Tai Ping Mountain Climb

For all of you who are planning to race up Tai Ping Mountain on August 27, the following information may be helpful. The most recent time I climbed this road was on August 1.

It took 2.5 hours of driving from my house to the beginning of the climb. The new tunnel (highway 5) saves a lot of time but after leaving the highway in Ilan County, you will still have a fairly long way to go.

Tai Ping Mountain seems to be in the wettest part of Taiwan. On all previous rides it was pouring rain except on August 1. When I started the climb (at 09:30) it was steaming hot and sunny but even so, around 1500 meter MSL it was foggy and near the top (around 2000 meter MSL) there was drizzle and a very strong wind. In a matter of fact, I have never seen the top of the mountain in the clear except sometimes very early in morning. Descending from that altitude when wet from either rain or sweat will be very chilly and you should bring appropriate clothing.

The road conditions have greatly improved. The race was originally planned for June but was cancelled and delayed until August 27 due to the poor road conditions. You will see new asphalt on many sections. There are right now only 2 sections left that are unpaved (each about 150 meters) but work crews are hard at work to fix them.

The distance is clearly marked with kilometer signs every 500 meters. The first 5 KM are relatively mild. There is no need to stand up and you can use your 39/23~21. The first couple hairpin turns start around the 5 KM mark and the 2 sections of unpaved road are also in this area. From 5 KM to 10 KM it seems that the gradient becomes a little steeper but it is still no problem. Around the 9 KM mark you can look up and, on a clear day, see the road winding up the mountain giving you a good idea about what is ahead. Starting from 11-12 KM, it is becoming harder and you will probably find yourself standing up on a few sections, specially when coming through the hairpin turns. The hardest part is from 15 to 22 KM. You reach the summit at 22 KM. This is the highest point of the climb but probably not the finish line. The official "Tai Ping Mountain" signs are at 24.2 KM where there is also a parking lot, toilets and a guard station. The last 2 KM of road are mostly flat and even slightly down. For all practical purposes, the race is probably decided at the 22 KM mark. Don't expect to be able to pass a lot of riders in the last 2 KM.

In general it is a beatiful climb without any extreme gradients. The only difference with the northern roads around Taipei is the length. It is probably twice as long as the longest climb we do in this area. Also, eventhough the gradient varies, it is never flat and it never goes down. There is no opportunity to rest your legs and recover. Settling into a sustainable pace is key!

Enjoy.
Lucas