Sunrise mountains

I've climbed lots of mountains in Asia for which I've discovered you're expected to get up at 3am or worse, so you can climb it in the dark and watch the sunrise at the summit. It never seems such a good idea at the time, but there are in fact good reasons. Such as that the sky often clouds over soon after sunrise, so that's the surest way to actually see anything.



So here we are, setting off from Tianchi Villa, in Taiwan's Taroko National Park. We're on our way up to watch the sun rising from atop Mt Nanhua.

When in the Northern Hemisphere I always enjoy the chance to reacquaint myself with the night sky of my youth. Here's the Plough, plus Ursa Minor and Polaris.
































Taiwan's East Coast seems almost permanently lost in the clouds.

Altitude

Taiwan has 250 peaks above 3000m altitude, and we were due to conquer the second highest, at 3886m. So it paid to build our way up to it over a few days:



Mt Dongmao, 1692m

Mt Malun,  2305m

Mt Nanhua, 3184m

Mt Qilai South, 3358m

Mt Hehuan Main Peak, 3417m

Mt Shimen, 3237m

Mt Hehuan North Peak, 3422m

This chap was receiving oxygen treatment at Songsyue Lodge, probably after climbing one of these peaks without preparation. 

Mt Xue/Syue East Peak, 3200m

Mt Xue / Mt Syue ('Snow Mt'), 3886m

 Some images courtesy other expedition members or guides