A hike in the deep woods of Wulai 烏來的拔刀爾山

Hiking might not be the first thing that people think of when it comes to Taiwan. However, as I've just recently discovered, Taiwan is really a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. The geography of Taiwan is really magnificent. The middle part of this island country is mostly mountainous, plus the tropical climate makes the perfect home to many different plants and trees. Waterfalls are ubiquitous in many hikes, yet one can never be tired of them.
Since I am still a novice when it comes to the many trails and hikes in Taiwan, I decided to do some research. The newspaper usually lists the different hikes that regional hiking associations hold on the weekends. Also luckily for me, one of my parents' friends is an experienced and skilled hiker. He recommended to me a hike this past Sunday in the township of Wulai with the National Alpine Association of Taiwan. It is a considered "B grade", meaning a moderate hike. I decided to try it out and see what real hiking is like in Taiwan.
Only an hour and a half's Metro-rail and bus ride away from my place is the start to a beautiful hiking in Wulai. The township of Wulai is located in Taipei County, and is the home to the aboriginal tribe of Atayal. Wulai literally translates into hot and poisonous, and is famous for its hot springs and beautiful mountains. The area is also full of cultural events and activities. However, I would recommend going on a weekday in order to avoid the weekend crowds!


The group met a 8:30am at one of the bus stops. Quickly I realized that I was probably the only one in the group that was under the age of 40. The majority of the hikers were over 60, I must say I'm impressed. But seriously, has hiking become an activity of the older generation in Taiwan?

My parents' friend Mr. Lin (no relation here!) was also present. We started heading to the trail at around 8:45pm. We took the "backdoor" route to get to the hike. I was immediately drawn the the beauty that surrounded me. Everywhere I took it was green. Only the sound of flowing water and the chirping of birds surrounds our group of hikers.

The first part of the trail was fairly crowded, there were a couple of other groups. About 5 minutes into the hike, we came across the first of the many waterfalls on the way. The first half hour of the hike was on easy terrain. But our guide quickly reminded us that this is only the "appetizer" part of the hike, we are no where close to the main course. I was excited and anxious to see what lies ahead.

We finally reached a cabin where many people were cooking up soup and noodles, boy did it smell good! Apparently THAT was the beginning of our trail head. From there on it was all up hill. What made the hike extremely difficult was the slippery and wet terrain. This was probably my first experience with hiking in a tropical mountain. This section of the hike was pretty empty for a Sunday morning. The trail was rather narrow and the plants were constantly brushing against me throughout the hike. "Curse me for not bringing back my hiking shoes," I thought to myself. I was wearing my mom's running shoes, and needless to say I was slipping the entire way.

I was impressed with the endurance of my fellow hikers. Most of them seemed to be pretty experienced. I was even more in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. I was completely surrounded by the forest. We must've came across 3 waterfalls; each with its own beauty both in sight and sound.

We reached the 1117 meter summit at around 12:30pm. There were already 4 or 5 people there already. I brought 2 rice balls, a yogurt, and a packet of crackers that I bought from the convenience store for lunch. However, other people were cooking up traditional Taiwanese noodles, rice, and clam soup. What a feast! I was obviously a newbie...
My fellow hikers at lunch time.

The Summit

After lunch, I was energized once again. It was also comforting to know that the rest of the way would be downhill!!! It took us another hour and a half to hike down to the temple, called 保慶宮. From the temple down to Wulai is still another 8 km. 3 of the guys decided to walk down, so I followed suit. My adrenaline was still running high, so I started jogging on the parts that ran steeply downhill. Midway through the walk, a car stopped, the 3 guys had hitchhiked, and had room for one more, so I jumped on with them.

The Temple

I'm glad I did, because the way down was a lot farther than I thought. I wish I had a car though, because on the way there were many farms and aboriginal villages. It would have been quite an experience to go in and see them. Oh well, another reason to go back one day!
One I got down to Wulai, I spent some time walking around. However, after being in the mountains for 5 hours, the heavy traffic of tourists started to irk me. I headed toward the bus stop, which already had a line of people. I finally got back home at around 6pm. Funny thing was, I wasn't even tired!
I had just spent a great day hiking and being out in nature. There is still much to be discovered, and I can only hope that one day I would know the mountains of Taiwan like it was my backyard.