River traces around East Taiwan
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Jay
River:
木瓜溪 / Mugua riverArea:
HualienRegion:
EastStart:
23.9882,121.45232Nenggao Soaring Fall is a difficult river tracing route that involves ascending 500 meters over a short distance of 700 meters. It's a continuous uphill climb. The route to Nenggao Soaring Fall is beautiful with numerous stunning pools along the way. The pools are clear and home to large fish, making it unlikely for anglers or locals to come fishing ... . Upon reaching the parking area, the entrance is located beside a tunnel, next to Taipower's steel fence. After crossing the stream, you will see Taipower's channel on the left bank of the tributary(facing downstreams). Follow this channel to the end (approximately 40 minutes), and you will reach a 30-meter waterfall. Below is a beautiful deep pool known as "Hualien Divine Pool," with a large, clear and gorgeous deep blue pool outside. There are stairs next to the waterfall that lead down to the pool. The journey to Nenggao Soaring Fall involves climbing and is moderately difficult (but definitely not suitable for beginners). The path is recognizable for experienced river tracing enthusiasts. The most challenging section is located 200 meters before the endpoint. Once you pass this section, you are almost at Nenggao Soaring Fall. This section features a challenging climbing hole with a slippery 2.5-meter large rock underneath. There is a 3-meter suspended drop to the hole's entrance, with no footholds available. You have to be able to squeeze yourself to the tiny hole above the drop. Many experienced river tracing teams have failed and turned back at this point. If your team doesn't have a skilled climber to set up ropes first, and teammates who can use rope equipment or at least have really good climbing abilities, it may be impossible to climb with a rope, not to mention without a rope. I used an additional climbing nut as a hand rope here. Without this extra hand rope, team members with limited climbing abilities still won't be able to climb up. On the return journey, rappelling is necessary. Even with a rope, it is impossible to descend without rappelling (unless you are an expert climber, but it is still highly dangerous). Fortunately, an anchor can be easily set here. Luckily, when we went, there was a high-hanging blue-green webbing and a rope, and many bolts were drilled into the rocks. However, climbing was still extremely difficult. The rope was hung on a rope-wearing edge, so I couldn't fully trust it. The blue-green webbing was much better, secured to a sturdy stone. If it hadn't been hit by other rocks, it should be solid, although I can't guarantee this after a typhoon. After walking for 10 minutes, the enormous Nenggao Soaring Fall comes into view. The awe-inspiring 120-meter waterfall has a massive flow of water rushing out of the top, leaping into the pool below. Its shape resembles flight, which is why it is called "Nenggao Soaring Fall" by the Japanese during the colonial era. The pool is large and suitable for swimming, but the waterfall's wind is extremely strong, making it feel like walking into a downpour. There is also a 140-meter waterfall above this waterfall, but it requires advanced summit tracing skills and a at least two-day expedition. -
River:
得子口溪 / Dezikou creekArea:
YilanRegion:
EastStart:
24.831193426175336, 121.74668290581367This is about the river tracers' route. If you take the tourists' mountain trail. Things would be much easier. On a trace, people usually trace up from the steel bridge(24.8303888,121.7385734) and go back on tourists' route from Yuemeikeng Waterfall. Because river tracing back takes a lot of time. The starting point is a parking lot, but it is extre ... mely stuffed with cars on weekends because the area is a popular tourist attraction. Therefore, taking a taxi or riding a scooter here from the bus or train station is a reasonable choice. First, walk across the bridge of big pipes to the trail from the starting point. Then hike up the trail for 15 minutes, and you will see the starting point in the creek, by a thin steel bridge. When you see a land god shrine on your way, you are almost to the creek. Remember to choose the right trail fork after the land god shrine. There is a creek fork almost right by the starting point of the creek. You should follow the mainstream first, which is the left one. Trace up for 15 minutes, and you will the other creek fork; this time you have to choose the right fork. Trace up here for 15 minutes, there should be a gorge. There are two ways to go up. One is to climb up the waterfall, and the other is to climb around on the right side(facing downstreams) of the creek. The former is only doable with low waterflow, and the use of rope is suggested. The latter, however, requires tracers to climbing on a vertical wall at the height of 3.5 meters with some rope; it is pretty challanging even risky to unsporty people. There is another waterfall right above the lower one. The pond between the two waterfalls is very deep and good for jumping. But the climbing-up next to the second waterfall is even more challanging--a gap of 5 meters with barely any footholds and slippery rock face. Even though there should be a piece of thick rope with many knots, it is still the most challanging part of climbing--I even struggled there. If you climb on the wall on the right side of the creek instead of climbing up right through the lower waterfall. You will end up at the top of the second water and will not need to climb this difficulty gap. Yuemeikeng Waterfall now is 30 minutes away. The creek is surrounded by rainforesty trees and ferns, and this part of the trace is relatively easy. But the joy of a few gaps and pools on the way will bring you an impressvie experience. Finally, you will be met by a big waterfall at the height of 45 meters, and that is Yuemiekeng Waterfall. On you way back, you can take the tourists' route to get back. There are two ways to do so. One is to hike up on the right side(facing downstreams). This is a detour route but much clearer than the other. The other is to trace downstreams back for 5-10 minutes along the creek. There is a rough trail and it is sometimes interrupted by the creek itself. The trail that leads you back to the mountains can be found at here, on the left side of the creek(facing downstreams)(24.8310332,121.7354250). -
Trace Taiwan
River:
得子口溪 / Dezikou creekArea:
YilanRegion:
EastStart:
24.831193426175336, 121.74668290581367This is about the river tracers' route. If you take the tourists' mountain trail. Things would be much easier. On a trace, people usually trace up from the steel bridge(24.8303888,121.7385734) and go back on tourists' route from Yuemeikeng Waterfall. Because river tracing back takes a lot of time. The starting point is a parking lot, but it is extr ... emely stuffed with cars on weekends because the area is a popular tourist attraction. Therefore, taking a taxi or riding a scooter here from the bus or train station is a reasonable choice. First, walk across the bridge of big pipes to the trail from the starting point. Then hike up the trail for 15 minutes, and you will see the starting point in the creek, by a thin steel bridge. When you see a land god shrine on your way, you are almost to the creek. Remember to choose the right trail fork after the land god shrine. There is a creek fork almost right by the starting point of the creek. You should follow the mainstream first, which is the left one. Trace up for 15 minutes, and you will the other creek fork; this time you have to choose the right fork. Trace up here for 15 minutes, there should be a gorge. There are two ways to go up. One is to climb up the waterfall, and the other is to climb around on the right side(facing downstreams) of the creek. The former is only doable with low waterflow, and the use of rope is suggested. The latter, however, requires tracers to climbing on a vertical wall at the height of 3.5 meters with some rope; it is pretty challanging even risky to unsporty people. There is another waterfall right above the lower one. The pond between the two waterfalls is very deep and good for jumping. But the climbing-up next to the second waterfall is even more challanging--a gap of 5 meters with barely any footholds and slippery rock face. Even though there should be a piece of thick rope with many knots, it is still the most challanging part of climbing--I even struggled there. If you climb on the wall on the right side of the creek instead of climbing up right through the lower waterfall. You will end up at the top of the second water and will not need to climb this difficulty gap. Yuemeikeng Waterfall now is 30 minutes away. The creek is surrounded by rainforesty trees and ferns, and this part of the trace is relatively easy. But the joy of a few gaps and pools on the way will bring you an impressvie experience. Finally, you will be met by a big waterfall at the height of 45 meters, and that is Yuemiekeng Waterfall. On you way back, you can take the tourists' route to get back. There are two ways to do so. One is to hike up on the right side(facing downstreams). This is a detour route but much clearer than the other. The other is to trace downstreams back for 5-10 minutes along the creek. There is a rough trail and it is sometimes interrupted by the creek itself. The trail that leads you back to the mountains can be found at here, on the left side of the creek(facing downstreams)(24.8310332,121.7354250). -
River:
美崙溪 / Meilun riverArea:
HualienRegion:
EastStart:
24.01543,121.54377Yasheng Waterfall(24.03165,121.54109) is in the mainstream of Meilun North Creek, into which the creek to Orion Waterfall flows. The river tracing isn't escpecially difficult; just go along the river and you'll eventually get there. If you want to go further up, there is a very sketchy thin rope set up by local hunters on the right side(facing downs ... treams) near Yasheng Waterfall, and you will need technical equipment for going up and back down. 2 days are suggested for a further exploration to trace more upstreams. It is possible to combine Yasheng Waterfall and Orion Waterfall in one day. -
River:
楓溪 / Maple creekArea:
YilanRegion:
EastStart:
24.3504,121.73387This Maple Creek is the one in Nan'ao-Heping area, not in Nan'ao town where Nan'ao River is. There are four waterfalls in this trace, and the first three of them have a route to go around. Quite a few pools can be found, and all of the waterfalls have a pool.
