Tali/Tatung Trail:
This challenging trail heads straight uphill from Higway 9 to two small aboriginal villages that are high up in the mountains that overlook Taroko Gorge. (Tali and Tatung)
Although warned by the locals that the villagers up here were once proficient head hunters (Atayal Tribe), we did not encounter any hostile natives. The only hostile encounter that we had was with two rock monkeys that ran across the path about 5 meters in front of us. The monkeys screeched at us from the trees, as it seemed like we were infringing on their turf...
If the weather is clear, there are excellent views along this trail. Just be prepared for a strenuous hike...
Note: If you are making this hike in one day, I would recommend ascending from the Visitor Center side, and descending to Sanchienwu, which is at the end of the Mysterious Valley Trail. You can then follow the Mysterious Valley trail back to it's trailhead, and walk through the new highway tunnel back to the Taroko Visitor Center. This route will allow for a nice long cold soak in the Shakatang river after completing this difficult hike.... (This routing should take about 5-6 hours at a moderate pace.) |
