The Hike

Just came back from my three day hike of Hsue Shan, the second tallest mountain in Taiwan. Hsue Shan, which means Snow Mountain in Chinese, was referred to as Mt. Sylvia by Western explorers in past centuries and as Tsugitakayama by the Japanese, which means "second highest mountain" in their language. The East Peak is over 10,000 feet high and the Main Peak rises to a staggering 12,749 feet above sea level. The hike is considered the hardest in Taiwan and the most beautiful on an island known for its beautiful scenery. The hike was grueling, the mountain vistas breathtaking, and the trip a lot of fun.

All together the our group consisted of about 20 students, 2 teachers, and our experienced guide. Amongst the students were two soldiers, a doctor, and a girl from the Rocky Mountains so I felt pretty safe. The first day we only hiked two hours from the trail head to the first cabin where we got an early sleep. The lovely pine forests reminded me of the White Mountains in New Hampshire where I hiked as a boy. The second day we woke up at 3am and hiked to the second cabin, located on a grassy slope on the mountain. After a quick break to take in the scenery, we continued hiking switchback after switchback until we reached the fir forest higher up on the mountain. From there we hiked up for several hours until reaching the rocky stretch to the top. The last stretch to the peak was barren and rocky, covered only with tough little bushes. In a month all of it would be covered with snow. Unfortunately, 15 minutes from the Main Peak, my altitude sickness flamed up. I was dizzy and could barely breathe and decided not to climb any further. Still, I took in the views from where I was. Then we headed back down to the second cabin. I was surprised to actually get radio reception on the trail. We spent the second night at the cabin. The third morning we were up at 4:30am and soon hiking down towards where we started, with a short diversion to reach the East Peak, which offered a spectacular view of the sunrise.

From the trail head, we piled back into the bus and headed down the rough mountain roads back to Yilan and from Yilan we headed back to Taipei.