Hello from Taiwan! During this new adventure we are completing the Taipei Grand Trail, a total of 130km of hiking trails divided into 8 sections. You can find more details on the Taipei Grand Trail website.
Saturday 7 March 2026
Section 1: Erziping to Guandu MRT Station (12km)
Section 2: Xiaoyoukeng to Erziping via Mt Datun (11km)
Today we started with sections 1 & 2, but as section 1 is entirely uphill we decided to complete them in reverse order from the end of section 2, to reduce the amount of ascent while knocking out two courses.
We started by catching the MRT followed by the 1717 local bus to Xiaoyoukeng, which was more like a minivan crammed full of hikers. It was a hectic ride and started raining as the bus made its way up the mountain. Virtually everyone got off when we did and started throwing on their rain gear. Most people were starting section 3 so we went in the opposite direction for section 2.
To track the hikes, you need the Hiking Notes App ‘健行筆記’ which collects gemstones (ie. checkpoints) along the way. Each section has 7 gemstones, for a total of 56 in total. Once you collect all of them you receive a certificate, towel and badge set to display your accomplishment, so it’s quite satisfying hearing your phone ‘ding’ as each gem is collected. You can also manually track the hike by taking a photo with the paddles located along the course (2 for each trail).
It was quite drizzly for the first part but really pretty with the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.
We past through some farmland with locals selling freshly picked produce in front of their houses. Although it was nice to hike in the cooler weather, the views were nonexistent and mist-filled, and the rain made the steep sections extremely muddy and a little dangerous for rock scrambling.
We ended up hiking for a bit with an older local man wearing gum boots, who was an absolute weapon going up and down the steep bits. Mt Datun was the peak, sitting at 985m altitude.
With our pants and shoes covered in mud, we eventually made it to the end of the section 2 trail at Erziping Visitor Center, which wasn’t much more than a carpark, bus stop and a small kiosk selling snacks and drinks.
We hid under the bus shelter from the rain and had a quick bite for lunch (onigiri we had bought earlier from Family Mart!) before continuing onto section 1. And because we completed it in reverse, it was completely downhill.
The weather seemed to have calmed down by the afternoon as we made our way down the many stairs and slopes, past farms, dogs and people selling mandarins.
You also notice that the further down the mountain you went, the more expensive the mandarins were.
The end point was Guandu MRT station where our beaten up legs struggled to stand during the train ride back. Two sections and 14 gems down, many more to come!
Next post —> Taipei Grand Trail | Day 2
eat bike fly 