December 30, 2011

A TOUGH HIKING TRIP - SKY LADDER(天梯)

"Sky Ladder" supension bridge 天梯吊橋
"Green Dragon" waterfall and the Sky Ladder
"Sky Ladder" supension bridge 天梯吊橋

Hiking is one of may favorite activities. I visited a location in Nantou county(南投縣), Taiwan which is famous of the special ladder suspension bridge(梯子吊橋). This ladder style suspension bridge is very special. It is the first one in Taiwan and the second in the world, with a total length of 136m and 208 steps; the height difference between the 2 sides is a staggering 20m.

To walk across this bridge is not a difficult job, but reaching it and returning to the entrance is defiantly a tough challenge. I consider myself as an experienced hiker, but this time it really gave me a hard time. The distance between entrance and the bridge is about 1Km, and between entrance and the end of this area is about 2Km. Due to the steep trail, I took about 3 hours to complete 4Km hiking.

During the 3 hour hiking, I did not only experience Sky Ladder, but also see the beautiful Green Dragon Waterfall and other scenery. Those wonderful views made the hard works worthy. But be honest, this place is not good for family with kids and senior people. Also, if you are not a person capable handling tough hiking, please do not try it. It is better just enjoy watching my photos.