2021年7月14日 南港四分子山－木柵福德坑公園縱走 A half day hike after relaxing of the pandemic alert

Mt. Daozhaohu-shan and adjacent peaks viewed from Houshanyue (July 2012)

二カ月ぶりのブログ記録である。5月半ばに、日本でいう新コロナウィルスの国内感染が広まりそれまでの警戒レベルが引き揚げられた。屋外での一律マスク着用や、飲食店やその他公衆施設の利用制限などが行われてきた。日本の緊急宣言と同じような施策である。多くの台湾人は自主的にそれを実行してきた。登山についていえば、国家公園の登山道などが閉鎖されたり、山小屋封鎖などが行われ、行動範囲が制限された。一般的には、登山も外出なのでできるだけ控えるように求められた。筆者は、それに応じて二カ月間は登山を控えた。感染者の低減に応じ、7月13日から一部の制限が緩和された。まだ多くの高山などの登山道は未開放であるが、9人までの旅行などもOKとなった。そうしたことを受けて、今回の台北近郊登山を行った。

台湾のウィルス対策は、2020年当初からすぐに対応し、島国であることも手伝って約1年半社会活動は大きな制限なくやってこられた。残念なことに国際線パイロットからの感染が広がり、今まで1万数千の感染確認があった。二カ月を経て、だいぶコントロールの効果が出てきた。隣の中共政府は、台湾併合のためにあれやこれやの手を打ち、台湾政府がドイツからのワクチン入手について裏で画策し購買契約を中止させた。一方、世界でその効果が疑問視されている中国産ワクチンを台湾で使わせるため、すっかり中共政府の手先のようになってしまった国民党（本来は中共を敵とみなしていた）の主要人物を通じて使うように画策している。幸い日本や米国からのワクチン提供があり、ワクチン接種が広く始まった。ワクチン供与についていえば、日本ではあまり認識がないと思うがバルト海に面した欧州リトアニアからもあった。日本からのワクチンは三回にわたり約330万回分の提供があり、大いに感謝されている。

今回の登山対象は、7年前に一度歩いている縦走路の一部を含めたものだ。7月の台湾はすでにとても暑く、制限がなければ涼しい高山などに行きたいところだが、現状の枠内では止むをえない。制限緩和で多くの人がおしかけるような場所は、できるだけ避けたい。今回の場所は、多くの登山者が行く南港山のすぐ後ろだが、それとは対照的にあまり登山者がいかない場所である。ルートの一部は道筋すらはっきりしない場所もあった。そんなことで、地元の農家の人などを除いて、だれとも出会わなかった。今回は英語で記述します。

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Hiking from north (Nangang) to south (Muzha)

This entry of an article is two months away from the last. This is because I have not gone hiking for two months due to COVID 19.  Taiwan had been relatively free from the pandemic for 15 months since early 2020 till this May as its government had swiftly responded to the danger and put its anti-pandemic measure into action. We had spent a pretty normal life while the pandemic was raging abroad. A wide spread of infection from a pilot of an international air line caused the pandemic alert one step higher, the level three, which has, like lock-downs of the other countries, mandatory measures including no eat-ins in shops, closures of public facilities like libraries, gyms etc. All citizens were requested to stay home as much as possible. As for hiking, many routes of national parks and huts were closed for public use.

At the summit of Mt. Sifenzi-shan, all wearing a mask

A majority of citizens have observed the alert requirements on their own will. Streets of busy commercial districts have been deserted. This is not like a forced and inhuman lock-down of Chinese cities across the strait. The number of infections has since come down to a low level of twenties a day. The alert is still in force but some restrictions have been relaxed effective on July 13. Now you can go out for travel (including hiking) provided you wear a mask all the time and the size of a group member is nine or less. So we made a half day hike this time.

A wide open space of Fudekeng park

The route of the hike includes a section where I walked seven years ago. This whole route lies just behind the popular route of Mt. Nangang-shan (南港山), and is visited by few hikers. Wlhile the requirements have been relaxed, we want to stay away from crowds of people as much as possible. So the route is good for that purpose. We started from Lingyun (凌雲) bus stop on Yanjiuyuanlu (研究院路) street of Nangang distric (南港區) very early in the morning. We went up to the main ridge via Mt. Sifenzi-shan (四分子山), which has almost no trail to follow. We traversed on the main ridge of Mt. Sanjiaomu-shan (三腳木山), M. Dakeng-shan (大坑山) and Mt. Daozhaohu-shan (倒照湖山) and down to Fudekeng park (福德坑公園) of Muzha district (木柵區). We have been away from hiking for a long period though still doing some forms of exercise during the period. This is one of the reasons why we just made a half day hiking. We need to gain back some strength for hiking first.

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Xiao #1 bus at Nangang exhibition center bus stop

Turn left to get into Lane 161

Five of us meet at Lingyun bus at 7:00. For that I took the first MRT train of the day and came to the bus stop by Xiao #1 (小1線) bus from Nangang Exhibition Center station (南港展覽館站) a little before the designated time. We wait for the last member to come and set off at 7:07. We head for Yanjiuyuanlu Section 3 Lane 161 (研究院路三段161巷) and take left to get into the lane. Passing under the Highway #3 (國道三號) and come to the trail head for Mt. Sifenzi-shan. This is a little opening by an electric pole and you would easily miss it. 

Trail head to Mt. Sizifen-shan

Going up to Mt. Sizifen-shan

Upon entering the opening we see trashes are littered around. The flimsy trail goes up a steep slope and soon meets a trail coming from left. We take right and keep on ascending. As we enter a thin bamboo bush, no obvious trail is there. With a guidance of the GPS we keep walking on a undergrowth and get onto the ridge at 7:36. The ridge yields no clear trail so we just keep on the ridge avoiding intruding bushes and grasses. Luckily there are little thorny plants around. At 7:43 we see a triangulation marker with a half torn plate of the peak name of Mt. Sifenzi-shan (elevation 140 meters).

Marker stone of M. Sifenzi-shan

Getting down to a betel nut plantaton

Rest by a hut

The trail ahead is with no obvious track to follow and we keep consulting the GPS. After passing a bump we come to see a betel nut plantation on our left. We get down to it and follow a trail in the plantation. The trail comes to a paved road and on the opposite slope finds a cemetery with a stepped path going up. Small concreate made huts stand by the path. We go up to the highest one and have a rest in front of it. From there the valley of Nangang and Yangmingshan peaks are clearly visible in the morning light.

A view towards Nangang and beyond

Going through the cemetery

At 8:12 we climb a path behind the hut and get on to another open field of graves. The path among graves leads to a pond but no entry point of trail to Mt. Dahu-shan (大湖山)  which is higher up the slope. We get to a paved road greeted by a bunch of dogs barking. We try to go up the paved road but it comes to an end where a temple stands. The local woman tells us that there is no trail going higher up to the ridge. 

Getting out to a paved road by a pond

Going by a deserted grave

Ascending the ridge with no trail

We return to the gave yard and try again. The first try among the graves proves no success. We get back towards the pond and at last find a scant break in the grasses by the last grave. This proves to be the right one. It goes up among thin trees and come to a deserted grave at the highest point. There again the trail vanishes.We step over the grave rim wall and get on to the ridge, which seems to be a right direction. There is no obvious trail either. We keep on ascending on the slope just like we did a while ago at Mt. Sifenzi-shan. We see no sign of Mt. Dahu-shan, which apparently we pass by without noticing. Thick and tall weeds block up our passage so we take a right slope of it. Cutting thick vegetation we jump out onto a open road. This is the end of our struggle. 

Just coming out from thick vegetation

Viewing Mt. Daozhaohu-shan and Mt. Dakeng-shan

Resting at the junction

There is a orchard by the road, which soon joins a paved road where a big red cargo container stands. We take right and go up the road. It soon ends up with facing thick vegetation, which according to my map should lead to Fuyin-shanzhuang village (福音山莊). Giving up to follow the trail we turn back and go down the paved road. It meets a car road going up to Fuyin-shanzhuang (南深路42巷). At the junction we take a rest.

Fuyin-shanzhuang community

A climb on the paved road feels tiresome. We come to the entrance of Fuyin-shanzhuang at 9:24 greeted with a stone sign. Fuyin-shanzhuang community has been built around the summit of Mt. Sanjiaomu-shan (三腳木山). My map indicates the location of the triangulation marker and we look for it. At the place where the map shows now stands a large green house. The marker is finally found by one of the members. It has been moved to the spot just by the stone sign of the community. The open area of the summit reveals a good view over Mt. Nangang-shan and beyond. You can have a clear view of peaks of Yangmingshan like Mt. Qixing-shan (七星山) and Mt. Datun-shan(大屯山). You can even identify Mt. Guanyin-shan (觀音山) of Bali(八里). The head of Taipei 101 building sticks out of Mt. Nangang-shan. We have a rest under the shade of trees near the stone sign for a while.

A wide view from Fuyin-shanzhuang

Waking down from Fuyinshanzhuang

One of our five members says that he would leave us here for home. So the four of us set off for the rest of our itinerary at 9:48. The sun is already high up in the sky and its strong ray mercilessly strikes us, who go on open streets between houses. We come down to a trail head towards Mt. Dakeng-shan and Mt. Daozhaohu-shan which opens by one of the community house. The trail soon goes under trees, which gives us a relief from the direct sun and happily we even find a little breeze. 

Trail under trees

Coming out into an open orchard

The trail basically goes on the ridge, which does not have so much ups and downs for a while. The path is pretty clear unlike this morning. It comes across open bamboo shoots orchards a few times, where you need to pay close attention for the direction. We go up to a small hump where an electric transmission tower stands. Just under the tower we find a sign of Mt. Sanjiaomu-shan west peak (三腳木山西峰, elevation 240m) by a stone marker.

At the summit of Mt. Sanjiaomu-shan west peak

Going between tall grasses

We keep on the ridge trail and come to a junction at 10:25. New direction signs show the date of yesterday (July 13). Some volunteer hikers just placed the new sign. An ascent of a couple of minutes brings us to a flat point where a nice breeze blows through. The trail is wide here because it is a part of trail for electric tower maintenance work. We have a break there. A short ascent after the rest leads us to a junction to the summit of Mt. Dakeng-shan (elevation 274m). We go up to the summit, which is really short ascent. Coming down from the summit we keep on the trail. There are three small humps to go over, one of which shows a very steep incline with a new aiding rope. At 11:04 we come down to a four-way junction at the bottom just below Mt. Daozhaohu-shan. I came from Shengkeng (深坑) to this junction seven years ago. The old trail sign still stands although a little slant. We climb a steep slope with rope and get onto the summit of Mt. Daozhaohu-shan (elevation 252m).

Very new trail signes

A  nice and wide trail on the ridge

Mt. Dakeng-shan summit

Four-way junction just beneath Mt. Daozhaohu-shan summit

Summit of Mt. Daozhaohu-shan

After a rather long break of twenty minutes at the summit we head for Fudekeng park. The grasses obstructing passage were apparently cut clean recently. As we go down the ridge, the trail again becomes unclear. Obviously few hikers visit this section. We go as the GPS indicates and come down to a wide and clear path. It goes along the left side of peak and comes to a large bamboo shoots orchard. A woman is resting by the trail and tells us we can go down to the park directly from here, which the map shows no trail. We go down along the work trail of the orchard and get onto a dirt road where a couple of cars are parked. We walk along the road and come out to a paved road by the gate of the park. The park is a very wide open space with a few trees. We enter the park and walk to a pavilion nearby. It is open for use and we get onto it for rest. Nice breeze blows through, which is really a good relief under the big sun.

Heading for Fudekeng park

Going down in bamboo shoots orchard

Have a rest under the roof of a pavilion

Walking through the open field of the park

Our original plan is to keep on the paved road though the large public cemetery and then down to MRT Muzha station (捷運木柵站) via Quanshan histrical trail (拳山古道). It would be scorching hot to walk on such an open road under this big sun. We readily change our plan to go straight down the mountain. A half hour rest returns us a strength to walk through the open field of the park and the road down. We come to another gate of the park in ten minutes and follow the paved road down. It winds down along the cemetery above and leads to Muzha road 5th section (木柵路五段). Making a left turn at the junction we get to a bus stop of Wanfuqiao (萬福橋) at 12:55.  In a few minutes of wait comes a bus bound for Gongguan (公館). We get aboard for home.

The road winding down through a large cemetery

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Artistic objects of Defukeng park

A  half day hiking lasted five hours and forty minutes. It was good for us to start it early otherwise the afternoon sun would have given us harder time. We occasionally felt nice breeze, which was really comforting. The total distance we covered was 10.2km, with total ascent of 526m and descent 520m, which calculates to be 19 of the route physical index. This number is rather moderate, but considering the high temperature and the long absence of hiking made this hike not so easy. Wearing a mask throughout the activity added hardship. If you want to try this route, you would better first have a skill to navigate the section around Mt. Sifenzi-shan and beyond Mt. Daozhaohu-shan. I surely would recommend to avoid hot seasons to visit.