Hunting happiness through adventure in Taiwan

Next the team headed to the sea cliffs and Dragon Caves of the Long Dong cape and promontory (Long Dong actually means Dragon’s Caves in Mandarin) to explore a series of epic climbs overlooking the glittering waters where the East China Sea rubs into the Pacific. Here stand the oldest exposed rock layers of the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area.

Although Sofia is a highly experienced climber, the season and exposure meant she would be in for a challenging time. With the addition of the filming crew peppered all around her and zeroing in on her every move, would she be able to find the focus, poise and internal peace that had been the source of such successful climbs in the past?

Led by brilliant local climber (aptly named when dealing with fiddly film crews) Patience, the team again traced Sofia’s biometric changes during all stages of prep, climb and completion.

Here in Long Dong you’re only about an hour’s drive from Taipei; it’s home to some of the best trad climbing not just in Taiwan but in Southeast Asia as a whole. Rock faces striped by fissures, gnarled channels and the crash-smash of the sea wall below will keep the heart pumping.

Fully exposed to the cycles of each season and the bleaching glare of the sun, it’s only once you have reached the overlook that you get the full idea of what nature has provided here. The cliffs of Long Dong are split pretty much into nine distinct sectors which offer a rich variety of climbs for different levels including, but certainly not limited to, beginners with plenty of trad and sport routes in the mix to keep everyone content.

One of Taiwan’s nine national parks, Yangmingshan National Park at a smidge over 800m of elevation is more known for its volcanic terrain and beatific lakes but it also boasts miles of smooth road and often minimal traffic. It’s also refreshingly lag-free to access to from Taipei. Some tantalisingly great mid-length climbs double up with a coastal road connecting the eastern section to the west of the park as the main draws and then a sweet range of smaller climbs hovering around 20% fill in any gaps.

Despite the seductive riding terrain (even considering a heavy tropical mist descending from time to time), this was a much sterner test for Sofia, taking her well out of her comfort zone and into the saddle of a road bike she had little to no familiarity with at all.

How would this affect the base metrics and any consistently reached or lingering emotional high?

The aim here was to provide a high contrast counterpoint to the jungle and sea cliff tasks with a different biorhythm and dynamic to the activity.