Illegal Hikes of Taiwan Pt 1

This tale is far too long, and too dependent upon experience with Taiwanese regulations to explain perfectly, but here goes the .zip version.

It must first be known that:

1) Taiwanese are afraid of nature
2) Taiwanese are not accustomed to rigorous exercise
3) Taiwan is an over-regulation=safety culture for all things outdoors
4) The trail types are very different than in Canada; "Walking Trail" is actually a road, "Hiking Trail" is actually a path in the woods, "Mountain Trail" is a well used path that has elevation gains along the way, "Epic Mountaineering Backcountry Climbing" is actually a regular fund, adventurous hiking trail.
5) Taiwanese are afraid of nature (yes, it is worth repeating).

Taiwan, for the record, has epic mountains and epic trails and astounding opportunities for adventure and excitement.It is just that those things that a Canadian hiker would submit as a day hike - anything relating to those trails found in Jasper or Banff, Kootenays, Smithers and the like - are regarded as life-risking and so regulated that people actually must not use them.

Here is what you need to have/do to hike an actual trail, in summary:
1) Own and carry a cell phone. On.
2) Hire a guide who is fluent in Chinese. If you are foreign and fluent, it doesn't matter. In case the Mountain Search and Rescue (two guys chewing betel nuts, possibly inebriated and smoking as they walk through the woods with a bandaid and some rubbing alcohol) come to save your life, they need to be able to speak perfectly clearly to you to see where it hurts, what is wrong. The open gash in your leg with the protruding bone isn't good enough. You need to articulate this in perfect Chinese.
3) Write down your daily plans, where you will stop for break, time leaving and returning, passport #, etc, etc. And they want to know his/her nickname, sex, birthdate, passport#, home #, cell #, ...

And to top it all off, the specifics of getting the appropriate permits are all different based on who you talk to or what you read. The National Park website, park rangers, park office, police (who do a lot of the permit granting), application form...all tell you different things. Different instructions. Different rules, same place.

It is absolutely arcane. It is understandable to want some basic info for a protected area, or highly dangerous area, but that is just the point - these trails are not dangerous. They are hiking trails. A hiking trial that will break a sweat and go uphill is a death sentence to Taiwanese. So they regulate it to the brim. And they fear it. Here is a quote from the park office in regards to a trail we asked about earlier:

I have asked some my colleagues but none of them have done this Mt. Sha
route. I hope you think twice before you make this trip. You might not listen to
my advice. This subtropical climate Taiwan is similar to Vietnam. If you have
seen the Vietnam War, the areas are like that. The forest here is similar to the
film scene. Some dot showed on the map this indicates that used to be the old
Forest Bureau logging road. Some route has disappeared.

And how do you get around all these asinine regulations?

You simply walk by the gate, ignore the sign and go about your lovely day in the backwoods of
Taiwan.

So it goes...

Through the forest, up the slopes, across the cliffs, down the valley, up the valley (where we saw a Crab-Eating Mongoose! It was, to be clear, not eating a crab as its name would suggest, but rather violently defending its pygmy deer carcass...well....skull....so, rocks in hand we trodded lightly as we passed and went about our day with thoughts of "those things dont attack, do they?" dancing about in our minds) across another cliff and up to a lookout platform. This platform was a special moment.

You see, hiking without a permit in Taiwan can get you into all sorts of trouble, ranging from "you have to go back to the trailhead" to "give me a tissue sample and your passport, you are banned from hiking in Taiwan and any other country that starts with a 'T'". And all the way in the middle of those two. So, we - being unsure of the reprimand we would receive and really wanting to keep hiking - decided that we would be stealthy at the appropriate moments. And the main appropriate moment was, at the 1/2 way point of the trail, an 'Outpost'. We assumed a couple of park rangers, a police officer and a hunger for validating park permits.

So, when we started getting close, we entered stealth mode. Walking softly, peering around each corner, not walking on loose rocks, not a word between us...slink and scurry... . Corner - stop, slowly peer around....nothing....keep going. And on and on. The tension was rising when we came to a battered sign that told us the Outpost was 0.1km ahead.

Super stealth. Breathing subdued. Holding on to the zipper on our bags to not mak a jingle that would give away our position.....tense moments....tense....and then.......then......then......a sign that read:

"this is the place where, in the late '40s, a police outpost once stood to
regulate the aboringines and protect travellers as they passed along the
trail..."

An empty plateau, the size of three school buses. Nothing. No park rangers, no angry police, no permit check. Nothing.

We were safe, and broke out in laughter and relief. The excitement and tension built up to such a feverish peak and when we realized that we could relax and not hide in the woods trying to avoid detection, we felt the rush. It was good!

Snack, then returned down the trail, across the cliffs, etc, all the way back to the trailhead. Hopped on our scooter quickly and zoomed away from the trailhead, never once being questioned by the park rangers or police. Excellent.

All the way back to the ocean, along the massive coastline highway to our evening destination, Ci Xing Tan Beach (Chee-Shing-Tan; Seven-Star-Lake). We pitched our tent, walked into the town for dinner, grabbed some bevvies and hiked back out to the beach towards our tent. Spent the night watching the stars (beautiful sky!!), chasing away approaching - and growling and grunting - dogs, swimming...sort of, playing along the beach and chatting away into the early morning. Sleep....perfect weather for camping.

Woke up to a gorgeous beach morning, nobody around. Hung out and watched the waves for a while, then packed up, grabbed a coffee in town (at a Giant bike rental stand which, as a picture tells the tale of, is where massive bus groups go to go 'Mountain Biking' around the beach. People, no joke, in high-heels, dress clothes and with purses rent bike en mass and go on 2-3 km circuits with a leader and a megaphone telling the group "how exciting this is". Then they stop for lunch, stretch and whine like they just climbed Everest, and feel rejuvenated by their yearly exercises now being complete....this is the level of outdoors ethic in Taiwan).

So we jammed along on our scooter back into Hualien City, checked out a cool Recreation/Nature area (the mantis and the fish ladder pictures) and then called it a weekend. Grabbed a train, got home and had some Hot Pot in RueiSuei, took a taxi home and slept.

Cixingtan Taroko

So the lesson learned was:

Hike illegally, it is just easier. The permits are free, the park get nothing from it, but it takes you a week of paperwork and so many hurdles that it is just, simply, not worth it.

These boots will keep on trekking.....anywhere!!!

Cracked Chrysalis, Beautiful Butterfly...

A while ago a friend and collegue gave us a very interesting and delightful gift - a chrysalis of a special Taiwanese butterfly species. He told us to dunk it in water every three or four days, and to wait. Once it warmed up, got more humid and sunny it would emerge and we would be able to watch the metamorphosis process in action, Taiwan Style. So, we waited. Dutifully watering our little fella/fellette, we waited. Then, one day, another chrysalis appeared on Crystals water bottle. Out of nowhere, a different species becmae a part of our life. So, we took it upstairs (to be with the other one, so they would not be too lonely) and waited and watered. We assumed that it would be March-ish before any emergence, so no hoes were raised. Until last night. It started to wiggle. I thought "cool, its getting comfy inside its little home" and took a few pictures and some videos of the squiggling chrysalis. But then, as Crystal was working upstairs, it started to emerge! And she caught it in the act! We raced to get the camera and spent the next half hour watching it try dry its wings and do what a brand new butterfly does. It was awsome! And here are some moments, fresh off the press:

Happy 2010 (Rattle Rattle...Shake Shake...)

Earthquake!! This one a whimpering 5.1, but it was more than enough to wake us up just past 1am, to give us the chilled sweats of acute fear and to allow our thoughts to wander towards 'should we get outside?!?' or 'is there a moose trying to mate with our cabin?'.

A welcome of the new year from the tectonic urges of the Taiwanese plates. Happy New Year!!


We started this one off, well ended I guess, with a pizza party and some midnight fireworks from all the neighbours who were left in our village. The dude with the loudspeaker - also known as the village chief, but to us he is the loudspeaker dude - made an announcement that must have been along the lines of "party in town tonight, close up your house and go get jiggity" because around dinner time, shortly thereafter, the town was dead. Silence. No sounds of kitchen work, no karaoke, no screaming, no engines, no traffic, no dogs even. quiet. We were alone. So we turned up the tunes, made a pizza, tipped a glass or two at the break of the new year and wandered into the lonely street to watch a few folks light off some fireworks and to wave to the only car in sight, a passing police car, who gave us a smile and nod back. Bring on the new year.


Saturday morning, after a brief yet intense stint of indecision, we decided to hop on our scooter, pack light and head to the Mugua River valley for a hike, camp by Liyu lake and then off to the city Saturday to catch up with old friends from our previous life in Taiwan.


So away we went. It was a frigid 2 hour scooter ride north to Liyu Lake where we booked an A-frame cabin for the night, and then got on our trusted steed once again and headed towards the mountains. Police station for a permit, check. Submit permit to next checkpoint, check. Drive 10k into the valley. Check.


Approach the main claim to fame of this valley - a dam. While the river has carved into these mountains a marvelous canyon, epic biological wonders protrude through fractures in the rock and within the underbrush, monkeys scamper about in the trees, breathtaking views and thoughts are unavoidable. Yet....people flock here to look at a dam. I mean, Chinese water engineering is famous and their livelihoods are in debt to the historical mastering of waterways (in China), but c'mon! The picture of Asian biology and geology meets your eyes, trails start at random points along the road, the water is clear and swimmable upstream, the freaking road crosses clear over the mountains and into another county, another world...but everybody stops to look at a chunk of cement holding back some water.

More trails for us...

So we found a trail, thought it was the wrong one, found another, thought it was the wrong one, debated if the original road was the actual trail, decided that it wasn't and - even if it was - it was not the best way to spend out time. Then, a tunnel to nowhere....a random path that led to a tunnel...this is an adventure waiting for us. So, park the scooter after 10 more km's up the mountains, tossed our packs on our backs and peered into the tunnel, then through it and out to a trail/defunct road that turned into a bonified hiking trail within another km or so.

And along the way saw some excruciatingly awesome insects in perfect pose.

Hike finished, back down just as the sun was setting (this is becoming a theme...good, in that we always are out of the woods just in time, bad, in that we manage to always be racing against the clock. Not as confident in the backwoods of Taiwan as compared to the backwoods of Canada!).

Then back to the campsite, dragged ourselves out of our wet and dirty clothes and into seemingly cleaner clothes and walked towards the little village area where a few places were still cooking up grand old honest Chinese food.

Then...beer, cards and a whack of peanuts back at the campsite.

In the morning we headed back towards the lake to grab a coffee (and forgot our money, so Crystal had to sprint back to the campsite....we didn't take our scooter because we ran out of gas and had to save the last few vapours to get us to the next town that probably would have gas...this is also becoming a theme, and much less enjoyed by us for sure than the 'hiking till dark' one). Then, after our coffee, an apple and a homemade bun (leftovers from our New Years pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!) we went on a placid little hike around the lake. Only made it 1/2 way as we had plans to meet our old friends in Hualien City, and that was way more important than the forest stroll...so, back to the campsite, pack, get on the scooter and hope that the engineers made the buggy fuel efficient enough to make good use of our remaining gasoline.

Made it.

Met for lunch. So awesome to see familiar friendly faces again, after all these years.

forgot to take pictures.

A long episode followed in which we tried - but utterly failed - to find a place to crash for the night. We hit up a place that is usually void of people, but has many hotels, b&b's home stays, etc., but came up short. Its a beautiful beach....so.....on new years weekend....apparently people flock there. Ok, back to town. Stop by the Taiwan Distillery, a place which brews the beer for Eastern Taiwan and sells...can you guess? Beer?

Nope.

Anything but beer. Wine, yes. Kaoliang, yes. Clothes, peanut brittle, trinkets, perfume, posters, wooden carvings, jade jewelry, ice cream, ... , anything. But no beer.

Back to town, grabbed an affordable place near the coast and hit up our old stomping grounds for a night out. In the morning we decided to go for yet another hike, this time searching for an elusive trailhead in the Coastal Mountains. Search, search, search and then whamo! There is was. Along a mountain road for a few km's, then the actual trailhead appeared. Off the scooter, packs on our back and into the wild once again we went.

Cool flower and...uh, oh....look closely.....that's not right.....

And Crystal at the turnaround to go back to the trailhead. All in all it was about a 5 hour hike, much much more than we ever imagined for the hike as it was described to us. Excellent.

Time to retrace our steps and make it back to our scooter (well before sunset, this time).

Once back, we re-saddled ourselves on the steed of petrol and set off on the 2 hour journey home. Stopping along the way for a coffee (and a chance to warm up.....so....so.....cold) we saw:

A water buffalo pulling a carriage. What else?

December 25, 2009

This weekend we tossed and turned between two ideas, one took us ocean-side, one took us mountain-side. The mountains won.

We hustled ourselves to Hualien city early Saturday morning and rented ourselves a scooter, filled our bellies with festive coffee (real coffee...not machine made but, you know....made like professional coffee....ahh...the tastes of the city!!) and zoomed ourselves north to Taroko Gorge, and then Westward across the mountains, into the gorge, deeper and deeper into the carved rocks and marble pinnacles. No matter how often we go there, it is still stunning.

So, we got up through the gorge to the main village (hostel and coffee shop and restaurant), booked a room, dropped our gear and headed to a trailhead.

Trail Permit Required.

Trail Closed.

But you see, these were just signs. No real blockage, no fence, no physical impediment of any sort. We didn't have to walk over anything, we didn't have to actually break a barrier of any sort. We just had to accidentally not see the sign that warned of imminent death if we risked moving past the trailhead.
So...we slipped by unnoticed. To the trail, up, up, up, climbing up ropes, hiking along forested ridges, catching sight of monkeys, yellow, red, blue, white birds, a few crazy mushrooms, a bunch of wicked-ass trees and epiphytes and, of course, the ever present "stop...did you hear that?!? Was that a bear?!?!?!?" in the back of our minds.
We never saw a bear - the Formosan sun bear - and I suspect we never will, but it is still awesome to think about encountering one of these few remaining beasts. The gorge, one must attempt to visualize, is characterized by almost clean vertical cliffs. So, any trail that attempts to run perpendicular to the main gorge must go up...yup....nearly vertical cliffs. the trails manages a much more manageable line than this, but much of the trail was aided by ropes, and most of it like climbing a staircase...legs had little to no reprieve!! Hike hike hike....up up up...sun heading downwards, setting. We almost made it to the main peak, a couple more hours would have done it, but, alas, it was not to be today. The trail was sketchy enough in clear daylight, we didn't want to attempt descending in the dusk or dark. So....down down down....last of the sunbeams were limping behind the mountains as we made it to the trailhead, where we started.

Back in one piece, safe and sound. Dirtied, tired, adrenaline rushed and half expecting a park ranger to meet us at the trailhead to give us shit for breaking the rules. But we were alone, just us with the pulsing torrent of the river below.

After the hike, we headed out to the only game in town for dinner. Bamboo rice, veggies, Taiwan's finest and a friendly dog by our side (alive...it was alive....no dog on the menu in Taiwan!) waiting for us to either spill our dinner or pet its head. Afterwards, a stint on the bridge overlooking the river and the gorge, then to the rooftop for a evening of listening to the birds, waiting for the clouds to dissipate and drinking in all the finest parts of Taroko. You see, this place is majestic and surreal. People love it. during the day tour buses cram up and down the gorge carrying people who want to see it from a tour bus window. The place can become packed with the perpetual goal of an Asian tourist - 'viewing'. People here love to look, to watch, to witness, but not so often to do. So, the main stops are packed, the few places to eat are crammed, and the road is busy. Taroko National Park is jammed, the trails are empty, but the park is jammed. But...at night its a different bag of earwax. Nobody stays. Nobody. It is absolutely empty. And that is when Taroko gorge, the Village of TienShiang, shines. Epic quietness, with only a muffled river raging in the distance, the nights critters clicking, chirpig, smapping, whizzing away, and the emptiness of space that fills the gorge. It is such a perfect place at night. Perfect.

The morning came, as we expected it just might, and we packed up and headed out for another hike. This time we took a tributary of sorts of a main trail and headed up the opposite side of the gorge. This was a totally different forest, dessicated, less ground vegetation, more gentle grades and fewer monkeys. But still awesome. Up up up....came out of the forest at the peak of a massive landslide scar...at which point we decided to move back into the forest and hike up on more reliable ground. Up, up, up...to a point that we can only assume used to be a trail, but is not in a million pieces at the bottom of the valley as a memory of past landslides. so, our trail ended abruptly. Scary sight over the edge...hello vertigo, long time no see!

Back down. Down down down - stopping only to examine monkey poop - back to the main trail, back to the road, back to our scooter. Another Permit-less hike, with nobody the wiser.

Then home. Two epic days in Taroko Gorge, an amzing evening at Tienshiang and perfect weather. Taroko, you lovely beautiful thing.





Xmas night, preparing the party for two, the pizza and the taste test...

...which the pizza passed, with ease!

The next morning, after a train ride to Hualien City, we delved into a glamorous cup of coffee. A rarity in the locales of our village.

Then to the beauty of beauties, Taroko Gorge. Left is the view towards the ocean and the right a sign that is a common sight among the twists and turns of the parks roads. Typhoons, landslide, earthquakes...always something kicking the people into survival mode.

After we found a killer trail - the one that was closed, needed a permit and was treturous - we were at ease. Here, Crystal investigates a cave that was right near the trailhead. The opening picture of this post is from the ceiling of the cave....utterly stunning in the vibrant light of a torch.

Left is Trevor hiking up the slope of the early trail, the right is one of the first monkeys we encountered. The video is of this fella (above).

Trevor for scale; a giant epiphyte among, I believe, the branches of a cloud tree. On the right a cool, young fern awaiting its time in the sun.

Roped sections of the trail. Crystal is nestled at the bottom of the left picture waiting to climb, Trevor takes a self portrait near the top of another.

Us, part of the way up the trail, and Crystal making her way up to the top along another roped section.

Mei-you, or "dont have", in Chinese sign language Crystal signs in reference to our lack of permits, and a smug Trevor on the right. It will take more than these to keep us out of the wilds of Taiwan!!

Returning to the trialhead along the suspension bridge.

Dinner. Cold. Good eats. This is one of the few choices in TienShiang, the little village at the head of Taroko Gorge, but well worth a meal anytime. We think, at least.

The meal. The company.

The evening celebration of a hike well done (and discovered) and the promise of another tomorrow! Two atheists, during christmas, at a Catholic hostel. The makings of a good one liner I suppose....

Morning company, on the left, as we ate breakfast on the roof. Crystal eating said breakfast on said roof. I would suggest clicking on the birdie picture for a screenfull of awsomeness.

Flowers, rocking our world, and bugs, that...rocked our world. TienShiang always has surprises in store for us. Cool critters, monkeys, flowers and sights.

Alone in the emptiness of space, standing erect and waiting for its chance to pounce and steal...and kill...and destroy. Waiting patiently until a weakness is sensed. No matter what country you are in, these are there, crossing biological and geological boundaries. Waiting, watching, aiming and dressed to anihalate your best laid plans for their benefit.

And you can also see a cute little crow on the left side of the cross...

Crystal opening the bamboo rice the only way you can - smash it on a rock. The same goes in a restaurant.

Trail marker, Chinese style on the left. Open bamboo rice on the right.

A close up of a rarely seen treat - Monkey poop! There are a few biology lessons encased in that pic, for sure!

On the end of our Sunday hike, Crystal ponders the day, or thinks about lunch, along the cliffside trail that will eventually take us back to out scooter, and then to our train, and then to our home.