My Journey to Mountain Climbing in Taiwan

Now that I figured out voiceovers for IMovieo (it's fairly easy), this is a compilation of videos and pics from over a decade of climbing mountains in Taiwan. It began with the Guguan "Seven Heroes" Mt. Tangmadan. However, it was far from a hobby at that point. I first got into doing "vert" (getting elevation) through running. Several races in Taiwan have challenging hills.

Between races, my friend JC, who had done sections of the AT in the USA, suggested doing more day-hikes, sometimes as part of training between races. My wife and I have also enjoyed nature parks such as in Xitou and Shanlinxi (Sun Link Sea) were there are well-maintained trails with stairs. I have since slowed down with the distance running, having completed ten full marathons and an ultra, including trails races. The last few years, I have been happy to challenge myself at my own pace with bagging summits.

Just like when I used to golf, I get so excited that I can not sleep the night before! These trips involve waking up before the sun, driving a few hours, and getting an early enough start so as to be able to finish before sundown. You generally don't want to be in the woods, climbing after dark. However, once in a while it is necessary to start in the dark (with a headlamp) leaving a mountain cabin if you want to experience sunrise over the "sea of clouds" in the higher mountains.

To date, JC and I have climbed the two highest peaks in Taiwan (Snow and Jade) as well as a few others listed on the "Bai Yue" (a list of climbers' favorite 100 mountains in Taiwan) and the "Little Bai Yue" (a list of lower altitude mountains). The most recent climb we've done was Jaili Mountain in Chiayi County which featured a water crossing.

We've put a slight pause on climbing due to the April 3rd, 2024 earthquake, as we still have had some large aftershocks. Nevertheless, I am itching to get back to high elevations as the summer approaches. The cold mountain air beckons!

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