Southern ‘3 stars’ - 2D/2N

The ‘Southern 3 stars’ are the three relatively easy to climb smaller peaks in the vicinity of the majestic monster Kuan Mountain (3,668m) at the highpoint of the scenic Southern-Cross Highway (No 20). All three, while deservingly members of the ‘top 100 peaks’ club, are “easy” to summit. Kuan-shan-ling-shan (3,176m), Ta-kuan-shan (formerly known as Kuan North Peak) (3,222m), and Ku-ha-nuo-shin-shan (3,115m).
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Day -1
Leave Tainan late evening; drive east to Yako (2,731m) at the edge of Taidong County, camp, and sleep.

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Day 1
From inside your sleeping bag watch the sun rise over a sea of clouds. Eat breakfast, start ascent from right from the campsite to Kuan-shan-ling-shan. Early morning summit views of East/West Taiwan and of Kuan Mountain usually are superb. Descend to van and travel a short distance west to the Ta-kuan-shan trailhead. After summiting and peering over some airy ledges, return to highway and camp (good camping!).

Day 2
After breakfast, head up the staircase unlike any other, to the summit of Ku-ha-nuo-shin-shan. By early afternoon be back at the car and choose what to do for the rest of the day - (a) visit the Yushan National Park visitor’s center (b) soak in outdoor springs (c) do some white water rafting (often tight to schedule in). An excellent additional option is to ride down the highway on bicycle – request in advance.
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If three mountains of this scale in two days seems a bit daunting, look at our ‘Combo’ trip for something a bit more lazy.