Yang-Ming Shan Mountains 陽明山 ~ you can never have too much of a good thing!

After weeks and weeks of rain, suddenly the most beautiful weather for the weekend ~ and the whole of Taipei spent yesterday on Yang-Ming Shan Mountains! Mega-long walk, 4:00am start from Sanzhi  三芝 via the graveyards – 5 hours to the top of Datun Shan 大屯山 (1092m), then 2-3 more hours to Qixing Shan 七星山 (1120m), finishing in a free foot-bath at the Lengshueikeng 冷水坑 Hot Springs and bus back at 2:00pm….. Typhoon damage on the roads and paths meant some are still closed, and vandalism to the summit pillar on Qixing Shan means that it is currently all wrapped up in plastic… … Continue reading Yang-Ming Shan Mountains 陽明山 ~ you can never have too much of a good thing!

Yang-Ming Shan Mountains 陽明山國家公園 ~ Escaping the Heat!

Today is Dragon Boat Festival and so yesterday was a day off too – yippee!  So up to the Yang-Ming Shan Mountains to escape temps of 37.1°C recorded in Taipei City…. We had sun and clouds and fog, on and off all day ~ good for walking, but not so good for photos!  First to Erziping 二子坪, then up to Mian-Tian Shan 面天山, Datun Shan 大屯山 and finally along to Qishing Shan 七星山 via the fumaroles at Xiaoyoukeng 小油坑 ~ that’s 3 mountains and quite a way in-between, finishing in a foot-bath at the Lengshueikeng 冷水坑 Hot Springs!  It’s the Yang-Ming … Continue reading Yang-Ming Shan Mountains 陽明山國家公園 ~ Escaping the Heat!

Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山 ~ Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) to Qingtiangang (擎天崗)

A glorious day yesterday, and this was the view of Yang-Ming-Shan Mountains from St. John’s University (SJU) ~ looked so inviting ~ so go there we must! And so happened that today was the day that the SJU student fellowship organized a big morning walk – and invited the church members to come too, at least partly so that cars were available to save hours of time on buses ~ and Rev. Lennon Chang came to send us on our way and pray for us all…. And off we went – collecting a few more people including 2 lovely children … Continue reading Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山 ~ Lengshuikeng (冷水坑) to Qingtiangang (擎天崗)

Easter Eve on Qixing Mountain 七星山 ~ Us ‘n the boys!

This morning up bright and early to take a group of lovely SJU students, all boys, plus Shu-Jing, one of our SJU chaplaincy staff – all of them on their first ever visit to Qixing Mountain, the highest in the Yang-Ming Shan Mountains….. Foggy and full of sulphur smoke from the fumaroles – all added to the atmosphere – great weather for walking in! Most appropriate for Easter Eve as we wait for the celebrations to start later tonight…. And back mid-afternoon in time to get ready for tonight’s Easter Vigil ~ one of the boys is to be baptized … Continue reading Easter Eve on Qixing Mountain 七星山 ~ Us ‘n the boys!

Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山: All Smiles YA!

Wonderful weather yesterday for Taiwan’s 228 national holiday ~ and it seemed like the whole of Taipei was up on Yang-Ming Shan Mountains making the most of the last few days of the Cherry Blossom season…. And it was quite some day, I can tell you!   3 very delightful students from our university student fellowship and me ~ there we all were standing at the bus stop outside the main SJU gate in the dark at 6:00am, all set for me to lead them on their first ever great ascent of the Yang-Ming Shan mountains…. Can’t believe we did it ha … Continue reading Yang-Ming Shan 陽明山: All Smiles YA!