River Mountaineering in Taiwan
Planning a trip in Taiwan? Find inspiration, browse trip reports, and learn about useful tools for exploring Taiwan. Learn how to find accurate weather reports and view detailed maps of Taiwan’s wilderness.
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Classic Canyoning Routes in Taiwan (Day Trips)
Of the hundreds of creeks in Taiwan, nearly every one features waterfalls, pools, and significant elevation drop. Taiwan offers multiple exciting canyoning routes suitable for day trips. This article focuses on the most accessible, frequently maintained, and well-travelled “classic” canyoning routes in North Taiwan and South Taiwan.
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The Epic Canyons of Taiwan (Canyoning Video Collection)
Taiwan’s Taroko Gorge might be famous for it’s scale and pure marble walls, but the island is filled with dozens of equally impressive beautiful rivers. These rivers, many of which are longer than the Liwu River, cumulatively contain hundreds of creeks, each home to dozens waterfalls and numerous canyons.This article presents a collection of the best canyoning videos and offers a look at some of the most epic canyons in Taiwan.
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Topographic Maps, Historical Maps & Aerial Imagery for Hiking and Exploration in Taiwan
This guide introduces various digital tools for viewing topographic maps of Taiwan (online and offline), comparing satellite imagery, and surveying wilderness areas. These tools are indispensable for planning mountaineering, river tracing and canyoning trips in Taiwan.
Taiwan Topographic Maps
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Taiwan River Accident Database
Taiwan’s mountaineering community rarely publishes public accident reports. Rare reports that have been made public are translated and posted here.
Accident Reports
Mountaineering accident reports are rarely published in Taiwan. Reports that have been made public are translated and posted here.
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Canyoning Accident Report: 2024/01/01 Weijin Creek
A fatigued canyoneer carrying excess weight nearly passed out and lost control while descending the 100 meter waterfall in Weijin Creek. He had rigged his figure 8 descender in low friction mode in order to finish the pitch as quickly as possible due to being cold. As he descended, he had to wrap his leg around the guideline to add friction. Later on, he had to jettison bags mid-descent in order to avoid blacking out.
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Canyoning Accident Case Study: Double Sheet Bend Failure Results in Fall During Load Transfer
A solo canyoneer descended a 60-meter waterfall using the self-lowering method. As they progressed down the pitch, they discovered their rope was not long enough to reach to the base of the waterfall. They locked off and connected a second rope to their first rope via a double sheet bend. The canyoneer fell to the ground during the process of transferring load to the second rope. This study concludes the accident was the result of a failure of the double sheet bend.
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Canyoning Accident Report: 2021/11/14 Qizhongtian Waterfall Group
A canyoneer descending the Qizhongtian Waterfall Group in Taichung attempted to self-lower off of a pitch using using three lengths of rope tied together, which resulted in a canyoning accident.
River Tracing FAQ
What is river tracing?
River tracing is an outdoor activity that combines aspects of off-trail hiking, wilderness navigation, swimming, bouldering, and rock climbing. A typical route follows an dynamic, usually steep, section of river that is beautiful but difficult to navigate. Traversing challenging features such as waterfalls and gorges may require knowledge of rope systems, high level climbing skills, and experience with dealing with whitewater.
Where did the sport of river tracing originate?
This unique form of mountaineering originated in Japan in the 1930s. In Japanese, sawa means “stream” and nobori means “climb”. Consequently, “stream climbing” and “shower climbing” are popular English translations in Japan. Sawanobori, in spite of its epic nature, has not received much media attention outside of Japan. Exceptions include this Redbull feature and this North Face mini-documentary. Learn more about the History of River Tracing in Taiwan.
What is the difference between river tracing and canyoning?
The direction of movement. In river tracing, you start below your goal and move up the river by swimming, climbing and surmounting obstacles along the way. In canyoning, on the other hand, you start at the top of your route and navigate down the river in the direction of the flow. River tracing has been practiced for over five decades while canyoning has only recently become popular in Taiwan.
What do you need to know before you start river tracing in Taiwan?
- Learn the basics by reading Introduction to River Tracing
- Take a look at the River Tracing Equipment Guide and make sure you have at least basic gear – you don’t need much to begin tracing easy rivers.
- Read River Tracing Safety to learn about common hazards.
- Use the tools from Topographic Maps, Historical Maps & Aerial Imagery for Hiking and Exploration in Taiwan to find a river and plan your first river trace!
Where can you find an accurate weather forecast for Taiwan’s mountain areas?
Coming soon.