Location: Pingtung
Distance: 21km Elevation Gain: 1,200m
The name Beidawu will be familiar to most hikers as it is one of Top 100 Climbs (Bai Yue) with the peak at 3,092m, it is only peak over 3,000m in Pingtung. For cyclists it is also a very popular training route accessible from both Kaohsiung and Pingtung.
In the past there was an annual race which terminated on this climb and there was also a Beidawu cycling club. For years the road was becoming increasingly rough with no repairs being carried out. However, due to pressure from cyclists it has been completely resurfaced. Now at the time of writing (2023) it’s in better shape than ever before.
It’s approx’ 40km from central Kaohsiung with the nearest train stations being Pingtung city or Fangliao on the south-west coast. The approach road is the No. 185, known locally as the Yuanshan Public Rd. The 0km marker on this road is at Maolin in north-east Kaohsiung. It runs for 69km ending at Fangliao in Pingtung running parallel to the central mountains.
The primary entrance point to the Beidawu climb is at Taiwu Village on the Ping 106 Rd. located at the 40km marker on the No. 185 Rd. (There is an alternative entrance 1 km south of this on the Ping 106-1 Rd, but most riders will enter from Taiwu) Just 2km up the road there is a 7 – 11 to stock up with supplies.
It should be pointed out that the No. 185 has several bike lanes, but these are not all connected. So, the rider could be on one for several kms then it will abruptly end. A few kms up the 185 another bike lane will appear on the opposite side of the road. It’s not perfect, but better than no bike lane.
The ascent is dramatic from this point with several switch backs. This area is heavily forested which is great for shade in summer. There are also numerous areas with water running off the mountain. This is great on a hot day so the rider can douse his head off to cool down. Over the first 13km there are a few look out points with great views of the plains below.
On weekends the rider is guaranteed to see dozens of cyclists on the road which is great for rider safety. After the first 13km of climbing the rider will encounter an impressive Aborigine style gate over the road. This is at an elevation of 850m and most riders will stop at this point to avail of refreshments in the village here. There is usually BBQ pork on sale too.
From the village it’s a further 7.5km to the parking lot trailhead of Beidawu Mt. at 1,100m.
Here are the GPX and KML files.