one idea list: Jade Mountain, Taiwan - Solo Monkey, International Style (Part 1)

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end

Ernest Hemmingway

I get to travel some for work, and luckily on a recent work trip I had an opportunity to try to climb the highest peak in East Asia, Jade Mountain in Taiwan. But this adventure began not at the TaTaJia Trailhead at the Jade Mountain National Park in Alishan, Taiwan, but long before that. Just getting to the trailhead to climb Jade Mountain (玉山) was an adventure all by itself. Part one of this trail report will detail the trail to the trailhead, and part two will detail the climb itself.

Jade Mountain Park Entry Permit Application

To climb Jade Mountain, you cannot just show up and start climbing the mountain. There are two different permits you must attain before entering. The first permit will authorize entry into the Yu Shan National Park, the application can be found by clicking here. Because I was also planning on summiting and returning in one day, the requirements included providing photos of yourself on 3 or more summits above 3000 Meters (almost 10,000 feet), your exercise regimen in preparing for the climb, your equipment list...even your "Environmental Education" background (pack it in, pack it out, respect the mountain and terrain, etc.) Being an Eagle Scout has its privileges.

The second application is a "Mountain Entry Permit", the application for this permit must be filed with the Interior Ministry of the National Police Agency of Taiwan here. When you enter the park, the police station at the entrance takes the top half of the form. If they don't get the second half of the form back when you descend, that's when they send out the search parties, looking over the cliffs to see if you've fallen off the mountain.

Scenes from a Train Ride. And my ear.

So now...getting to Alishan. The park is located in Alishan (阿里山), which is a township in ChiaYi County (嘉義鄉). I was staying in Taichung (台中), which is two counties away from Chiayi. I jumped on an Express train and made it to Chiayi in a little over an hour. I was hoping to ride the High Speed Rail to get there--it's fun to travel at 300 km/hour in a train--but there were no scooter rental stations at the HSR station, only at the train station. But riding trains in Taiwan is very convenient, more space than a plane ride, foot rests, reclining chairs, and you can smoke between train cars if you would like. Very Hollywood.

Once I got to ChiaYi, I went to the Big Elephant Scooter shop and rented myself a monster of a 125cc moped. Taiwan is full of motor scooters, it's the most convenient way to get around and they're pretty fun to ride. But when I told the shop keeper where I was heading...he just laughed and shook his head. He couldn't believe first that I was planning on climbing Jade Mountain, and then couldn't believe that I was riding a scooter that far. But he took my $400 Taiwan Dollars (about USD $14), and I was off. After fueling up, I was on the road.

First view of the mountains...Beginning my climb from sea level to 2600 meters. I got the scooter over 100 km/hr at one point on this straight away, which is much faster than I have skills to manage.

Stlong Blidge! Stlong Blidge! And a Taoist Temple.

I quickly turned up the skill level on the motor-scooter...At stop lights I start firing through the intersection when the opposite lights turned yellow (when the crossing light turns yellow that in essence means your light is green, even though it's red); I swerved and leaned into my turns like a pro; I non-chalantly pulled within 3-4 inches of dumptrucks and buses, sucking in fumes of other motorscooters and industrial vehicles. Most people wear face masks to avoid inhaling the exhaust of so many vehicles, but not me. You only live once.

The road up the mountain was a two lane highway, winding and winding and winding...steep drops on one side of the road and cars passing each other with obstructed views. There were also a lot of very large vehicles going up and down this road, tour buses, construction trucks. They really have no problem with passing one another on blind corners, either. The whole traffic system is a series of suggestions and flow. Just keep the roads flowing, don't stop and get in the way, avoid items larger than you, etc. To see video footage of the road click here.