The schedule for day 1 will be for the team to independently arrive at the homestay/hostel in Guanshan (池上), where we will be staying. Hikers are free to arrive as their schedule permits, but it’s advised to arrive sometime in the late afternoon or early evening if possible. Once checked in to our homesty, we will discuss the route, itinerary, and equipment requirements, and your guide will answer any other questions you may have.

Please note, accommodation on Day 1 is included in the tour package, however, your transportation to Guanshan is not included. Guests must find their own way to Guanshan. Please plan ahead and provide yourself enough time prior to the departure to book and secure your transportation. Please book a one-way ticket, as our guests’ return train ticket will be included in the tour price.

Trains from Taipei take approximately 3 hours and depart 13 times/day between 06:10 and 22:00.
Trains from Kaohsiung take approximately 3 hours and depart 5 times/day between 07:45 and 18:30.

Please plan ahead. Contact Taiwan Outdoors at info@originwild.com.tw if you require support in scheduling transportation.

Our accommodation for Day 1 will be at a local homestay approximately 5-minute walk from the Guanshan Train Station. There are convenience stores and restaurants located near the Guanshan Station Train. This small local homestay offers shared sleeping facilities for up to 6 guests per room. Private washroom facilities and showers are available on-site. Rolled mattress, duvet and pillows are provided.

No meals will be provided for guests on Day 1. Please prepare your own dinner, drinks, and any personal items you will need.

Breakfast: No / Lunch: No / Dinner: No

It will be an early morning with a 05:00 wake-up. Please be respectful of others as we will be using a shared room. We will wake up and purchase breakfast at a local restaurant or convenience store, check our equipment, and have a short briefing of the day’s schedule before jumping into our private shuttle to take us up to Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區).

After about an hour and a half drive, we will arrive at Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區). Here we will have our permits checked and make final preparations before departing. Bathrooms will be available here.

After a short break, we will depart and begin our journey up to the second-largest mountain lake in Taiwan. The first part of the day has us walking on a winding paved road up a series of switchbacks. Along the way, we will have the opportunity to stop at a small wooden viewing platform. If the weather is clear, we should have a gorgeous view of the South First Section (南一段) of the Central Mountain range.

After about an hour and a half, we will reach the end of the road, which is where we will leave the paved road, and begin hiking up the trail. After another 1.6km of relatively gentle hiking, we will have ascended up approximately 200m to the famous Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋). This is one of the most popular mountain cabins in Taiwan and a common place for hikers to stay when going to Jiaming Lake. Here we will rest for about 15 minutes and re-fill our water.

At around noon, we should arrive at a large black-water pond. From this point on it will be a pretty steep ascent. We stop here for lunch to make sure we all have enough calories and energy for the rest of the day. After lunch. From here we will need to ascend roughly 300 more meters, mostly via stairs.

After about an hour of hiking, we will arrive at the Xiangyang Famous Tree (向陽名樹). The high winds at this altitude caused this tree’s interesting shape and made it one of the most iconic trees in Taiwan. After another hour of hiking, we will arrive at a small fork on the trail. Mt. Xiangyang is about 30 minutes up to the left. If the team has energy (and the weather is good), we can summit it on the first day, otherwise, we will save it for the last day. Regardless of the day we summit, this is approximately a 1-hour round trip. Heavy backpacks will be left here for the summit).

Around 3:00pm we will arrive at the famous Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋), one of the most popular mountain cabins in Taiwan. We will check-in and pick up our sleeping bags and settle into our assigned bunk spaces. We will have free time until dinner (at 5:00pm) to rest, relax, take pictures, and socialize.

Our dinner for the evening will be prepared for us by the local aboriginal staff, who maintain this cabin. The food will be served buffet style and is a mixture of traditional Chinese dishes. The rest of the evening until bedtime can be spent relaxing, socializing, reading, organizing equipment, and preparing for the next day’s adventure. We ask guests to please be respectful and try not to be too loud. It’s common for hikers in Taiwan to go to bed as early as 7:00 pm.

Day Two Overview:
– Total Hiking Distance: 8km
– Trail Conditions: Well-marked and maintained trail with moderate & steady inclines, compact soil, and some man-made structures.
– Estimated Time on Trail: 7 hours at a moderate hiking pace

Day Two Schedule:
– 05:00 – Wake up
– 05:30 – Eat Breakfast (responsibility of the guest)
– 06:00 – Depart from the hostel in Guanshan (關山)
– 07:30 – Arrive at Xiangyang National Scenic Area (向陽國家風景區)
– 08:00 – Begin our hike
– 10:45 – Arrive at Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋) to rest/refill water
– 12:00 – Trailside lunch (responsibility of the guest)
– 13:30 – Arrive at Xiangyang Famous Tree (向陽名樹)
– 15:00 – Arrive at Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
– 17:00 – Dinner is served (provided at the mountain house and included in tour price)
– 18:00 – 20:00 – Socialize, read, relax and pack
– 20:00 – Bedtime
*Note these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.

Breakfast: No / Lunch: No / Dinner: Yes

It will be an early morning with a pre-dawn wake-up at about 2:00am.

We will leave before sunrise so we will need to bring our headlamps. Most of our equipment will be left at the cabin as we will be returning to the cabin in the late morning. We will just need to bring snacks, warm layers, rain gear, and sufficient water.

After about an hour of hiking, we will arrive at Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰). While not a top-100 peak of Taiwan. From here, on a clear day, we will be able to see Mt. Sancha in the background, which is 5 minutes from Jiaming Lake.

Once we arrive back at the trail junction, we will head down to Jiaming Lake. We will allow for a few hours at the lake (weather permitting) for photos, eating lunch, exploring, and relaxing. If the weather starts to get bad, we will leave earlier.

We will depart and begin heading back down to Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋), which will take approximately 3 hours. On the way back, the team can summit one or both of Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰) and Mt. Sancha (三叉山).

Arriving back at the cabin, the group will have ample time to explore the local area, relax and socialize before dinner is served around 5:00pm.

Day Three Overview:
– Total Hiking Distance: 10km
– Trail Conditions: Moderate & steady inclines, compact soil, and some man-made structures.
– Estimated Time on Trail: 8 hours at a moderate hiking pace

Day Three Schedule:
– 02:30 – Wake up
– 03:30 – Eat Breakfast (included in tour price)
– 05:00 – Depart from Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
– 06:30 – Arrive at Jiaming Lake
– 07:30 – Depart from Jiaming Lake
– Hike the peaks of Mt. Xiangyang North Peak (向陽北峰) and Mt. Sancha (三叉山)
– 12:30 – Trailside lunch (responsibility of the guest)
– 14:00 – Arrive back at Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
– 17:00 – Dinner is served (provided at the mountain house and included in tour price)
– 18:00 – 20:00 – Socialize, read, relax and pack
– 20:00 – Bedtime
*Note these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.

Breakfast: Yes / Lunch: No / Dinner: Yes

After breakfast, the group will pack up and continue hiking down the mountain. The team will have about a 7-hour hike back down to the trailhead and Xiangyang Scenic Area. The team will jump on the private shuttle that will take them back to Guanshan. In town, the team will have a celebratory lunch, and hot showers (included in the tour price), before heading to the Guanshan Train Station where our tour will conclude. We aim to arrive back at Guanshan Train Station no later than 5:30 pm. Return train tickets are not included in our tour prices. Tickets can be purchased in advanced or on site. Please plan ahead.

Day Four Overview:
– Total Hiking Distance: 8km
– Trail Conditions: Moderate & steady declines
– Estimated Time on Trail: 6-7 hours at a moderate hiking pace

Day Four Schedule:
– 04:00 – Wake up & Eat Breakfast (included in the tour package)
– 05:00 – Depart from Jiaming Lake Refuge House (嘉明湖避難山屋)
– 06:15 – Arrive at Mt. Xiangyang (向陽山) for sunrise
– 09:00 – Arrive at Xiangyang Mountain House (向陽山屋)
– 10:00 – Arrive back at the forest road
– 11:00 – Arrive back at trailhead and Xiangyang Scenic Area
– 11:30 – Depart from Xiangyang Scenic Area
– 14:30 – Arrive back in Guanshan, have a hot shower, and get back on train.
– 16:30 – An estimated departure from Guanshan Train Station
*Note these times are based purely on average hiking times. These times may vary and depend on the pace kept by the group. This is a guided, group tour, so guests and guide will stay and hike together.

Breakfast: Yes / Lunch: Yes / Dinner: No