ITINERARY
Day 01
TAIPEI – NANTOU
Leave Taipei City (metro station or hotel) for Wang Xiang Minsu (望鄉民宿) in Nantou (~ 4 hrs drive) in the late afternoon (500pm). If required, there can be a stop for dinner en route to Nantou.
Overnight: Dormitory at Wang Xiang Minsu
Day 02
NANTOU – PAIYUN LODGE
Wake up early for breakfast. Pack-up, check-out from Wang Xiang Minsu and then proceed to Tataka Visitor Centre (塔塔加遊客中心) for the climb registration. (~1.5 hrs drive) The visitor center has an excellent exhibition hall showcasing the geology, flora and fauna, history and culture of the Yushan area. Transfer by shutter bus to Tataka Anbu – trailhead to Yushan summit . It is a gradual uphill hike of 8.5km (~6 hrs) from the trailhead to your accomodation in Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊). Along the trail, you will pass through a great variety of ecosystems from subtropical rainforest, fir forests to bamboo grove with scenic lookout points of the surrounding canyons and valleys. After dinner at the Paiyun Lodge, you can hike up the small hill next to the lodge to enjoy beautiful sunset. Interact and share hiking experiences with fellow trekkers over a cup of tea before turning in early for next day sunrise summit hike.
Overnight: Dormitory at Paiyun Lodge
Day 03
PAIYUN LODGE – SUMMIT – TAIPEI
You will be given a wakeup call at 2am for the summit trek. Pre-dawn porridge breakfast will be served by the lodge. Don on your cold wear and gears and get ready to hike with headlamps under star-studded sky. The 2.4km climb to the summit along scree fields and steep slopes takes about 3hrs to complete. After the workout, you will be rewarded with magnificent sunrise over sea of clouds from which craggy peaks rises like islands. If the visibility is good, you can even see the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Taiwan Strait to the west. After sunrise, you will descend back to Paiyun Lodge for early lunch and check-out. Descend back to Dongpu Lodge where your transport will be waiting to fetch you back to Taipei
Overnight: Hotel at Taipei
Day 04
TAIPEI – NAN SHAN VILLAGE
Leave Taipei for homestay in Nan Shan Village (南山村) in the late afternoon (5pm). Check-in to the guesthouse and turn in early for the next day‘s hike.
Overnight: Homestay in Nan Shan Village
Day 05
NAN SHAN VILLAGE – 369 CABIN
Wake up at 600am to enjoy breakfast at the guesthouse. Check-out from the guesthouse and transfer via minibus to Xueshan trailhead (雪山登山口). You will drive pass Wu Ling Farm (武陵農場) with hundreds of cherry blossom trees (depending on season) lining the hillside. From the trailhead, it will be a 7km moderately steep trek (~ 6 hrs) to 369 Cabin (三六九山莊) where you will stay overnight before the next day‘s summit climb. The trail leads you through the beautiful lichen covered forests before opening up to the great views of the Nanhudashan and Hehuanshan mountain ranges. Along the way, you will pass by checkpoints such as the Qika Cabin (七卡山莊) and the infamous crying slope – a series of steep ascends but with amazing views of the mountain ranges from afar and the stone waterfall (a trail filled with large stones). Do keep your eyes peeled for the Formosan Rock Macaque and mountain deers. Not to be missed, is a little side detour that will bring you to the East Peak of Xueshan which stands at 3,201m. After enjoying a communal dinner, you will turn in early for the next day‘s summit hike.
Overnight: Dormitory in 369 Cabin
Day 06
369 CABIN – SUMMIT – TAIPEI
You will be given a wake up call at 2am for the summit trek, where you will enjoy a quick pre-dawn breakfast prepared by the lodge before starting on your night hike. Don on your cold wear and hiking gears with headlamp to begin your hike under the star-lit sky. After a short hike (~30min), you will enter the Black Forest (黑森林) – a dense forest of deciduous pine tress. From 369 Cabin, it will be a moderately steep trek of 3.9km (~ 4 hrs) to the summit. The initial trail is a relatively gentle uphill hike through the Black Forest (~ 1.5 hrs), a natural habitat of the Formosan black bear (not to worry as sightings of the bear is rare). After going through the black forest, you will emerge above the treeline onto an snowy alpine landscape, resembling the Swiss Alps. From there, it will be a relatively steep climb through windswept snow covered fields (on crampons) to the summit where you will be rewarded with amazing sunrise views over the xueshan range. After sunrise, you will descend back to the 369 cabin for an early lunch before checking out. You will descend back via the same route to the trailhead where your transport will be waiting to fetch you back to Taipei City.
Package includes:
- All land transport including pick-up and final drop-off at Taipei
- One night accommodation in Wang Xiang Minsu
- One night accommodation in Paiyun Lodge
- One night accommodation in homestay in Nan Shan Village
- One night accommodation in 369 Cabin
- Park entrance fees and climbing permits for both Xueshan and Yushan National Parks
- Local trekking guide for both Xueshan and Yushan climb
- 4 x breakfast, 2 x lunch and 2 x dinner
Package excludes:
- Return international air tickets
- Travel insurance
- All meals not indicated above (during the trek, lunch is not provided; please bring along own trail food)
- Accommodation in Taipei/Yilan
- Porters to carry personal belonging
- All expenses of a personal nature
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