Hey hiking friends,
Anusha here. If you prefer self-guided hikes in Taiwan and want to do high mountains, this guide on how to apply for permits might be helpful. I put the 5 most popular high mountains, Yushan (Jade Mountain), Xueshan (Snow Mountain), Qilai Nanhua, Mt. Dabajian, and Jiaming Lake Trail, in this guide.
If you are not a Taiwanese citizen, perhaps you can choose Advanced Application to get a spot. The cabins on those trails are so popular that we joke that getting a permit is more difficult than the hike. You might ask how I did Yushan if Paiyun Lodge is not easy to get a spot. Well, we bypassed staying at Paiyun by doing a more challenging route.
(I only reached Sanliujiu (369) Hut.)
I used Notion to make this guide so it can be mobile-friendly. I also embedded a Google Sheet so you can input the date you wish to hike and see when to start the application and other things to prepare for your hike.
(Jiaming Lake Lodge is under the Forestry Bureau.)
You don't need a Notion account to read the guide. However, the embedded Google Sheets only works on the desktop, not the smartphone.
(Jiujiu (99) Hut)
You don't need a Gumroad account, either. You click "I want this" and put in $0. Then, you will receive an email to get the link. If this guide helps, could you put a 5-star rating? Thank you!
I'd also like to thank some subscribers who helped me review the draft of this guide. There is still room to improve it. Please feel free to let me know.
(Tianchi Lodge)
All the national parks and the Forestry Bureau (where Jiaming Lake is under administration) have their own rules regarding the applications. It took me at least 8 hours to figure them out. I can't imagine how difficult it is for you who don't read Chinese.
As to those trails, I still need to do Xueshan, but I plan to do it this year. I did Jiaming Lake (the traditional route), and the post is coming soon. I'll do Jiaming Lake again in March but via a different route.
If you have any suggestions about the guide, please let me know. According to the lunar calendar, the coming lunar year is Year Rabbit. Happy Rabbit Year. Stay healthy and take care. I'll talk to you soon.
Anusha