Sold! This short sweet river trace in Nanao was the perfect introduction to our new favorite summer activity. With a rope swing, waterfall slide and 25 meter falls at the end, we can’t wait to go back and will definitely be on the lookout for more river traces around Taipei. Nanao is home to two river traces that are easy day trips from the city: Biden and Lupi Stream. This being our first time tracing, we started with the easier one: Lupi Stream, which actually isn’t that easy and we probably should have worn life jackets.
That said, the trace went really well and wasn’t too difficult as it’s easy to tailor it to your own level/experience. For example, my boyfriend tested out his brain power and leg muscles on a cascade scramble that was pushing out hundreds of gallons of water per second, but the rest of us sane people just went around. (This particular cascade was introduced as a fun puzzle to solve and I guess he just couldn’t resist. He made it over, but not by pushing through. He actually had to level himself up out of the water and balance over the cascade to get around it.)
Lupi Stream takes about two hours each way, but it is possible to speed this up. (We did the return trip in just over half an hour because we were worried about catching the train home.) At the beginning and end of the trace, there’s a large pool for swimming and fun waterfall slide.
Shortly after this, the stream becomes impassible and a trail has been cut into the woods on the right side. It’s short and joins back up with the stream after a few minutes. From here, tracers will have to pick their way through or around the edge of the stream with short rock scrambles and little cascade climbs. It’s also very deep in places and the river bed will suddenly just disappear, so be prepared to swim.
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| Photo Credit: Dustin Craft, Taiwan Adventure Outings |
There are some parts of the trace that only experienced tracers should try, such as the rope swing and three-foot waterfall chute below it (not to be confused with the relatively safe main waterfall slide), which has a very strong vortex that jumpers will have to be able to navigate out of. Most tracers who attempt the rope swing actually climb out and go around rather than contend with the dangerous little chute. This is saying something, because the steep, wet scramble out isn’t easy.
It should also be mentioned that if you commit to doing the rope swing, there’s not backing out. Basically, you can change your mind, but you still HAVE TO do it. This is when having a life jacket as a confidence boost would have been nice. Another event like this is the waterfall slide at the beginning and end of the trace.
Basically, once you’re at the head of the slide, the water IS GOING to push you down. Jumpers only have a few seconds to position themselves as best as possible before being carried down possibly the biggest natural waterfall side in Taiwan. (PSA: When going down the slide, hold your bag tight to your chest and don’t bend forward or it’ll slap you in the face when you hit the water.)Again, the trace is completely customizable, so less adventurous explorers can skip both the rope swing and the slide or just do the slide, but not the rope jump. If you like the land of the living and prefer to stay in it, just get out of the water and go right through the woods on the return trip. This will take you safely around the more dangerous parts of the trace.
Be warned, things happen: ropes get stuck, people fall, straps break and concussions occur. ALL of these things happened on our trip and there was very little we could do to prepare for them. The best advice is to go in a group. This isn’t something individuals should be going at alone as people do DIE. Taipei Hikers and Taiwan Adventure Outings both take regular trips to Nanao during the summer months. Trips fill up fast, so be vigilant to get a spot.
Equipment
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| Photo Credit: Dustin Craft, Taiwan Adventure Outings |
A helmet, waterproof bag and special shoes are all required. These items can be rented from supply stores in Taipei for around $200 NTD ($6 USD). Of course, it’s recommended that you rent a life vest as well, especially if you’re planning on doing any of the jumps/slides or are not a confident swimmer. Below is a list of rental shops in Taipei. They have funny hours, so plan ahead.
In addition, to the rented items, you’ll need a small towel, water, snacks, a change of clothes and lots of Ziploc bags. Everything you care about should be double and triple bagged, because those waterproof bags WILL LEAK. There might be a small hole or it might not seal completely, but trust water is going to find a way into that bag. Probably hundreds of cell phones have gone to that great mobile cloud in the sky on this trace, and we added one more on our trip. (It was inside a waterproof hard case, inside a waterproof bag, but still found a way to get wet. The owner was not amused.)
Guting: 戶外家
Address: 100, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Quanzhou Street, 69號
Phone: 02 2333 1682
Getting Around
Get to Taipei Main Station around 8:30 am and by direct train tickets to Nanao Station. It’s about a two hour train ride each way and tickets cost just under $300 NTD. When purchasing outbound tickets, go ahead and grab return tickets as well. Trains only hit Nanao every three hours and it should be obvious which one you want, just make sure the departure time is after 3pm.
You’ll probably have to buy standing tickets on the way out, but should be able to get seats on the way back. By the way, standing tickets aren’t a huge problem, because there’s always room in the bike car. Basically, the last car on every train is reserved for bikes, but there’re never any bikes, so it’s the perfect place to find a seat and take a nap on a sold out train.
From Nanao Station, you’ll need to have a cab arranged to take you to the Lupi Stream trail head. This 10-minute trip will cost about $300 NTD, but can be split between multiple people. You’ll also need to arrange for the cab to pick you up from the same spot at three o’clock SHARP. Below is the number for the taxi service, but you’ll need to know some Chinese to get things arranged. Stress the TIMES, because you’ll be on a tight schedule to catch the train home.
Nanao Taxi:
0966-657-673
03-9981-298
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