2021年12月15日 安坑十七寮山 - 大丘田山 - 塗潭山 A strenuous hike over peaks just south of Taipei

新店小獅山から見る塗潭山, Mt. Tutan-shan viewed from Xiaoshi-shan, Xindian(Nov 2013)

塗潭山は、新店からすぐ近くに見える三角形山容の山である。台北市の南からでも、その存在がすぐわかる。近くて身近に感じる山だが、実は今までなかなか登ることがなかった。登山ルートが良くないことが大きな理由だ。最近聯合艦隊により、二つのルートが整理され、ぐっとアクセスが良くなった。それが、今回山行の出発点である。

塗潭山山頂のすぐ後ろには、別荘地大台北華城がある。そこから行けば、わずかの労力で登頂できる。ところが、この別荘地は登山者を歓迎しない。数年前に、大台北華城の反対側玫瑰中國城から大台北華城の上にある五尖峰へ登り、別荘地内の一部を通過し稜線を大丘田山へと目指した。その際も、別荘地敷地の周辺は有刺鉄線で柵が設けられていた。その後、さらにそうした外部者の立入防止対策が強化され、塗潭山山頂への道は閉ざされたという。そうしたことで、今回の登山は大丘田山登頂後、別荘地を通らずに、その下をいく華城路を経由し、東華聖宮脇の登山口から登頂し、反対側に下山した。

塗潭山脇の大台北華城、Dataipei Huacheng residential area by Mt. Tutan-shan

登山行程前半の十七寮山から大丘田山へのルートも、やはり以前歩いたことがある。このセクションは、今年初めのころに歩いた熊空山など三峽地区の山道整備を行った同じ陳さんが、整備を行っており状態はとても良かった。一部は、以前の道筋ではなく新たに開いた場所もあった。前回下りにとった道は、今回は上りにとった。

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Hike counter-clockwise

If you ever hiked any trails going over southern hills of metropolitan Taipei, you surely would have noticed many residential areas developed on the slopes or the top of those hills in Xindian (新店) district or Muzha (木柵) district. Taipei is a basin surrounded by hills, so it is a natural course of city development that residential areas extend to higher locations on its adjacent hills because the flat land is limited. The ridge extending north from Mt. Shizitou-shan (獅子頭山)  shows such an area on its either side. On its east slope spreads Dataipei huacheng (大台北華城) and Taipei Xiaocheng (台北小城) on its north west side. Between the two large residential developments stands Mt. Tutan-shan (塗潭山), which is located the north most point of the ridge from Mt. Shizitou-shan.

At Mt. Daqiutian-shan

On the same ridge between Mt. Shizitou-shan and Mt. Tutan-shan lie some more peaks like Mt. Daqiutian-shan (大丘田山) and at a little west off the ridge stands Mt. Zongchuanjian (粽串尖), both of which I have visited a couple times. This trip was to cover these peaks and Mt. Tutan-shan. Also on the list of our itinerary was Mt. Shiqiliao-shan (十七寮山). Mt. Tutan-shan is closest to the city of the all the above mentioned peaks, but this is my first visit to it. It is simply because its trails were not good. The Allied Hikers Corps (聯合艦隊, volunteers) cleared two trails to its summit two months ago. Their work drew my attention and this activity came into being. Originally my plan was to go along the ridge from Mt. Daqiutian-shan and through the Dataipei huacheng to Mt. Tutan-shan. I once hiked from a corner of the residential area to Mt. Daqiutian-shan several years ago. So I assumed this would work but I came to know that the community of Dataipei huacheng decided not to allow outsiders to go through their property and built high fences around it. Consequently we made a detour to avoid the area all together to get to a trail head of Mt. Tutan-shan.

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A neatly maintained trail

We were supposed to meet at Jinxiu bus terminus (錦繡站) on Ankang road (安康路) at 8:00. A few members took more time to come over. By 8:25 all members have shown up and set off for our hike. We walk along Ankang road south and take left to get into lane #571 of the road. Our trail head (elevation 57 meters) appears on our right. It seems that local people take this trail for their morning strolls and it is kept clean and nice. In a few minutes the trail starts climbing and gains height. At 8:50 a pent-up hut shows up in left front in which  a few local people are resting. There are some little gardens on both sides of the trail. We cross a stream nearby and keep our way up.

A blue-sheet pent-up hut and gardens nearby

A work hut by a tea plantaion

Climbing a steep slope, Tianshang-shan behind

The trail keeps going up and a final steep grade leads us up onto the ridge (elev. 204m) , by which a work hut stands. A tea plantation spreads on the slopes around. This hut apparently serves for tea farmers to do some work and rest. We take left and go up a steep trail just by the tea plantation. At the top of the hill the planation ends and a broad leaf forest takes over. Tianshang-shan mountain range (天上山山脈) stands behind us.

A steep trail goes through woods

Weed-free summit of Mt. Shiqilia-shan

A cave just beneath the summit

The trail is still very clear but its grade gets yet steeper. A freshly dug hole is just by the trail. A pangolin must have dug it not so long before.  At 9:58 the trail merges another trail coming up from our right and soon brings us to the summit of Mt. Shiqiliao-shan (elev. 450m), on which we have our first break. A bright weed-free summit has a stone marker in the center and trees encircle it. Compared with my memory of the last visit several years ago, this gives me a better impression. The name Shiqiliao, meaning #17 work hut, should have come from an old name of camphor production site, which existed in a great number all around mountains a hundred years ago or so.

Keeping on the ridge trail in woods

Going a flat and wide section of the ridge

On one corner of the summit reveals a part of the main ridge in a distance. It is still a long way for us to go. As we go down, two deep holes show up by the trail. They should have been naturally formed. The trail keeps on the ridge and mostly in woods. At 10:05 we see a junction where a left trail goes down to a paved road in the valley. On my last visit, there was a large and nice tea plantation, but now it is covered with dense grasses. Our trail still goes on the ridge and keeps ascending.

A new track on the right

A resting spot with stone=piled benches

We come up to a rather flat section around 10:20. A moderate climb lasts for another ten minutes and comes to a spot where a long string of tape is tided in order for hikers not to enter. A trail goes down on our right. It passes by a large flat grass field on our left. I remember that the trail passed through tall grasses when we came down from Mt. Daqiutian-shan last time. So this section of trail should have been newly opened by Mt. Chen. The trail gets onto the wide ridge again and comes to a place where large stones were cleverly formed to be benches at 10:40. We have a second break here (elev. 684m).

A wide vista of Taipei and its surroundings

By the side of the resting place rises a rocky hump. From its top you can have a spectacular vista of  the whole Taipei urban space and beyond including  Mt. Guanyin-shan of Bali (八里觀音山), Yangmingshan range of mountains (陽明山)  and Nangang-shan (南港山) .  The summit of Mt. Tutan-shan stands just behind a large Dataipei huacheng area on the ridge. Even Jilongyu island (基隆嶼) is identifiable far over the hill with three tall chimneys of Jilong, its well-known landmark. The recent rain washed off all dirty particles in the air so that we can have such a wonderful view!!

A close-up of the Dataipei Huacheng. Jilongyu island shows itself in background

A final climb to the summit

Just before 11:00 we head for the summit of Mt. Daqiutian-shan, which is already close. We go up a final steep slope and come to a junction in a couple of minutes. We take left and soon get onto the summit (elev. 728m). A wide circle of the summit is free of grasses and affords a nice view toward south. Mt. Shizitou-shan proudly shows off its massive body above Kangqiao school campus (康橋學區). On its left poke peaks of Wulai (烏來) like Mt. Badaoer-shan (拔刀爾山) and Mt. Gaoyao-shan (高藥山). On its right peaks of Chatianshan mountain range (插天山山脈) including Mt. Nanchatian-shan (南插天山) and Mt. Beichatian-shan (北插天山) are visible in a far distance. What a good luck we have today!

A view from Mt. Daqiutian-shan towards Mt. Shizitou-shan

A distant view of peaks of Chatianshan range

A newly opened section of the trail

This is the highest point of our hike today, but we still have a long way to go. At 11:13 we leave a shiny summit and go down. We have already given up to continue the ridge directly to Mt. Tutan-shan via Dataipei huacheng, so we head for Shiwei junction (獅尾), in the opposite direction., The trail is pretty good and wide. It used to go along the high earth retaining walls of Xiugang development area (秀岡開發區) but the trail keeps on the ridge. This section must also have been opened by Mt. Chen. 

The stone marker

Summit of Mt. Zhongchuanjian

We come down for 15 minutes and hit a stone marker of water drainage protection area. A member of Taipei Hiker Club, who said to have lived in Dataipei huacheng community, told me that there should be a way to go down to an abandoned road of Xiugang development area. There is nothing but overgrown vegetation. I decide not to go though this dense vegetation and keep on the trail to Shiwei. On our way we make a short round trip to Mt. Zongchuanjian as an additional climb. We reach the summit (elev. 728m) at 11:44, just in seven minutes from the junction.

Mt. Daqiutian-shan with its trailing ridge to left:we have just come up along

A view of Mt. Erge-shan and Maokong peaks

Shiwei junction

A spot by the summit is free of tree for its north side. From there you can have a nice view too. Mt. Daqiutian-shan stands just across the valley between. From its summit goes down a long ridge, along which we came up just a while ago. On the right of Mt. Daquitian-shan reveals Mt. Erge-shan (二格山) and adjacent peaks of Maokong (貓空). On our farthest left we can see Taoyuan (桃園) urban area. Many buildings are perched on Linkou (林口) hill top. Having enjoyed a nice view again, we leave the summit at 11:53 and follow the trail down to Shiwei, where we reach at 12:03 and have a lunch break.

Going down Shitan road

Roaming in woods with no trail

We did not find a way down to Xiugang development area en route, so I contemplate how to get to the Mt. Tutan-shan trail head via Huacheng road. My map shows that Xintan road (新潭路) from Shiwei connects Huacheng road by a community but there is a guard station, which may not let us pass. After forty minutes of lunch break we go down along Xintan road for a while and see a road diverges to left. So we try this road to the end, which happens to be a bamboo shoots farm. There is no more path beyond the point. The map shows that a road of Xiugang area is just several hundred meters away. I decide to roam further through vegetation. I cut grasses with s handy sickle and advance for the direction of the road. We traverse the hill side and pass a small stream. After a half hour of struggle, we come out the forest and get on to a paved road at 13:40.

Looking over Kangqiao school campus beneath Mt. Shizitou-shan

An abandoned hall of Xiugang development

We go down to meet Huacheng road. Passing by the top of Kangqiao school campus we go down to meet Huacheng road at 14:07. Mt. Shizitou-shan is already high if we look back. The trail head of Mt. Tutanshan is still far. We have to cover seven or so of kilometers to reach it. A good thing is that Huacheng road is flat or slightly downwards. We pass by  new houses under construction and several guard stations checking coming traffic. The weather is fine and some points afford a nice view, it is not that bad to walk a long way on Huacheng road after all. There is not much traffic except occasional speeding cars. We have a short rest by a last guard station at 15:05.

New houses under construction on Huacheng road

Strolling along Huacheng road

A view from Huacheng road

Steps to Donghuashenggong temple

We go further down for several minutes and come to an opening of a path by the road which my map shows is a trail to Mt. Tutan-shan. As soon as we start on this trail, a hiker comes down and tells us this path ends at a farm field and no further. We then get back and keep on Huacheng road further to the step way to Donghuashenggong temple (東華聖宮) . On the top of the step way we find a new trail head opened by the volunteer hikers. 

Going up a steep trail

Bamboo forest under the summit

The trail is steep but very clear and safety ropes are fixed at many points. It is a hard time after walking more than 15 kilometers. Passing through bamboo forest we reach the summit (elev. 508m) at 15:56. Silver grasses are reflecting in golden light of the setting winter sun. The summit is surrounded with tall vegetation, so the view is disappointingly limited. Even so, we are happy because we have finally made it!

At the summit of Mt. Tutan-shan

Looking back the summit in golden light

Saying goodbye to the hiker who have come up with us, we take the other trail down at 16:11. The upper half of the trail is precipitous and we have to rely on safety ropes at many points. Some sections are rather wet and slippery. We come down to a hut with green wall at 16:40 and the trail gets much less steep. We follow the trail further and pop out onto Chezi road (車子路) at 17:00. Our bus stop is on Ankang road. We go down all the way down along Chizi road crossing a light railway under construction. We get to Ankangchezi junction bus stop(安康車子路口) at 17:17 to complete our hike.

Trail head by Chezi road

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Assam Indigo flowers 

We walked 18.6 kilometers of which more than 7 kilometers are paved roads. The activity time was 8 hours and 50 minutes including breaks. The total ascent was 1034 meters while descent 1081 meters. The route physical index is 33. 

After the clearing work of the volunteers, quite a few hikers have climbed Mt. Tutan-shan, I understand that most of them did not go from Mt. Daqiutian-shan like us. Under the current situation of the Dataipei huacheng community, it is much less attractive to do so. Nonetheless it was not so bad to go along Huacheng road under such a nice day while enjoying changing vista of all around.. We left marker ribbons when roaming through the primordial forest between Xintan road and Xiugang develoment area. You may want to try it yourself.