A meteorologist working at the Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) Weather Station on the mountain’s north peak in an interview earlier this month told the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) about how he became interested in meteorology and the difficulties of working in an isolated environment.
Lee Cheng-chi (李正紀), 40, said he was drawn to the field of meteorology after watching the movie Twister as a high-school student.
“I plunged myself into the world of meteorology all because of a movie,” he said.
Photo: Liao Shu-ling, Taipei Times
He failed to enter a graduate program at National Taiwan University when he told the interviewer what had inspired him to study meteorology, Lee said, adding that he was later accepted into a graduate program at National Central University.
Lee said that he needs to climb for seven hours with a 20kg backpack to reach the station, which is 3,858m above sea level.
He needs to tackle steep, rocky terrain in inclement weather to get to work, Lee said, adding that he stays at the station for a month once every three months.
Lee said he wakes up at 4am every day and takes measurements until 9am.
Observers at the station earn the same salary as other government employees, with an additional NT$9,000 stipend for working in a remote location, Lee said, adding that he occasionally helps with mountain rescue operations.
Besides loneliness, living at the station is wrought with other inconveniences, such as limited access to plumbing and electricity, Lee said.
The station is powered by solar panels that need to be wiped clean when it snows and the station’s water mostly comes from rainwater, he said, adding that supplies must therefore be used sparingly.
The toilet at the station does not flush to conserve water and human waste must be manually cleared, he said.
Nevertheless, Lee said that he has no regrets about the time he has spent at the station over the past five years, describing himself as a “man who chases the wind.”
“It is necessary to have someone up on the mountain to take accurate measurements,” Lee said. “For me, that is great because I love mountains and I love the serenity.”
Working on the mountain involves dealing with lightning strikes, icy surfaces and altitude sickness, while helicopter crashes are the greatest danger of all, he said.
A station worker was involved in a crash in October 2013, and Lee was required to update rescuers with weather information and visual assessments of the surrounding conditions, he said.
Lee said while he misses family, he is happy to make friends with experienced climbers who pass him on the mountain.
Despite the inconveniences, the isolation gives him a sense of freedom, Lee said.
Lee said he has started learning photography and enjoys sharing his photographs with friends.
“I am proud to have photographed the yellow-throated marten, which is on the endangered species list,” he said.
Lee said he treasures his work due to the difficulty of government service exams, which he had to take three times before passing.
“If I could start all over again, I would still choose to be a weather observer,” he said.
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