Authorities on Wednesday suspended the mountain hiking license of a professional photographer surnamed Chen (陳) for three years after finding he contravened rules while leading an ascent of Yushan (玉山) in April.
Chen was fined NT$3,000 and had his mountaineering guide pass revoked, barring him from guiding hikers in Taiwan’s three “high mountain” national parks Yushan, Shei-Pa and Taroko.
It was the first time the maximum penalty had been issued for serious contraventions of rules that the Construction and Planning Agency promulgated in February.
Photo courtesy of the Yushan National Park Management Office
Chen, who specializes in astronomy photography, guided six women from Taipei on an ascent of Yushan, but they had delays due to the inexperience of some of the hikers, leading to several safety issues, including not arriving at the destination on time and camping at an unauthorized site, Yushan National Park Management Office officials said.
A woman surnamed Tien (田) from the group reported the issues, the officials said.
The group hired Chen as a guide, with each member paying him NT$15,000 to hire assistants to help carry gear and arrange lodging on the mountain, including meals, they said.
However, there were a litany of problems and broken promises by Chen, the official quoted Tien as saying.
They missed schedules, camped in unauthorized places, had insufficient food, and were put in harm’s way when Chen abandoned them on the final day, they said, adding that the group were forced to make their way down the mountain in the dark.
Park officials said that Chen had failed to respond to inquiries amid an investigation into the complaints.
The problems started on the first day, when they were late arriving at Dongpu Mountain Lodge (東埔山莊) and no meals were provided, Tien told officials.
The next day they also got behind schedule after being dropped off at the Tataka station (塔塔加鞍部) trailhead, she said.
They arrived at Paiyun Lodge (排雲山莊) at 4pm after planning to be there at noon, she said.
They arrived at a camping site after 11pm, she said.
The group had permission to camp at a Laonong River Valley (荖濃溪山谷) site northeast of Yushan, but stayed at a site 2.4km away between Yushan’s main and northern peaks, Tien said.
On the third day, they ascended the main peak and arrived on time at noon at the Paiyun lodge before setting off for the entrance, she said.
However, Chen went ahead alone after they stopped at a rest area at about 3:30pm, leaving the group to hike down by themselves, she said.
The six women were not in good physical shape and had to walk slowly as it was dangerous in foggy conditions, Tien said.
They were forced to use the flashlights on their phones as night fell before they reached the trailhead, she said.
Yushan Park officials said that staff at the Paiyun lodge on the second day warned Chen not to proceed to the campsite due to the late hour, but Chen ignored them.
Chen’s actions contravened several regulations and endangered the group, they said.
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