2024年4月2日 貢寮九份坑山 觀日峰 水返港山(未竟) Little visited peaks near Gongliao of New Taipei city

福卯古道から九份坑山を遠望(中央の最高峰、2023/10攝影)　右奥の山峰は燦光寮山

新北市貢寮は、福隆と同じく草嶺古道へのアクセスで知られる。しかし谷を挟んだ反対(北)側の丘陵地帯を歩く登山者は非常に少ない。標高も高くなく、草嶺古道のような歴史史跡もない。そのような理由で人気もない。それに輪をかけて、登山道が良くない。つまりは、ほとんど注目を浴びない場所である。筆者は、数年前に澳底からこの山域の外文秀坑山を目指したが、道筋が全くなく諦めた経験がある。つい最近、ボランティア夫婦が、当山域の雙溪南天宮から始まる西九份坑山稜線上の道を整備し、九份坑山が簡単に登れるようになった。そのような契機で、今回の山行となった。

西の雙溪から貢寮へ歩く、細い赤線は予定のコース

前半の九份坑山と觀日峰とは、問題なく登頂できた。後半は、以前ゴルフ場であったころは、問題なく登山者が通過していた道（過去事例あり）が、このゴルフ場を買収しキャンプ場にした台北一莊は、外部者を入れないという方針で、我々はこの場所を突っ切ることができず、水返港山へは行けなかった。台湾は土地所有者が外部者を排除する場合は、もちろん入れない。ただ、多くの場合は登山者の通行を黙認している。今回は、そうではなかったということだ。

Location of the area relative to neighboring major places

Caoling-gudao trail (草嶺古道, currently a part of Danlan or Tamsui-Kavalan trails 淡蘭古道) is well known for its nice day hike. Across the valley of Gongliao (貢寮) where hikers start their hike for Caoling-gudao trail rise hills that extend all the way to the coast line of Aodi (澳底) - Fulong (福隆) on their east.  Unlike Caoling-gudao trail, very few hikers walk around this area. That is partly because it lacks such historical attractions of Caoling-gudao trail and partly because very few good trails for hiking exist in this area.

@summit of Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan

Very recently a pair of volunteers came in and made a nice clearing job along a long neglected trail that follows a ridge line of Xijiufenkeng-shan (西九份坑山) from Nantiangong shrine (南天宮) to Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan (九份坑山). Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan is the highest peak of the area with an elevation of 301 meters. There is a short official trail for Mt. Guanrifeng (觀日峰) nearby. There are a few more named peaks such as Waiwenxiu-shan (外文秀山), Shuifangang-shan (水返港山) in the area. We tried to hike from Auodi up to Mt. Waiwenxiu-shan several years ago, but we did not make it because the trail was in very bad shape and no track beyond a short distance from the head.

We have come up with a plan to hike this hilly area again including Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan, Guanrifeng, and Shuifangang-shan of which trail was also very recently cleared. We made it all right to the first two, but not the last. It is because we could not pass through the large piece of land called GENE21+ as its owner was not generous enough to let us pass. Many hiking trails in fact cross private lands but most of the land owners let hikers pass. This owner does not.

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Street of Shuangxi town

Eleven of us gathered at Shuangxi train station (雙溪火車站) in the morning. We left the station a little after 9:00. The sky is blue and promises a good day ahead. The main street of the town is busy with many local residents shopping foods at shops along the street. In a few minutes we come out to a junction where a road to Nantiangong shrine forks. At its corner still stands a shop of blacksmith, which forges on site and sells knifes, shackles and such farming irons. This kind of shop is very rate nowadays.

Blacksmith at the street corner

Passing under the bridge

We pass under the railway bridge and head for the shrine which stands on a hill. The road climbs gradually. A big golden statute of Taoism deity welcomes us at the gate of the large shrine. The trail starts at the corner of a building and leads to the ridge above with steps. This is a part of short stroll trails behind the shrine. Our trail merges another one coming from the other side of the shrine and goes on the ridge. It passes a first pavilion and climbs further up to a second pavilion. It seems very few people come up here and it looks deserted. This is the end of this stroll trail and the dirt ridge trail starts beyond the handrail by the pavilion.

Nangtiangong shrine

 The trail head at the corner of the shrine

First pavilion

Second pavilion

Ridge trail starts here

A clean and wide ridge trail

Summit of Mt. Xijiufenkeng-shan

The cleared trail is pretty wide and ropes are fixed at steep inclines. It goes up and down as the ridge dose. At 9:38 we have come up to the summit of Xijiufenkeng-shan (elevation 129 meters). A new name plate is hooked to its marker stone. A corner of the small cleared summit offers a nice view towards the northeast, showing Mt. Mudan-shan (牡丹山) that we hiked in this Januar, Mt. Canguanglia-shan and other adjacent peaks in a distance.  

A view from the summit

Through beautiful bamboos

A few minutes from of the peak finds another good vantage point. From this place you can have a clear view of S-shaped railway tracks and mountains behind. If you are a railroad enthusiast, you can take good shots of trains going up and down the tracks. The trail faithfully follows the ridge, at some point with steep gradient, and passing by two electric transmission towers. We finally come out onto a paved road at 10:50.

Steep uphill

Climbing along the paved road

The head for a short trail to the summit of Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan is just on our right side, up on a hill. We go up a little along the road and enter the short trail. The trail proves very steep after passing a junction to another electric tower. We climb the steep but good trail to the summit and reach it at 11:09. Weeds and bushes have been cut clean on the summit, which provides a wide and nice vista around. We can make out Mt. Laolan-shan (荖蘭山) which we visited last November and Fulong seacoast. At its left stand low mountains like Mt. Waiwenxiu-shan , Mt. Fuoyan-shan (火炎山) and its adjacent peaks of Aodi. 

A view on our way up

Summit of Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan

Panorama towards Aodi

Take the same trail down

After enjoying good vistas we go down along the same steep trail to its head, where we have lunch. A nice breeze is blowing through and it feels very good as it was a hot climb to Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan. We head for our next destination, Mt. Guanrifeng at 12:15 after a half hour lunch break. Passing the trail head of which we came out a while ago we go further down to the trail to Guanrifeng. Its trail is wide and paved with pebbles and concrete as it is maintained by a local authority. 

Lunch break at the trail head

Trail to Mt. Guanrifeng on the left

The trail has small ups and downs, but generally easy to follow. A final short ascent has led us up to the summit at 12:35 where a nice pavilion stands. It is surrounded by trees except one direction towards the ocean. A viewing deck has been built at that spot, which is meant to observe the rising sun. "Guanri" means viewing the sun. We have a short rest under the pavilion roof.

Walking to Guanrifeng

Summit of Guanrifeng

A view from the deck

Returning along the same trail

We return to the same trail head by the paved road and continue on it. The road goes down to a valley and climbs up again. It is rather tiring to walk along the paved road as the bright sun is high up. At 13:27, we find a dirt trail splits on our right. My map shows this trail leads for the direction of our next destination, Mt. Shuifangang-shan. It looks recently cleared so we follow it down. In a few minutes, though, it comes to an abrupt end where a family grave lies. It has turned out a short happy surprise. This clearing was made just for Qingming-jie (清明節, family grave sweeping day). 

Walking along the paved road

The cleared trail ends at a grave (down left)

Junction for GENE21+

We go back to the original road and keep going down to where a new two-lane road forks to the right. To my surprise a new sign of GENE21+ (台北一莊) stands at the road head together with a big "WELCOME" letters. According to what my map shows this road must be a narrow road. We need but to go up along this road in order to reach Mt. Shuifangang-shan. A long ascent brings us up to a large open field, which was once a golf course and converted to a camping ground.

Welcome sign by the road: it proved that we were not welcome

Viewing the ridge line of Mt. Shuifangang-shan

Directly down to Gongliao

At a point just a couple hundred meters to the trail head of Mt. Shuifangang-shan, the owner has shown up and tells us to go back. Our explanation proves to no avail and we turn back. From there we directly walk down to Gongliao train station, where we has reached at 15:28. Four of our members head for Shuifangang-shan while others wait for a train of 16:17.  Our hike has lasted about 6 hours and a half coverging 16 kilometers. With 630 meters of ascent and descent each, the course physical index is moderate 24.

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UK Public footpath sign

The large premises of GENE21+ cut off direct connection between Mt. Jiufenkeng-shan on the west side of this area and Mt. Shuifangang-shan on the east. There is an old record of hiking on Internet which shows crossing this piece of land to connect the two peaks. That hike took place before the golf course was purchased and converted to a camping ground. So it is currently impossible to hike both sides of the GENE21+ at one time as no hikers are welcome to cross this land.

This reminds me of my experiences with UK's network of public footpaths. Anybody can pass this kind of passage on foot regardless of the land ownership. There is no such system in Taiwan, so hikers can not help but stay away from such places.