Hello Omnivores! As promised at the previous Taroko Gorge post, today I’m going to share my experience when trekking at Baiyang Trail. Out of all the trails I visited, Baiyang Trail is the farthest from the park entrance and was the only one I trekked from start to finish. The trail spans for 4.2km (round trip), which requires 2-3 hours of walking in a leisurely pace. It ends at a mysterious-sounding location called water curtain cave.

Just before dropping us off in front of the trail entrance, my awesome cab driver lent us a set of waterproof gears inside a bright yellow waterproof backpack containing ponchos, flashlights, and flip flops. He explained that they were needed for trip inside the water curtain cave. Honestly, the gears were so stinky, perhaps it wasn’t dry enough when he stuffed everything inside the bag. Mr Tonny, if you ever read this, I’m still very grateful for your help and professionalism. Hahaha :D Plus, I would’ve definitely got soaked if I didn’t have the gears!

Meanwhile, flashlights are necessary to walk through the dark tunnels. Baiyang Trail has 8 tunnels. According to the sign board at the entrance of the trail, that makes it the trail with most tunnels in Taroko. If my memory serves me correctly, the first tunnel -which is also the entrance- is the longest one. The picture below was taken at the end side of the first tunnel. See that tiny dot of light? That’s the entrance!

The first tunnel leads to a clearing and a pathway leading to the next tunnel.

After passing the second tunnel, the view becomes even more captivating with quintessential Taroko traits - narrow, deep valleys and translucent blue streams adorned with gorgeous rocks. Notice the lovely orange hue of the trees as a sign of autumn.

The fifth tunnel leads to my ultimate favourite spot in Taroko, a scenic location with an EPIC view! The very first picture on this post was actually taken at this location. Words can’t describe how beautiful it is, I’ll try to let the pictures do the talking!

Next is the entrance to the water curtain cave, which I assume to be the eight tunnel. People were ready to brave the cave with their ponchos and umbrellas! I disapprove of using umbrellas in this situation though, the walking path is extremely narrow and umbrellas take a LOT of space. Here’s me in my ponchos and waterproof gear, courtesy of Mr. Tonny. Ponchos FTW!

The water was cold and super clean, causing the rocks and pebbles to be clearly visible! It’s like an aquarium, but better.

It’s virtually impossible for an *unprepared* photography hobbyist to take a picture inside the cave, in a November evening, no less. It was dark -no sunlight was coming through at all- and slippery; bringing a waterproof camera case probably wouldn’t help much. Therefore, I’m borrowing the following picture Hualien Tourist Service Website.

The water curtain cave was super AWESOME! I’ve been to caves where small droplets of water are falling from above, but the water curtain cave is different - it is the only one where it really feels like a heavy rain! The formation is explained at a stone sign in front of the cave:

The cave is the end of the trail, Taroko Park prohibits visitors to walk any further.

I did not expect to see a toilet near the water curtain cave! It is an eco-friendly toilet, designed to blend with nature. A lady openly stared at me when I took pictures of the toilet. Hahaha! 

And this man over here is a park staff who keeps the trail clean by picking up rubbish. It’s a very important job, but in spite of that, rubbish shouldn’t be there in the first place. If you can’t find any bin, please keep them in your pocket first. Don’t litter!

I started trekking at around 1.30pm and finished at 4pm. At that time, it began to sprinkle, daylight was pretty much nonexistent and the tunnels felt… creepier than when I first passed through it. I was surprised to see some visitors had just started walking through the first tunnel. It would be really dark (AND creepier) by the time they arrived at the water curtain cave and worse on the way back. Maybe they didn’t go all the way through after all. Or they were extremely brave people.

At the end of the day, every experience differs from one person to another. I had a great time trekking at Baiyang Trail! However, my uncle -who went to Taroko during summer- didn’t share my sentiment. He said that it was hot, sticky, tiring, and the water curtain cave wasn’t as big as he expected. But yes, a 4km walk must feel different under a summer sun and a breezy autumn wind. So, take your pick: blue sky in sticky summer or grey sky in breezy autumn? Whichever you choose, put on some comfortable shoes, have fun, and enjoy the view!

A.

Baiyang Trail, Taroko Gorge

Official Website: Click Here 

Location is somewhere around here:

* Never forget to check the condition of the trail from the official website beforehand. Right now Baiyang Trail is actually closed due to damages from typhoon on November 19, 2014, exactly a week after my visit. Apparently I got lucky!