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 December 2025: Yushan Main, West, and North Peaks, two days with light packs, three Baiyue peaks, 29.6km actual distance, 2075m total elevation gain. A few things to note:
- Cairns and reflective markers from the Yushan National Park Headquarters far outnumber the ribbon markers, but the path is quite clear and almost entirely a single line — a little attention is all you need.
- For extra safety margin, bring a climbing helmet — the railing at the Wind Gap has been damaged before, which increases the risk of falling rocks.
- On this trip, both going and coming back along the Tataka trail, we saw sika deer feeding right on the trail near Monroe Pavilion.
- There are strong winds at the Wind Gap railing — make sure to keep your head warm.
- Yushan East Peak has several nearly vertical roped sections, so if the wind is too strong or the weather is bad, it's best to skip it.
- On the Tataka forest road near Monroe Pavilion, we came across sika deer feeding both ways; if you approach slowly they'll move off on their own — please don't feed or harm these protected animals.
- There are 82 wooden bridges before Paiyun Lodge — the bridge numbers tell you how much farther you have to go. After bridge No. 82, you'll reach the lodge within ten minutes.
- Yushan West Peak only has a marker sign, no triangulation point; the trail is a single line so you can't get lost. The West Peak Mountain God Shrine, the highest shrine in Taiwan, is another 0.1K further, reached with just a short descent.
- Day 02 sets out from Paiyun Lodge at 2:33 am; the chained scree and rock-wall section past the Wind Gap railing is the most dangerous stretch of this trip — when the scree slope frosts over, the chain conducts cold fast and will get your gloves wet, so make sure you have gloves with a waterproof outer layer and a warm inner layer to keep feeling in your hands while gripping the chain.
- The weather station at Yushan North Peak provides hot water and towels you can borrow for photos — the plaza right in front of the main door window is the spot pictured on the NT$1,000 bill.
- Yushan Main Peak's orientation doesn't take the wind head-on the way the scree and rock-wall section does, so even when it's frosted over, about 20 minutes of careful, slow walking gets you to the summit.
- This time, with strong winds and frost on both the chains and the ground, I decided to skip Yushan East Peak and save it for a future trip — this site doesn't cover the East Peak route.
- 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. Every track point has a timestamp.
The switch point between full pack and summit pack is at Paiyun Lodge. Actual conditions on the ground, and instructions from Paiyun Lodge and weather station staff, take priority over this record.
