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.jpg "Ridge line of Syue Shan against the Central Mountain Range")
When people think of Taiwan a few images probably spring to mind: electronics, a perennially prickly political situation with China and one dull, giant characterless sprawl of cement that is depressingly soul and lung destroying.
Well, after two years living there and exploring I can tell you that, if that’s what you imagined, then you’re pretty much spot on. At times traveling through here can seem duller and less appealing than a day spent reading Chinese number plates on a busy overpass, and more often than not the only reason travelers come here is to try out the coolest gadgets or buy the latest software.
However, although the factories, malls and endless concrete conurbations will be what most visitors experience, it is only one fragment of a much more diverse and impressive picture.
Venture out of the cities and it’s not long before Taiwan reveals its other side, a side that is much less seen but far more appealing. Few people know that the island has another name, ‘Formosa’ which means simply ‘beautiful’ in Portuguese, who could find no other word better to describe it when they first landed here; and even though a swelling population of over 20 million urbanites has done much to transform a lot of it into a modern concrete catastrophe, there’s still plenty of its original beauty left to explore.
For trekkers, climbers and hikers it’s a dream. Despite being only roughly the size of Holland, it manages to boast the highest peak in North Eastern Asia and packs in over 240 summits over 3000m. For gentle hikes and nature enthusiasts the country has some luscious national parks overflowing with wildflowers, ancient woodland and impressive wild life. For the more hard-core there’s top drawer trekking across deep marble gorges, alpine meadows, lofty green peaks, gigantic coastal bluffs (800m high cliffs can be found on the Eastern Coast) and scenery that will just knock your thermal socks off.
For those that do decide to really visit and step outside of the urban sprawl it doesn’t take long for people to realize that this small nation not only punches above it’s weight class economically, but it terms of natural diversity and landscapes it can compete with the best of them; and with so few Westerners and the Taiwanese preferring the ease of a car or a tour group, it’s not difficult to find plenty of quiet and idyllic trails to hike.
However, it’s not always simple. In the central mountain ranges you’ll encounter dense forests, steep rugged climbs, frequent thunderstorms that spring up from nowhere and despite being a tropical island, temperatures can dip below zero. In addition to this, travel is barely on the government’s radar and detailed information regarding the treks is often difficult to come by. With this in mind hiking or climbing here is not always for the faint-hearted. But you shouldn’t let that stop you! And remember you can always hire a guide.
So, whether your just stopping off for a couple of days on a layover or there some real exploration, here’s just a few of the highlights for you that you can easily find:
1.Hiking in Toroko Gorge National ParkToroko Gorge national park is the largest and most famous of Taiwan’s national parks and has running through it, what many consider to be the most beautiful road in East Asia. For me it consolidated a permanent top 10 place in my ‘never to be forgotten’ cache of memories when I first cycled through there back in 2003 at the end of an 80km down hill (but that’s another story, and flashbacks of the uphill still send shivers running down my hamstrings).
The center piece of the park is the blue-green Liwu River that has been gradually cutting it’s way through the local marble in this region for eons, creating some marvelously deep and emphatic valleys and ravines. The park offers ample treks, from ambles above the river to more challenging climbs of up to 3,700m. With so many paths available no one route stands out above the rest, it depends on time and fitness. The best thing to do is grab a map, a Mandarin phrase book, stock-up, then go and explore!
2. Nengkao Cross Island Trail
One of the most famous of the Island’s treks is the Nengkao route or if you’re unsure of the pronunciation, the ‘Powerline’ trail. It’s a historic route that was first used 200 years ago by the Taiya before later being expanded by the Japanese as shortcut that linked both sides of Taiwan, and then was expanded further by Taipower for laying electric cables, one of the few cases in history where a power company ploughing through pristine wilderness has been welcomed by hikers.
The recommended route is about 83km and takes about three days and passes by the 3,262m Nengao Mountain. It’s a medium difficult trek and takes in some wonderful eco-systems offering an array of wild flowers as well as possible glimpses of arctic boars, Taiwanese monkeys and flying squirrels. If you wish to you can postpone your stay a little, by staying on at Tienchi, an up-together refuge about 6hrs walk from the start, which provides a useful base to explore the nearby peaks of Chilai (3358m) and Nenggaoshan (3184m). Unfortunately these trails are not well marked and without a guide or good level of Mandarin or Taiwanese there’s a good chance of losing your way, so beware.
3. Hiking Snow Mountain
Snow Mountain or Sheishan, is Taiwan's second-highest mountain and is certainly a highlight not to be missed, especially if you choose the brave option and tackle the final leg before dawn to catch an unmissable sunrise. Although you’ll have to work for it, tackling the mountain is not an expedition. You won’t need tents as there are two huts, Chika Refuge (2,463 meters above sea level) and a final refuge called Sanliujiu which most people stay in the night before summiting. From there it’s only a 5km climb to the peak, although it can seem pretty steep, especially at four in the morning.
4. Hiking Jade Mountain (Yushan)
Yushan is Taiwan’s highest summit (3952m), and is one of the most popular treks in the country. Owing to this it can get a little crowded during holidays, but welcoming smiles and cries of jia (which literally means add gas), more than makes up for it. The entire area offers a wealth of trekking, anything from one day to three weeks.
The memorable trek to the summit can be done in two days, using a trail that starts near the top of the new central cross-island highway 18, and gradually winds its way up through magnificent forests of cypress, fir and hemlock. The first day’s walk is a tough one, six hours and 1,000 vertical meters to a place called Paiyun cottage, two hours below the summit. The most popular option is to spend the night in or near Paiyun cottage, and leave before daylight to catch the sunrise from the summit. The final ascent is steep but scenic and the view from the country’s rooftop is more than worth it.
Well, we hope that snippet has caressed your curiosity and activated your appetite. If you want to really get to this country and find some meatier treks you can check out their national trail system at:
www1.forest.gov.tw/NationalTrailSystem
Or to get an idea of it’s spectacular national parks you can visit:
np.cpami.gov.tw
Feel free to comment below or post up a thread or question on the forum
And if you liked this feature then you may want to check out this one on South Korea
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