[Travel Taiwan] Hehuanshan Road Trip!!! 合歡山_環(半)島




‎Once upon a time ... it was really just about going AROUND the island. Honestly, the idea of going THROUGH the island never really struck me. But that's what happened over CNY break. It took me less than 24 hours to head out west from home and come back again from the east. Taking the early train from Miaoli, get on our one and most important mode of transportation and head down to Taichung into Puli and up into the mountains, and coming back from Yilan! Googlemap shows a total distance of 494km!!






出發之前,,還一直亂講說,聽過很多朋友都會騎自行車「上武嶺」。Once upon a time ... this merely seemed to me attainable, would be a challenge, but not impossible. Until ... I got to see for myself, what an almost impossible task this was!! 原來,武嶺是台灣公路的最高點。過了武嶺之後,公路就是一路往下了。但為了要上去,是件多麼困難的事啊!First the distance into Puli, then the heavy traffic when passing 清境, and then the never. ending. ascend. of. Death. 

lol

We passed so many cars that broke down along the way! There was also ice covering half of the lanes in some areas. Frost could be seen on the dark sides of the mountains. People were stopping everywhere to take pictures of evidence of winter. Even though it totally feels like summer back in Taipei. (And it's February ...!) Other than that, gorgeous blue skies all the way!!! 



Having being in Taichung for so long, this is my very first time going to 合歡山! This has always intrigued me, how Hehuanshan, Yangmingshan, Alishan ... have their English names like this, but for the almighty, highest peak in Taiwan ... we call it Jade Mountain. Yushan. lol




After conquering the highest peak in Taipei City just a day ago, I was still eager to head up to ANY peak in 合歡山. And there were so many! There was 合歡尖山, which ... by visual estimation, a ten minute climb. You could easily see the top right away, and the entire slope was crawling with tourists. Like ants. Complete killer. 

And then there was 石門山. Which I heard offers the best view for a sunrise. Except that I also learnt on this trip, any mountain would be easy enough to climb, as long as you have 
1) a good choice of transportation, (biking would be advisably unwise) 
2) sufficient time (meaning either you get up super super super early and head up the mountains while daylight still awaits, or take a midnight drive and arrive before sunrise)
and 3) super close accommodation. which basically relates to points 1 and 2 anyways.

So yeah ... because we passed 合歡主峰 without warning already, we decided to tackle 合歡東 instead. One which my two cousins have already conquered before, but was challenging enough and beautiful all the same!!! Pictures speak for themselves! 










Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to cover the entire length. Clouds were flowing over the mountain tops only about halfway through. Their shadows hanging ominously over the ridge and valleys. 完全被雲環繞, 怕的就是下山的霧會太多, and we still had a REALLY long way to go!!! Coming to think about it ... except for that time in 馬那邦山, I don't think I've ever really a sea of clouds like this time's ... I'd willingly drown in them.




An abandoned structure had a sign telling the unsatisfying too simple story of how it used to be part of a cable car ride that carried skiers, back when the mountains enjoyed a period of heavy snow. But due to natural causes and lack of snow in the following years, it had to be abandoned. Although beautiful, because of its rustic remains and a stand alone surprise in the middle of a natural scene, debate continues ... over whether such a building, for purpose of entertainment should be allowed in such a place. IMO, never again.




If not for this trip, I wonder when I would ever travel through 中橫 for myself. Even in the dark, the journey was way too enjoyable. Probably it was because of the very fact that it was in the dark anyways, making it so much more exciting. Kind of reminds me of biking up to 鹿野 in the darkness, with blinding car lights charging towards us, unknowing deepness of valleys right by us, I was in complete fear of toppling off the road, with the brilliance of stars scattered above us, it was really quite difficult to give safety full attention. And same goes for this trip this time!





I'd do it all over again!

(從埔里之後, 國道六號接到台14>台14甲>合歡山! From 合歡山>傳說中的台8. A right turn taking us to Yilan and left would take us all the way to Hualien. (還要過蘇花公路才回得了家!!) > 梨山後, 台7甲, passing 武陵農場 to 台7  back to 宜蘭. )

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