Road(s) to Yangmingshan?

[lostinasia]

@urodacus

or further east, go past National Palace and take the only road going left (about 2 km further up). We call that ride Satellites, as it goes past the radio dish farm up in the mountains. Pretty steep to begin with, though, so if you don’t like 15% grades, look elsewhere.

Ba-bump!

So I’ve been inspired to try another route up or down Yangmingshan, apart from the Balaka and Jinshan routes that I’m used to (I’m coming from Danshui). What is this Satellites of which people speak? I’m guessing it’s this 冷水坑 / Lěngshuǐ Kēng segment, but I’m not sure. It looks like it goes up to the left from 至善路 maybe around halfway between the National Palace Museum and the Fenguizui turn-off?

If that’s so, and if someone hasn’t done that road before, what would people recommend as better (um, combination of prettier / less traffic hassle on a spring weekday): up that way, and down Balaka, or vice versa? A counter-clockwise or a clockwise loop? Non-absurd steepness doesn’t worry me. I’m not proud - I’ve walked up steep stretches before, and I’ll do so again.