XUESHAN (SNOW MOUNTAIN) CLIMB AT 3,886 MASL IN TAIWAN

Location:  Shei-Pa National Park, Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan
Entry Point: Xueshan Park Entry Check-in Counter, Wuling Farm, Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan

Exit Point: Xueshan Park Entry Check-in Counter, Wuling Farm, Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan

Elevation: 3,886 MASL (12,749 feet)

Days Required/Hours to summit: 2 Days/ 8- 10 hours

Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail Class 1-3

Features:  It is also known as Snow Mountain, the second highest mountain in Taiwan with well-established trails and the highest point of the Xueshan Range.  It offers diverse ecosystems, ranging from subtropical forests to alpine shrubland, and is known for its winter snow cover.  Mountain Ash trees decorates its forest with beautiful red colors.  These trees are endemic species of Taiwan, a deciduous tree of Rosaceae family.

Victoriously reaching the summit at 3,886 MASL alone

Xueshan or Snow Mountain climb is a part of my packaged tour dated March 12-20, 2024 provided by most trusted travel organizers, the couple Dr. Eric R. Ranchez and Jonah Chavez-Ranchez under their brand, Jonah's Travel offering the lowest rate compared to their counterparts. This tour starts with the Yushan (Jade Mountain) Climb and specifically, this climb was dated March 17-19, 2024.  Do not be confused if this mountain is also called Mount Syue or Hsueshan, both still refer to Xueshan.

The Xueshan 2024 Team

We were originally 10 for this climb.  However, Madame Aileen di not make it after successfully completing the first climb in Yushan, while Marco did not make it to Taiwan for some pressing appointment at home.

Day 1:  March 17, 2024

Overlooking these mountain slopes while heading to Wuling Farm

This specifically starts leaving Taichung City at 9:00 A.M. on March 17, 2024 traveling to Wuling Farm for a distance of 167.1 kilometers for four hours, but due to side trips, it took us 3:20 P.M. to reach the Xueshan Park Entry Check-in Counter in Wuling Farm, the trailhead of Xueshan.

Xueshan Park Entry Check-in Counter at 2,140 MASL

This Park Entry Check-in Counter in Wuling which serves as the trailhead of the Xueshan, serves as the Gateway to 100 Peaks.  Nearby mountains in Yushan are Mount Pintian (3,524 MASL), Mount Chiyou (3,303 MASL), Mount Taoshan (3, 325 MASL) and Mount Kalaye (3,133 MASL) and they are called Wuling Quadruple Mountains.

Our climbing team ready to rumble

Our team was also a part of the 26 Yushan climbers except for Crisol Pacursa who already finished climbing Yushan ahead of our team. Of course, the organizer, Dr. Eric Ranchez is our Expedition Leader and we climbed without a guide.

Water Reservoir at Xueshan Trailhead

We stayed around 30 minutes at the Park Entry Check-in Counter to prepare for an hour trek to our accommodation for overnight. At the Park Entry, climbers can buy food and other essentials and some souvenir items.  Some of those who were there  are not really climbers but purely tourists who stayed or toured at the nearby Wuling Farm.

The well-established trail heading to Qika Cabin

From the trailhead which is the Park Entry Check-in Counter is a 2-kilometer trek towards Qika Cabin where we stayed for an overnight.  This first 2-kilometer distance is an easy to hike paved with many stairs.  The assault is so gradual.

Qika Cabin for overnight accommodation

Qika Cabin is big enough which can accommodate 106 hikers.  It has bunk beds, a kitchen and dining area, flushed toilets, and a drying room.  The management here does not sell food and other essentials.  This is purely for sleeping quarters of the climbers.  There were no comforters nor sleeping bags for rent, thus, climbers has to provide their own sleeping bag.

Day 2:  March 18, 2024

A fresh start for an intended Day Climb

Our call time was 5:30 A.M. for the preparation of our breakfast and body clean up.  It was too cold then but bathing was not even encouraged here.  We cook and took for our breakfast together at the dining hall separate from the sleeping quarters.  Climbers are encouraged to bring their butane if they want to cook at the kitchen area.

Highly energized to push for a day climb

We started the trek at around 7:00 A.M. from Qika Cabin.  It was a chilling morning and more or less we were trailing a well-established trail of gradual ascents.  Honestly, it was such a relaxing trek being mesmerized by the good weather and scenic trails.

At 7:41 A.M. with my Beshie Christian Palacio

A part of the 100 Peaks scenery

Taiwan is indeed blessed with dramatic mountainous region.  The view above proves that Snow Mountain is indeed surrounded with 100 peaks.  Every step of mine excites me.  I was really thinking that the climb is just enough for a day.  I was so excited with the thought that for the first time I will be trekking a mountain with snow.

Long ascending open trail at 8:32 A.M.

I was looking for a signage where I can identify my location but there was none to find  and so I just kept on scaling lightly and happily.  The good thing was, even if they are open trails, it was not hot.

Ascent to Ku Po (Ku Slope)

Entering the forest at 8:35 A.M. after a long ascent to Ku Po

The forest is not so dense covered with pine trees of variants like Pinus morrisonicola (Taiwan white pine) and Pinus kesiya (Khasi pine).  In other trails, there is also a presence of Pinus hwangshanensis (Huangshan pine).

Reaching this magical view at 9:04 A.M.

Indeed, it has a magical scenery

The open trails offers a warmer temperature at 9:26 A.M.

I reached this point at 9:28 A.M.

Passing thru the Sanliujiu Hut at 10:01 A.M.

I reached the junction of the Old Sanliujiu Cabin.   I can see other structures under renovation, since Shei-pa National Park is renovating a ndw cabin, so, hikers stay at the temporary campground set up by the national park.  We did not stay here since we spent overnight at Qika Cabin,

Entering Mount Syue

Taiwan Mountain Ash forest

After a long and cardiac assault from the junction of Sanliujiu Hut, is a dense forest of Taiwan Mountain Ash (Sorbus Randalensi).  These trees usually grow in subtropical forest and this is a sight to behold during autumn where its foliage decorates the forest with red color.

Deep into the Mountain Ash forest alone at 10:46 A.M.

So overwhelmed of this magical forest

Wandering around Black Forest and Crown Shyness trees 11:25 A.M.

The enchanting black forest 11:25 A.M.

Still exploring the black forest alone

Black forest is a well-known Taiwan Fir forest.  These trees at least one or two hundred years of age.  Even in bright sunlight, it remains dim and  cool in the forest.  Black forest gets its name because of its density, more than 60 percent of the sky are covered by a canopy of trees. If you look up and observe closely, you may notice "crown shyness" phenomenon.  The crown of each tree do not touch each other, as if it is a way of communication between trees, giving sufficient sunlight to every branch as possibly as they can.

Approaching the Glacial Cirque No. 1 at 12:19 Noon

At the foot of Glacial Cirque No. 1

While at the base of Glacial Cirque No. 1

This point is at 3,500 MASL.  It is a feature of glacial topography.  The name indicates a circular hollow situated where the head of a mountain glacier was, hollowed out by the action of the ice, snow and the glacier, and shaped like a green basin, with every steep cliffs on the upper side.   

Pushing for the summit at 12:42 Noon

Completed 10.2 kilometer trek at 12:55 Noon

Going higher at 1:07 P.M. (Thanks to my photographer Boi Palaboi) pabalik na siya

Look at my face at 1:31 P.M. completing 10.6 kilometer trek

It is so difficult to trek on the snow even with crampons

Reached the summit at 2:12 P.M. Too late to descend.  I was the last one to reach it

I cried with joy when I reached the summit at 3,886 MASL, not because of joy, because I knew that it was too late to descend back to Qika Cabin.

The Main Peak of Xue Mountain connects six popular hiking trails - Shengleng Trail (Holy Ridge Trail), Wuling Quadruple Trail, East Xue Trail, Zhijiayang Trail, Xuejian Trail, and West Xue Trail. There are two other extended routes, Shengling Y-shaped Trail starts from Wuling Quadruple Mountains which climbers should keep walking along Takejin Creek to pass Banan, go to Daba Peaks and back with a light pack, and follow the traditional route of Shengleng Trail to Main Peak of Xue Mountain.

At 2:32 P.M. battling my way towards my descent

In my descent, it was already 4:03 P.M. and I was still at the Black forest 

At 4:35 P.M. I was just heading to Sanliujiu Hut junction

The view after passing Sanliujiu Hut junction at 5:06 P.M.

I reached Ku Slope at 5:56 P.M. but it was already dark.  Since, I was rattled, I did not have the chance to look for my head lamp.  I was trekking in darkness and around 6:20 P.M. I heard voices calling me and they were Doc Eric R. Ranchez and Boi Palaboi.  They rescued me from the dark.  When I was reunited with them, I searched for my head lamp and it was in my backpack.  We still had a very long trek back to Qika Cabin and reached there at 7:48 P.M.  After taking dinner, we rested in our extremely freezing bed.  since I did not bring with me a sleeping bag.

Day 3: March 19, 2024

Early in the morning we woke up at 6:00 A.M. to cook for our breakfast and eventually ate our meal. Then we left at Qika Cabin at 7:00 A.M. with  our complete descent to the Park Entry Check-in Counter in Wuling Farm where we reached it 7:52 A.M.

The Water Reservoir at the Park Entry Check-in Counter

While at the Park Entry Check-in Counter

From the Trail Head of the Park Entry Check-in Counter, we drove down to Wuling Farm which can be partly watched on this video.  Then, we returned back to Taichung City to our Loosha accommodation and March 20, 2024 was our return flight to Manila.  Thank you Xueshan for this great mountaineering experience.  Thank you also to my climbing buddies and most especially to the travel organizer Jonah's Travel.  This is my third problem-free international climb with them, the other two were Mount Fuji in Japan and Yushan (Jade Mountain) of Taiwan..  Watch also for my Mount Kinabalu Climb which completed my quest for Asia Trilogy, still with Jonah's Travel.