Yushan — A Taiwan's tallest mountain

Yushan (玉山) — or Mt. Jade if you like — is located in the Yushan National Park at the border of Jiayi (嘉義) and Nantou (南投) Counties. Despite its impressive height, it is a relatively easy mountain to climb. Before you set out on your journey, you have to take care of several administrative formalities. First, you need a national park entry permit, which you can apply for online. With that you have to apply for a mountain permit at a police station. There have been quite a few foreigners who climbed without the permit, but you may end up with an unwelcome fine to pay if caught, not to mention covering all costs in case of an accident.

Climbing to the main peak can be done in one day or two days, each way has its advantages as well as drawbacks. The one-day option means you have to set out early, but need not carry a heavy backpack. A two-day trip means a more relaxed tempo, but a heavier load on your back. Furthermore, as there is only one possible place to sleep over at the top, Paiyun Lodge 排雲山莊, which obviously gets really busy especially on weekends, you need to be lucky to get a berth in a draw one month in advance. That is arguably the worst obstacle to the two-day trip.

The usual trail to the summit starts at Tataka (塔塔加) Saddle, at the altitude of some 2610 meters. To get an early start, stay over for NT$300 in Dongpushanzhuang (東埔山莊), which is within walking distance from Tataka. From the parking lot, walk up the road towards a tourist center. Your permits will be checked there and then you can choose to walk or take a van (NT$100) to the actual start of the trail about 2km up the road. From there it is up to you.

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