A Brief History of River Tracing in Taiwan

In the 1960s, Japanese mountaineers began exploring Taiwan’s alpine creeks. These international mountaineers were Taiwan’s first river tracers. However, they likely referred to the activity by its Japanese name: “sawanobori“. To be able to understand the development of river tracing in Taiwan, we have to first understand the history of sawanobori in Japan.

The Birth of Sawanobori

The Gorge-exploring Mountaineers of 1930s Japan

Most information available points to Kanmuri Matsujiro’s (冠松次郎) exploration of the Kurobe Gorge (黒部峡谷) as being the first documented record of stream exploration in Japan.

Kanmuri Matsujiro (1883-1970) was a Japanese mountaineer and photographer who explored the Kurobe Gorge and its tributaries in the Northern Japanese Alps in the 1920s. Throughout his trips, he documented narrow gorges and ravines like the Hakuryu Gorge (白竜渓) and the Higashidani Ravine (東谷落口上流のS字峡). These historic photos are now on display in museums in Tokyo, and his book The Kurobe Gorge, which was first published in 1928, is still in print to this day.

A deep gorge cut into high mountains with blue water flowing through it — Kanmuri Matsujiro travelled through this S-shaped gorge of the Higashidani Ravine in the late 1920s.

Just several years later, another Japanese mountaineer and river explorer by the name of Jūji Tanabe (田部重治) published Mountains and Valleys (山と渓谷), a chronicle of his river tracing journeys.

These two events—the documentation of the Kurobe Gorge, and the publication of a mountaineering book dedicated to the exploration of river valleys—were pivotal in the formalization of sawanobori as a unique form of mountaineering.

Modern Sawanobori in Japan

a scan of ryoji onishi's book featuring photos, a sawanobori topo map and a trip report — An excerpt from Ryoji Onishi’s book 溪谷攀登 published by 山と溪谷社 (Yama-to-keikoku-sha). The book documents his sawanobori ascents and canyoning descents of various rivers in Taiwan and Japan. On the left is a hand-drawn “sawanobori map”.

In the time since one mountaineering photographer struggled through gorges and another became fascinated with the hidden worlds between peaks, the sport of sawanobori has seen a transformation similar to that of rock climbing. More participation, lightweight high-tech equipment, and decades of effort have resulted in the exploration of deeper and darker canyons, and the repeating of previous challenges.

Japan’s highest waterfall, the 350-meter-tall Shomyo Falls (称名滝), was first climbed in 1972 by members of the Ashikura Alpine Club using 120 pitons and 22 bolts. In 2016, the feat was repeated solo by Japanese gorge-climbing legend Ryoji Onishi (大西良治). Ryoji also traversed the entire gorge surrounding the waterfall.

ACT ON REASON

ACT ON REASON documents Japanese climber Toru Nakajima (中嶋徹) free solo ascent of Shomyo Falls. His climb was the first free solo ascent. The film was produced by The North Face Japan.

The History of River Tracing Culture in Taiwan

A timeline of the development of river tracing culture in Taiwan.

1960s

**Japanese river climbers visit Taiwan and attempt sawanobori-style ascents of Jade Mountain**.

The 1960s can be considered the beginning of river tracing in Taiwan. Multiple Japanese teams traveled to Taiwan in order to explore the mountain valleys. They were attracted to the challenge presented by the island’s topography, which is steeper and features faller peaks than the Japanese Alps.

Between 1963 and 1967, Japanese teams climbed Jade Mountain (Yushan) via three different routes. The routes explored were Laonong River, the left branch of Nanzixian Creek, and Shalixian Creek.

1980s

An intensive exploration of Taiwan’s alpine creeks ensues.

This period was essential to the establishment of Taiwan’s home-grown river tracing culture.

Between 1982 and 1992, Japanese teams completed an additional 17 ascents of Taiwan’s high mountains via sawanobori routes.

The mountains ascended during this period included Jade Mountain (Yushan), Snow Mountain (Xueshan), Mount Nanhu, Mount Beidawu, Dabajian Mountain, Mount Guan, and Qilai North Peak. Records of these ascents were published in Taiwanese mountaineering magazines.

For the first time, some of these expeditions involved Taiwanese mountaineers. These local pioneers observed and learned from their Japanese teammates. And, in 1983, Changhua County Mountaineering Association established Taiwan’s first river tracing club.

Importantly, these expeditions established a bond between Japanese and Taiwanese river climbers that continues to flourish in the present. Each year’s most impressive sawanobori ascents and canyoning descents continue to be the result of by cooperative expeditions involving both Taiwanese and Japanese mountaineers.

1990s

The development of Taiwanese river tracing associations and the first successful Taiwanese-led expedition.

The golden period in the history of river tracing in Taiwan. Stimulated by frequent visits from Japanese teams over the previous several decades, Taiwanese founded several river tracing associations. Simultaneously, mountaineering clubs from universities around Taiwan also began incorporating river tracing expeditions.

The Four Seasons River Tracing Association (四季溯溪), Taiwan’s most active river tracing organization was founded in 1990.

In 1993, Four Seasons River Tracing Association successfully summited Lingming Mountain via Erhu Stream. This marked the first successful Taiwanese-led river tracing expedition.

Ten years later in 2000, the Republic of China Stream Association, another seminal organization, was founded.

Modern River Tracing in Taiwan

two mountaineers climb a 7 meter waterfall in qiakan gorge — A scene from a 12-day combined river tracing and canyoning expedition to traverse Taiwan. The expdition began by climbing the east side of the Central Mountain Range via Qiakan Creek (9 days), and then descended the west side by canyoning down Wanda North Creek (3 days). Team members included Jasmine Li and Ryoji Onishi. All photos provided by Jasmine Li.

Central Mountain Range River Tracing Expeditions

Following the formalization of river tracing as a form of mountaineering in Taiwan, large-scale projects have been undertaken to explore the wilderness of Taiwan’s mountain ranges.

Notably, a group of mountaineers led by Jasmine Li from the National Cheng-Kung University Mountaineering Association went on a series of expeditions to the remote streams of the Danda Major Wildlife Habitat.

These trips combined mountaineering and river tracing, and the longest trip lasted 17 days. In 2005, their 14-day expedition to the middle section of Hayilalo Creek (哈依拉漏溪) resulted in the discovery of one of Taiwan’s most beautiful and remote high mountain grasslands, Tanxi Valley.

In 2012, Ryoji Onishi and Jasmine Li collaborated on a full sawanobori ascent of Hayilalo Creek.

Island of Mountains: Tanxi Valley

In 2024, Taiwan’s award-winning Taiwan Public Television Service documentary series “Island of Mountains” produced an episode on Jasmine Li. As the film crew follows her to Tanxi Valley, they examine the role that river tracing has played in her life. It was her first time back since the original expeditions in the mid 2000s.