Wuling Sixiu
- Taiwan Backpacking 2
Posted on: 06/17/26 8 minute read
Introduction
When life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. When life strips me of my lemons, my craving for lemonade is left unsatiated.
As such, when my hiking partner was unfortunately forced to cancel on me just 2 days before our departure date, I was faced with the difficult decision of scrapping the trip or going it alone.
As you can see, I chose the latter, and thank goodness I did.
In my fourth backpacking trip and final backpacking trip before I depart to the United States, I soloed the Wuling Sixiu (Wuling Quadruple Mountains, 武陵四秀) trail in 3 days, and bagged four of Taiwan's tallest peaks (Baiyue, 百岳).
Table of Contents
- - The Route
- - Packing List
- - Day 1 - Trailhead → Xinda Cabin
- - Day 2 - Xinda Cabin → Mt. Pintian → Mt. Tao Cabin
- - Day 3 - Taoshan Cabin → Mt. Tao → Mt. Kalaye → Trailhead
- - Reflection
- - I preferred to sleep in a tent over the cabins to avoid nighttime noise
- - I packed an extra day of provisions, along with many optional equipment to prepare for unexpected situations
- - Since I'm going alone, I had no one to split the load of jointly used gear such as the first aid kit and the tent
The Route
The Wuling Sixiu (武陵四秀), more commonly known to English Speakers as the Wuling Quadruple Mountains, is composed of four peaks resting on the same range: Mt. Pintian (品田山, 3524m), Mt. Chiyou (池有山, 3303m), Mt. Tao (桃山, 3325m), and Mt. Kalaye (喀拉業山, 3133m),
with the trail bringing the backpacker up and down these peaks like a surfer riding a sinewave for a total of approximately 30km horizontal distance and 3km vertical gain.
The hike is typically completed in 3 days with overnight stays in the Xinda (新達山屋) and Taoshan (桃山山屋) Mountain huts, with breakfast, dinner, and even sleeping bags all reservable through third-party services such as the Bunun Climbers. Taking advantage of these services can significantly cut down on trail weight and make the backpacking trip significantly more comfortable.
Buuuuuut basically every backpacking trail in Taiwan offers huts and meals, so what makes the Wuling Sixiu special?
Besides the breathtaking vista, which oversees Xueshan (雪山, second highest peak in TW) and Dabajian Mountain (大霸尖山, face of the 500 NT bill), Wuling Sixiu is filled from peak to peak with rocky scrambles and 90 degree rope ascents/descents.
This adds an extra layer of challenge and builds necessary experience for hikers to take on more technical trails in the future (quite literally, because the TW gov checks for experience when applying for permits in more difficult trails).
My Packing List
To preface, I packed a little more than a typical backpacker would. This was due to the fact that:
| First Aid Kit | Sleeping Bag | 2 Hiking Poles | 3 Liters of Water |
| Provisions | Permit, ID, BLS Certification | Phone | Downloaded Map |
| Compass/Thermometer | Power Bank | Satcom Device (TEST IT!) | Water Filter |
| Headlamp | Large Cup (Used as bowl) | Oxygen | Granola Bars |
| Trowel | Nitrile-Dipped Gloves | Inflatable Mattress | Utensils |
| GoPro & Camera Stand | Waterproof Shell | Trash Bag | Toilet Paper |
In hindsight, there were several things that I have forgotten to bring that would have been very helpful. These include: an additional second power bank, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and more tissues. To be clear, IM NOT USING MY PHONE WHILE ON TRAIL! My phone battery just drains really fast for some reason... it was shut down most of the time too, yet the battery appears to drain even when the phone is in a shut down state. The final weight of my pack was approximately 14 Kilograms.
The Hike
Day 1 - Trailhead → Mt. Chiyou → Xinda Cabin
The drive from Taipei to Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) is roughly 3 hours, and I planned to start the hike at around 7 AM, so as such I left my home at approximately 4 AM. It was pertinent that I arrived before 8 AM, for after which, construction crews would halt traffic for up to an hour at a time. I do NOT want to sit in an idle car for an hour.
Once at the trailhead, my father bid me farewell and I began the toughest of the 3 days- a 1460 meter ascent all the way up to the summit of Mt. Chiyou.
About 3/4ths the way up, I met up with a guided tour group who offered me the opportunity to join their party. I happily accepted and stuck with them for the rest of the day, which was an excellent decision because that was how I was able to snag these sick photos.
Soon after, I arrived at Xinda cabin and set up my tent for the night while the chefs prepped dinner. When night fell, I peeped my head out the tent and before me were the most beautiful stars that I've ever laid my eyes upon. Unfortunately, I took no photos because I was too tired and had a very rough nights sleep due to my neglecting to stake down the rainfly, so I will be sure to snag star photos in my next Taiwan trip when I'm not alone and weather permits.
Day 2 - Xinda Cabin → Mt. Pintian → Mt. Tao Cabin
The party I hiked with the prior day offered to have me join them again for the sunrise on Mt. Pintian. I went to bed at 8 PM but only actually fell asleep at 12, so I was unable to match their 3 AM wakeup time. Instead, I slept like a baby until 8 AM and once again departed alone. I left the majority of my gear including my tent, clothes, and sleeping bag/pad at Xinda Cabin to save on weight, only bringing essentials like food and water.
The summit to Mt. Pintian involves going down the Pintian V Section, which, as it sounds, is a steep descent into the col leading up to Mt Pintian and a steep almost 90 degree climb to the summit while on a narrow ridgeline. This section is the most technical part of Wuling Sixiu and requires a clear concentrated mind to navigate the rocky scrambles. There are ropes along this section which can be used to make the descent a little bit easier and perhaps a little bit safer. I dropped my backpack and hiking sticks before proceeding into this section so that I could maintain a good grip on the rocks and remain balanced.
I like the Pintian Summit the best of the Wuling Sixiu. You get a very very neat view of all the surrounding mountains in Shei-pa national park, I could even see Jade Mountain (highest peak in Taiwan) in the far distance!
At approximately 2 pm, I reached the Taoshan Mountain Hut. The hut's perimeter was covered with foliage and as such, the views were obstructed; however this also meant that my tent had superior wind protection so the night was a lot more forgiving in terms of noise.
Day 3 - Taoshan Cabin → Mt. Tao → Mt. Kalaye → Trailhead
I was worried on this last day; my inreach reported a 30% chance of a thunderstorm coming in at 2 PM- albeit with 0mm of precipitation. Nonetheless being caught up alone in adverse weather conditions was not something I wanted to experience.
As such, I woke up at 4 AM with the goal of descending the mountain before the the 2 PM thunderstorm window.
Taoshan was only a 10 minute walk away from the the Taoshan mountain hut which was very convenient. The view up top was ok, but the vista atop Mt. Pintian was better.
At this point, the only reason why anyone would continue down the trail to reach Mt. Kalaye is for the bragging right of completing Wuling Sixiu and bagging another Baiyue; because Mt. Kalaye is located in a tall field of miniature bamboo, thus obstructing the vista. Additionally the path leading up to Mt. Kalaye is to say the least, boring.
If I were to repeat this trail again, I would do it in two days and only bag Chiyou and Pintian mountains.
Anyhow, the path back to the trailhead after bagging Mt. Kalaye was just a smooth descent all the way back to the trailhead with the path quality almost adjacent to what one'd expect in a frontcountry hike. There ended up not being a thunderstorm afterall.
Reflection
Never have I felt a feeling of longing for Taiwan when I left the country for the summer; never, until now; never, until the moment that I realize that I will not be returning for a long while.
I miss being able to go down to the electronics market by just biking less than 10 minutes, I miss being able to hit the bowling alley & eat Saboten on a whim, but probably most of all I miss the accessibility & beauty of Taiwan's mountains.
Taiwan is a natural wonder that is a paradise for mountaineers due to its mountain density and biodiversity, and I am sorry to my past self for only realizing this 3 months before I was due to leave.
As such, being able to do this last hike alone- and have the full beauty of Taiwan's mountains all to myself for one last time before I dip to college- was the best gift I could have been granted.
Letting me go on a solo trip was a very very hard decision for my parents to make, but because they agreed, I feel that my Taiwan journey is fulfilled until the next time I visit again.