Fifty-one-year-old Chen Tzu-yin and his 78-year-old father Chen Yung-tsai, both residents of Huatan Township in Changhua County, climbed the main peak of Yushan in just under 11 hours, achieving the father’s lifetime dream to scale the nation’s tallest mountain, which they did in a single day’s round trip.
As a young man, Chen Yung-tsai and his wife worked as terrazzo floor installers, which involved back-breaking work. After retiring, Chen worked on his home farm. Five years ago, Chen’s daughter took him to climb several suburban mountains, including Guguan Seven Heros and Mocha mountains. Chen was bitten by the mountain climbing bug and, together with his son, who also enjoys climbing, promised each other they would one day scale Yushan. Chen Yung-tsai says that every Taiwanese should climb Yushan at least once during their lifetimes.
Chen’s son, Chen Tzu-yin, who works at the Huatan Township Farmers’ Association, on hearing of his father’s wish, originally planned to climb Yushan five years ago, together with three generations of the Chen family. However, his father began to suffer from a minor ailment, so the plan had to be scrapped. This year, his father’s health situation improved so that he was able to resume his daily exercise regime of a 4km jog and horizontal bar exercises at the Wunhsiang Elementary School playground. When his father again proposed the idea of climbing Yushan, Chen Tzu-yin thought that his father was not getting any younger and immediately set about making arrangements for an expedition to Yushan. Chen Tzu-yin said to himself, even if we cannot reach the top, at least I will have helped to fulfill my father’s wish.
Photo courtesy of Chen Tzu-yin 照片:陳自寅提供
On Oct. 7, Chen Tzu-yin took his father to climb Yushan. Setting off from Changhua County at midnight, the two reached Yushan’s Tataka Saddle at 6am and Paiyun Lodge by 9:40am. At 11.40am they successfully scaled Yushan’s main summit and, after pausing a while to take a few photos, descended the mountain, completing the 24km single-day assault by 4:50pm.
Chen Yung-tsai said: “I feel delighted to have climbed Yushan’s main peak: mission accomplished!” He added, “I’m really happy I have such a devoted son who took me on this successful challenge. Climbing Yushan has given me a lot of confidence — next time I hope I can try Chilai Mountain’s main peak!”
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
彰化縣花壇鄉五十一歲兒子陳自寅帶著七十八歲老父陳永財,用將近十一個小時完成玉山主峰單攻,一圓父親爬上台灣最高峰的人生願望!
陳永財年輕時,與妻子從事很耗費體力的磨石子地板為業,退休後在家務農,五年前女兒帶著父親去爬谷關七雄、抹茶山等郊山,陳永財爬山爬出興趣,跟同樣喜歡爬山的兒子陳自寅許下「想要去爬台灣最高的玉山」人生願望;陳永財說,玉山是台灣第一高峰,身為台灣人一生就應該爬一次玉山。
在花壇鄉農會上班的陳自寅說,他聽到父親的心願,原本在五年前就規劃三代同堂一起去爬玉山,但後來父親身體微恙,也就先打消念頭。今年父親身體狀況比較好,又恢復天天到文祥國小操場跑步四千公尺、吊單槓的運動習慣。當父親再次跟他提出「爬玉山」的願望,他想到父親年歲越來越大,立即著手安排,就算不能一次攻頂,也要完成父親爬玉山的心願。
在十月七日帶著父親挑戰玉山單攻,當天零時從彰化出發,早上六點從塔塔加上山,九點四十分抵達排雲山莊,十一點四十分攻頂成功,稍為停留拍照就下山,在下午四點五十分完成全程約二十四公里的單攻挑戰。
「很開心爬到玉山主峰,感覺任務完成!」陳永財說:真的很高興兒子很孝順,能帶著我挑戰成功,這也給我自信心──希望下次能夠挑戰奇萊主峰!
(自由時報記者劉曉欣)
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