Snow Mountain (Syueshan or Xueshan) is the second highest mountain in Taiwan respectively with altitude 3886 meters above sea level. It is a part of Shei-pa National park and hiking Snow Mountain Taiwan requires permit.
I had applied for the permit in advance and got no problem in obtaining one, so I’m ready to go!
Keep reading and scrolling down till the last part for tips and prices for hiking Snow Mountain.
In this article you’ll find some information about the campsite – Wuling Farm, the trail and sort of like my itinerary hiking Snow Mountain or Xueshan, Taiwan.
At the end of this article you’ll find useful tips including bus schedule and prices.
Getting to Snow Mountain, Taiwan
After Jiufen, I took the train to Yilan, where I still had to transfer to a bus to get to Wuling Farm.
It was a long bus ride, around 3 hours. I spent most of my time sleeping because I was exhausted, and I might get carsick due to the winding road.
The scenery along the way was delightful, with local farms and mountain ranges covered by clouds being captivating.
Upon arriving at the bus station, I tried to find the information center, but it was closed.
I met an Australian couple who had the same plan to hike Snow Mountain in Taiwan, and together, we made our way to the campground.
Before heading to the campground, we decided to obtain our police permit for Xueshan, or Snow Mountain, at the police station.
Luckily, it wasn’t closed yet. The distance from the bus station to the police station wasn’t too bad, but apparently, the campground was further than we expected, about 3 km away.
In the beginning, we could still have conversations and take photos of the autumn leaves, but after a while, it was indeed tiring. I had this big backpack with me, not an easy walk. We should have hitchhiked!
About an hour of walking on the ascending road, we finally reached the campground before it got too dark.
Camping site in Wuling Farm
The Campsite in Wuling Farm
The campground has decent facilities with several options for rooms or tents. I chose the cheapest option, which is the tent.
Still, it was expensive for me since I was alone. The campground features a shared bathroom with hot showers and a large common area with benches and tables.
They also sell some basic supplies, such as cup noodles and other snacks. I made myself noodles before heading to bed.
The next morning, after all the preparations were done to hike Snow Mountain in Taiwan, I stored my big backpack at the campground and kept my smaller backpack with me.
I was ready to hit the trail, as was the couple.
From the campground, it was still another kilometer to the trailhead. Midway, a car stopped and offered us a ride.
The driver, a Taiwanese man, guess his age? 65 years old and still strong enough for the hike!
He and another lady, his hiking partner, were about to start the hike as well.
That’s how we formed a group, five of us embarking on the hike together. I’m glad to have had companions.
The office was not yet open. There was a box where you could drop your papers in; you just had to write the starting date and time.
A few other hikers were getting ready as well. They were fully equipped with high boots and trekking poles.
The man led us well despite his age. He spoke pretty good English, while I had to pick up some Chinese words I’d learned to speak to the lady.
She had this big bag overloaded with food! I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be hungry!
Registration Shei-pa National Park
Snow Mountain Hiking Trail
We did two days hike in total, here’s the most common hiking route or trail starting from Wuling Farm.
Trailhead – Qika Hut : 2 KM
From the trailhead, it was a steady climb uphill with built-in stairs.
Slowly but surely, I took my time adjusting my steps and breath.
The weather wasn’t good, but not too bad either.
Sometimes it drizzled and stopped before starting to pour again. I was glad that it wasn’t heavy rain.
We were doing pretty well, and in less than an hour, we arrived at Qika Hut.
Some people who arrived a bit late might have spent the night in Qika Hut rather than Wuling Farm.
It was free anyway, and it was good enough with bunk beds, a toilet, and a kitchen area.
We didn’t spend too long in Qika Hut and continued our walk.
I was thinking it could be a very different experience compared to hiking volcanoes in Indonesia.
Inside the cabin. Pretty much the same with 369 Hut
Qika Hut – 369 Hut : 5 KM
From Qika Hut, the trail starts to get steeper but was still okay for me.
I love hiking without carrying big bags. It is completely different when you have a heavy load; it’s more tiring for sure.
I could see the lady starting to walk slower, but she handled it very well; she’s strong.
Also, we had good time management and took good rest stops.
There’s this famous spot called the Crying Slope when hiking Snow Mountain in Taiwan because it’s very steep and challenging, in a fun way, of course.
So far, there was no improvement in the weather. I saw only trees and a grey sky pretty much.
Sometimes, I took off my raincoat, and after a few minutes, I had to wear it again.
We arrived at the East Peak of Snow Mountain at an elevation of 3201 meters above sea level.
Then, we descended down; there were fewer tall trees now, it’s an open area with bushes.
Some parts were muddy; that’s why they were wearing high boots and laughed at my shoes.
I just had to walk slowly and carefully.
I didn’t pay too much attention to my timing when following other people.
I think after 4-5 hours of walking, we finally arrived at 369 (Sanliujiu) Hut.
The clouds cleared away for a bit, and I could see the mountain ranges; beautiful!
Basically, there are three cabins here: a sleeping cabin, kitchen, and toilet.
The sleeping arrangement is according to the number that comes with the permit.
From the entrance, you’ll either sleep in the right or left wing on the bunk bed.
It was too early to sleep, so I hung around the kitchen area, chit-chatting, and had my dinner.
Ready to sleep, I had my sleeping bag with me, but it was so cold that I had to rent a sleeping bag from the cabin.
It was the best decision I’ve made.
The sleeping bag was so warm that I had to remove my other sleeping bag and some of my jackets in the middle of the night because I was sweating.
East Peak Xueshan
369 Hut
369 Hut – Snow Mountain Main Peak: 4 KM
I was hoping for nice weather to catch the perfect sunrise.
I talked to my Taiwanese friend, and they weren’t planning to see the sunrise; they preferred to start after the sun was up.
The Australian couple were unsure whether they wanted to see the sunrise because one of them was feeling unwell due to altitude sickness.
Maybe I should join another group for the sunrise, as long as I’m not alone.
I set my alarm and woke up at 3 a.m. No one else was awake yet! I checked the sky outside, and it was clear, filled with stars.
Normally, around this time, people would start, but until 5 a.m., no one was up for the summit.
I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t want to walk alone in the dark.
I waited for the sunrise at 369 Hut. The clouds swirled around the lower peaks like cotton candy.
The sky was getting brighter, and soon I was back with my team, heading to the summit.
From the ridge, the sun popped out behind one of the peaks, and the view was drop-dead gorgeous!
From 369 Hut towards main peak
Sunrise from the ridge
From the ridge, we entered the Black Forest. There are probably thousands of trees soaring high; I’d rather call it mysterious or creepy, especially when birds like crows make noises.
The trek was pretty flat. I could imagine it might be a bit tricky in the dark, though the path is pretty clear, there’s still a chance of getting lost.
Some of the path is a bit rough with big rocks, and after 2 km, we were out of the Black Forest.
No more tall trees from now on. The trek starts uphill again.
I started to move faster because it was cold, even though the sun was up.
My nose was running; I wrapped both my hands with my scarf.
It’s getting steeper and steeper, and 500 meters seems far and tough.
Finally, after a bit of hard work, I touched the highest peak of Snow Mountain. It was the best feeling!
I turned around, and all I could see were mountain ranges.
Not long after, all my teammates were catching up, and all of us made it!
Black Forest
Hiking Snow Mountain Taiwan
Made it to the top
The view before heading down
I was very grateful for the sunrise and the beautiful sky.
We went back to 369 Hut, had lunch, and got our stuff ready to head back down.
It started to rain again on our way down, and I felt lucky.
The man was kind enough to take us back to Yilan in his car because it was too late for the bus, even though it meant going out of his way.
Thank you so much!
By hiking Snow Mountain in Taiwan, I’ve added another high mountain to my list!
After Xueshan, I also did another hike to Yushan, or Jade Mountain.
Tips for Hiking Snow Mountain (Xueshan) Taiwan
- It’s easy to get to Yilan by train from anywhere in Taiwan. Once you reach the train station, head out to the bus station which is just about 150 meters away. Kuo-Kuang Bus departs to Wuling Farm and takes about 3 hours. Price is NTD 306. Bus Schedule:
Yilan – Wuling Farm: 7.30 a.m. and 12.40 p.m.
Wuling Farm – Yilan: 9.10 a.m. – 2.10 p.m. - Entrace Fee to Wuling Farm Recreational Area is NTD 130.
- I paid NTD 1300/night for a tent (NTD 1500 for tent and NTD 1600 for cabin, update on Jan 2019). I sent them message in advance to ask whether I can rent only tent which is only NTD 500. Apparently you can’t pitch the tent on the ground, it has to be on a camping board which is another NTD 1000. Click here for more information about Wuling Farm.
- You can pre-book your meal by contacting Aqing: +886 912976610.
Dinner : NTD 400
Breakfast : NTD 300
Sleeping Bag : NTD 200 (you don’t have to book this in advance)
I just brought some foods that I got from 7-11 such as onigiri, sandwich, cup noodle or chocolate bars. For water I have around 2-3 liters with me, this depends on how much you drink. - It can be pretty cold so make sure you bring enough warm clothes.
- Make sure you acclimatize yourself or take medicine to avoid altitude sickness. It is a high mountain, each person is different in handling the altitude.
- Check out my other post on how to apply the permit for Xueshan.
Thanks team!
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