Mount Tashan, Chiayi, Taiwan

hikesasiatravel

Nov 18

Written By Anne

I woke up early to catch a train from Kaohsiung to Chiayi, then transferred to a bus heading up to Alishan. It was a long journey, but I wanted enough time to hike once I arrived. Light rain came and went, and I hoped it would hold off.

After paying the entrance fee at Alishan, I headed to the Tashan Trail. The first part was easy, with well-maintained steps. About 2 km in, it started pouring. I considered turning back, since the second half was a steep climb and the fog meant I wouldn’t see much at the top. But with more rain expected tomorrow, I decided to push on.

A warning sign before the steep section didn’t quite capture how tough it would be—especially in the rain. When I reached the top, it was completely fogged in, and I didn’t stay long as the rain got heavier.

I made my way down and continued on to the Sister Ponds Trail. I walked around the ponds, admired the huge cypress trees, crossed suspension bridges, and checked out the viewpoints before heading to my accommodation for the night.

The hotel staff were kind enough to let me check in early so I could change out of my wet clothes before they told me about the hotel facilities. They mentioned that the sunrise train might not run tomorrow due to the weather, which was a bit disappointing since seeing the sunrise at Alishan is considered a must-do. They also let me know where to go for dinner and where to get the free breakfast in the morning. I called it a day after getting dinner and hoped the sky would be clear tomorrow.