23 July 2018
Elevation - 599 masl
Elevation gained - 591 m
Distance - 7.1 km
Total time taken - 4.5 hrs (day hike)
Climbing period - Anytime
Difficulty - 2/5 moderate (mostly well paved trails with some steep climbs and ridge walk)
Trail type - Well paved steps, gravel path, and some steep rock wall climbing sections
Requirements - None
Teapot Mountain (无耳茶壶山) is near the popular Jiufen old streets. After visiting the tourist-packed Jiufen, we decided to hit the mountains for some fresh air away from the crowds! I had actually been to the Teapot Mountain twice, the first time was a school trip that took us to the top of Teapot Mountain and back down the same way. But before my second trip there, my friend found out about a lesser known trail that connects Teapot Mountain to Banping Shan (半屏山). The most exciting part of this hike was the steep climb up a rock wall with only 2 ropes to hold on to. And the thrill doesn't end there, we then had to crab walk along the steep mountain ridge. But of course the views were amazing, with panoramic views atop the mountain ridge! This trail however, is not for the faint hearted.
Trip Planning
Since we planned to go hiking in Jiufen, we decided to stay the night in Jiufen town so we would have more time to explore. The whole trails takes about 4 hours to complete so do give yourself sufficient time. It is best to start early in the morning or latest by noon.
Getting There
After checking into our hotel at Jiufen, we took a public bus down to the Gold Museum in the area of Jinguashi (金瓜石) which is near the Teapot Mountain trailhead. There are quite a few buses that run this route including 788, 965 and 1062 and takes about 20 mins.
Hike to Teapot Mountain and Banping Shan
1130 | Start our hike from the trailhead at Jinguashi |
1230 | Reach the top of Teapot Mountain |
1330 | Climb up the Banping Shan rock wall and ridge walk |
1600 | Reach back to Jinguashi |
1130 | Start our hike from the trailhead at Jinguashi
After reaching the Gold Museum at Jinguashi, you would have to navigate around the back roads for a bit before reaching the trailhead for Teapot Mountain. There were signs around but it was still pretty confusing for us. The first part of the trail that took us to the top of Teapot Mountain was very straightforward and well-paved with stone steps. However, the continuous uphill climb was still tiring, so once in awhile we would stop to take a breather while taking in the beautiful views. The first landmark was a red hut that sat mid way up the mountain, named Baoshi Ting (宝狮亭). From there we could see a pile of rocks that sat at the top of the mountain. The rocks when viewed from a certain angle and with some imagination looked like a teapot, hence that's how the Teapot Mountain got its name.
1230 | Reach the top of Teapot Mountain
About an hour into our hike we reached the top of Teapot Mountain where the pile of rocks were. We then climbed up the pile of rocks for a short break and to enjoy the view. You can see both the Jiufen town and the sea from here. Some sections of the rocks were a bit dangerous, so do be careful when climbing on top of the rocks.
And here is where it gets interesting! We were looking around the peak to find the connecting trail and by chance, I climbed under the pile of rocks and saw a small opening on the other end. Crawling out the other end from under the rocks, I saw a rope then led down to a long trail to a second peak. Excited by this discovery, we climbed down the rocky path to the narrow trail cutting through the grassland. This rocky gravel path was less well-paved than the one up Teapot Mountain, and we didn't see anyone else on this section of the hike. Looking back at the Teapot Mountain, which was now behind us, it looked nothing like a teapot from the angle.
1330 | Climb up the Banping Shan rock wall and ridge walk
The end of the trail is where the fun starts! To get to the top of the second peak, Banping Shan, we had to scale up a rockwall with only our hands and feet and the help of 2 ropes secured to the sides of the wall. It looks pretty daunting now that I am looking back at the photos, but while climbing, I was fully focused on where to step and where to grab so it felt less scary. Also, I kept telling myself to not look down, and just keep going up. At the top of the ridge we saw the only other 2 hikers along this section, casually sitting at the peak resting and taking photos. From this viewpoint, the 'teapot' pile of rocks was now just a small brown tip in the distance.
The next part was also pretty scary, as we had to scale along the side of the steep ridge, while taking care not to roll down the mountain! There were ropes along both sides of the ridge, and we went along the right side (the side away from the sea). We gripped hard on the ropes like our live depended on it (because it did), as we crab walked along the ridge. Luckily this part of the trail was not too long, and we soon reached a walking path at the top.
1600 | Reach back to Jinguashi
The rest of the trail was comparatively more mundane, as we continued the hike towards a mountain in the distance - Canguangliao Shan (灿光寮山). You can see a horizontal road that cuts through the mountain, and that's the path that we would be taking. After hitting the main road, we took a right turn at the horizontal path. There we met and chatted with a friendly local Taiwanese, who was installing some satellite panels up on the mountain. There were many signs and trail maps along this path, so didn't had to worry about getting lost. After going down the road for awhile, we saw another path on the right that led back to Jinguashi. Note that there are 2 roads that lead back to Jinguashi, one is a slightly longer trail down a long flight of stairs, while the other is a winding hairpin loop trail, so you can take your pick. We took the winding path, but I suspect the staircase path had a better view.
My Thoughts
I had a lot of fun on this trail, with the rockwall climb and ridge walk! I had also preferred the trail after passing Teapot Mountain, as there was no crowd, and the trail was a lot more natural. There are actually quite a number of mountain ridge trails in Taiwan with thrilling height elements and some looks pretty intense. Will definitely try more of these in my future trips there!
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