Sexagenarian amputee Wu Chin-cheng (吳進成) on Sunday said that it is the beauty of nature that draws him time and again to mountain climbing.
In October last year, 63-year-old Wu ascended the main peak of Hehuanshan (合歡山) with a group of 40 other climbers, becoming one of the few people to have climbed all of the “100 peaks of Taiwan,” a feat he accomplished in just five years.
The 100 peaks — a holy grail of sorts for the nation’s hiking enthusiasts — is a list of peaks chosen by the Chinese Taipei Alpine Association for uniqueness, beauty and challenge.
Photo: Liao Shu-ling, Taipei Times
Wu, a Yulin County resident, said that he lost his right arm to cancer when he was 39 years old and he started mountain climbing five years ago after being introduced to the sport by friends.
When rappelling, he uses his elbow to tuck in the rope, which slows down his progress, he said.
“It takes eight hours for me to climb a height that others can reach in five hours, but patience is a virtue and I use the extra time to admire the view,” Wu said.
Photo: Liao Shu-ling, Taipei Times
Acknowledging fellow climber Wu Hung-sen (吳鴻森), who is unrelated, Wu Chin-cheng said that his friends were with him on every ascent, starting from easy mountaintops not considered part of the 100 peaks.
The first of the 100 peaks he tackled was the north peak of Hehuanshan, while Mount Qilai (奇萊) was the most difficult, as the approach is steep and shadowed, he said.
“The winter snows on the peak and the sunshine breaking through the clouds is simply beautiful,” he said. “In a place like that, I do not think about being tired, I do not remember that I am physically handicapped.”
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
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