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FUN MAGAZINE, May 2003. VOL.3 ISSUE 5
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King
of the World at SongShan Nature Reserve
By
Emma Harries
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Flailing about on the side of a sheer rock face wasn't quite
what I anticipated when a day out at SongShan Nature Reserve
was proposed. The reserve, a popular escape from the smog
and crowds of central Taipei, is home to four peaks--Elephant,
Lion, Tiger, and Panther mountains--and is easily accessible
from the World Trade Center neighborhood. Having benefited
from substantial investment in recent years, ecological information
points, exercise bars, and immaculately laid stone paths lace
the park, making it easy to find your way about. Should you,
of course, choose to follow the paths.
Our guide--self appointed after taking a liking to one of
our party--assured us that we could take a short cut up to
the 375-meter-high crest of JiuWu, the highest point in the
reserve. He warned us that it is ¡§a bit steep,¡¨ but we rubbished
his caution, assuring him and ourselves that we were all healthy
and strong.
Bad idea. The first dirty scramble was indeed steep.
The next bit of clambering over rocks and grasping roots
was slightly perilous. But nothing compared to the final
stretch.
Three ropes trailing down sheer-faced vertical rock,
punctuated by a few footholds. We were faced with a
stark choice: Climb, or prepare to be found by archaeologists
of the future.
Some time later, to the bemusement of several infinitely
more sensible hikers who were steadily making their
way up the steps, four dirty individuals emerged onto
the path, sweating, swearing and dancing about as if
they had made it to the North Pole. When the weather
is good, incredible views over the Taipei basin can
be had from the peak of JiuWu. And if you're slightly
delirious from the climb--like we were--there's likely
to be an ¡§I'm the King of the World¡¨ moment!
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