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 September 2025: Yushan Front Peak day return, 6.9km actual distance, 685m total elevation gain. A few things to note:
- After the Yushan trailhead, the path starts out gentle, then switches to zigzagging climbs. Overall, the grade stays easy all the way to the junction for the Front Peak or Paiyun Lodge.
- From the junction toward the Front Peak, the trail climbs steeply the whole way; once you reach the start of the boulder field you'll be scrambling with hands and feet. At the end of the boulder field there are chains and ropes — get past that last section and you'll reach the Yushan Front Peak triangulation point.
- Going down through the boulder field, if you're not confident, don't face straight downhill — turn around to face the rocks and descend slowly, or even sit down and slide on your backside. The core idea is to make sure your feet have a solid foothold first, since trekking poles aren't much help in this section. Safety first.
- Almost the whole trail is rocky. When choosing footholds, avoid loose small rocks, and thicker soles or socks will help absorb some of the impact from the rocky surface.
- You can take the Tataka shuttle bus from the Shangdongpu parking lot to the Yushan trailhead — one way is NT$100, about 10 minutes, and each vehicle carries 7 people; the return shuttle down is also NT$100.
- After the trailhead the path is gentle at first with zigzag climbs; the grade stays easy all the way to the junction for the Front Peak or Paiyun Lodge. From the junction toward the Front Peak the trail climbs steeply the whole way; once you reach the boulder field you'll be scrambling with hands and feet, and at the end of the boulder field there are chains and ropes — past that and you reach the triangulation point.
- 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.
Actual conditions on the ground take priority over this record.
