We enjoyed hiking Taiwan's tallest peak! Taiwan's mountains are quite impressive! We also enjoyed greeting all the friendly hikers on the trail. This is the last video in our Taiwan series. Would you visit Taiwan? Have you been? Let us know what you think!
Glad you enjoyed the video! There are so many mountains there, it surprised us too! Definitely put it on your list. Most of them are on the western side of the island. Happy planning!
You two are amazing!! The treks you conquer are so impressive and the views you share are even better. So informative on so many levels and thankful you share with all of us!
Thanks, Mikiah! We wish we had better weather at the top but the views along the way were nice. Glad to hear you think it’s informative. That’s our goal with the voiceovers ☺️
Great adventure! Don't think I could handle the narrow step trails. Only the chain to hold onto. Loved the rock protector except I noticed some gaps. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate with you. Didn't expect a 12,000+ mountain on Taiwan. Dan
Thanks! There were plenty of gaps in the rock protectors. We went through very quickly. Bummed the weather didn’t work out, but that’s the mountains 😆🗻
Thanks for sharing this video! Can you talk a bit about the parts where the trails were really narrow. In particular, were there always chains nearby when there was a steep cliff on the other side, or where there places were one misstep could mean you would fall off a cliff? I am not very sure-footed and have hiked through a few 5,000m+ tall mountains, before but your video showed some spots that seemed even more dangerous.
There were a few sections midway through near the rock fall prone areas, as well as the last half to one mile, we remember narrow parts in the upper part right before the summit. It never seemed liked the narrower sections were more than 5 to 10 minutes long. There were not always chains, but for the very narrow sections, definitely good to have one person crosses at a time since there was not much room for two people. There was exposure, but we never felt unsafe at any point. It was only when it was foggy and we couldn't see the drop below that was a bit scary, but overall, it was ok. All depends on your comfort level and tolerance to heights. For us having supportive shoes with traction and trekking poles helped. Also something consider, if it starts rainy some of the rocks and roots can be slick, so just be careful! Trying to remember all the details. You can always look at AllTrails reviews too!
Hello. I am going to be solo travelling Taiwan and in case I don’t find anyone to do this hike with me, do you think it is ok to do it alone? I have hiked many times before in Peru / America / etc. also, what is the likelihood that I meet someone also doing the hike if so stay at the Dongpu villa? Thank you :) Your video is super helpful!
Thanks! The upper section was eerie since we were enveloped in fog. It did remind me of Angels Landing a bit because of the chains. Overall there weren't too many exposed areas. The rockfall sections made it seem a bit dicey. Since we did hear rockfall! Definitely wouldn't want to be on the trail with rain. It would be really slick!
Hello, thanks for your sharing. Nice experience. Could you advise if there is anyplace I can refill the water during the trek? I am going to Jade mountain 1 day end of this month
You’re welcome! There is a full up station in the mountaineering office next to police station on the road before the hike begins. If we remember there is a stream crossing with water fill up, but make sure you bring a filter. We each carried 3 liters in a water bladder and a nalgene which lasted our whole home. The lodge may have some but you may have to pay for it. We didn’t ask about any and the cost.
Thanks for the informative video. It helps me in planning my Yushan hike in March next year. Doesn't Dongpu lodge serve proper dinner besides the instant cup noodle?
You’re welcome! They don’t have any food service only instant noodles you can purchase at the counter at check in. There is a visitors center (not the rangers office) for the park within 10 min walk that has a restaurant but hours are limited.
thanks for all the details and views, very useful as I am planning to do the hike in October this year (2 days version)! Any advice for people who do not speak Mandarin? How was the public transport from Alishan to Dongpu/trail, is it true there is only one bus a day and you have to call them in advance to get a spot?
Glad to hear you’re doing the hike. The two day version is a great option. We kinda wish we did that, but there were no permits left for the Paiyun Lodge and a super long waitlist. We didn’t have a problem buying a bus ticket from Alishan to Dongpu. We bought tickets at the Alishan station on-site. There are multiple buses a day. We climbed in April and I would imagine the schedule would be similar. October may be off season. From Dongpu lodge back to Alishan we took a taxi actually since the bus schedule didn’t work out with our schedule. It wasn’t too expensive. The front desk at Dongpu helped us set it up. Downloading Google translate mandarin to English translation off line is helpful. We used it a lot since sometimes I don’t always get my mandarin accurately. If you need free wifi, the mountaineer center about 15 min walk from Dongpu. Hope this helps! -Helen
We have been at altitude higher than Yushuan, so we felt like we would be ok on this hike. We also always try to stay at elevation the night or two before a big hike to acclimatize and prepare our bodies for elevation. Of course everyone’s body reacts different to altitude and sometimes it can hit with no warning. Definitely consult your doctor if you need some advice. Stay healthy and safe! ❤️
Greet video, I plan to visit the Jade Mountain in November. So, I still find the way how to take the bus from Chiayi High Speed train station, Bus to Alishan, right?
Hello! Good luck on your climb 💪🏽🥾🏔️ yes! Once you get to the chiayi high speed train station, there is an area outside of the train station where there are bus terminals. Bus is the only way to get to there unless you have a private car. You can also take a taxi, but I think it was quite expressive when we overhead some people talk about it.
We didn’t need a guide or go with a group. Just make sure to get the proper permits. You need two types, one for actually hike and one police mountain permit. Links to those are in the description of video ☺️
Yushuan hiking permits and mountain entry permits (you need both) are free, but it’s on a lottery system. We did stay 2 nights at Dongpu lodge (mountain lodge near trail head) since we did the hike in a day and needed a place to stay. It is 400 NT per person a night to stay there. We also paid 100 NT for a shuttle from the trailhead back to the lodge per person. Also, we took the train and multiple buses from Kaoishiung to the Yushan National park, so that was another expense about 150 NT per person each way. In total around 2100 NT ($66 USD for two days of travel expenses) Most people stay at Paiyun lodge on the mountain and do a 2-day hike is 480 NT per person a night. Planning links are in the RU-vid video description 😃
