(玉山) Yushan Hike

Yushan is easily the most logistically and physically demanding hike I’ve done. To date. 

Logistically difficult because it requires months of planning: permits are necessary, language is a barrier, and the mountain is not a touristy place hence public transportation is highly limited (likely due to the required permits thus limiting the number or hikers). 

Physically demanding because it is the highest I’ve hiked to date, and altitude sickness does take a toll on me.

So, lemme help one fellow hiker to another at least on sharing my experience.

Budget: TWD2,720 (~USD92)

• TWD 900. Bus from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake
• TWD 270. Bus from Sun Moon Lake to Tataka Trailhead
• TWD 300. Dongpu Lodge stay (1 night)
• TWD 80. Breakfast at Dongpu Lodge (we were cheap, we had cup noodles for Dinner)
• TWD270. Bus from Tataka Trailhead to Sun Moon Lake.
• TWD900. Bus from Sun Moon Lake to Taipei

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 3,952m / 12,966ft)

• June 30-July 1, 2019. 
• Easily a 5/5. If you do the overnight up at 3,000 meters, I’ll put it at 4/5.

When to Go
I think they are open throughout the year, but you’ll have to be lucky lottery wise (see special notes below). Avoid the typhoon season! So no June-August season. 

Special Notes

• 3 months before. Get permit, and book accommodations. 
• Permits are required upon hiking, and you will not be allowed to go in without a permit. Hence, about three months in advance, they open up a lottery/first come first served online reservation system. So before you hike (be it dayhike or overnight hike), make sure you get your mountain permit online.
• For overnight hikes (recommended). There are reserved slots for foreigners on a first come, first served basis. Otherwise there’s a lottery that is announced a month before.
• For day hikes. First come first served, booked online.
• The moment you get the confirmation: 
• For overnight hikes: submit application Paiyun Lodge at 3,402 meters (for those lucky folks who got a slot for an overnight stay).
• For day hikes: submit application for Dongpu Lodge at trailhead (300 yuan per night, 80 yuan for breakfast, 200 yuan for dinner) 

• 2 weeks before. Book buses.
• Taipei to Sun Moon Lake. Book bus 1833 from Taipei to Sun Moon Lake (900 yuan, round trip, paid online). There’s a  website you can reserve with. The 1833 bus can only be booked two weeks in advance. First bus is around 7am, last bus at 5pm, around 4 hours one way.
• Sun Moon Lake to Tataka Trailhead. Book bus 6739. (Around 270 yuan one way). There’s a form and an email address that you should email in advance.(To: yulinbus@gmail.comcc: dyc707636@yahoo.com.tw).
• Payment to be made by IC card or exact change. We were charged higher when we paid by cash (we paid the full Sun Moon Lake to Alishan fare on our way up) so I recommend using an IC card.
• There are two buses available, around 2 hours one way.
• Sun Moon Lake to Alishan (stop at Tataka): 8am and 9am. There’s a centralized bus terminal in Sun Moon Lake – it’s difficult to NOT find it.
• Tataka to Sun Moon Lake: 1:40pm and 2:40pm. That’s what the time tables say, but our bus came (and left) at 1:30pm. So plan accordingly. You can board at where you were dropped off, but there’s another bus stop if you turn left upon reaching the main road after your hike. It’s a small sign to easy to miss.

• 5 days before. Print all related documents.
• Two copies of mountain permit – go to the website you applied to and find the option to print permit
• A copy of the police thingy (don’t judge me – i can’t read it) – you’ll receive the email if you click police permit option after you’ve printed the mountain permit
• Emergency contacts sheet – you’ll receive this with the police thingy above

• The day before. Get all the permits stamped and submitted.
• Go to the Paiyun Visitor Center to get your mountain permit stamped – i think they get one copy so you get left with one.
• Go to the Police place right next to it to get your mountain permit checked and stamped.

• On the day of.
• Altitude sickness is real. If you haven’t hiked 3,500masl+ high mountains, then you definitely need to stay at the lodge. Otherwise google altitude sickness and find a way to prepare. DO NOT underestimate it. About 20 minutes from the summit we saw signs of someone who threw up. High chances that at that point that person had to turn around if they weren’t able to acclimate soon enough.
• For those without a vehicle, time IS TIGHT. But. Take your time because Altitude sickness is real.
• Prepare for a. rain, b. heat and humidity, c. cold and windy weather conditions. That’s what we experienced during our trip there.
• Water source (free) at the huts – so two sources. One at Paiyun Lodge, another at the Visitor Center. 

Itinerary
Sunday

• ~11am. Arrival at trail head. There’s one restaurant nearby, so we went there for lunch.
• ~1pm. We went to Paiyun Visitor Center and the police place to submit the papers. You’ll need the stamped papers as someone checks it at around 3,000 meters.
• ~2pm. Arrival at Dongpu Lodge, rest.

Monday

• 12:30am. Wake up, start breakfast.
• 01:30am. Head out.
• 05:58am. Arrival at Paiyun Lodge, rest for 30 minutes. Even if you don’t need it, consider resting to acclimate with altitude sickness. There’s a 10am cut off – meaning if you are not here by 10am, you cannot summit.
• 08:06am. Summit. Yey!
• 08:25am. Start heading down.
• 01:11pm. Back at Paiyun Visitor Center (we were very time conscious because of the bus we had to catch!)
• 01:30pm. Take bus to Sun Moon Lake.