Yushan – Xifeng

We reach the official summit, marked for all to see, but a nagging feeling tells us it’s not the true high point. Soon after, we spot another outcrop, seemingly at a similar height. Richard whips out his hand level; it’s slightly lower. A short walk of 30 meters brings us to another bump, this one shrouded in bushes. We measure again, finding it nearly matches the official summit’s height. But the quest doesn’t end there. Another 20 meters on, two small bumps flank the trail. Using Denise as a human yardstick—a method as scientific as it gets—Richard deduces the true high point is right here, on the trail’s slope side. Voila, mystery solved.

In our adventure, we came across a Japanese shrine perched slightly lower and about two hundred meters from the highpoint, where the sight of old telephone line remnants intrigued us. Returning from this discovery, Richard and I, still hungry for adventure, decided to tackle an unnamed P60. This quest led us up a steep, bushy slope to a saddle where we left our bags, pondering our next move. Choosing left, we reached the summit, where Richard, with his dependable hand level, confirmed we were indeed at the highpoint, eliminating the need for further exploration. Carefully descending, we lingered briefly, waiting for tourists to blend back into the bush, ensuring our emergence went unnoticed. Moments later, we were back at the hut, rejoining Denise. The dinner before us looked tantalizing, but ordering it was a battle of wits and patience, taking several attempts to get it right. We’re all excited for tomorrow morning’s climb to Yushan, ready for the adventure ahead.