LOGSAC gets first snow climb up Taiwan’s Mt. Yushan through Danrev

For a simple mountaineer who grew up climbing in tropical mountains in the Philippines, climbing in a snow-filled mountain is every pinoy mountaineer’s dream. LOGSAC member Danrev Broñola (Papong) also felt the same. “Climbing up a mountain in a very cold weather is difficult for us who are used to climbing tropical mountains,” said Papong.

  

Indeed, when I talked to Papong 1 week after his meaningful assault of Taiwan’s Yushan mountain, he was still suffering a major leg pain caused by the extremely cold temperature in the area. “It took me 1 week before the pain subsided. When I get to the Philippines, I could hardly walk,” was how Papong related.

Papong’s climb to Mt. Yushan happened last Holy Week. He reached the summit on March 28 and had to descend 1.5 kilometers more than the usual itinerary because the famous Paiyun Lodge was under renovation during his climb where they were supposed to stay overnight, forcing them to hike to the other camping station. Papong said that from the trailhead to the summit measures more or less 10 kilometers with a pure uphill trail.

With Mt. Yushan being considered as an important natural legacy for the people in Taiwan, climbing in this part of the country can be done with permits drawn through lottery. Luckily, Papong was included during the drawing of raffles more than a month before the actual climb.  

“The drawing of lots was the first hardship I encountered. The second was when we were almost not allowed to climb by the park authorities because of the sudden shift of weather. A night before the climb, we were informed that there were thunderstorms and that snow started to form. Along with the other mountaineers, we insisted to just pursue with the climb kasi sayang naman yung time na nandun na kami. Fortunately, we were allowed to climb in the morning but the trekking was further delayed because they still waited for the snow to at least melt.” Papong arrived in the summit at exactly 4:00 in the afternoon.

Mt. Yushan, or better known as Jade Mountain, is the highest mountain in Taiwan standing 3,952 meters. It has also been considered as the tallest in the Northeast Asia region located within the Yushan National Park. It is Papong’s second mountain climbed in Taiwan after a successful climb of Snow Mountain last year.