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.