Xpat: Taiwan's English Arts, Culture and Travel Magazine for Teachers & Expats

Reaching the Peak

Text and Photography by Caroline Emmerson

In a fit of boredom from staying in the city, our heroine Caroline decided to sign herself up for a weekend mountain trip to Yu Shan (Jade Mountain to us English speakers). She had no idea where it was or what the weekend would entail, but she did have the presence of mind to invite a friend so she wasn't going off into the wilds of Taiwan with complete strangers. 'What if they all turn out to be idiots?' she thought. Better to have at least one semi-normal person along with her.

So, after madly packing on Thursday night, she stoically rode her bicycle to work in the morning wearing a huge purple backpack. The locals stared at her and could barely contain their amusement. Where was this silly young girl going with such a large purple backpack?

After working all day she raced into a taxi to return to Hsiao Gang to pick up the monstrous bag and Erin, her partner in crime. They dashed off to meet the others at a camping shop. People were milling about and, after everyone arrived, they headed out in two mini-vans. During the drive, Erin and our Caroline chatted incessantly - much to the annoyance of the other passengers - about the travels and dramas that occurred on their Chinese New Year vacations.

Four hours of increasingly windy roads took them higher and higher into the mountains. They first drove past slopes of leafy palm trees and then later needled alpine trees. They arrived at 2:30am. After exiting the bus, Erin and Caroline were overcome with breathing problems. Taiwanese people stared at them clutching their throats and making gargling noises, but after a few minutes the foreigners became more accustomed to the chilly, smog-less air. Expedition leader told them to bunk down in one of the tents and sleep until five. Thus, our brave travelers found themselves huddled in a cold tent with some guy they didn't know.

With little or no sleep the group emerged from their canvas abodes, strapped on their packs, and began climbing. Breakfast was served 2.5km up the road with the early birds getting the eggs and our girls getting the scraps. It doesn't pay to be polite in the wilds of Taiwan.

They were really going off the beaten path now. At the trailhead (yes, trail - this was not a paved path for old folks and women in high heeled shoes), was a sign that read "Beware of wild animals, poisonous snakes and warms ". Laughing, they started the trek. Over the first 1.5km, the girls started to question the sanity of the expedition. Their packs seemed heavier with each step and the trail alternated between steep climbs and equally steep traverses back down. It all seemed like a cruel trick. Erin was carrying what felt like a 5kg bag of

potatoes and carrots while Caroline had been saddled with the unbearable weight of the Ramen noodle packets.

They encountered a "warm" at one point, but they bravely continued on. The natives seemed restless. They were coming down the mountain in large groups - not a good sign. They greeted the girls with smiles and strange words in their native tongue. The scenery evoked memories of Canada and they paused several times to savor the clean, crisp air. There was a vague sense that something was amiss in the world and they strained to hear the approaching danger, but there was none. It was quiet! Caroline fought off the urge to put on her headphones. Instead, she forced herself to listen to the waterfalls and the chirping birds.

After numerous breaks they came to a staircase leading to the base of a sheer cliff. Little did they know that mischievous monkeys liked to hurl rather large rocks at the heads of unsuspecting hikers. Luckily for the girls, one of the stone throwers was premature with his first toss and the climbers were warned. They stood on the steps, took a deep breath, which was getting harder to do as they gained altitude, and made a run for it. A fury of stones rained down in their wake but the girls arrived on the other side with nary a scratch.

They continued in an ever-growing daze of sleep deprivation, exhaustion and altitude sickness. The clouds rolled in and at times the cold fog engulfed them. They scrambled up slippery slopes, tripped on rocks and cursed the makers of the large steps that made climbing up with a pack nearly impossible. Aren't Asian people supposed to be short? Who made these giant steps? Finally, after hours of hiking with nothing but fruit and chocolate to sustain them, they approached the Lodge. Nearing the end of the day's journey, Caroline stumbled and fell but she pulled herself up and continued up the last 50m that consisted solely of steps. How nasty! The thought of leaving her pack at the base and crawling up on her hands and knees seemed enticing, but she slowly made her way to the top. The rain started just as they arrived with time enough for them to grab their raincoats and throw their bags into the tent they would share with three other people.

The elusive peak was hidden behind rain clouds and it was doubtful that they would be able to reach the summit by sunset. Food was prepared and eaten with little enjoyment. The evening consisted of five freezing and exhausted hikers crammed into a tent, trying to sleep, avoid the thunderstorm, alleviate headaches and quell nausea. The rain continued all night, so when they were rudely awoken at 2:30 am, the group was shocked to discover a clear sky filled with stars and a nearly full moon to light the way. Caroline's hopes of being able to stay in bed and sleep were cruelly dashed. They formed a line and started the 2.5 km ascent, scrambling over rocks in the near darkness. As mountain goats raced ahead, some of the trekkers spread out as others, less comfortable, hurled in the bushes. Daybreak loomed and Caroline didn't think that she'd make it to the summit in time.

"Five minutes to sunrise!" A voice called as the stragglers strained up the last few meters.

Caroline reached the peak, greeted by cheers. The group hunkered down in the calm morning to watch the sun rise over the surrounding peaks and take the requisite photos. Looking down at the clouds from above was amazing. They felt like they were on top of the world. All shared the euphoria of conquering the highest peak in Northeast Asia.