The Holy Ridge (雪山聖稜線): Days 1-2

Behold this Holy Ridge!" wrote Japanese climber Numai Tetsutaro in 1928. "Who can fully accomplish this climb from Dabajianshan to Syue Mountain? Who can be crowned with the laurel of victory and be the first to tell of the truth and beauty of the journey?

Well, not me obviously (the first recorded climb was 1931), but perhaps I can be the first to tell a wider English speaking audience of the truth and beauty of the journey.

The Holy Ridge stretches, as Tetsutaro wrote, from Syueshan (Snow Mountain; Mt Shei on the map) to the stately rock summit of Dabajianshan, a distance of 15km. The entire route is above 3000m, and literally runs over a very rough, craggy, thin and precipitous ridgeline. The scenery is world class but this is not a hike for the faint-hearted.

The simple map below shows the basic route we took in August 2008. You'll notice we didn't reach Dabajianshan (Mt Tapa on the map) but followed instead the circular route known as the O-xing (O 型). This is a five day journey, with the better part of three days on the Holy Ridge proper. Dabajianshan was closed at the time we did this, but it has since reopened.


Day One:

We drove from Taipei out to Ilan County via the 18km Hsueshan Tunnel and then hooked up with the No 7 Highway. The 7 runs up the Lanyang Plain which divides the Snow and Central Mountain ranges. I am told the plain holds the largest cabbage patch in Taiwan.


The roads were washed out in places, as is all too common in Taiwan. We had a number of delays waiting for sections to reopen.


If you hike in Taiwan you have to get used to washouts, delays, changes of plans, and even cancellations. As landslide expert Dave Peltey wrote in his excellent blog:

For landslide scientists Taiwan has an almost mythical status, effectively being the nearest thing to a landslide laboratory...the combination of high rates of tectonic uplift, weak rocks, steep slopes, frequent earthquakes and extreme rainfall events renders the landscape highly susceptible to landslides and debris flows. Indeed, Taiwan has almost every type of landslide, although as an aside the number of known ancient rock avalanches remains surprisingly low given the prevailing conditions.

Of course the reason why Taiwan is of interest to landslide scientists is also the reason why it can be a challenging place in which to live. When the World Bank reported in 2005 on its "Disaster Hotspots" study it noted that "Taiwan may be the place on Earth most vulnerable to natural hazards, with 73 percent of its land and population exposed to three or more hazards.

Yikes!

Day Two:

We set out from Wuling Villa (a rough hostel run by the national park; note it's marked Wuling Hostel on the map) around 7.30am. It was dry and cool, an ideal 15 degrees. Our starting altitude was around 1800m: we would climb to 3300m by evening.


Richard and I were in fine spirits as we began along the first stretch of trail, a tarmac covered path to Taoshan Waterfall. About 1.5 hours up, the trail branched at a clear sign and we left the pavement for the path proper.

From the turnoff the trail began an uphill climb through a forest of thin fir and pine. There were no open views at first. Around the 2km mark the trail became fringed with Yushan cane, a type of tough yellow bamboo that seemed to hold moisture like a sponge. When the trail narrowed it was like walking past the brushers at a car wash. We emerged clean but soaked to the skin.

Also at the 2km mark the rounded mustard colored peak of Taoshan became visible across a pretty open meadow. Hikers should note that Taoshan (桃山; 3325m) is a great alternative to the (often busy) climb up Snow Mountain as it can be reached in a day, and offers some splendid views of the Holy Ridge from a cabin in a large clearing. The cabin (way in the distance):


The view:


We met some hikers who had overnighted in Taoshan and completed what are known as the Wuling-Quadruple (武陵四秀), four peaks above 3000m in the northern section of Shei-Pa National Park. The peaks are: Taoshan (桃山; 3325m), Pintianshan (品田山; 3524m), Chryou Shan (池有山; 3303m), and Kaleyah Shan (喀拉業山; 3113m). The group was full of praise for the hike, but didn't talk for very long as they were in a hurry to get back to Wuling and dry clothes.

It started to rain lightly on us as we neared the fork in the trail at Sancha Campground (三叉營地). But we were already sopping wet from brushing against the cane so there was not much do do but make note of the change of weather. After a long lunch in section of flat camp, we pushed on around 3pm to the ridge. Here, we turned west and for the next few days would never drop below 3000m nor leave the ridgeline.

We soon climbed over Chryou Shan and a rough stretch of black crags and barefaced cliffs on a trail that was more root and rock than ground. We entered a hemlock forest shrouded in fog and for the world it was like walking in a southern Soong landscape.


Another 2 hours and we reached Sinda cabin (新達山屋) sitting in a high alpine meadow dotted with grassy ponds. The pond water can serve as drinking water in an emergency, however the cabin's tanks are usually full. To preserve the pond water quality the cabin has an eco-toilet in the back.


I was a little chilled when we arrived, and my fingers and toes were wrinkled like I had been in a bath for too long. Inside was warm and dry, and we found we had to share the space with only three other hikers.


And a weasel.



Click here for Days 3-4.

The Holy Ridge (雪山聖稜線): Days 3-4

Day Three:

The weasel was an unwelcome bedfellow, but as such fellows are, tough to toss out. He had gnawed holes in the lower walls and could come and go as he pleased. Oddly he seemed to prefer Richard to me and had a real liking for the Irishman's nose and wooly cap.

We were up at 5.30am to watch the sunrise. Another clear, crisp morning that would soon fog in. But we enjoyed it while we could.



We left the cabin at 7.30am. As always the first length of trail was straight up as we began to the climb to Pintianshan at 3524m. Cane overgrew the path but the hikers we had shared the cabin with had gone first and shaken the dew off.

The views as we climbed higher were stupendous. That's Chiyoushan in the background.


As we reached top of the meadow the fog was already rolling in. For the next few hours we hiked through a marshy landscape of yellow cane and dark Taiwan firs with blue-grey cones hanging plump on the branches.


The cane soaked us once more and my feet got very wet trudging around Pintian Pond.

As we approached Pintianshan we got our first taste of the dangers that would lie ahead. Can you see the hiker on the other side of this pic?


The top of Pintianshan is surprisingly flat considering it looks like a massive frenchman's cap from the distance. The amazing folds are known as "box folds" in geology.


The back side drops violently in a broken face of shale and sandstone wedges. Getting off the peak was one nerve-racking climb after another. Like descending a series of giant loose steps.



But then the descents and climbs continued as we had to pass over Bushoulan Mountain (布秀蘭山; 3438m) and then the massive stone upthrust that is Sumida (素密達山; 3517m).


The crossroads: east to Pintianshan, south to Snow, north to Dabajianshan:


After the hairiest descent (several hours later) we entered a beautiful fir forest with a deep green carpeting of grass.


Some twenty minutes later we reached Sumida cabin. It was 5pm and we were exhausted from the physical exertion of hiking all day in challenging conditions and the adrenalin of climbing down multiple sheer rock faces with bulky packs.


My feet again looked like they have been in water too long.

Day Four:

My favorite day. Steep cliffs, hairy climbs, hours trudging over crag and col, exposed on both sides to precipitous drops. For eye-candy there was the awesome Dragon's spine, the sublime North Face, epic panorama's, a textbook perfect glacial cirque, and an A-frame cabin nestled in a centuries old Juniper forest.

We left Sumida cabin around 11.20am. We had woken much earlier but Richard was suffering from malaise, and needed to rest for a while. We had to skip a climb up nearby Mutelebu Mountain. According to Richard, who climbed it on another hike last year, it is well worth it. The views are wide and inspiring.

As always it was a straight climb away from cabin followed by several long rope climbs and a long, long scramble down a deep ravine.



All in all it was about one hour of rough climbs up and down with fixed ropes.

After the last rope descent it was another four hours humping over the contours of ridgeline. We averaged about 3300m in altitude, and when the fog cleared we could see the entire sweeping broken outline of the Holy Ridge: from Dabajianshan south to Snow Mountain (including the little yellow mound of the east peak) and east to Taoshan.



The trail at times was no more than a foot wide, with a small barrier of rhodendron shrubs and low alpine junipers guarding the drop 1000m meters to the Qijiawan Valley to our east. The west side was often more crumbling cliff face than slope.

I probably shouldn't have stood so close to the edge here:


Nor should Richard:


The final crossing before the side path up to the North Peak is called the Dragon's Spine. It's a suitably awesome name for a rather frighteningly exposed and thin causeway. There isn't much between you and oblivion, and every gust of wind is met with a twinge of anxiety.



After crossing the spine, we clamored up to the North Peak (3703m). It was 4.30pm.

We rested at the top for some time, taking in the views of every major peak in the region, and admiring the way the fog, sweeping up from the west, could blanket us one moment, and then disperse as quickly. It was truly one of the most enjoyable alpine experiences I have ever had.

A surreal Buddha's Halo, or Broken Spectre, greeted us on the way down the North Peak. As I have written elsewhere, a Brocken Spectre is light phenomenon which enables you to see your shadow in a wall of fog in the distance with a rainbow or colored aura around it.

The Brocken, also called Blocksberg, is the highest peak (3,747ft, 1,142m) in the Harz mountains. This range is eight miles southwest of Wernigerode, Germany.

The Brocken Spectre, also called the Brocken Bow or Glory Ring, is produced by a low sun, casting silhouettes on the fog surrounding the mountain peak. Often these shadows have rings of light surrounding them (due to moisture in the air) which are similar to auras. This phenomena has given the Brocken a mystical significance in German folklore.

Due to magic connotations and stories surrounding the Brocken, witches began to celebrate the sabbath (April 30/ May 1st) midnight rituals there. The mountain even has a witches’ altar and devil's pulpit.

Descendants of the Brocken are known to have a sixth sense. They also possess the ability to feel poltergeists and perceive emotions in others. Equally sensitive to their powers, most are quiet about these abilities.

Goethe also made a trek to the Brocken in 1777 and the trail he took is now a tourist attraction. There is also a scene in Faust that occurs on the Brocken.

By 5.30pm we were making our descent to the north peak cabin, tucked into a sheltered juniper forest on a fairly wide and flat shelf on the east side of the ridge. It's only about 20 minutes from the peak to the cabin so it's also possible to just push on and then return to the North Peak later without your pack.

We had the cabin to ourselves again that night.



Click here for Days 5-6.

The Holy Ridge (雪山聖稜線): Days 5-6

Day Five:

Just south of the cabin is a narrow col stretching north-south. You can watch the sunset at nigh and the sunrise in the morning. We did both and after the sunrise viewing went back to sleep.

It was 11am before we finally hit the trail again. The terrain was similar to the day before: rough, rocky, challenging and dangerous. We were fogged in most of the time and it rained hard on us several times during the day. There were many pretty sections with old juniper forests, low here, and gnarled and twisted. Pale grey rhododendron bushes sprouted up from any patch of rock or soil they could take root in.


This is what it would look like on a clear day:


Just past Mount Kailantekun (凱蘭特崑山; 3730m) the trail split, with the left trail descending down the slopes to 369 cabin (used by hikers tackling the main route up Snow Mountain). We continued along the ridge until a downpour made us stop and shelter under a plastic tarp I had carried along. We were at 3700m and getting wet and chilled. The rain flowed down the natural fissures and channels in the rocks and soaked our backs. There wasn't much to do but eat and tell bad jokes. Eventually we got bored and decided to push on. There would be a cabin at the end of the day where we could dry out.

It was tricky hiking in the slick whited-out conditions. I remember inching down a long fissure where one giant rock slopes was being thrust over another and then discovering that we had to traverse a ridge wall that seemed to extend into the abyss. Not over or down but straight across the face which offered very few solid foot or handholds. Insane, and after a few attempts we realized that the ropes had been tossed onto the wall by accident. We were supposed to go down into the ravine and with great relief we did.

Just below the main peak of Snow Mountain the trail split again. We dropped to the right and followed a long scree slope to a sheltered meadow with another gorgeous juniper forest.



There is a small pond here, Jade Pond (Cui Chi, Ts'ui Pond on the map), which is well regarded in Taiwanese hiking circles. What can I say? Some things have to be seen to be appreciated, and some things are better appreciated simply by being heard about. Jade Pond, revered for being the highest alpine pond in the country, falls into the later category.


We arrived at the cabin completely soaked. But we were not alone. Three groups of medical students had converged here in preparation for a grand meeting with even more student groups on the summit of Snow Mountain the next morning. It was a tight squeeze but the students were cooperative and very meticulous about leaving the cabin spotlessly clean the next morning.


Day Six:

We headed out for the final leg of our hike around 7.30am and for once enjoyed a leisurely flat stretch to the start the day. But then it was back up the very steep and slippery scree slopes to the ridgeline.


From there it was a quick final push to the top of Snow Mountain (3886m).


Look familiar? Yep, Pashan's avatar is of me on this day slogging it up the slopes to Snow. The rugged peak of Beilengjiao (北角峰; 3880m) is in the distance.

Worth noting is that the north slope of Beilengjiao features a textbook perfect glacial cirque and terminal moraine (essentially a big amphitheater-like slope with a mound below formed by the debris left behind by retreating glaciers). We missed it because of the fog but if you do this hike keep an eye out for it.

We hit the summit of Snow at 9.11am.


Shortly the student groups arrived and began to prepare for their group photos. It was a nice exercise in organization. Four teams, all approaching the summit from different directions had arranged to meet that morning for a celebratory photo. The cute young woman in the front even carried a red apple with her for 3 days just so she could pose in that hao ke-ai (how cute) way they do here.


We started down after a break. Up there at the summit the only plants are rhododendron, mosses, and alpine juniper. At the bottom of the massive cirque the Black Forest begins. We were quite surprised to see a troop of rock monkeys at the transition zone.

A few hours later we reached 369 cabin. I felt sore and out of sorts, probably from a lack of water. Jade Lake cabin does not have a water source except for the pond. I hate using pond water and so rationed what I had carried from the North Peak cabin. It was not enough and I went for a few hours at this rather high altitude without much to drink. It was a bad move and I was suffering for it now. (Note that I have since learned the pond is fed by a continuous flow of water and so should be fine for drinking.)


Fortunately, I felt better after downing a litre and eating some food. We left after an hour and made it back to the trailhead without any further troubles.

One thing worth mentioning is the abundance of wildflowers we encountered on the trip. I made a composite of some pics to give readers an idea. This is also late summer by the way, far past the rhodondendron blooming season.


Also worth mentioning, for this hike and pretty much all hikes in the high mountains, is the wonderful variety of bio-geographical zones you encounter in Taiwan. From the alpine conditions at the top of Snow Mountain, we would descend into a pure fir forest, then a more varied forest of oak, ash, hemlock, pine and fir, and finally a mixed wood of red pine, camphor and other laurels. Further down would be sub-tropical forests of camphor, fig and laurel. The zones are usually pretty clearly defined and relate more to altitude than other conditions. It's possible to make a reasonably good guess at your altitude based on the trees around you. I'll write more about this when I blog on the Southern Section Two and Yushan.

When we finally got back to the cabin at Wuling we found that the road back to Taipei was washed out and we would have to make a big detour down to Lishan and then across Highway 14 back to Taichung. It's a scenic route for the most part, especially around Hehuanshan where the highway system in Taiwan reaches its highest point (around 3200m).


Practicalities:

The Holy Ridge lies in the North-East corner of Shei-Pa National Park. Wuling Farm is a small recreation area within the park where you can find lodging and food and the trailhead.

Guoguang Bus Company runs from Yilan city to Wuling Farm. Call the 24-hour tourist hotline to get the latest schedule: 0800 011 765. It's a 6 kilometer walk to the Wuling Villa (really a rough hostel) at the trailhead but you might be able to catch a shuttle bus. Ask at the visitor centre right where the bus drops you off. Note that the trailhead is not the same as the one for Snow Mountain, unless you are going to do the Holy Ridge in the opposite direction I did (which is of course possible). You want the lodging at the beginning of the trail to Taoshan Waterfall.

As always, you need permits to hike the Holy Ridge or any mountain in the park. Barking Deer has now put everything you need online, including free samples of national park and mountain permit applications.

There is a good system of cabins well spaced so you can finish at one each night. Water is available at all the cabins though none in between. We went in August but it was still cool on the ridge, especially in the fog. Waterproof gear is a necessity and some warm clothing no matter what time of year.

I don't recommend people doing this without a guide unless very experienced. The Dutch of course will have me to lead them.



The entire set of pics for this hike, and a few from a later one with clearer weather, can be seen here.