This was my second attempt at the Hehuanshan East Peak Trail in winter, and unfortunately, I failed again. This is supposed to be the easiest of the peaks, which makes it even more frustrating.
To get there, I joined a hiking group I found on Facebook. I’ve been hiking with them for years, so there’s a lot of trust and familiarity with their hiking style. If you’re interested in getting to know this group, check out PH Rock Hikers in Taiwan.
We met up at Taipei Main Station around 2 AM, and the rented minivan took us through all the winding roads and cold weather to Kunyang Parking Lot (昆陽停車場).
What I did right to stay warm:
- Base layer: Liv Women’s Long Sleeves (yes, a cross over)
- Second layer: Columbia Fleece
- Outer shell: 10-year-old Columbia Omni Heat Long Insulated Jacket
- Neck gaiter: Columbia Titanium
- Pants: Uniqlo Heattech Parachute Trousers
- Beanie: Icewear Wool (bought in Iceland back in 2018)
- Shoes and socks: Altra Olympus 5 Mid GTX + Columbia winter socks
- Altitude sickness medicine!
What I Did Wrong:
- Brought newly bought Montbell gloves that were untested with no backup gloves
- Didn’t bring enough hand warmers
- Didn’t bring crampons
The Trail
We started walking from Kunyang Parking Lot. We thought there wasn’t much snow since there was almost nothing at the parking lot, but the trail conditions changed as we kept hiking.
We made our first stop at Wuling, ate some bananas, and kept walking in the snow.
We had a coffee break at 合歡山咖啡屋 H²Café (3,160m) before heading to Songsyue Lodge to start the East Peak Trail.
Why I Keep Failing This Trail
The first time I hiked this trail in winter, the altitude sickness medicine wore off just a few meters from Songsyue Lodge. I had to return to the coffee shop and hike Shihmenshan Trail (石門山登山步道) instead.
This time, the gloves I brought just weren’t enough to keep my hands warm. As soon as we reached the height where the wind was blowing hard, I felt sharp pain in my fingers like they were being hammered. My hand warmers couldn’t keep up. I tried using my breath and slipping my hands under my arms, but it wasn’t enough to warm them fast enough. It was the first time I felt such pain that I wanted to cry on the spot. I had to tell my two buddies that they could continue while I waited at the coffee shop. One continued, while the other decided to return with me.
We returned to 合歡山咖啡屋 H²Café (3,160m) and waited for our buddy’s return. This coffee shop doesn’t have a heater—I guess to encourage people to rest for a reasonable time and then move on.
To get back to where we started, we had to hitch a ride. We went to the parking lot near the coffee shop and asked passing truck drivers if we could catch a ride for a small fee. That’s how we got back to Kunyang parking lot.
Total moving time: 2 hours 22 minutes
Total distance and elevation gain: 6.45km, 305m
For the next few days, I could still feel the trauma in my fingers and kept dropping things I was holding, like my Coco Fruit Tea.
I do plan what we call a “revenge hike” next year. They say third time’s a charm, and I will return to this blog to remind myself of the mistakes I made and correct them next time.
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That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more adventures and tips on balancing work and travel!
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