An update on Yushan, Snow Mountain and a friend’s treks.
First, a reminder: Most of Taiwan (south of Taipei and Yilan) has great weather in winter. Get out of grey Taipei!
Shei-pa Permits.
Shei-pa (Snow) National Park have announced some changes to the process of applying for national park permits see announcement (in Chinese). Starting today there will be a ‘waiting list’ function for over-subscribed cabins. Starting January 2011 there will be no need to apply for the Police Permit in addition to the National Park permit. Applies to Shei-pa only but I hope this sensible policy will be adopted elsewhere. I will watch how both of these new policies are put into practice - the devil is always in the tiny details...and update things here.
Yushan
Yushan is, as mentioned before, effectively closed due to the rebuilding of Paiyun Lodge. The only options open are a single-day ascent or staying at the higher and remoter Yuanfong Cabin. THESE OPTIONS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON. If you have the fitness and experience I may be able to help you out with logistics. Expect (not announced yet) Yushan to close as usual for Chinese New Year for the month of February.
Disappointed? Do not forget Yushan is usually very visible from around its Tataka (Tatajia) trailhead. Permits are not required for the excellent day-hikes in the Tataka area.
The roads to Tataka from Chaiyi/Alishan (Highway 18), and from Sun Moon Lake/Dongpu (Highway 21) are reliably open and should remain passable until the next rainy season (summertime) or earthquake.
Some longer treks being led by a Tsao aborigine friend of ours, Xiao Yang (Small Goat) in the new year:
January 6 - 11 Nengao-Antongjun 能高安東軍
February 24 - March 2 Southern Second Section 南二段 (assuming it’s open by then)
March 11 - 20 Southern Third Section 南三段 (hope to join him on this one)
March 31 - April 5 Cilai East Ridge 奇萊東稜
Dates listed are only for the core hiking dates and do not include travel or extra days. If interested in joining in please email or call Xiao Yang's wife, Sarah Tsai, hikingfun.tour@gmail.com 0972218185 (speaks excellent English) to register, or see their website http://www.hikingfuntour.com/website/ (in Chinese).
As of December 1st 2010:
All Shei-pa (Snow Mountain) National Park hiking/trekking trails open.
All Taroko hiking/trekking trails open.
Most of Yushan National Park trails closed (including the Southern Second Section, Batongguan etc). Some special exemptions may be possible for trails starting around Jiaming Lake. If you read Chinese have a look at this document on the state of the Batongguan Trail...not cheery. A couple interesting observations about the increase in sanbar deer and the emerging eastward erosion of the Chen-you-lan River/Kinmen Tong landslide.
Jiaming Lake, Nengao, Bei Dawu open.
Southern Cross-island Highway closed from Meishan to Xiangyang. Some rumors of possible opening.
And remember, many of Taiwan’s trails can be very tough going, only attempt what you really are ready for!
Showing posts with label Taiwan mountain permits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taiwan mountain permits. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, June 22, 2009
Mountain Permit Forms
Taiwan Mountain Permit Forms
I've uploaded some of the most useful forms required by the police when applying for Mountain Permits. Clicking on the links brings you to the Scribd site (don't worry if the they look garbled here) click on 'download' - choose 'Word' - their original format rather than pdf. Tell me if you are having problems with the Chinese fonts, I may be able to provide a jpg image file to print instead.
Please note: these are the forms used when applying for Mountain permits (入山 ru-shan) NOT National Park permits (which must be obtained beforehand if planning to hike on the national park trails), see my previous effort to explain all this at http://barkingdeernews.blogspot.com/2008/09/mountain-permits-facts-and-opinions.html Each of these documents has a simple itinerary (add dates, adjust as necessary); the required comments regarding equipment, behavior, the environment; and a simple route map. Don't worry too much about the details - the main thing is the police officers see a familiar piece of paper when dealing with the scary foreign face. You, of course, would not be depending on these maps would you?
At most trailheads you will need to have ready 3 (4 if arriving at a National Park+ the Nat Park Permit) documents : 1. application form, 2. name list (any clear list usually works, not needed if you are alone) and 3. these forms below. Some forms I have translated less - for those trails that should only be led by a Chinese speaker/reader, or details that are more than obvious.
1.The Application Form. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702636/foreigner-permit-app-form
2. Name List. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702887/Police-name-list
3. The 'other information' form.
Jiaming Lake http://www.scribd.com/doc/15317496/Jiaming-lake-3day
Yushan Southern Sub-peaks http://www.scribd.com/doc/16695451/Yushan-southern-peaks
Yushan single-day ascent, note this option has not been generally available since June 2010 http://www.scribd.com/doc/16695900/Yushan-oneday-ascent
Yushan 5-day Peakbagging http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699032/Yushan-5Day-Peak-Bagging
Yushan peakbagging excluding south peaks http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699222/Yushan-Minor-Summits
Yushan + North peak http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699314/Yushan-North-Summit
Taoshan + Kahlahei http://www.scribd.com/doc/16700381/Taoshan-Kalahei-2day
Taoshan 2-day http://www.scribd.com/doc/16701710/Taoshan-Single-Day
Wuling Quadruple http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702054/Wuling-Quadruple-3day
Yushan + traverse via Batongguan http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702442/Yushan-traverse-via-Batongguan
Southern Cross '3 stars' http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703253/Southern-Cross-Trimountains
Snow Holy Ridge http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703345/Snow-O-Holy-Ridge-Clockwise-via-Cuichr-4day
Snow Standard 2-day http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703568/Snow-Standard-2day
Snow Standard or to Cichr http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703840/Snow-Standard-3day-or-to-Cuichr
Snow Dashaiuo Jian http://www.scribd.com/doc/16704217/Snow-Dashiou-Jian
This is too tedious to finish right now - will add more/tidy up soon
I've uploaded some of the most useful forms required by the police when applying for Mountain Permits. Clicking on the links brings you to the Scribd site (don't worry if the they look garbled here) click on 'download' - choose 'Word' - their original format rather than pdf. Tell me if you are having problems with the Chinese fonts, I may be able to provide a jpg image file to print instead.
Please note: these are the forms used when applying for Mountain permits (入山 ru-shan) NOT National Park permits (which must be obtained beforehand if planning to hike on the national park trails), see my previous effort to explain all this at http://barkingdeernews.blogspot.com/2008/09/mountain-permits-facts-and-opinions.html Each of these documents has a simple itinerary (add dates, adjust as necessary); the required comments regarding equipment, behavior, the environment; and a simple route map. Don't worry too much about the details - the main thing is the police officers see a familiar piece of paper when dealing with the scary foreign face. You, of course, would not be depending on these maps would you?
At most trailheads you will need to have ready 3 (4 if arriving at a National Park+ the Nat Park Permit) documents : 1. application form, 2. name list (any clear list usually works, not needed if you are alone) and 3. these forms below. Some forms I have translated less - for those trails that should only be led by a Chinese speaker/reader, or details that are more than obvious.
1.The Application Form. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702636/foreigner-permit-app-form
2. Name List. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702887/Police-name-list
3. The 'other information' form.
Jiaming Lake http://www.scribd.com/doc/15317496/Jiaming-lake-3day
Yushan Southern Sub-peaks http://www.scribd.com/doc/16695451/Yushan-southern-peaks
Yushan single-day ascent, note this option has not been generally available since June 2010 http://www.scribd.com/doc/16695900/Yushan-oneday-ascent
Yushan 5-day Peakbagging http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699032/Yushan-5Day-Peak-Bagging
Yushan peakbagging excluding south peaks http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699222/Yushan-Minor-Summits
Yushan + North peak http://www.scribd.com/doc/16699314/Yushan-North-Summit
Taoshan + Kahlahei http://www.scribd.com/doc/16700381/Taoshan-Kalahei-2day
Taoshan 2-day http://www.scribd.com/doc/16701710/Taoshan-Single-Day
Wuling Quadruple http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702054/Wuling-Quadruple-3day
Yushan + traverse via Batongguan http://www.scribd.com/doc/16702442/Yushan-traverse-via-Batongguan
Southern Cross '3 stars' http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703253/Southern-Cross-Trimountains
Snow Holy Ridge http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703345/Snow-O-Holy-Ridge-Clockwise-via-Cuichr-4day
Snow Standard 2-day http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703568/Snow-Standard-2day
Snow Standard or to Cichr http://www.scribd.com/doc/16703840/Snow-Standard-3day-or-to-Cuichr
Snow Dashaiuo Jian http://www.scribd.com/doc/16704217/Snow-Dashiou-Jian
This is too tedious to finish right now - will add more/tidy up soon
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Mountain Permits - Facts and opinions
Getting mountain permits sorted out is one of the biggest and most annoying hurdles to overcome before hiking in Taiwan's high mountains. There is a lot of inaccurate and misleading information out there on the subject, some by simple accident, some by those trying to be discouraging or over-cautious. I hope this answers some questions.
First thing to know is that anyone, in theory, can get permits regardless of (a) group size (including individuals-though we encourage you not to venture out alone) (b) whether you are Taiwanese or a Foreigner (c) have a guide or not. Permits are for the individuals, dates, and routes listed only...these generally can not be changed once issued. Also there is no such thing as a general season permit etc. A small number of especially sensitive ecological areas are only open to recognized scientific researchers...and Taroko Nat Park has serious misgiving about dealing with foreigners in a normal fashion.
There are 2 kinds of permits (1) National Park (入園, ru-yuan), and (2). Police permits (入山, ru-shan). The National Park permits are for entering the respective national park's territory (is that a bit too obvious?), and the Police permits are for entering any high mountain area. Hiking in the National Parks therefore requires both kinds of permits. Generally, permits are not required for public roads passing through the mountains, and some shorter, easier trails.
The National Park permits (ru-yuan) are the more difficult and time consuming to obtain. The Police permits (ru-shan), if not not gotten in advance, usually may be applied for on the spot at a police station in the same county or at a checkpoint on the trail - check first.
The National Park permit must be applied for at least 7 days in advance (Yushan main route, at least a month in advance. Much earlier is usually impossible too.). The best way to apply is online, unfortunately this is often only possible using Chinese, and the applicant (not necessarily the hikers) must have a valid ROC ID number - passport/ARC numbers may not work. Alternatively sending you details by regular mail or email can work...I won't get into the nitty gritty details now or I'll be writing till the next typhoon comes, just to say it's far from a perfect situation!
Yushan (Jade Mountain)
The standard ascent of Yushan is very, very popular but accommodation at Paiyun Lodge/hut/shelter/cabin (where most hikers will stay) is limited to less than 100 people per night. This means Yushan National Park must operate a lottery system if the number of people applying exceeds spaces available. Chances of a successful application are much better by avoiding the the busy weekends, especially Saturday night. On weekdays there is a quota of places left aside for foreign (remember this includes Japanese and Korean) hikers.
Yushan Nat. Park announces the Paiyun lottery result a month before the dates applied for. The screen shot below (click on for a larger image) shows the results, released September 25, for October 25 - a Saturday. 1,768 people applied for the 82 places - do the math! Leaders of the lucky teams are listed. All fair and open - well if you use Windows IE (one of the many government websites that only work properly when using Microsoft's browser).
These are the results for the previous Wednesday. The numbers are better, but still not ideal 275 applied for 82 places.
The many typhoons and growing 'fame' of Yushan has put extra pressure on the system. When typhoons are imminent permits are canceled until the storm has passed, the trail/huts are inspected, and any damage patched up. After typhoons many people will be eagerly applying again to make up for their canceled trips.
We strongly encourage you to consider other mountains (there are hundreds over 3,000m in Taiwan) instead of Yushan. If you are Taipei-based and have your own transport, think about Snow Mountain (Shei/Shuei/Xue shan) just slightly lower than Yushan but often considered more beautiful. Or Dabajian Mountain, as seen on the NT$500 banknote, and a less retentive route.
The permit system, and especially the overlap of the two, is an annoyance to many hikers, Taiwanese and foreign. We hope there will be changes soon but have to accept this is the the best system possible at the moment. The concept of national parks, and longer multi-day hiking is still a fairly new thing here, trails can be very challenging, and arriving tired and cold at a mountain hut to find it full is not a nice experience. Some routes may seem easy to sneak onto without a permit and with minimal worries of being caught and fined, BUT if you require rescue (it can and does happen) you will pay all the costs of the rescuers and their big shiny helicopters - if there illegally.
We are happy to apply for permits for you (for a small fee) and to answer your questions. Contact me, Richard, at barkingdeerinfo@gmail.com and hope I am near a computer to reply.
First thing to know is that anyone, in theory, can get permits regardless of (a) group size (including individuals-though we encourage you not to venture out alone) (b) whether you are Taiwanese or a Foreigner (c) have a guide or not. Permits are for the individuals, dates, and routes listed only...these generally can not be changed once issued. Also there is no such thing as a general season permit etc. A small number of especially sensitive ecological areas are only open to recognized scientific researchers...and Taroko Nat Park has serious misgiving about dealing with foreigners in a normal fashion.
There are 2 kinds of permits (1) National Park (入園, ru-yuan), and (2). Police permits (入山, ru-shan). The National Park permits are for entering the respective national park's territory (is that a bit too obvious?), and the Police permits are for entering any high mountain area. Hiking in the National Parks therefore requires both kinds of permits. Generally, permits are not required for public roads passing through the mountains, and some shorter, easier trails.
The National Park permits (ru-yuan) are the more difficult and time consuming to obtain. The Police permits (ru-shan), if not not gotten in advance, usually may be applied for on the spot at a police station in the same county or at a checkpoint on the trail - check first.
The National Park permit must be applied for at least 7 days in advance (Yushan main route, at least a month in advance. Much earlier is usually impossible too.). The best way to apply is online, unfortunately this is often only possible using Chinese, and the applicant (not necessarily the hikers) must have a valid ROC ID number - passport/ARC numbers may not work. Alternatively sending you details by regular mail or email can work...I won't get into the nitty gritty details now or I'll be writing till the next typhoon comes, just to say it's far from a perfect situation!
Yushan (Jade Mountain)
The standard ascent of Yushan is very, very popular but accommodation at Paiyun Lodge/hut/shelter/cabin (where most hikers will stay) is limited to less than 100 people per night. This means Yushan National Park must operate a lottery system if the number of people applying exceeds spaces available. Chances of a successful application are much better by avoiding the the busy weekends, especially Saturday night. On weekdays there is a quota of places left aside for foreign (remember this includes Japanese and Korean) hikers.
Yushan Nat. Park announces the Paiyun lottery result a month before the dates applied for. The screen shot below (click on for a larger image) shows the results, released September 25, for October 25 - a Saturday. 1,768 people applied for the 82 places - do the math! Leaders of the lucky teams are listed. All fair and open - well if you use Windows IE (one of the many government websites that only work properly when using Microsoft's browser).
These are the results for the previous Wednesday. The numbers are better, but still not ideal 275 applied for 82 places.
The many typhoons and growing 'fame' of Yushan has put extra pressure on the system. When typhoons are imminent permits are canceled until the storm has passed, the trail/huts are inspected, and any damage patched up. After typhoons many people will be eagerly applying again to make up for their canceled trips.
We strongly encourage you to consider other mountains (there are hundreds over 3,000m in Taiwan) instead of Yushan. If you are Taipei-based and have your own transport, think about Snow Mountain (Shei/Shuei/Xue shan) just slightly lower than Yushan but often considered more beautiful. Or Dabajian Mountain, as seen on the NT$500 banknote, and a less retentive route.
The permit system, and especially the overlap of the two, is an annoyance to many hikers, Taiwanese and foreign. We hope there will be changes soon but have to accept this is the the best system possible at the moment. The concept of national parks, and longer multi-day hiking is still a fairly new thing here, trails can be very challenging, and arriving tired and cold at a mountain hut to find it full is not a nice experience. Some routes may seem easy to sneak onto without a permit and with minimal worries of being caught and fined, BUT if you require rescue (it can and does happen) you will pay all the costs of the rescuers and their big shiny helicopters - if there illegally.
We are happy to apply for permits for you (for a small fee) and to answer your questions. Contact me, Richard, at barkingdeerinfo@gmail.com and hope I am near a computer to reply.
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