Submitted for your approval: Tentative East Coast Itinerary

[ranlee]

Hi @jmward that’s quite the write up, glad the forums have been useful in your planning!

I’ll try to give as much feedback as I can, but I’ve actually never gone down the east coast myself, I may employ my buddy @okonomiyaki to help since he just did his tour a few months back.

@jmward

Day 1: Taroko Gorge. This will be my second time in the gorge but first with my bicycle. Looking at Strava and other maps, it seems cyclists go up the main road, just as the cars and buses do. I imagine there are other little offshoots but am I correct in thinking the main road that my city bus meandered up is the same one I’ll struggle up on my bike? Also, is the “top” of the gorge where the city buses make their final stops? I remember a temple. It was red, I think.

You will love going through the gorge on the bike. Here’s some things to keep in mind:

• It’s all uphill (with one 1km downhill right before the Bilu Tree)
• There’s only ONE convenient store on this route at Tian Xiang visitor’s center and is also the only place to refill water. Bring extra or ration your food/water if you plan on completing the entire climb.
• I would suggest saving battery power in your front and rear lights. If you plan on descending, you may need it for the ride down. The road has NO street lights and has A LOT of narrow and blind corners.
• Start (really) early if you want to get to the top. If you’re waking up and the sun is already up past the horizon, it’s already late.
• It may be a bit warm when you start in the morning, but it will drop in temp once you get to the top. Bring some extra layers and something windproof for the descent.
• Give yourself and your bike a break from descending. Your pads may heat up and you will be mentally/physically tired from the climb up.
• If you don’t plan on going all the way up to the peak, a nice alternative is to ride up to Tian Xiang and head back down. At a leisure pace, this should take you around 3-4 hours round trip from the gorge entrance.

Here’s some stats:

• You will be ascending one of the only climbs in the world that takes you from sea level to above 3000m elvation on ONE road.
• From the gorge entrance, it’s roughly 85km with an average of 6% grade.
• The last 15km from Da Yu Ling to the peak the average gradient shoots up to something ridiculous that I can’t really even comment on how hard it is. The ability to not get off your bike and walk is a feat by itself.
• At full pace, with support along the way and a lot of stopping in the last 10km, it took me 7hr45m to reach the top (He Huan Shan aka Wuling Peak).

For places to have a beer or meet others in transit in Hualien, check out this thread. @marasan is also familiar with the area.

Hualien Nightlife

Any suggestions? Is there anyplace to go later in the evening for drinks or hang out? Any live music or single people places? Linsen Road used to be the spot with River, Allstar, and some other places but they are mostly gone. Front side of the train station was traditionally a nightlife place but not so much now from what I can tell. There are a few sit down pubs near the night market.