In the heart of Taiwan’s mountainous terrain, a stark reality stands tall, much like the peaks themselves. To those who dare to climb, it’s a known fact that this island boasts an astounding 270 summits, all of them defiantly breaching the 3,000-meter mark, a veritable congregation of celestial titans. There’s no denying it; this place is like nowhere else on Earth.
Amongst these towering giants, a select 100 have been anointed as the ‘Top 100,’ the pinnacle of challenges that beckon adventurers to ascend to the very heavens. And if that weren’t incentive enough, there’s another list, the ‘Small 100 Peaks,’ slightly more modest in stature but no less alluring, designed to coax even the most reluctant souls into the embrace of the great outdoors.
Now, picture this: a land renowned for its mastery of bicycles, where two-wheeled steeds reign supreme. It’s a place where the pulse of life throbs through every pedal stroke, where sweat and steel meet on endless roads. In this bicycle kingdom, it’s not merely logical but practically ordained that a ‘Top 100’ list should emerge, tailored to the indomitable spirit of cyclists. It’s a challenge thrown down to conquer these majestic peaks atop the noblest of contraptions.
In a land where mountains scrape the sky and a diverse tapestry of asphalt networks cross the island, the birth of ‘The Top 100’ for every cyclist is as inevitable as the rising sun.
#001 – Wuling (KOM)
Location: Hualien Distance: 90km Elevation Gain: 3,500m Mission Statement: It is well known among mountaineers in Taiwan that the country has some 270 peaks over 3,000m, making it one of the highest concentrations of 3,000m peaks in the world. Of these, 100 were selected as…
#002 – Puli to Wuling
Location: Nantou Distance: 53km Elevation Gain: 2,700m Occupying our number 2 spot in this epic list of 100 hill climbs is the noteworthy Puli to Wuling climb. This climb registers as a rite of passage for many cyclists on the island. It starts at the…
#003 – The South Cross-Island Highway/Provincial Highway No. 20 (East approach)
Location: Taitung Distance: 54km Elevation Gain: 2,500m There are four Cross-Island Highways in Taiwan, three of which traverse the island from west to east, the fourth, ‘the New Central Cross-Island Highway, is a north-to-south traverse that skirts the Central Mountain Range. Of the four it…
#004 – Nantou 89
Location: Nantou Distance: 58km Elevation Gain: 1,800m The Nantou No. 89, also known as the Li Sying Industrial Road, is arguably one of the toughest rides for a road bike in Taiwan. It has gained prominence in recent years because of its inclusion in the…
#005 – The Southern Cross (West approach)
Location: Tainan & Kaohsiung Distance: 140km Elevation Gain: 3,000m There are four Cross-Island Highways in Taiwan, three of which traverse the island from west to east, the fourth, ‘the New Central Cross-Island Highway, is a north-to-south traverse that skirts the Central Mountain Range. Of the…
#006 – The South Cross-Island Highway/Provincial Highway No. 20 (West approach)
Location: Chiayi Distance: 97km Elevation Gain: 2,800m Provincial Highway No. 18 (also known as ‘The New Central Cross-Island Highway or the Alishan Road’ starts at 0km in the center of Chiayi City – 10 to 15mins. ride from the train station. After the initial 10km…
#007 – Tatajia – Provincial Highway No. 21
Location: Nantou Distance: 70km Elevation Gain: 2,500m If you have found yourself with the opportunity to do this climb you are really in for a great experience. This road offers some superb scenery, the gradients are not knee-breaking insane, and given the number of switchbacks…
#008 – The North Cross-Island Highway east approach to Dayuling via Lishan.
Location: Yilan/Taichung Distance: 130km Elevation Gain: 3,500m This is one of the best rides in Taiwan because of the variety of scenery. Starting in Yilan at the 0km marker on the North Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 7). There are actually 3 roads combined in…
#009 – North Cross-Island Highway – Provincial Highway No.7
Location: Taoyuan/Yilan Distance: 120km Elevation Gain: 1,700m In this post, we will look at the North Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway N0.7), which starts in Sanxia and finishes in Yilan. The main focus is the actual climb which is 64 kilometers and the entire ride accumulates…
#010 – Junda Forestry Road (Gravel/MTB)
Location: Nantou Distance: 64km Elevation Gain: 2,300m For most of the Top 100 Climbs, the focus has been on those accessible by road bike, but there are several off-road routes that ascend over 2,000m which should be included. The Taiwan KOM (road bike) is covered…
#011 – Xitou & Shanlinxi – (Sun Link Sea) Forest Recreation Areas (FRA)
Location: Nantou Distance: 34km Elevation Gain: 1,600m Xitou and Shanlinxi or Sun Link Sea are both Forest Recreation Areas (FRA) but not National Forest Recreation Areas (NFRA) The two closest train stations would be Ershui if traveling from north Taiwan and Linnei if traveling from…
#012 – County Road No. 136
Location: Taichung Distance: 14km Elevation Gain: 600m If you have spent any time cycling in Taichung, no doubt you have ridden 136. It is a heart-in-mouth experience, a true litmus test of fitness, and indeed one of the most popular climbs in Taichung. This 14.5km…
#013 – Danda Forest Road (Seven-Colors Lake (Gavel/MTB)
Location: Nantou Distance: 55km Elevation Gain: 2,700m A 50km ride to a lake at 3,000m is the highest off-road route in Taiwan. By far the most remote and difficult to access of the Top 100 climbs by bicycle has to be the Danda Forest Road.…
#014 – Xiaoguan Mt (Gravel/MTB)
Location: Kaohsiung Distance: 29km Elevation Gain: 2,000m Xiaoguan Mt. was, and to some extent, still is one of the best MTB routes in Kaohsiung. Located in Baolai Village, Kaohsiung it’s not so easy to access without your own transport. I was denied access to the…
#015 – Shenshan – Wutai – Ali Villages Provincial Highway No. 24
Location: Pingtung Distance: 28km Elevation Gain: 1.300m For people living in the Kaohsiung/Pingtung area, one of the most iconic rides is to Wutai Village in Pingtung. As an area that gets a lot of tourist traffic, it’s definitely the best-surfaced road in a mountain area.…
Bikes on Trains
If a rider hasn’t got transport in the form of a car or van using the train is an excellent way to travel around Taiwan with a bike. The system isn’t perfect and it can involve a learning process to understand how Taiwan Railway Administration…
#016 – Tengjhih National Forest Recreation Area
Location: Kaohsiung Distance: 42km Elevation Gain: 1,500m There are a total of 18 NFRAs in Taiwan and the roads leading up to some of them are spectacular for mountain scenery. Alishan in Chiayi County at 2,100m is the most famous of these and is covered…
#017 – Beidawu Mt.
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…
#018 – Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area
Location: Hsinchu Distance: 55km Elevation Gain: 2,000m The climb to Guanwu National Forest Recreation Area may not be as famous as some of the other high mountain climbs in Taiwan, but it certainly should be. Reaching a height of 2100m in elevation, this is a…
#019 – Jinshuiying Ancient Cross-island Trail (Dasyi Forestry Rd) West
Location: Pingtung Distance: 27km Elevation Gain: 1,600m Jinshuiying is unusual to include in this series since the road is far more well-known as a cross-island hiking trail and arguably the best downhill ride in the country. It has a fascinating history dating back to the…
#20 – The Yulao Lookout (Hsinchu County Road No. 60)
Location: Hsinchu Distance: 35km Elevation Gain: 1,500m For any cyclists living in the Hsinchu or Taoyuan areas, this climb needs no introduction. Road #60 to the Yulao Lookout is one of the most popular training climbs on the island. With a peak elevation of 1460m,…
#021 – Majia & Jiufawan
Location: Pingtung Distance: 30km Elevation Gain: 1,600m The rider should be aware that the following is actually two different rides. From the bottom, it’s approx 17km ascent to the village of Jiufawan. (This is a historically significant village of slate houses that has guesthouse options)…
#022 – Taimali (Daylily Mountain)
Location: Taitung Distance: 22km Elevation Gain: 1,400m As the name Daylily Mountain (金針山) suggests, this area is known for the lilies which cover the hillside during the Spring and Summer. Visitors from all over Taiwan come to see the white lilies which bloom from April…
#023 – Sun Moon Lake (Provincial Highway No. 21 & County Roads No. 131 & 97)
Location: Nantou Distance: Each climb 9-12km Elevation Gain: 600-800m In this post, I’d like to discuss the various climbs leading up to Sun Moon Lake, focusing on four popular routes that cyclists often take. Two of these routes start in Puli, while the other two…
#024 – Provincial Highway No.3 (North to South)
Location: Chiayi/Tainan/Kaohsiung Distance: 170km Elevation Gain: 1,900m Provincial Highway 3 is one of the longest roads in Taiwan and is 435km end to end. It starts in Taipei and ends in Pingtung. Also known as the Inner-Mountain Highway the road travels through mountainous towns in Western Taiwan. Doing the road from…
#025 – Provincial Highway No.3 (South to North)
Location: Kaohsiung (Qishan)/Tainan/Kaohsiung Distance: 117km Elevation Gain: 1,000m Provincial Highway No. 3 is one of the longest roads in Taiwan and is 435km end to end. It starts in Taipei and ends in Pingtung. Also known as the Inner-Mountain Highway the road travels through mountainous towns in Western Taiwan. Doing the…
#026 – Buddha’s Hand, The Palm of Tathagata
Location: Taipei/ New Taipei Distance: 145km Elevation Gain: 3,400m Buddha’s Hand, The Palm of Tathagata, The Taipei Hand ride…regardless of what you call it, this is a massive effort and over recent years has become a rite of passage for any cyclist living in Taiwan.…
#027 – The Su-Hua Highway (Provincial Highway No. 9 & 9D)
Location: Hualien/Yilan Distance: 108km Elevation Gain: 1,200m The Su-Hua Highway is arguably the best section of coast road in Taiwan. Although not a continuous climb there is enough ascent in it to justify its inclusion in our series of the Top 100 Climbs of Taiwan.…
#028 – The 36 Bends (Meishan/County Rd. No. 162A)
Location: Chiayi Distance: 25km Elevation Gain: 900m The Stelvio Pass, Alpe d’Huez, Sa Calobra, Trollstigen…These are what most cyclists would talk about when discussing roads famous for hairpin turns. Ask a Taiwan cyclist, they would think of the Meishan 36 Bends. Similar to Alpe d’Huez,…
#029 – Balaka (Provincial Highway 101A)
Location: New Taipei Distance: 13km Elevation Gain: 900m In this post, I’m going to talk about a climb in Northern Taiwan. The name of this climb is Balaka. It is definitely a well-known climb that a lot of people who live in Taipei will undoubtedly…