Travel blog

Recently, Taipei has become hotter and hotter. Both tourists and local people have begun to go to the mountains. Apart from the summer heat, they can also see the most beautiful forests in Taiwan. This time, I’m going to introduce the recent hot summer climbing route, which has the Taiwanese version of Mount Fuji, "Mount Kari", and I have to challenge Taipei to reach the top in one day!

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About Mount Gary

Altitude: 2220 meters ｜ 3.2 kilometers in total length

Difficulty: ●●●◐○ ｜ Round trip about 7-8 hours

Mount Jiali, located in the Deer Farm Tribe in Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli, is a small Baiyue with a fairy view but not to be underestimated. The difficulty is intermediate hiking. It can walk through forest roads, climb hills, pull ropes and roads that require wading, plus back and forth It takes a long time, and it may be a little strenuous for people who do not usually have the habit of climbing and exercising. If you want to go a little easier novice route, you can refer to this: https: //8car.com.tw/article/226

Climbing route and time spent: Jialishan Deer Farm climbing entrance → (0.6K, 15 minutes) → Fengmei Creek → (1.3K, 50 minutes) → Refuge Mountain House → (1.5K, 70 minutes) → No. 9 Rescue Chung climbing slope →(0.5K, 45 minutes)→Garyshan Triangle Point→(1.7K, 40 minutes)

Transportation

1. By car (from Taipei): Take National Highway No. 3 to Baoshan Township, take the 98-Baoshan exit and get off the interchange to Sanwan City, then take County Road 124 and Yanmiao Township Road 21 to Luchang Village, and follow the connecting road You can reach the mountain pass of Mount Gary.

2. Chartered car (departing from the residence): order a car charter service on the official website of Orange Cat Travel Charter before departure, and you can depart from your residence directly to your destination at the specified time.

Preparation before departure

1. Mid-tube hiking shoes (a good grip and waterproof is recommended to avoid high ground drop and slippery mountain roads)

2. Gloves, hiking trousers (there will be climbing sections along the way to avoid friction)

3. Light windbreaker jacket (high mountains are prone to fog and wind)

4. Trekking poles (depending on personal situation)

5. Sun protection products, rain protection products

6. Water (There is no water station at the mountain pass and mountain house, it is recommended to prepare at least 2000CC)

7. Low-energy food (it is recommended to bring food that is not perishable and easy to eat)

8. Confirm the climate (Central Meteorological Bureau, Ministry of Transport: https://ubin.io/VLApFP)

9. Simple physical training (due to the difficulty of this route, it is recommended that you develop a habit of exercising at least 30 minutes a day on weekdays to keep your body in a state of being used to exercise)

10. Sufficient sleep

(2020.7.10, the temperature in Taipei was about 30 degrees when leaving the group, and it was about 20 degrees when it arrived at Mount Jiali)

Climbing route

06:30-06:45 Departure

On the morning of the mountaineering day, I gathered with mountain friends at the Guting MRT station in Taipei, and took a ride straight to the Jialishan mountain pass. This time I chose to charter the car for two reasons: 1. The mountain road to the mountain pass is a challenge for novice drivers (steep up And it’s hard to get a car), 2. It’s easy to find a free parking space at the mountain pass on holidays (but you can choose to pay 100 yuan to guarantee a place).
 

09:00 Mount Gary Pass

There are actually two hiking trails in Mount Jiali. The first one is the most popular and the clear route is the "Deer Farm" we are going to walk this time. The second is "Penglai". Arrive at the Mount Gari mountain pass at about 9 in the morning. After entering the trail, the first sight to greet us is the dense cedar forest. About a minute’s walk, you will encounter a fork in the road to Mount Gari/Hakanee. Remember to go "right Down (slow down)" is the route to Mount Gari!
 

9:45 Fengmei Creek

After passing the fork, you will arrive at "Fengmei Creek" in about fifteen minutes. You can take a break here. The cold mountain spring water is so clear that you can find fish in any sight with the naked eye! ! But don't stay too long because of the heat, because there is still a long way to rush, and the current section is only a warm-up, after walking through Fengmeixi, today's challenge is just about to begin.
 

10:35 Refuge Mountain House

After a break, start climbing and enter the sections that require both hands and feet. When you start to consume a lot of energy, don’t forget to pay attention to your footsteps, because there are many roots on the ground along the way to deepen the difficulty of climbing. In addition, there are some larger stones. Be careful, it is easy to turn your feet, so before you go, you are advised to wear mid-tube hiking shoes to protect your ankles.
 

Although this section is not easy to walk, it is recognized by many mountain friends as the "most beautiful section". The sun shines through the tall and dense forest on the climbing route. Look carefully at your feet and there are trolley tracks from the logging period. The scenery is as dreamy as the forest plot of a fairy tale, making people more motivated to move towards the triangle point!
 

11:45 No. 9 Rescue Chunk Ascend

It is recommended that everyone take a break when passing by the refuge mountain house, because before reaching the triangle point, there is a harder ascent, and there are many climbing ropes, but the surrounding scenery has also begun to change while one side is steep. With huge boulders standing and roots entrenched, if you are lucky, you will still have a chance to see the "one-leaf orchid" that can be found in Mount Jiali.
 

12:30 Mount Gary Triangle

After going through the last section of an uphill of nearly 60 degrees, finally arrived at the triangle point of Mount Gary! The clouds and mist on the top of the mountain are like walking out of the forest to another dreamy world of silver and white. Although I haven't seen the classic sea of clouds, this kind of scenery has already swept away the exhaustion of the summit. After a period of reluctant going down the mountain, I started to walk slowly back to the original road. The steep descent section deepened the difficulty of going down the mountain. Make sure to step on every step before walking.
 

16:30 Depart for Taipei

When I returned to the entrance of the mountain, the parking lot was already foggy, and I felt that these eight hours was like a trip to a fairyland. When going down the mountain, there is a hawker selling sausages at the entrance of the mountain. You can replenish the energy you just used to climb the mountain before dinner. In addition, when you pass the Luchang tribe along the way, you find that there are many camping areas in the tribe. It only takes ten minutes to drive to the entrance of the mountain. In this way, I silently agreed with the mountain friends that I would have a two-day and one-night trip to the aboriginal tribes of Mount Gari & Deer Farm next time.

Orange cat's thoughtful suggestions

The one-day summit of Mount Gari introduced this time is a difficult intermediate hike, which is more suitable for mountain friends who usually have exercise habits. If you are not familiar with mountain climbing activities, you can also follow the mountaineering group, because the second half of the route is rich in terrain. Professional guides will be safer! >> Consult a mountaineering group