Garmin Activity (Day 1): https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/710198172
March 2, 2015: 158km, 7h07, elevation 3391m
Where to start this story? I had already been face-to-face a few times with Wuling (3275m) but I had never seen it from the other side. In Taiwan there is mainly two ways to approach Wuling, from the west and from the east. I really wanted to do the approach from the east. But then I would have to go to Hualien. I decided to cycle to Hualien and come back the next day.
I prepared my backpack and bicycle yesterday and I went to bad really early, at 18:00h. I woke up at 3 am and got ready to head out. I hit the road at 03:55/ Needless to say outside everything was dark and quiet. I took Taiwan Boulevard and went to Taichung city. I connected to Hwy 3 via Yingcai road. That way I passed through Dali and Wufeng on my way to Caotun. It was so quiet in the early morning, I thought I really lost my mind doing this trip.
From Caotun I took Hwy 14 to Puli. That 35km in complete darkness, with these ascents and descents and with the shape of the mountains hidden behind the darkness, was magical. The sun started to show herself when I reached Puli. In Puli I stopped for a breakfast at the 7-11 I always visit. Then I was ready for the second part of the trip: The Western approach to Wuling.
Central Geography Steele of Taiwan in Puli, Nantou. Where the Western approach to Wuling commences
It was not even 7am and I had already been cycling for 3 hours. Definition of a lunatic
Ren'ai township, Nantou county
The first part was as usual, the first fifteen km being a warm up, then the climb to Wushe and from there my adventure along Hwy-14-2
The first part was as usual, the first fifteen km being a warm up, then the climb to Wushe and from there my adventure along Hwy-14-2
Renzhiguan, the 5km climb to Wushe
The number 100 was already almost visible on my GPS. Excellent progress today!
When I arrived in Wushe, I picked up some extra provisions at the local 711 and then I started my climb. I noticed the weather wasn't shiny and sunny like previous times, but that did not affect my mood.
Orientation in Wushe center
A gloomy sky at the 0km mark of Hwy 14-2
Hwy 14-2, let's go! This is where the climb really kicks in
The first few km of this Hwy 14-2 were though enough. I had a loaded backpack and I had already cycled somewhere around 85km.
Then I saw this sign. A quest for a later ride: Nantou 89 (Lixing road)
Luckily traffic wasn't insanely intense on this Monday morning
All of the sudden I noticed it was raining. I had checked the weather forecast and it was not supposed to rain. I hid my camera in a safe place and I put on my jacket. The rain was fine by me, but it was accompanied by a thick mist, which seriously decreased vision. I had to put on my bike lights for safety precautions. But I was going uphill so nothing to worry about.
The rain became more intense and I went to the Cuifeng police station to hide for a while. The people there told me it would not stop raining today. It would be like this all day. I contacted my Fengyuan friends who also advised me to just go back home. The people of the Cuifeng police station were kind enough to offer me lunch. But man, it was cold. I was wet, I was at a high elevation and I was shaking. I decided to just carry on. Anything would be better than sitting and frezzing.
As you can see, terrible weather at Cuifeng (altitude 2309 meters). Because of the rain, I hid my camera, so I did not take much pictures on this section.
A good time to display my willingness and stubbornness. I was dressed in shiny yellow form the top to the bottom and I put on my lights. At least it increased security.
One positive side of the rain, it made the climb more bearable. I noticed having more energy to tackle this climb. I made less stops and I displayed less signs of fatigue. My motivation to make it to Wuling was not shammed. I would at least go to Wuling and then go back home.
One positive side of the rain, it made the climb more bearable. I noticed having more energy to tackle this climb. I made less stops and I displayed less signs of fatigue. My motivation to make it to Wuling was not shammed. I would at least go to Wuling and then go back home.
A rainy Kunyang (elevation 3060)
This pack of traveling high school kids praised me for my craziness. They could not comprehend I cycled up this mountain in these conditions. Well, they don't know I am Bartman haha
I did not stop to make any other pictures, I just carried on with my climb. It was already passed noon when I made it to Wuling.
What a day for a visit to the highest peak of Taiwan, Wuling! The downhill would be terrible
I am being challenged today! Still a good 100km ahead of me. I was feeling very cold here
When I got down from the Wuling side, I could only see a thick mist on both sides of the summit. I knew that going back down from where I came would be steep, very steep. So I decided to take it easy and control my speed downhill, going east. But as soon as I started descending, I felt that I could not control this speed. My wheels were wet and this gradient was too much. I was afraid and I stopped at once. I went back up. When I saw a couple driving a huge van, I asked for their help. They were going to Hualien and luckily they would take me down. Cycling downhill was just too dangerous, unless I would have had a disc brake road bike. That would have made a big difference.
The people I drove with were tourists from China and they were very friendly. We chatted a lot and they took me through the most terrifying part. They stopped at a few places because this was their first visit to Mt. Hehuan. I noticed that the weather was a lot better at the eastern side of the mountain. As soon as we descended a little, it stopped raining and the road was dry. .
When I got down from the Wuling side, I could only see a thick mist on both sides of the summit. I knew that going back down from where I came would be steep, very steep. So I decided to take it easy and control my speed downhill, going east. But as soon as I started descending, I felt that I could not control this speed. My wheels were wet and this gradient was too much. I was afraid and I stopped at once. I went back up. When I saw a couple driving a huge van, I asked for their help. They were going to Hualien and luckily they would take me down. Cycling downhill was just too dangerous, unless I would have had a disc brake road bike. That would have made a big difference.
The people I drove with were tourists from China and they were very friendly. We chatted a lot and they took me through the most terrifying part. They stopped at a few places because this was their first visit to Mt. Hehuan. I noticed that the weather was a lot better at the eastern side of the mountain. As soon as we descended a little, it stopped raining and the road was dry. .
This is after the summit, somewhere along Hwy 14-2's 36km mark.
Hehuanshan, beautiful in this foggy setting
They insisted on carrying me down a little more. The driving speed of the car was also very slow due to the thick mist. Nobody would want to crash into the mountains like that. They stopped at a following location, called Divine Tree. There was a little restaurant there and they invited me for lunch; Really kind of them.
Now this restaurant was really packed
This is the sacred Divine Tree
These people were staying in a hotel on Hwy 8. When we got their it was already in the late afternoon; I recall it being 15:30. From there I had to do it myself. I thanked them a million times for getting me out of a very perilous situation. As soon as I hit Hwy 8, I saw that I was in the area I visited with a scooter in the summer of 2011: The Taroko National Park.
I visited Hualien and the Taroko Gorge twice during the summer of 2011, when I took a Chinese course in Taipei. Being here again with my bike, four years later, filled me with a peculiar feeling.
The Taroko Gorge, I was finally here! This is was makes central Taiwan so fantastic!
It looked like it had never rained here, the conditions were perfect. I saw two different faces of Hehuan mountain this ride.
The stunning beauty of the Taroko Gorge
Quite a few tunnels in this section of Hwy 8
I was approaching the end of the central cross-island highway. The signs were indicating Hualien and Yilan. This must have been where I was when I cycled around Taiwan in the summer of 2013.
A magical moment: I made it to Huailen on my bike! Awesome!!! This is a picture I had seen on many people's facebook but never through my own eyes. All of that changed today!
Yeah! I was happy that I was able to exit the gorge before complete darkness. It was already late and I did not cycle all the way to Hualien city to Nita Lin's hostel. Instead, I took a room in a motel in Xincheng, which was just a few km further ahead. That way I would not have to worry about losing too much time tomorrow morning. After all, the road downhill had been insanely long. The magnitude of this eastern approach to Wuling even frightened me. I had to cycle 105km uphill and I had to do this within less than twelve hours.
When I arrived at the hostel, I went outside to buy some food. I reported to everyone on Facebook and lot long after that, I hit the sack. The next day would be my first ever Dongjin Wuling, the eastern attack on Mount Hehuan. Good night!
To be continued!
End of Day 1
To be continued!
End of Day 1
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