GUNUNG · Taiwan

Gunung Xueshan (Snow Mountain)

雪山 (Xuěshān / Syue Mountain)

Information

Elevation: 3.886 m
Country: Taiwan (TW)
Location / Range: Pegunungan Xueshan (Xueshan Range) — Taman Nasional Shei-Pa, Taiwan tengah-utara
Mountain type: Puncak metasedimen (kuarsit, batu tulis/slate) — non-vulkanik, hasil pengangkatan orogenik
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 24.3833, 121.2300
Difficulty: Sedang (non-teknis di rute normal, tetapi jalur panjang & berketinggian; butuh izin taman nasional dan aklimatisasi)
Best Season: Musim gugur hingga semi (Oktober–Desember dan Maret–Mei) untuk cuaca lebih kering & stabil; musim dingin (Januari–Februari) sering bersalju dan menuntut perlengkapan es serta pengalaman tambahan
Permits & Rules: Wajib Izin Masuk Taman (Park Entry Permit) Taman Nasional Shei-Pa lewat sistem daring; kuota harian ketat, terutama untuk Pondok Qika dan kemah/Pondok 369. Ajukan jauh hari (umumnya dapat mulai 30 hari sebelum pendakian)
Hazards: Mabuk ketinggian, cuaca cepat berubah & kabut tebal, suhu beku dan salju di musim dingin (jalur di Hutan Hitam/Black Forest dan Sirkus Glasial bisa licin), jalur panjang yang menguras stamina

Description

Xueshan (雪山, 3,886 m), widely known as Snow Mountain or Mount Syue, is Taiwan's second-highest peak after Yushan and the highest summit of the Xueshan Range. It sits inside Shei-Pa National Park on the border of Taichung's Heping District and Miaoli County, and in clear weather it is visible from hills near Taipei. Unlike the island's Ring-of-Fire volcanoes, Xueshan is non-volcanic: built of metasedimentary rock such as quartzite and slate uplifted by orogenic forces, and its slopes preserve glacial cirques from the ice ages. Its standard route, the East Peak & Main Peak Trail from Wuling Farm, is non-technical but long (about 21.8 km round trip) and usually done over 2–3 days with a night at Qika Cabin or the 369 campsite. The appeal is layered: fir forest, dwarf-bamboo grassland, the dense 'Black Forest', a glacial cirque, and the famous 'Holy Ridge' (Shengleng) linking it toward Dabajianshan. Climbers must hold a Shei-Pa Park Entry Permit because the daily quota is very limited.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Jalur Puncak Timur & Puncak Utama (East Peak & Main Peak Trail) — rute normal dari Wuling Farm

Sedang / non-teknis (panjang & berketinggian)

21.80 km 2–3 hari (umumnya 1–2 malam menginap di pondok/kemah)

The standard and most popular route to Xueshan's summit, starting from the trailhead inside Wuling Farm (Taichung). The sequence runs: trailhead → Qika Cabin → Xueshan East Peak → 369 Cabin/campsite → the 'Black Forest' → glacial cirque → Xueshan Main Peak (3,886 m), returning the same way for about 21.8 km. It is non-technical but long and high, so acclimatization matters. A Shei-Pa National Park entry permit is required and the Qika Cabin and 369 campsite quotas are very limited.

Route Segments

1

Pintu jalur (Wuling) → Pondok Qika (Qika Cabin)

2.463 mdpl

Ruas pemanasan hingga pondok pertama; banyak pendaki menginap di sini malam pertama
2

Pondok Qika → Puncak Timur Xueshan (East Peak)

3.201 mdpl

Tanjakan terbuka dengan pemandangan luas; titik pemandangan penting sebelum puncak utama
3

Puncak Timur → kemah/Pondok 369 (Sanliujiu)

3.100 mdpl

Turun sedikit menuju area kemah 369 untuk bermalam
4

369 → Hutan Hitam → Sirkus Glasial → Puncak Utama Xueshan

3.886 mdpl

Menembus 'Hutan Hitam' cemara rapat lalu sirkus glasial menuju puncak; biasa dimulai dini hari

Source

Punggung Suci Holy Ridge / Shengleng (Xueshan–Dabajianshan)

Berat / teknis (hanya untuk pendaki berpengalaman)

4–6 hari (traverse ekspedisi)

A legendary high-ridge traverse linking Xueshan with Dabajianshan (Big Ba Pointed Mountain), following a chain of 3,000 m-plus peaks in Shei-Pa National Park. It is far longer, more exposed and more demanding than the normal route — involving narrow ridgelines, cliffs and high camps — so it is recommended only for experienced hikers with full permits and logistics. It has I-, Y-, and O-shaped route variants.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Xueshan usually means the East Peak & Main Peak Trail from Wuling Farm over 2–3 days, sleeping at Qika Cabin or the 369 campsite, then pushing through the 'Black Forest' and glacial cirque to the 3,886 m summit. Hikers highlight views above a sea of clouds, dwarf-bamboo meadows, cold pre-dawn summit pushes, and the strict Shei-Pa National Park permit and quota system. The videos and trip reports below document real climbs — from a relaxed two-day trek to a 3-day-2-night vlog to a one-day solo summit attempt.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.