South Section 1　D5 Waypoint

D5 Itinerary

Exit day

Today involves climbing Shishan, which has a scree slope and a boulder field, then running into steady afternoon drizzle, and finally descending over 1,500 meters through slippery fallen leaves, pine needles, mud, roots, and rocks... So one more reminder: tag Beinanzhu Mountain as soon as you reach the Campground below Sancha Peak — get it done the same day!

Leaving the Campground below Sancha Peak, descend the whole way to Shishan East Saddle Campground, with arrow bamboo and juniper along the way. After a short break at the campground, the climb begins. About 740 meters ahead there's a scree slope to cross; by the time I got there it had been drizzling for a while and the rocks were all wet, so a reminder to plant each foot solidly before moving, one step at a time.

Past the scree slope, another 500 meters brings you to the start of the boulder field — put on your durable gloves and start scrambling up with hands and feet, checking that each rock you choose is solid before pulling yourself up on it. Compared to Yushan Front Peak, this boulder field has less than 100 meters of elevation change; be patient and you'll reach the abandoned viewing platform.

From the abandoned viewing platform, you can drop your pack and go light to the Shishan Triangulation Point, less than 20 meters away. Shishan, like Dabajian, can't actually be summited — except that Dabajian's triangulation point is set below the peak itself, while Shishan's triangulation point sits on the peak facing it. See Waypoint 43 for details — there's a tag hanging from a branch and a stone sign on the ground, with Shishan visible across the way.

Retrace your steps back to the abandoned viewing platform and start descending; another 1.6K brings you to the forest road, which is a comfortable, quick walk — take your time here to enjoy the maple leaves covering the ground. About 1.4K along the forest road, the trail starts a high bypass, with silvergrass taller than a person and a lot of fallen trees in this section. Another 1K or so brings you to the junction at Waypoint 48, where you can turn off toward the container hut to tag Xinanshan, or exit. Since I ran into steady overcast rain in the afternoon, and it was very cold, being late winter to early spring, I decided to exit without going to Xinanshan, and turned instead toward the Endemic Species Research Station.

From the junction, after a while the trail turns into a relentless steep descent; after about 1.5K total you're back on the forest road at Waypoint 49, and another 80 meters gets you to the Endemic Species Research Station. Congratulations on completing the full 449/449 of the South Section 1 traverse!