Disclaimer: Information such as the locations or the trails shown on the maps of this website may be inaccurate, misleading or out-of-date. They are only the simple illustration for the ranges of the hiking trails or the points of interest. Please prepare your own navigation device, apps, topo maps, and GPX files for hiking.
About Snow Hiking in Taiwan
Snow might be something ordinary or even annoying in winter to many people in temperate countries. But Taiwanese are very fond of snow. Snowfall in Taiwan represents the excitement that is rarely seen on ordinary days.
Hehuanshan (合歡山) is the most popular place to watch snow because it is around the highway where the only challenge is to withstand the traffic jams during the snowing days. Xueshan (雪山), Yushan (玉山) and Nanhudashan are also the well-known mountains where snow cover may last longer than other high mountains in Taiwan. I have not hiked on Yushan during a snow season but I heard it can be very risky at some spots along the trail.
Click the link to know more about the risks of snow hiking in Taiwan.
About Snow Hiking in Nanhudashan
The difficulty rating: ★★★★☆
Nanhudashan is my favorite hiking destination in winter. The cabins and campsites are usually much more available than other seasons or other hiking trails like Xueshan. The trail and the cirques are so quiet without much clamor from hikers, feeling like owning the whole mountain. The views from the trail head to the cirques or the tops of the mountains are diverse and gorgeous that made me lingering on the trail each time.
But when the trail is icy and snowy, hiking can become much more difficult than normal days. That is the reason I give the snow hiking here a four star difficulty rating. During the three visits in snow seasons, I have not encountered any impassible condition, but the was probably just a good luck.
Wuyanfeng (五岩峰), the narrow ridge between the trail junction (to Nanhu North Mountain 南湖北山) and Nanhu North Peak (南湖北峰) is generally considered a risky section during snow season. Once hikers arrive the Nanhu Cirque, they can decide if it is necessary to climb other peaks; alternatively people might just wander around in the magnificent cirques.
Crampons, ice axe and helmet are the essential equipment that national parks advise every hiker to carry during every snow season. Please make sure you know how to use them. Click the link to know more about the risks of snow hiking in Taiwan.
