Sun, Jul 20, 2025 page3

• FEATURE: Protecting the trails of ‘Taiwan’s top 100 mountains’

  • By Wu Liang-yi, Wu Po-hsuan and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writer
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  Garbage has once again invaded the Nenggao-Andongjun (能高-安東軍) trail, several years after a cleanup campaign had removed more than 200kg of waste.

  The Nenggao-Andongjun trail, known as “the most beautiful ridgeline of the Central Mountain Range,” is on the north section 3 of the range. It connects five of “Taiwan’s top 100 mountains,” starting at Nenggao Main Peak (能高主峰) and ending at Mount Andongjun (安東軍山).

  The traverse trail features vast grasslands and famous alpine lakes, such as the Dalu Pond (大陸池), Baishi Pond (白石池), Wanli Pond (萬里池) and Tunlu Pond (屯鹿池).

  

  Nenggao Main Peak is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times

  It also has spectacular views of the sunrise and the sea of clouds, as well as Formosan sambar deer that wander around in search of food, attracting many mountain climbers every year, despite its difficult route, which is classified as a Level C.

  Well-known mountaineer Chan Chiao-yu (詹喬愉) launched a mountain cleanup campaign for the trail in May 2021, during which 11 volunteers removed more than 200kg of trash over 10 days. However, a buildup of trash was discovered recently, with non-biodegradable garbage such as plastics or gas cartridges scattered around campgrounds, ponds and lakes. There were also piles of garbage in many campsites along the Danda-Dongjun (丹大-東郡) trail, which is known as the “ultimate traverse route” among the top mountains.

  Long routes take more days to finish, and require people to carry a lot of food and equipment, and camp along the way. As a result, people seeking to reduce their load and who are irresponsible, leave their food waste and rubbish.

  

  Trash left along the Nenggao-Andongjun trail is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times

  Garbage left on the mountains, especially on remote mountains that require three to five days of travel, might remain there for some time, as authorities such as the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, national parks or local government do not have enough resources for frequent cleanups.

  Environmental Management Administration Deputy Director-General Liu Jui-hsiang (劉瑞祥) said that the “leave no trace” principle has been urged for decades.

  Although authorities held mountain cleanup events about 30 to 40 years ago, the efforts were limited to regular hiking trails and rarely extended to difficult routes such as the trails running around the top 100 mountains, he said.

  The agency’s Hualien branch recently launched a series of mountain cleanup events, but they said that such efforts would be restricted to journeys of one to two days and would not reach remote areas.

  However, a large quantity of waste was gathered from small-scale cleanups, with garbage ranging from wine bottles and aluminum bowls left by silviculture and forestry workers years ago, to gas stoves, plastic bottles, food wrappers and canvases discarded by tourists and climbers, the Hualien branch said.

  Microplastics were detected in the excrement of five protected animals and the drinking water in their habitats, it said, citing a 2022 Greenpeace report on microplastic pollution in conservation areas.

  Such microplastics are threatening wildlife’s existence and consisted mainly of polyethylene and polypropylene, which come from plastic food packaging and water bottles, the Hualien branch cited the report as saying.

  The components of plastic wastes collected through the cleanup events confirmed the report’s findings, showing that plastic pollution has infiltrated the deep mountains, and requires proper attention and improvements, it said.

  Yushan National Park Headquarters Deputy Director Bagkall Haivangang (邦卡兒．海放南) said that inspections would be conducted at least twice a year to traverse trails within the Yushan National Park. The park has the most number of mountains included in the top 100 mountains and has many popular traverse routes.

  Inspectors would examine trail conditions and mountain cabins, and collect the garbage they can, he said, adding that they would also work with organizations to clean up trash on the mountains several times a year.

  Hike trails within the jurisdiction of national parks receive attention and care, Haivangang said.

  However, for non-national park routes, such as remote areas of the Danda-Dongjun trail, it is difficult to keep them clean, he said, calling on people to be responsible and help protect the environment by taking their trash with them.
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