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.

Taiwan's mountain huts - trials and tribulations for the luxury hiker!

Ours was mainly a hiking trip for softies, with accommodation in very comfortable hotels between our various day walks. But there were  a couple of occasions when we had to spend a night or two up in the mountains, and then you take whatever accommodation is available.

Here's Tianchi Villa, where we spent a couple of nights. Except on the second night there was no room inside, and we were put into tents.


There was only an intermittent water supply there, and the arrangements for feeding the masses were somewhat military in style.

And here's 369 Villa, which houses 150 sleepers in an even more spartan style. In practice it didn't really matter how uncomfortable the sleeping arrangements - you are woken at 1am anyway, when the first shifts rise and are breakfasted, ready for their assault on Xue Mountain.

Someone told me these huts are all run by volunteers. If that's the case, they're doing a rather fine job.