2021年9月9日 新竹尖石鄉內鳥嘴山 Mt. Neiniaozui-shan approaching by a different route from the past visit

內鳥嘴山 Mt. Neiniaozui-shan in the evening sun (October 2020)

內鳥嘴山を訪れるのは、二回目だ。桃園縣と新竹縣との県境上にある当峰は、去年も同じく新竹縣側の水田林道を経てアクセスした。この山の西側には北得拉曼神木があり、ここを経由するルートは、登坂落差も少なく大衆路線である。前回も今回もこの大衆路線とは違う、高度差や傾斜度がきつい健脚ルートから登った。チャレンジは、筆者の登山にとっては重要な要素である。

本来9月9日から四日間は、日本時代の主要新高山登山ルートであった八通關経由で玉山を登る予定であった。国家公園の入園許可などを取得し準備万端であったところへ、台風14号璨樹の発生である。台湾に向けて刻々と近づく状況であり、後半は風雨にみまわれる可能性が高い。入山許可発行の警察からも、取消の要望があった。台風警戒警報が発令されると、これらの許可はすべて無効になる。そうしたことで、四日の山々行を取りやめ、一日のこの山行となった。

內鳥嘴山は、漢口溪及びその支流の西側に位置し、石門水庫の南の羅浮から立ち上がり、南へ数々の峰を越えて霞喀羅大山やさらに檜山、境界山へと続く長い山脈に位置するピークである。当山脈は、今まで数回訪れその稜線をかなりカバーしてきた。內鳥嘴山と李棟山への分岐である石桌との間は未踏で残っていた。今回の山行はそれを補うものでもある。煤源八五山に車を駐車し、沢を越えて內鳥嘴山へ直登する山道にとりつき、約950mの落差を登って登頂した。下山は、稜線を追って約400mほど下り石桌の分岐を経て、車の駐車場へ戻った。前半のルートは急登、下山ルートは長いがずっと緩いというプロファイルである。

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Clock-wise round trip from Bawushan

Mt. Neiniaozui-shan (內鳥嘴山)  is known for its giant cypress trees of Beidelaman (北得拉曼), which grow on the northwest mountainside. There is a public trail to pass by the trees called Beidelaman trail, which attracts many hikers as the general profile of the trail is easy. This hike is our second visit to Mt. Neinaozui-shan. We did not travel this easy trail but other strenuous ones to the peak either on the last and this visit. The hard routes suit more this rugged-looking peak.

Location of the route relative to neighboring peaks 

Originally five of us had a plan to climb Mt. Yushan (玉山) from Batonguan (八通關) and were ready for it with all necessary permits. Just before our departure, Typhoon Canshu (璨樹颱風) appeared over a distant tropical ocean. The weather forecast indicated that it would come near Taiwan on the third day of our planed trip, which would give us a hard time. Under a suggestion from the authority we decided to cancel the trip to Yushan and made this day trip instead. Hard rain with gusty wind has just started outside my home now as I write this article on September 12, the forth and final day of our original plan.

All members on the summit

While on our last visit just one year ago we climbed Mt. Neiniaozui-shan from Shuitian forestry road (水田林道) and ascended approximately 1200 meters in height, we started from Bawushan (八五山) and climbed about 950 meters to reach the same summit this time. We took another route for our way down, a main ridge route towards Mt. Lidong-shan (李棟山). Mt. Neiniaozui-shan is one of the peaks of a long mountain range, which rises from Luofu (羅浮) to continue south all the way to Mt. Xiakeluo-dashan(霞喀羅大山) on the west bank of Hankouxi river (漢口溪) and its branch streams. We have been to almost all peaks of the mountain range on several separate occasions. The ridge route between Mt. Neiniaozui-shan and a junction called Shizhuo (石桌) was a section yet unvisited. The trip this time filled this gap. 

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Mt. Neiniaozui-shan viewed from Bawushan

Down to the river bed first

We set off at 6:30 from Taipei by sharing a car. The highway #3 was still relatively uncongested and we got off at Guanxi (關西) junction at 7:20. The sky is blue and clear, no sign of any storm today despite the weather forecast telling a typhoon will come. It is still more than ten hundreds kilometers away. Passing by Neiwan (內灣) town, we take the route #120 all the way to its end.  As we go up a winding road, the massive body of Mt. Neiniazui-shan is growing even bigger. We see the end of our paved road and a row of villa houses. This is our destination and we park our car by a side gravel road at 8:20.

Looking up the peak from valley

Traversing on the top of the dam

Climbing a steep uphill

Bawushan is the same place where we started our hike to Mt. Lidong-shan in October last year. We took a route to Shizhuo junction then. We take a route down to Youlouxi river (油羅溪) first on this hike. The trail soon goes steeply down to the river bed (elevation 788 meters) where a sand dam lies. We cross a stream and the top of the dam to other bank where a steep ascent is about to start. As soon as we take on the uphill I find sweat starts pouring over my forehead. There is no breeze. The path goes on a hillside and crosses a small stream where a rubber water pipe is fixed. It then climbs again. We get onto a long sub-ridge running down from the peak at 8:55. The grade on the ridge is yet very steep. We finally see a easy grade at 9:07 and have our first rest just below another steep section to come.

The junction with a sign on a tree trunk

The trail goes in a broad leaf trees forest 

A ten minutes climb on a steep grade brings us to a junction (elev. 1078m) where a left trail leads to a peak called Mt. Laku southeast peak (拉庫東南峰). We take right to keep on the main trail on the ridge. Our peak stands high on our left showing itself through tree branches. The grade on a wide ridge gets less steep. At 10:02 we get on a narrow ridge where a view of Mt. Lidong-shan spreads over low branches of trees below. This is a only vintage point today. We have a second rest just above this point at 10:08.

A view of Mt. Lidong-shan

Climbing the steepest section

The trail goes up on the right side of a big rocky stretch to avoid the vertical climb of the rock. At 10:33 we come to the bottom of a precipitous section where you have to grab tree roots and ropes to climb. The trail is still steep after this climb but no rope grabbing is necessary. A little after 11:00 we finally find a nice and flat place to rest (elev. 1561m). We have another 200 meters in height to climb. Fog is gathering as we further go up. Trees in a distance are in white mist. It is cool here. Theoretically the temperature of this altitude is 9 degrees lower than the sea level. 

Resting on a small flat spot

Another steep section

We have another precipitous section to go up. Ropes are fixed for several spots to help us to secure safety. In fifteen minutes we all pass this section and get on a rather flat and wide ridge extending to the summit. The ground is soft to step on. Fallen leaves of rhododendron (高山杜鵑) have piled up and produces such surface. If you come here in spring, you will enjoy pink flowers of rhododendron all around you. Getting out of the area of rhododendron the trail gets into a forest of large conifer trees and thin broad leaf trees with undergrowth of fern, As soon as we find a red sign of junction at 12:02 we arrive the summit (elev. 1749m). The shrubs of the east side are all cut off to provide a nice view, but sadly all is in white mist just like our last visit.

Going on a wide and flat ridge with rhododendron trees all around

At a junction near the summit

East side of the summit with all shrubs cut out, but no view

Steep descent in mist

Going down at a rope section

Completing a long lunch break of 40 minutes, we get on our long way down. The upper part of our descent is very steep. A descent of the first 15 minutes goes among rhododendron trees, some points of which you need to grab fixed ropes to go down. In another 20 minutes or so of careful descent we come to a moderate section (elev. 1516m) at last. Passing a rather flat section, a small hump gives us a hard time again. We go up for about 50 meters in height to pass over it and go down again. At 13:44 we hit a junction. A left trail with very scanty track leads to Mt. Fangliequ-shan (防列區山) and further down to Beiheng highway (北橫公路). It looks very little travelled recently. We take right and get to an open space with ashes of open fire and blue sheets. This must be a hunting camp of local people. We have a rest for a while.

Steep descent continues

Moderate grade at last

Junction to Mt. Fangliequ-shan (left)

A hunters' camp

The trail leaves the main ridge and goes on a side of mountain. It soon goes down to a small creak with a little running water. This is why they camp at the place just above. To our surprise two hikers run into us. We did not expect to bump other hikers on a weekday on such a trail like this. They will go to Mt. Neiniaozui-shan in the reversed way of us. It is already past 14:00. I doubt that they will complete their hike before dark. The trail passes a small ups and downs, then to another junction where a beaten track disappears into woods for the direction of Mt. Fangliequ-shan. Obviously very few, if not none, travel this trail. Our trail goes down for a while, passing a collapsed hut with rusted iron plates, and gets onto a wide open place at 14:44. 

Sign shows direction but no discernible track

Passing by a collapsed hut

A small open space

A pretty new sign

Shizhuo junction

We climb back a little and find a brand new sign showing Tiansheng remains (田勝遺址) and a trail diverges to left and up to the ridge. I wonder what it is. It may be something to do with the past incident of Lidong-shan (李棟山事件), in which local indigenous people and the advancing Japanese forces of the time fought each other in early 1910s. The trail gradually goes down in woods with fern undergrowth. At 15:07 we find in front a bunch of flat and square rocks lying side by side. This looks like a stone table and stools, so it is called Shizhuo (石桌, stone table), which is in fact a junction. We have a final break by the stone. While we are resting, three hikers are coming down and pass us. They say that they take the same route as us. There are many hikers on this route even on a weekday. No wonder the trails are in good shape.

Strolling down in a broad valley

large subcostate crape myrtle

We set off for the final leg of our hike at 15:32. We passed this section of trail in the revered direction when we visited Mt. Lidong-shan last year. The trail goes gradually down along a broad valley. At 15:50 we come to a open space where a large subcostate crape myrtle (九芎樹) stands high. This is a nice landmark on the trail, which is a half point between Bawushan trail head and Shizhuo junction. There are two or three more trees of the same kind nearby. As we go down the grade gets steeper. The trail gets into a forest of large cedar trees aroud 16:00 and gets out to reach a junction. Either trail leads to Baowushan. One on the right is more travelled. We take the right trail which soon dips to a narrow valley. In about 15 minutes we reach the valley bottom where a rubber hose is running along the trail. We come onto a paved road at 16:32 and returned where our car is parked in five more minutes. Mt. Neiniaozui-shan stands high just like in the morning except thick clouds hiding its top.

Back at Bawushan viewing Mt. Neiniaozui-shan

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Strange clouds viewed on our way back

Our way back was OK except we were trapped in commuter traffic on the highway #3. It took us a little more than two hours back to Taipei. Our activity time including breaks was 8 hours, covering 8.1Km with a total ascent and descent of 1000 meters each. The route physical index amounts to 28. This route proves less strenuous than the one from Shuitian forestry road last year, but still challenging your physical fitness. The trails are in good condition. It is recommended for those hikers who want to upgrade their hiking skills and experiences.