Cloud waterfall at Xiduoli Cliff — May 2025

Mt. Beidawu & Xiduoli Cliff

Taiwan · Pingtung Dawu Mountain 2025.05.09 – 05.10

WalkedBeidawuMt. Beidawu Triangulation PointAGrade A→C+, easiest to hardest

2 days of hiking
Total distance 24.9 km
Total ascent 2417 m
Max 3092 m
Highest camp 2115 m

Download all GPX (zip)

Segment times are from my own track — my pace, not advice; guidebook times are transcribed verbatim from Sunriver Culture's step-time charts (Gaoshan Baiyue topographic maps), a public yardstick. Every station's position and name was checked by hand and aligned with Sunriver's naming, so names and elevations match what hikers actually call them. Route is for reference only.This route wasn't planned — it's a GPS-recorded log of my own hike in May 2025: Mt. Beidawu, a two-day out-and-back on a single trail, 24.9km actual distance, 2417m total elevation gain. A few things to note:

Three reasons not to go when Mt. Beidawu is wet: 1. it rained in the two days before; 2. it's raining on summit day; 3. extreme cold has left ice or snow on the trail.
Slip on Mt. Beidawu and it'll take your shin — and your backside too.
Mt. Beidawu lies within a mountain restricted zone, so you need an entry permit; a bunk at Kuaigu Inn must be reserved in advance through the Pingtung Forest District Office.
Day 02 is a long day: setting out at 3:36 am and getting back to the trailhead at 2 pm — summit round trip plus the descent totals 16.6km, 1289m of climbing and 2219m of descent, about 10.5 hours in all. Bring enough stamina and a headlamp with fresh batteries.
On Day 02, two short stretches were missed because recording was stopped mid-way, totaling about 1.78km (7.1% of the 24.9km): 124 meters before the triangulation point, and 1,657 meters during the descent. That ground was definitely walked and the path is well-defined; it has been filled in using the OpenStreetMap trail network and is clearly marked as such — the only non-recorded section in the whole trip. The lengths were measured segment by segment from the timestamps in the exported file.
This GPX keeps the original timestamps — that's the record of my own pace, not a suggested pace; hikers should judge by their own condition and the weather. The points without timestamps are the sections that weren't recorded and were filled in from the trail network — you don't need this note to tell them apart, the file itself makes the distinction.

The switch point between full pack and summit pack is at Kuaigu Inn. This trip is an out-and-back on a single trail — the return follows the same path as the ascent. Actual conditions on the ground take priority over this record.

Pre-trip Notes

Gear

A lightweight summit pack comes in handy on summit day.

How to import into a map app after downloading?

iPhone (Safari): after downloading, a down arrow appears next to the address bar — tap it to see the file you just downloaded. If you miss it, the file is still in the Files app's Downloads folder, ready whenever you go back for it.

In the Files app, press and hold the file → “Open With” → choose Organic Maps.

iPhone with Chrome: the “…” menu at the bottom right has “Downloads” — the file's there.

Android (Chrome): tapping the link downloads it straight away and a Download complete notification appears; tap the notification to choose which app opens it. Without notification permission for Chrome there is no notification — then find it under Chrome's “⋮” menu → “Downloads”, or your phone's Files app under Download.

Tapping the file brings up a chooser — find Organic Maps by name: it may sit third the first time and jump to the front once you have used it, so go by name, not position. Then tap “Just once” or “Always”.

The first launch of Organic Maps asks for location permission. That is unrelated to importing — the GPX loads either way.

Once imported, it stays in the map app's “Bookmarks & Tracks” — no need to redo it before the next hike.

Full offline map guide →　Download the map tiles first, how to check you're still on track on the mountain, and one thing you need to know.

Each map shows that day's route, traced along the actual trail and terrain: the line runs from light to dark as it climbs, with a green dot at the start and a red dot at the finish. The rise and fall below it is that day's elevation, in metres, on the left.

Under forest cover or in a canyon, GPS sometimes drops for a few minutes — those stretches on the map show as straight lines. Recording was on; the GPS simply had no fix. Those are not stretches that went unwalked. Stretches that genuinely weren't recorded are called out separately, in the notice above.

Whole Trip 9 May 2025 – 10 May 2025

Mt. Beidawu & Xiduoli Cliff

Tap a date to see that day's stretch

North is up. This is a sketch, not for navigation; use the GPX to navigate.

2 days of hiking 24.9 km ↑ 2417 m ↓ 2416 m about 12.5 hours 11 landmarks

Download all GPX (zip)

D1 9 May 2025 · 8.3 km · ↑1128 m Guidebook 4:55Same stretch 3:09 Full pack up the mountain · sunset and cloud waterfall from the cliff Beidawu New Trailhead → Kuaigu Inn

8.3 km ↑ 1128 m ↓ 197 m about 4.4 hours 5 landmarks

Download GPX 5 waypoints ▶︎ Replay

Guidebook 4:55Same stretch 3:09

Distance, climb, times

Station	Σ km	↑	↓	Arr.	Dep.
Beidawu New Trailhead	0.0				10:27
Old Trailhead (0K)	2.7	348	10	11:26	11:39
Rest Platform	5.5	328	81	12:47	13:06
Xiduoli Cliff	6.7	279	0	13:54	14:01
Kuaigu Inn	7.2	32	15	14:14

D2 10 May 2025 · 16.6 km · ↑1289 m Guidebook 13:20Same stretch 9:17 Summit day · 16.6km descent by the same route Kuaigu Inn → Mt. Beidawu → Beidawu New Trailhead

16.6 km ↑ 1289 m ↓ 2219 m about 8.1 hours 6 landmarks

Download GPX 6 waypoints ▶︎ Replay

Guidebook 13:20Same stretch 9:17

Distance, climb, times

Station	Σ km	↑	↓	Arr.	Dep.
Kuaigu Inn	0.0				03:36
Dawu Giant Tree	1.5	365	14	04:30	04:33
Takasago Volunteer Army Monument	3.8	548	25	06:23	06:32
Dawu Ruins (Dawu Temple)	5.6	181	199	08:14	08:17
Beidawu New Trailhead	16.6	153	1962	14:05