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About Sinkang Trail
The Difficulty Rating: ★★★⯪☆3.5
Sinkang Trail (新康橫斷) is an alpine trail that branches from South Section 2 (南二段) (the section of Jiaming Lake National Trail (嘉明湖國家步道)) and travels along an eastward ridge until it descends to join the east section Batongguan Traversing Trail (八通關古道). It is lesser-known to the general public except the keen hikers.
Most people start the hike from Xiangyang (向陽) on Highway 20, where is the same trail head for South Section 2 (and Jiaming Lake National Trail). The unique section of the Sinkang Trail begins from the trail junction to the north of Sanchashan (三叉山) / Jiaming Lake and then it heads eastward. From Busin Campground (布新營地) there is a full-day side trip (a return trip) to Bulakesangshan (布拉克桑山), a Baiyue mountain. This hike follows a ridge that leads you going southward, far away from the main ridge of the Sinkang Trail. If you are totally not interested in completing all Baiyue ascents, this side trip is optional.
Once you are back to the trail junction of Busin Campground, the trail carries on toward east, passing a few peaks until Sinsianshan (新仙山). This is an important junction where you will go to the last mountain of the trip, Sinkangshan (新康山), from here and then descend to Batongguan Traversing Trail after returning from the peak. The huge descent from the ridge to the Batongguan Traversing Trail will take a few hours as it is a drop of 1300 m.
When arriving Batongguan Traversing Trail, please make sure you turn to Baoyat Cabin (抱崖山屋), the direction to Walami (瓦拉米) and the trail head in Nanan (南安). If you go to the wrong way, the other direction, you will be moving deeply into the middle section of Batongguan Traversing Trail, the most miserable mistake while already being exhausted on a long day. The final leg of the hike is totally along Batongguan Traversing Trail where includes a popular section, Walami Trail (瓦拉米步道). At the end of the trail is Highway 30 which leads to Yuli (玉里).
Hiking Safety on Sinkang Trail
Even this hike may take five or six days, but I did not notice any extreme difficulty along the way. This does not mean the trip is easy; it just has less notorious hazards than other trails of similar length. You still need an above-average level of fitness / experience for this trail and have a good decision-making if the weather turns worse. A reasonable level of navigation skill is essential as well on this multi-day trail. Once you move away from the busy Jiaming Lake, it is possible that you will not see anyone else around until you arrive Walami. It is important to be self-sufficient.
There are a few more things to consider:
Most of the trail is within Yushan National Park. A park permit and mountain entry permit are necessary. But you also need to successfully secure a bed of Siangyang Cabin (向陽山屋) or Jiaming Lake Cabin / Campsite (嘉明湖避難山屋) in advance if you plan to stay there. These two cabins are usually busy throughout the year due to the hikers coming for Jiaming Lake. Be aware the booking for either cabin is different from the application for a park permit / mountain entry permit because they are owned by a different government agency. Please visit this website for more information about the accommodation around Jiaming Lake.
Water: Between Jiaming Lake and where the trail joins Batongguan Traversing Trail there are only two spots of water source, which are around Busin Campground and Taoyuan Campground (桃源營地). You will have to carry liters of water providing you plan to camp at other campsites. When you reach Batongguan Traversing Trail the altitude there is already below 1800 m and then the trail will descend gently to 450 m at the trail head. It can be excruciating to walk on a hot sunny day. Please stay hydrated to avoid spasm and heat exhaustion.
The eastern Batongguan Traversing Trail is a hot spot of black bear’s appearance. Although this is usually not something particularly worrying to hikers, but please keep the cabin’s door shut all the time and store the food and waste properly to minimize your attraction to the bears.
From my own experience and what I heard it looks the eastern Batongguan Traversing Trail was generally in better condition than the western section, less collapsed / damaged sections. But you may still pass one or two places where you need to negotiate carefully.
My hike notes
Before I hiked on Sinkang Trail successfully in 2014, there were two attempts. This first one was in 2011. Despite the sunny day in the beginning, we were forced to retreat from the Busin Campground under the pouring rain. I remembered in that morning I was woken up by a teammate in the tent. He showed me the water in the campsite was already approaching us, only several meters away. Basically the whole campsite became a big pond overnight. On the way turning back to the Jiaming Lake Cabin, we literally walked along a ditch, which was the track.
In the summer of 2014 when I was already experienced enough to organize a hike, I invited several friends and arranged the transportation, the complicated paperwork and communication. Just when I thought everything was ready, a typhoon appeared near Taiwan and again the trip was canceled.
It must be my sorrow which touched the sympathy of gods of mountains that my partner’s friend and friends’ friends held the same hike coincidentally just one month later. This time everything was on the right track. The only thing troubled me was the blister on my foot and the hot weather that almost melted me on Batongguan Traversing Trail during the last day. I was slowed down badly by the nasty heat. The moment an afternoon thunder rain came to cool me down was so satisfying that my soaked body regained the stamina to finish the last mile. I think that is the strongest memory from that trip.
Photos
In 2025 four machine guns were collected from a scene, but there are many parts still staying there.
