THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN LINE
A JOURNEY THROUGH DEEP VALLEYS AND OVER HIGH MOUNTAIN PASSES
THE FULL ROUTE MAP
ESSENTIAL STATS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Total Days:
7
Total Nights:
6
Total Distance:
530km (329miles)
Total Elevation Gain:
11050m (36253ft)
Difficulty Level:
★★★★★
THE PACKAGE
*US$2529
All accommodation will be based on two riders sharing a twin room. If you prefer to have a room to yourself, then we can arrange it for a supplementary cost.
Bike rental: US$250
Single Room Option: US$546
Deposit: US$500
Difficulty Level explained: CLICK HERE
*(SELF-GUIDED starting from US$699)
*Above prices based on groups of 4 or more riders.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Ride through deep valleys on our way to the high-mountain region of north Taiwan and stay at the stunning Lalashan.
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Pass through the Wuling Plateau to Lishan surrounded by 3000m peaks.
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Cross the highest road pass in Taiwan, the summit of the Taiwan KOM Challenge at Hehuanshan.
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Enjoy a day relaxing by the lakeside at Sun Moon Lake.
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Climb to Tataka and gaze across at Yushan, Taiwan's highest mountain, at 3952m.
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Ride past aboriginal villages on the way to Tsengwen Reservoir.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
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6 Nights accommodation.
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Breakfast, lunch and riding snacks but not Dinner which, from experience, is best left to personal choice.
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All your hydration requirements, including water, sports drinks, sodas, tea and coffee.
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Rider/Guide ratio of 6/1.
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Full vehicle support.
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Bike and kit wash service.
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Epic Ride Taiwan jersey, socks and cap.
ITINERARY
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF EACH DAY OF THE TOUR
Day 1 - Taipei to Lalashan
Distance - 91km. Elevation Gain 1592km. Estimated Riding Time - 4-5hrs
Day 1 will begin next to the iconic Taipei 101, and as we roll through Taipei on the way to the river path, we’ll pass a couple of other well known tourist sights.
Within a short time we’ll be away from the traffic for 30km of flat riverside path which will lead us to the foothills.
From here, we’ll gradually climb, passing orchards, reservoirs and waterfalls on our way up the Northern Cross Island Highway. Huge 2000m peaks surround you on both sides, on the rolling road through the valley, before we’ll make a final climb to our home for the night at the glorious Lalashan.
Day 2 - Lalashan to Wuling Farm
Distance - 101km. Elevation Gain 2683m. Estimated Riding Time - 6-7hrs
Day 2 couldn’t be an easier start as you freewheel down to one of Taiwan’s best preserved scenic routes which snakes it’s way deep into the valley, before the gradual climb to the Mingchi Forest Recreation area.
Here you can enjoy the cool, alpine forest area before the plunge down to the valley below. From here, it’s a long, 40km climb up to 2000m on the Wuling plateau before a false flat descent will lead us to the accommodation for the night.
Enjoy this stretch with 3000m peaks looming on either side, and breathe in the clear, fresh mountain air.
Day 3 - Wuling Farm to Qingjing Farm
Distance - 84km. Elevation Gain 2309m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Day 3 is the Queen stage of the Central Mountain Line Tour.
You begin your day with the climb, descent and climb up to the Tri-Mountain scenic area. After refuelling it’s a very pleasant stretch of road that gradually takes us to the KOM route.
From here we are faced with the notorious final 10km of the Taiwan KOM Challenge, a steep road which tops out at 3275m, the highest point of the tour. Beyond here, it’s a lengthy descent to the gorgeous Qingjing Farm area, perched on the ridge for a well earned dinner and bed for the night.
Day 4 - Qingjing Farm to Sun Moon Lake
Distance - 77km. Elevation Gain 1202m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Day 4 will get the start that your legs deserve after the previous tough days. It’s a 12km descent towards Puli, before we branch off to the south at Wushe to take a quieter scenic route, along the backroads.
This delightful stretch will be devoid of cars and works its way down the valley. After about 40km we take on the only real climb of the day, which is tiny in comparison to what we’ve done before, then we weave our way through fruit plantations to the stunning Sun Moon Lake, where we’ll spend our well earned rest day.
Day 5 - Rest Day at Sun Moon Lake
Time for a well earned rest day and there's no better place to do it than at Sun Moon Lake. One of Taiwan's premier tourist destinations in it's own right, it doesn't take long to understand why. Situated at 748m above sea level, it's a cooler climate than the plains below. Surrounded by forested peaks there is no shortage of things to do, from hiking, a boat trip, cable car to a temple or even riding your bike the 20km around the lake!
Day 6 - Sun Moon Lake to Alishan
Distance - 100km. Elevation Gain 2457m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Once again, we start off with a nice descent. This time down from Sun Moon Lake to the Shuili valley, where we will embark on the last epic climb of the tour.
From Shuili, it’s a 70km climb up to Tataka, gaining around 2000m in altitude. Tataka is the trailhead for Yushan mountain the highest in the country at 3952m. If the weather is clear, you can enjoy the sight of the huge peaks all around for the majority of the climb.
Once reaching the plateau, we’ll roll around to Alishan village where we will spend out last night.
Day 7 - Alishan to Tsengwen Reservoir
Distance - 77km. Elevation Gain 807m. Estimated Riding Time - 4-5hrs
Day 7, the last day of our tour and finally we are leaving the high mountains behind. We will do so, on the long descent towards Chiayi down the main road for 10km, before taking a left onto some really peaceful back roads.
From here, we are still descending but now we are surrounded by mountains as we drop deeper into the river valley before continuing through some pure wilderness. Only aboriginals and farmers can found going about their daily business in this part of Taiwan.
Eventually we come out at the fabulously beautiful Tsengwen Reservoir at Dapu village, where our van will be ready to take you back to civilisation and reality!
