Yuanzuishan: Taipei's Alpine Ridge Hike

One of five ridge hikes accessible from Taipei, Yuanzuishan's altitude gives it a defining characteristic from the others and makes it an instant favorite. The 4-6 hour hike is tucked inside the Snow Mountain Range outside Taichung, resting between 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level. So, climbers are rewarded with the smell of pine trees and cooler mountain weather as opposed to the dense undergrowth and humidity of jungle trekking. Rhododendron bushes also line the path, making it a beautiful hike for early springtime.

This super fun climb shares all of the same defining characteristics as other more accessible knife-edge ridge hikes: ropes, rock scrambles, repels and stunning views of surrounding mountains. I would say gloves are optional depending on how callused your hands already are. I finally had to put mine on during the descent down from the ridge. However, sun protection is a must as much of this hike completely exposed.

Long lines on weekends mean that climbers can get stuck in uninterrupted sun for hours. My partner and I made great time, passing other groups and hikers, but the lines for the ropes down caught us and added at least an hour to our trek, which was spent sitting between the rocks and chatting with others about trekking bucket lists and favorite trails.

One would think that this hike's lack of public transport and distance from the city would make it less popular, but sadly this is not the case. Try to avoid Saturday and Sunday if possible unless you don't mind scenarios like the one described in the previous paragraph. Also avoid rainy, windy weather. There are better ways to die than by slipping on a wet rock from the top of this ridge.

There you have it. The elevation, evergreen flora and beautiful views of the Snow Mountain Range firmly place Yuanzuishan in the list of must-do day hikes from Taipei. Like Wuliaojian and HuanDiDian, it's also a great full-body workout that can be used to train for longer, more challenging high-mountain climbs.

Huang Di Dian: Ridges, Ropes, and Bats

There's a great, big bat cave... with bats! The off-trail trek to the giant cave is completely optional and should probably be saved for last on this eventful day hike. Unlike the other knife-ridge hikes around Taipei, Huang Di Dian doesn't follow a convenient loop and the best route to take is from west to east, starting with the wilder, less popular West Peak trail and then hiking through to the East Peak ridge. The constant up and down scrambles put this trail on a similar level as Wuliaojian, but it still isn't quite as challenging as Taipei's most famous day hike.



Be warned, there are two different sets of steps leading up to the West Peak trail. The first one you come to on the road from Shiding is not the one you want to take as it's two hours of unrelenting hell. (Whoops.) Bypass this illusion of beginning and continue up the road until you see a second set disappearing into the woods. This second set will get you to the trail faster and has a nice little pagoda where visitors can take a short break to enjoy the view. (I think I remember an abandoned building nearby as well as lion guardians marking the entrance, but my memory may be getting fuzzy.)



Once on the West Peak trail, things get more fun with a nice dirt trail that climbs over roots, around trees and up steep, smooth rocks. It's a nice quiet trek as most tourists don't wander onto this side, preferring instead to climb up the East Peak Ridge, get their pictures and then return to the safety of civilization. After an hour or two, the trail crosses another set of stairs heading down, this is the East Peak entrance as well as your exit. You'll start seeing more people now on the way to East Peak's famous bald ridge. The best views are captured from that side.



On your way down the East Peak exit, there is a VERY small trail leading off into the woods that is marked by a set of steps and a pile of trash (unless some good Samaritan has come along and cleaned). Beyond the empty water bottles and candy wrappers, this trail leads to Huang Di Dian's bat cave, which rests just below the East Peak Ridge. "Trail" is used figuratively here as it's more like a game of "hide and seek" with decaying tree flags.



Our trek to the cave was very slow as we were constantly searching the surrounding area for signs of past traffic (flags, ropes, etc.). We were basically picking our way through an overgrown path that had never been very large to begin with. Just before the cave, it turns into a narrow footbridge against a cliff supported by the thinnest line of vegetation growing against the rocks. Residents of the bat cave don't need to worry about hoards of tourists, as this precious little path could easily kill them all.




Our trailblazing skills were ultimately rewarded though. Soon, the giant cave came into view and we carefully half ran/half scrambled up to the mouth, zig-zagging between a few well-placed trees to keep from falling back down the cliff. Once inside the mouth, we were pleasantly surprised to find bats sleeping above us in the cave's ceiling. (Everything I'd read up to this point had said that the cave was deserted.) After some pictures and a dare-devil descent into the cave from my climbing partner, we slid back down the mouth and headed back the way we came. Familiar with the way and racing a setting sun, we made it back to the main trail in about half the time.

Getting Around:

Huang Di Dian is easily accessed by public transit via a bus from Muzha. Catch a ride to the town of Shiding where you can make a last-minute pit stop at the local 7-11. From here, use Google Maps to direct a taxi up to the West Peak entrance of your choice. After exiting the trail on the East Peak side, there is another bus stop where you can catch a ride back to town and ultimately back to the city. True confessions: We decided to split an Uber instead.

Seven Days in Bali

Sometime in 2018, the text arrived: "Hey, want to climb a mountain in July 2019?". Of course, the answer is yes and the following vacation is laid out at the beginning of the year. What began as a simple few days on a mountain quickly escalated to include beaches, river tracing, scuba diving, and jungle terraces.

Day 1: Arrival and Seminyak 

We spent one night on Seminyak beach and to be honest, it was enough. This is a classic party beach with drinks starting early and continuing late into the evening. We enjoyed our alcohol with a sunset and then turned-in early to have a cheap massage before an early morning journey to Lombok.

Day 2: Lombok Waterfalls

Always on the move, we woke up around 6 or 7 to catch the ferry over to Lombok Island and meet up with friends. Two complimentary taxis and a "fast boat" later, we stepped into our mountain villa around 3 pm that afternoon. Dropping the bags in the door, we headed back out to squeeze in some late afternoon river tracing under the mountain.

Days 3 & 4: Rinjani

On day three, we began what we came here to do and started up the mountain. This adventure is outlined in its own blog here.

Days 5 & 6: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

Arriving from the mountain the previous day, we were able to wake up early on Gili Trawangan and get in the water. We started this day by diving with baby sharks and blowing bubbles. Shortly after surfacing, we got back on another boat to enjoy a private snorkeling tour of the local islands.

This was the most touristy thing we'd done since stepping off the plane. Thankfully, the private boat helped us at least pretend to have some of this paradise to ourselves. We visited five different spots to swim with turtles, underwater sculpture gardens, blue coral and barnacle-covered bicycles.

At the fifth location, we stopped for lunch on one of the more resorty islands nearby where a seller convinced us all to buy matching turtle bracelets made from local volcanic rock and tiger's eye. They were custom made for us on the spot and subjected to the fire rest, so they must be real. Right?

We spent the afternoon exploring by bicycle and ended the day with drinks on the beach while watching the sun go down. The next morning, we did it all over again, but instead of snorkeling, we did a wreck dive instead. Everything else was basically the same: baby sharks, bicycles, drinks, and sunsets. It was perfect.

Day 7: Ubud

We had to get back to Bali to catch our flight out, so we decided to spend our last night in Ubud. This tourist-loved destination is all over Instagram because of the famous Bali Swing over the Teggalang Rice Terrace and I wanted to see what that was all about. Unsurprisingly, like most things on the internet, it's cool, but it's not "I just climbed a mountain and swam with sharks" cool.

The terrace is very pretty and there are swings EVERYWHERE for tourists to enjoy... for a price. It was here that a little girl selling postcards for "school" got me. Tracking us all over the field, she got her money and my family got their postcards.

In town, we tried civet coffee (look it up) and did some temple exploring. The jungle town had a very different feel from the other destinations on our trip. To our disappointment, we also learned that souvenirs were much cheaper here.

Conclusion

We made the most of our time. Rinjani is absolutely worth it. With more time and a bigger budget, I think I would have skipped Gili Tragawan and flown over to Komodo Island instead. Ubud and Seminyak were disappointments to me. However, choosing an out-of-town hotel in Ubud with a private jungle pool may have changed that.

Getting Around

Boats, boats and more boats. We took boats everywhere: private boats, fast boats, ferry boats, etc. They were economic, efficient and I think the complimentary hotel transfers in Seminyak and Ubud made them worth it for us. We went with Blue Ferry Express for the long journey from Bali Island to Lombok because they let us prebook online.

Lanyu: Scuba Diving in Taiwan

Climbing into the back of a pickup with oxygen tanks and fins, we make our way back to Chicken Rock for our second dive of the day. Under the water, we swim between coral tunnels to hunt for clams, sea snakes, Nemo, and other life. It's fly fish season, so diving on the other side of the island with the ships is forbidden to protect the precious food source. I get it. We've been eating char grilled fly fish every day since coming ashore and it's delicious. It's our daily routine now: dive, eat fly fish, dive, drink, sleep, repeat. Not bad for a short spring holiday.



This is our first visit to Lanyu and the fresh seafood is amazing. The diving isn't bad either. I wouldn't mind a return trip to go explore the sunken ships nearby. Like Ludao, Lanyu is a coral island with a thriving underwater reef as well as many interesting rock formations, caves and other places to explore both on and off land. Unlike Green Island, it's big. The whole thing takes multiple hours to circle by scooter as compared to Green Island's short, little joyride.



Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island, is located a good three hours from Taiwan and supports a local population of traditional Tao. There are some Taiwanese on the island as well, but they are mostly seasonal workers, such as our scuba guide Xiǎobō. He was on working holiday as an instructor after quitting his job at Asus. We were also diving with a bunch of Google engineers. Apparently, this is where the techies go to unwind.



Between dives, we spent our time scooting around in search of pretty rocks and food. We found all the formations, including a few that aren't on the maps. If you go, ask your host about the secret cave next to the more famous Lover's Cave. Maybe they'll tell you. There's also a secret little swimming hole hiding under the rocks on the East side of the island.



On your way around, keep an eye out for a great little driftwood cafe serving fresh crushed juice to-go in mason jars and little rope bags. We got in the habit of swinging by there to stock up before heading around to find a cave or catch a sunset. Speaking of, the best place to watch the sun go down is Mantou Rock on the west side. You can watch it disappear from view in the company of some local goats looking for their dinner on the rocks.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Blue Ocean Scuba Center. Of course, we were on a scuba trip, so sleeping literally above the dive shop made things super convenient for us. I'd stay there again though. It was clean and cute with fresh breakfast served every morning. Plus, the location was good. Walking distance from the harbor, it made both our arrival and departure easy. Our host was also always nice and knowledgeable with some great tips for making the most of our time.

Getting There

I want to go back. I do, but the sad truth is that in less time it takes to get to this island, I could also fly to Indonesia. This fact really puts things in perspective on how committed you have to be to get out there. First, it's a 3- to 5-hour train ride from Taipei to Taitung. After that, it's a three-hour vomit-inducing ferry out to the island. We did it. We held our stomachs, tilted our heads back and kept it together. I'd probably do it again, but I am starting to question the logic behind this.

Hehuanshan: Taiwan's Pink Peaks

With thousands of wild rhododendron bushes blooming every spring, Hehuanshan is a yearly favorite. From late April to early June, the mountains turn a beautiful shade of pink. The flowers just take over, covering hills, slopes, and even peaks. 

Hehuanshan is a national recreation area home to multiple hikes. My go-to's are Hehuan North Peak and East Peak. North Peak is a natural dirt trail that takes about four hours round trip. There's also a split in the trail leading off to a quiet little campsite for those interested. It is a great place to try and catch the Milky Way. 

Stairs the whole way up... and down, East Peak is a little less enjoyable, but the two-hour round-trip hike is a fun challenge with a rewarding view at the top (when it's not raining). 

For a quick weekend trip, the thing to do is drive up, hike to North Peak campsite and stay overnight. The next morning summit North Peak, then hike down to quickly run up East Peak before heading back to the city. 

The other trails in the recreation area are all easier and shorter than these two, with one exception: West Peak. This overnight trail looks fun, but I've yet to accomplish it and probably won't anytime soon :P

Other than West Peak, these are the easiest high mountain hikes in Taiwan and it's very possible to complete 2, 3, or even 4 of the shorter routes in a single day. Just drive up, park the car and get going. There are also a few rest areas around where visitors can grab some hot chocolate and warm steam buns. 

A word of caution: The quick ascent by car has a nasty habit of making these trails more difficult than they should be. Make sure to take proper care for altitude sickness by going slow, drinking lots of water, staying warm and sleeping lower than you climb. Bringing a hefty supply of ginger tea never hurts either.