Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Beidawushan
A side route off County Rd 185 south of Sandimen takes you to the trailhead to
Beidawushan (Běidàwǔshān), the most southerly mountain in Taiwan, which rises to
over 3000m. A holy peak, home to spirits of the Rukai and the Paiwan, it now requires a
tough two-day hike to reach it, instead of the easy overnight excursion it once was, after
the huge landslide caused by Typhoon Morakot pushed the trailhead much lower and fur-
ther back. From the summit you can observe both the Pacific Ocean and the Taiwan
Strait, and look down upon a reserve that might be the last refuge of the clouded leopard.
The trail to the summit is about 12km in length. Signposts are in both English and
Chinese.
Activities
The new trailhead is 2km south of the old one, and begins at an elevation of 1160m. In
an hour or two of steep climbing (400m up) you'll reach the old trailhead. From here the
trail is wide and clear, and it's a 4km hike to
Kuaigu Cabin
(aka Cedar Valley Lodge),
which has running water, flush toilets and a campground. Note that you need to reserve
online with a Taiwanese ID should you want to stay in the cabin (but not the camp-
ground). Allow yourself six hours to go from the new trailhead to the campground, as
you're looking at a 1000m climb. Formosan macaques and flying squirrels can be spotted
en route.
The next day you need to be on the trail by 6am. Expect a lot of switchbacks, with
some tricky rope sections before the ridge. Some highlights include a
1000-year-old red
cedar
(with a 25m circumference), a Japanese-era shrine, and forests of rare hemlock
spruce. Keep your eyes open for
raptors
: grey-throat eagles, crown eagles and black
kites are all fairly common.
The last couple of hours to the summit run along a wooded ridgeline. It is not particu-
larly challenging to navigate this section. The summit is the end of the line and you
simply retrace your steps to reach the trailhead.
Getting There & Away
You need your own vehicle to get to the new trailhead and we aren't going to promise
that you won't get lost at least a few times getting here. As you ride along County Rd
