Jade Mountain (Yushan Shan)

Yu Shan or Yushan, also known as Mount Jade, Jade Mountain, or Mount Yu, and known as Mount
Niitaka during Japanese rule, is the highest mountain in Taiwan at 3,952 m (12,966 ft) above sea level,
giving Taiwan the 4th-highest maximum elevation of any island in the world. It is the highest point in the
western Pacific region outside of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

International peak baggers Yushan is ranked as the 4th World Island Highpoints and the 3rd Asian Island
Highpoints. After Puncak Jaya (4,884 m (16,024 ft)) in Indonesia and Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m
(13,435 ft)) in Malaysia to form an "Asian Trilogy" hiking experience

Yushan has five main peaks with the Main Peak being the most popular:

● Main Peak (玉山主峰), 3,952 m (12,966 ft)- Elevation

● Eastern Peak ( 玉 山 東 峰 ), 3,869 m (12,694 ft)- Elevation – 1.2 km (0.7 mi) from Main
Peak
● Northern Peak (玉山北峰), 3,858 m (12,657 ft)- Elevation – 2.2 km (1.4 mi) from Wind
Tunnel (風口)
● Southern Peak (玉山南峰), 3,844 m (12,612 ft)- Elevation – 3.1 km (1.9 mi) from Paiyun
Lodge (排雲山莊)
● Western Peak ( 玉山西峰 ), 3,467 m (11,375 ft)- Elevation – 4 km (2.5 mi) from Paiyun
Lodge (排雲山莊)

Single Day Ascent

Difficulty – 5 (out 5)    Duration – 1 day and 1 night.

The single-day ascent involves a 10–12-hour hike.

Distance – 21.6 kilometers roundtrip

Reminders and Regulations

1. Prevent forest fires
● Do not use fire for land preparation or to burn vegetation.
● No littering of cigarette butts or burning of joss paper.
● Campfire parties are prohibited
2. Acts harmful to wild animals
● Carry hunting equipment such as rifles, nets, trap jaws, cages, batteries, and poisons
that are sufficient to catch and kill animals.
● Hunting, selling animals, and displaying specimens.
 ● Fish catching.
● Bring pets and release domesticated animals.
3. Picking flowers and cutting plants.
● Selling and displaying plants and their specimens.

4. Destruction of resources
● Collecting, selling, and displaying stalagmites, stalactites, paleontological fossils, rare
rocks, and exotic stones.
5. Acts harmful to the ecological environment
● Get off the trails and trample.
● Drive vehicles into non-designated areas.
● Loud noises, loud radio and stereos, and firecrackers.
6. Acts causing pollution
● Discard fruit peels, paper scraps, and soiled objects.
7. Acts causing mountain climbing and recreational hazards
● Failure to comply with climbing regulations.
● Destroy public properties and facilities such as log cabins, plank roads, railings, road
signs, and others.
● Wander around plank roads, cliffs, collapsed ground, and rockfall areas to take photos.
8. Active ecological conservation acts
● Comply with the relevant regulations of the park.
● No consuming, catching, and buying wild animals and plants.
● Take your own garbage home.
● Reduce the use of pollution sources that cannot be decomposed, such as glass jars and
styrofoam.
● Try to bring reusable containers (such as kettles) or raincoats.
● Do not wash greasy utensils or use detergents in streams.
● Do not discard fruit peels, paper scraps, and soiled objects.
● Do not arbitrarily establish monuments, signs, altars, and worship facilities

Things to Bring
● Windbreaker Jacket
● Windbreaker Pants
● Warmer Clothes
● Warmer Gloves
● Warmer Socks
● Extra Hiking Clothes
● Hiking Shoes
● Hot Pack
● Trekking Pole
● HeadLight
● 1 Liter of Drinking Water or more as needed
● Trail Lunch and Snacks for 1st day
 ● Headlight
● Trail food for 2nd day descending hike
● Personal First Aid Kit
● Personal Toiletry
● Generic Medicine for Headache, Whiteflower, Efficacient, Vicks, etc

Climate
Yushan has an alpine climate (Köppen ETH). The tip of Yushan is usually covered with
frost from November to March. Elevations above 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) may
sometimes see snow during the winter months, and there are four consecutive months
of snow accumulation at places with elevations higher than 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). The
first snow may appear in October and completely melts by May.

Altitude sickness is a real concern for hikers who aspire to reach the highest peaks, or
even for those hiking at relatively moderate elevations they're unfamiliar with.
Altitude sickness, caused by a lack of oxygen at higher altitudes, can cause headaches, difficulty
sleeping, and other mild to severe symptoms. Fortunately, several treatments are available to
address these issues.

Symptoms
First, it’s important to determine whether you have altitude sickness (also called acute
mountain sickness). The most common symptoms are the following:

● Throbbing headaches
● Lack of appetite
● Nausea
● Fatigue
● Difficulty sleeping
● Dizzy spells
● Shortness of breath

Severe symptoms include becoming confused, feeling faint and having trouble
breathing. You may also notice graying of the lips or fingernails. If symptoms become
this severe, seek medical assistance right away, and get to a lower altitude as quickly as
possible.
Note
Altitude sickness can take up to a day to occur, with symptoms often becoming worse at night. It
can also often be mistaken for other illnesses or conditions, including dehydration and the flu.

Treatments

● Go to a lower altitude
Descending to a lower altitude can help alleviate any symptoms you feel, and it’s the
quickest and safest fix for altitude sickness. Often it won’t take much of a drop in
elevation to start feeling significantly better.
● Acclimate to the altitude
If descending is not possible or if symptoms are mild enough, stay at your current
altitude and let your body acclimate. Rest up, stay hydrated and take it easy as your
body gets used to the altitude. As a precaution, you should always work up to a higher
altitude by resting before your ascent. Let your body acclimatize to each new level of
altitude slowly as you hike.
● Ask your doctor for medicine ahead of time
Various medications can help control the effects of altitude sickness. Consider asking
your doctor for a prescription for medications such as Diamox or Procardia. Your doctor
may also have advice on what over-the-counter medications may help alleviate any mild
symptoms you may encounter.
● Drink and eat well
Drinking plenty of water and eating meals heavy in carbohydrates (think pastas, cereals
and bread) can help alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness.
● Avoid smoking and alcohol
Since altitude sickness can cause shortness of breath, avoid smoking. Alcohol is
dehydrating, which can worsen symptoms of altitude sickness.
Altitude sickness is a serious matter, but with a bit of knowledge and preparation, you can be
ready to recognize symptoms and put the right treatment into effect.