The central government is to draft regulations governing mountaineering activities to eliminate the confusion climbers and hikers face when navigating varying rules in cities and counties, Minister Without Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) said on Thursday.
Chang said he had discussed existing regulations with major mountaineering groups and rescue associations, and heard complaints about the wide disparity in rules from one jurisdiction to another, leaving many climbers puzzled.
Some joked that they have to make sure to fall off a trail on the “right” side, because rescue fees vary and one could go bankrupt if an area with high rescue fees came to help, he said.
Calling local authorities setting their own regulations “unreasonable,” Chang said that he would next week meet with the Sports Administration, the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau and the National Park Administration to draft a new set of regulations for mountaineering as soon as possible.
Chang’s announcement came after Gigi Wu (吳季芸), a Taiwanese hiker known for posting photographs of herself in a bikini on mountain peaks, last month died while hiking the Batongguan Historic Trail (八通關古道) without a permit.
Her death led some fellow climbers to question why access to some parts of national parks is not allowed, saying they believe the government should be more proactive in opening such areas to the public as places of recreation and managing them well.
Some national parks close off certain areas to hikers due to environmental and safety concerns, but Chang said that he would look into the issue and suggested that park administrations consider opening up to activities such as river tracing and rock climbing.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily reported that Wu on Jan. 11 entered Nantou County’s Dongpu (東埔), where she planned to hike the Batongguan Historic Trail in Yushan National Park until Jan. 24.
She died after falling into a ravine during a solo trek.
Wu apparently did not have a permit to hike the mountain range and was breaking the law, the Nantou County Fire Department said at the time.
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