I'll try to be polite.
Recent trips to Puli and Alishan have reminded me that the point of those places is as a base to areas nearby, not to them.
Puli is just another dull town (I await a defense of it) with lots of great mountains, rivers etc nearby. Ensure you have transport to get you out of the urban area.
Alishan is fine if you've grown up hearing about its wonders. For more outdoorsy types it's essential to get away from the main zone. I strongly recommend Tatajia (watch out for the excellent grey leaflet published by the Nat. Park) within the boundary of Yushan National Park, and the villages Fenchihu, Taihe, Rueli (good colorful info from the Alishan Scenic area admin) etc further down the mountains.
Transport is as with many places in Taiwan problematic - without a scooter anyway. To get to Tatajai I suggest hitching (yes yes I know I shouldn't mention this...) the 20 something km from the Alishan entrance. For the villages down the mountain get off the small gauge train halfway up and walk!
Yushan closed After changing their minds several times the National Park decided to keep the main peak open without a 'rest' this year. The recent cold weather though has forced them to close the higher peaks in the last few days due to 'heavy' snow and ice.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Magpies and Pheasants
Last week on the Shau-kuan-shan Forest Road we came upon 2 usually hard to spot birds endemic to Taiwan - the Taiwan Blue Magpie, and a male Swinhoe's Pheasant.
Swinhoe's Pheasant (lophura swinhoii) named after the 19th century naturalist.
Soon to be our national bird, the Taiwan Blue Magpie (urocissa caerulea - member of the crow family, I think). As well as both parents mucking in, adult siblings help out in feeding the young. Wholesome!
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Swinhoe's Pheasant (lophura swinhoii) named after the 19th century naturalist.
Soon to be our national bird, the Taiwan Blue Magpie (urocissa caerulea - member of the crow family, I think). As well as both parents mucking in, adult siblings help out in feeding the young. Wholesome!.jpg)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Christmas Hikes
Finally got some details of a couple hikes taking place around Christmas. The first is a vigorous 5-day rivertrace December 24-28, and the 2 day is also a not-for-the-lazy ascent of the not very famous Sinwangling Dec 29&30. Details at http://sanminvalley.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
No dumping
Would prefer not to get into publishing this kind of stuff... Shiny new signs above the toilets in at Pai-yun Lodge. If you don't understand why I have posted this here forget you saw it.
A plea
This is for everyone, but especially those that live in The South (Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chaiyi) and should know better!
When planning your big road-trip to the East coast, please, please do not confuse the incredibly scenic highway 20 ('nan-heng') with the foul boring no 9 ('nan-hwei') further south. The no 9 may be quicker (that's why it's full of trucks) but no 20 is one of the major pluses of living in the South. Make a full day of it - better still 2 or 3 days and stay at the top/middle at Yakoo. Easy hiking/stunning clear views first thing in the morning. Prepare for the cold.
When planning your big road-trip to the East coast, please, please do not confuse the incredibly scenic highway 20 ('nan-heng') with the foul boring no 9 ('nan-hwei') further south. The no 9 may be quicker (that's why it's full of trucks) but no 20 is one of the major pluses of living in the South. Make a full day of it - better still 2 or 3 days and stay at the top/middle at Yakoo. Easy hiking/stunning clear views first thing in the morning. Prepare for the cold.
Even newer images!
My least favorite plant to encounter while hiking in Taiwan the...oops its common name escapes me, Daemonorops margaritae ('yellow rattan' in Chinese). Its rear-pointing barbs, helping it climb, grow all along its stems/tendons/sub-tendons. When caught in it careful extraction is essential - moving onwards will shred clothes and skin. It grows in in damp, shaded areas in the mid-lower mountains, and is sometimes harvested for use in furniture manufacture and for eating - supposedly lowering blood pressure. Avoid. Repeat: AVOID. 
Another sunrise from Bei-da-wu. This morning we had clouds all around us up to 1600m. More images at Stu's blog.
Nets have been provided for those that go mad (that's you Roger) and try to run at the rising sun.
And every growing Canadian boy has to celebrate summiting with his favorite part of a chicken.
Tough bugger, Enrique, didn't really need to stay the night here (or pose either - I insisted) but the rain fell that night on more than the plains of Spain... The lodge recently got a new address, everyone insists the 101 number was an accident, I doubt it, and suspect was chosen with a tall Taipei building in mind. Mirroring Taipei 101's diminished status, this is not the highest occupied building in Taiwan, the weather station on the North peak sits at 3856meters.
Another sunrise from Bei-da-wu. This morning we had clouds all around us up to 1600m. More images at Stu's blog.
Nets have been provided for those that go mad (that's you Roger) and try to run at the rising sun.
And every growing Canadian boy has to celebrate summiting with his favorite part of a chicken.
Tough bugger, Enrique, didn't really need to stay the night here (or pose either - I insisted) but the rain fell that night on more than the plains of Spain... The lodge recently got a new address, everyone insists the 101 number was an accident, I doubt it, and suspect was chosen with a tall Taipei building in mind. Mirroring Taipei 101's diminished status, this is not the highest occupied building in Taiwan, the weather station on the North peak sits at 3856meters.
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