds were from our heavy breathing. The last kilometer to PaiYun Lodge was a long series of steps. Knowing that we are getting close to our rest point for the day trek was the only motivation in getting ourselves to push on. After 4 hours of trekking, we were finally at the PaiYun Lodge. We were greeted by some cheers and welcomes from other trekkers already resting in the lodge.

PaiYun Lodge is a simple, no frills longhouse with double-deck bunks for trekkers to rest before their challenge to the summit. There are only 2 hours of electricity from 6pm to 8pm, which is powered by fuel generators. Water was plentiful and freezing cold. Filling water bottles and getting our hands wet was a painful experience as the cold was really biting into my hands. At that time the temperature was about 2 degrees Celsius.

After our bedding arrangements were done, we were ready for dinner. In Taiwan, the sun sets about 2 hours before Singapore. At 5pm (Singapore time), the sky was dark like that of 7pm in Singapore. We were allocated bunks where we laid our sleeping bags. Sleeping bags are necessities as the temperature can be freezing cold. After dinner, we hit the bunks to rest before the ascent to the summit. We were scheduled to challenge the summit at 3am. Around midnight, the skies brought along a thunderstorm. At that point, I was quite worried about whether we can proceed with the plans to ascent. Luckily the rain and lightning stopped. We woke up and had a quick breakfast then at 3am, we were on our way to the summit. The weather had improved, with the area enshrouded in heavy fog. With our torchlight, we made our way up the rocky paths behind the lodge. As we got higher, the path become much rockier and vegetation become sparse. After an hour of ascent, we could feel the cold wind on us, hinting that there wasn’t any vegetation around to protect us from the elements. With the heavy fog, we have no idea where or how high we were. Visible distance was limited to just a few metres away. I shone my torchlight into the fog and can only see a beam of light penetrating to emptiness. Luckily there wasn’t any strong wind at that point, else the ascent to the summit will be much tougher.

After more than an hour of trekking, we were near the top. We arrived at the wind tunnel, the path was sheltered by a steel structure to protect trekkers from being blown off their feet by the strong winds which can occur at times. The top of the steel structure was filled with some loose rocks. It is clearly visible that the structure did serve some form of protection to the trekkers should there be falling rocks.

After clearing the wind tunnel, we knew that we were approaching the summit as the path become narrower and much rockier. We noticed a vast difference in terrain during the last leg of the climb. Some parts involved 4 by 4, with our hands getting dirty. Some experience in rock climbing will help to boost confidence in tackling the steep climb. The weather was getting worse with some strong gusts of wind. Visibility was still limited to about 20m only, but the mist around us did provide some light due to the morning sun. With some light rain falling on us, the rocks were wet and somehow felt a loss of grip on the rocks as I edge myself forward towards the summit. There were stainless steel chains along the leading path to the summit. Due to the numerous earthquakes and typhoons in Taiwan, the climbing path will somehow shift as the years go by. At times I felt like avoiding the steel rail and choose a better foot grip instead to provide a easier ascent. At about 5:30am, I finally reached the summit. It did give me a sense of contentment from the climb, but the weather was really a letdown. The summit was still engulfed by the thick rain clouds and it wasn’t much of a place to enjoy your triumphant moment. With the strong winds and rain beating down on us, it really pushed the wind-chill factor up.

The summit of Yushan is but a small area , the size of a classroom. As more people reached the summit, the amount of walking space reduced drastically. One group that has reached the summit was cooking up hot drinks to celebrate their ascent. They seemed undisturbed by the strong winds and rains. Maybe they wanted to stay on at the summit to wait for the clouds to clear (well, it did not).

After taking a few pictures of ourselves and the summit stone plaque, we made our descent back to the Paiyun Lodge. It took less than 2 hours to make our way back to the lodge. Back at the lodge, we rested our legs, allowed ourselves to enjoy some hot drinks and light snacks before the final trek back to the trail head. The rest of the trek was mainly downhill with quite a few climbs as well. As we made our way towards the point where we initially started, the weather did not seem to improve. In fact, it was getting worse with rain clouds making their ascent along the slopes of the mountain. We were greeted with light and moderate rain for most of the descent. It was only near the start point of the trail that the bad weather started to back off.

Back at the start point, we made our way back to the carpark lot where we bade our farewells to some of our fellow trekkers. As we got into the mini-vans, we felt a return to reality, where one can never deny the love for civilization. The entire weather for the climb was really a let-down. Perhaps on another day, I will revisit Yushan, and hopefully clear skies and golden yellow sun rays will be there to greet us.

If you are interested to take on Yushan or any other mountains in Taiwan, just drop me a mail. I can help to check with my Taiwanese mountain guide friend for the details.