47
By Jacky Lee
Taiwan Wuling Summit
During a visit to my hometown in Taiwan in January 2019, I discovered an exciting event organized by a local bike shop, Yao Bike. They were planning a multi-day ride to reach Wuling, the highest road in Taiwan. This was a 3-day excursion and I highly recommend it.
Bike
1
Bike
Taipei → Yilan
Having Wuling Summit on my bucket list, I wasted no time in reaching out to Yao Bike and registering myself for the challenge. The ascent to Wuling is widely regarded as one of the most demanding climbs globally, attracting numerous elite cyclists who flock here to take on the renowned Taiwan KOM race, held annually in October.
Although our route will differ slightly from the Taiwan KOM, as we will be ascending from the north side of the mountain, we will still tackle the notorious 'last 10km' of the climb. This will give us the opportunity to understand why this section is so notorious.
The day finally came and cyclists from all over the Asia Pacific region (Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China) gathered in Taipei the day before the departure. I took the high speed train from Kaohsiung to Taipei, arrived at around 1pm UiNN Business Hotel, assembled my bike, then did some work at the cafe until the briefing.
After breakfast at the hotel restaurant, everyone gathered at the lobby around 8am for the departure. Everyone was friendly, excited but generally nervous about the next few days of riding. Even though we all knew the today was the easiest leg, we were mentally psyching ourselves up for day 2 & 3. Despite the language barrier between some of us, we all had a common goal: Making it up to Wuling.
Riding through Taipei city was fun, the roads weren’t particularly busy. We kept the pace nice and steady, just slow enough for friendly banter, which was nice because I joined the group solo.
After cycling 65km, we decided to take a lunch break at Fulong . The next leg of our journey was a relaxed and steady ride through a flat section, leading us to Yilan. Embracing the Taiwanese spirit, we couldn't resist making a pitstop for some refreshing boba tea before reaching our accommodation.
Once we arrived, a few of us wasted no time and headed straight to the hotel's rooftop spa and pool. We knew our muscles deserved some relaxation and pampering after the day's ride.
2
Bike
Yilan → Wuling Farm
With a challenging day ahead, we set off from Yilan promptly at 7:30 in the morning, knowing we had a significant amount of elevation to conquer. The enthusiasm was high, and everyone seemed energized to take on the 100km journey with 2500m of climbing from Yilan to Wuling Farm.
Around the 20km mark, the road gradually began to ascend, naturally causing the group to disperse. In the heat of the moment, I attempted to keep pace with the faster riders at the front, only to realize it was a terrible idea. Wisely, Kim, the Chapter 2 distributor from Korea, and I made the choice to peel back from the main group and ride at our own comfortable rhythm.
To regroup and refuel, we made our first pit stop at Datong Junior High School, 48km into the journey. Soft drinks and snacks were distributed, offering a much-needed surge of sugar to sustain us, considering we still had approximately 2000m of elevation left to go.
It was at this point that Terence warned me about the upcoming challenge—a lengthy stretch of false flats that would make the climb feel interminable. He wasn't exaggerating; traversing this section proved to be torturous. Thankfully, I had Kim by my side, providing companionship and support throughout.
For about 10km, we persevered through the false flats until we regrouped at a FamilyMart convenience store. Hunger gnawed at us, and we devoured our lunches. I had some instant noodles, a banana, and a steaming cup of black coffee.
Resuming our journey after lunch, the road continued upwards. This served as our final checkpoint before reaching the day's highest point at Siyuan Yakou. From that point onward, it was a downhill ride... at least for the time being.
3
Bike
Wuling Farm → Wuling
The last day of the trip arrived quicker than expected. Our morning started with a hearty breakfast at 7:00am, followed by a meet-up at 7:30am to continue our journey.
As we set off, we heard whispers from those who had previously ridden up Wuling. They advised us to take it easy today, emphasizing the importance of pacing ourselves for the last 10km. This stretch, known as the "Road to Heaven" or 天堂路, lay just before reaching the summit of Wuling, Taiwan's highest road.
At the elevation of 1700m, the morning air carried a chill. We started our ascent with a leisurely pace, for an initial climb of about 300m.
After 14km, we took a brief stop at Qingquan Bridge. Constructed in 1954, it had become a popular landmark for travelers passing through this area. Continuing onward, we encountered a steady 4% hill with fewer steep sections. Jay, Terence, and I found ourselves maintaining a consistent rhythm in the same group. Before long, we reached the tunnel at Dayuling, which marked the beginning of the daunting "last 10km." Some of us took advantage of the restroom facilities for a strategic break.
The hairpin turns here were the steepest I had ever ridden, sometimes reaching up to 20% gradient in certain areas. I had to delicately balance between wheelie-ing and avoiding spinning out. Additionally, the high altitude made it difficult to breathe, and my heart rate only peaked at 160 beats per minute. Each pedal stroke felt unusually heavy. Luckily, Terence was my climbing partner for that section. I couldn't comprehend how he managed to do this on a 36/25 gear... 🥵
After an excruciating hour, Terence and I finally reached the summit. Our pilgrimage was complete, and as tears welled in my eyes, I couldn't tell if they were tears of joy or a reaction to the freezing wind at the elevation of 3275m.
