THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS
THIS IS HILLY TOUR THAT TAKES IN THE MOUNTAINS ON THE FRINGE OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
ESSENTIAL STATS YOU NEED TO KNOW
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Total Days:
7
Total Nights:
6
Total Distance:
688km (427miles))
Total Elevation Gain:
12414m (40728ft)
Difficulty Level:
★★★★★
THE FULL ROUTE MAP
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$700
Difficulty Level explained: CLICK HERE
*(SELF-GUIDED starting from US$699)
*Above prices based on groups of 4 or more riders.
HIGHLIGHTS
-
Ride through the rolling hills of Sanxia and past the Shimen Reservoir.
-
Pass through the aboriginal lands of Hsinchu County
-
Enjoy the "Garden of Taiwan" that is Miaoli, and it's rolling roads.
-
Enjoy a day of relaxing lakeside at Sun Moon Lake
-
Stop for a cup of Oolong tea in one of Chaiyi's many tea plantations.
-
Climb to Wutai, an isolated indigenous community high in the southern range.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
-
6 Nights accommodation.
-
Breakfast, lunch and riding snacks but not Dinner which, from experience, is best left to personal choice.
-
All your hydration requirements, including water, sports drinks, sodas, tea and coffee.
-
Rider/Guide ratio of 6/1.
-
Full vehicle support.
-
Bike and kit wash service.
-
Epic Ride Taiwan jersey, socks and cap.
ITINERARY
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF EACH DAY OF THE TOUR
Day 1 - Taipei to Hsinchu
Distance - 104km. Elevation Gain 2142m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Our first day will start beside the iconic Taipei 101 tower, before we enter the hills to the south of Taipei, via the Xindian riverside path.
Things very quickly turn rural and hilly and we have a couple of solid climbs to get things started, including the one, well known among local riders for it's wonderful switchback section.
After a short rest, we will enjoy a long descent before we take on the rolling road offering views of the sublime Shimen Reservoir, as we ride though hilly farmland towards our destination of Hsinchu.
Day 2 - Hsinchu to Dahu
Distance - 94km. Elevation Gain 2058m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Day 2 will take us deep into the aboriginal heartlands of Hsinchu County.
We start with a delightful climb, passing campgrounds with little to no traffic. We drop down to the valley before heading up the next ridge, towards a mountain called Wuzhishan. The climb is short and steep, but after reaching the top, the road is nicely rolling and the road eventually drops down to the tourist town of Nanzhuang.
From here, we take a long and steady climb up to the magnificent hilltop Lingdong Palace Temple. Enjoy the view and then descend into the strawberry fields, before rolling up to our destination at Dahu.
Day 3 - Dahu to Sun Moon Lake
Distance - 117km. Elevation Gain 2349m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Day 3 is a solid day of riding and it opens with a tough climb. Heading up to 1100m over 7km at an average gradient of 8.7%. At least you will be tackling it with fresh legs, and the scenery will keep your mind off any pain in the legs.
After a steep downhill, we enter a long valley, which is generally a false flat descent, then we take on the second climb of the day, a steady one and a favourite of local Taichung riders.
Another long descent to follow, before we gradually climb up towards Sun Moon Lake, on the quiet backroads west of Puli, the geographical centre of Taiwan.
Day 4 - 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 5 - Sun Moon Lake to Chiayi
Distance - 117km. Elevation Gain 1709m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
After your rest day, it'll be a leisurely start to the day, as we cover most of the first half of the day on flattish roads.
Things will change once we reach Chaiyi County, as we climb again into the foothills of Alishan, Taiwan's most famous mountain tourist area. Don't worry though, as we'll be taking the quiet roads to the north and we'll pass through aboriginal settlements and wonderful tea plantations.
After 95km, the road will turn downwards, and we'll be able to freewheel the last 20km down to our stop for the night, so an ideal time to take in the views that make Chiayi one of Taiwan's prettiest counties.
Day 6 - Chiayi to Meinong
Distance - 128km. Elevation Gain 1874m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Day 6 will begin with the only major climb of the day and it's a delightful one, as we follow a serpentine road as it winds it's way up to over 800m.
Take a break at the top and admire the view of Tsengwen Reservoir from above before we take on the descent all the way to it's shores, at Dapu.
From here, it's rolling roads all the way, as we make our way past the reservoir, and down into the valley beyond.
The final 40km, will be on flat farmland as we weave our way through rice paddies and fruit and vegetable farms of the Hakka area.
Day 7 - Meinong to Pingtung
Distance - 128km. Elevation Gain 2282m. Estimated Riding Time - 5-6hrs
Our final day on the Western Foothills tour, and we will keep climbing right until the end.
It'll be a leisurely roll out of Meinong for a flat first 40km before we enter the valley that takes us towards the mountain area of Wutai. The climb comes in two parts and is a stern test, as the second part climbs to 1000m in elevation on a stretch of 12km at an average gradient of 6%.
After a rest in an aboriginal village, we'll make our way back to the Pingtung plain, and trace the hills south until the final climb of the tour is upon us.
Leave nothing in the tank on the 11km climb with an average gradient 6.5% and you will feel the comfort of knowing that your legs don't need to pedal again, as we can savour the last mountain view before we cruise back down to the van
