Holy carp look at the size of that rock. Travel from Japan to Taiwan to cycle in Taroko and you get hit by that thing? That’s an existential middle finger.
Every few years someone dies from falling rocks just on the regular road. Are they going to close the place? Hell no. Tourism is more important than lives.
Not good publicity for the huge 100km international bike race up the gorge on 20 Oct.
Let’s take bets on someone getting hit by falling rocks!
I actually trekked down the taroko mountain road for 4 days. We had to wear helmets most of the way.
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Wow, look at the blood. He looks like a serious rider.
What is that construction equipment doing? Maybe they caused it.
And what’s the deal with the buddhist reverse swastika drawn on the ground?
Here’s one a few years back.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/hualien/2010/01/31/243017/taroko-park.htm
Looks like the upper end of the Nine Turns, the end where there’s been a lot of construction (not saying that’s anything to do with this accident). The gorge is certainly a place to wear a bike helmet, and hope you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Sorry to report this:
Condolences to his family.
Any road going through a high mountain area is dangerous, no matter which part of the world you go. That’s why they put traffic signs warning for falling rocks.
A bicycle helmet is not designed to protect your head from a rock moving at that velocity. A rock the size of a tennis ball falling from a height of 500 meters is fatal. That’s the risk one takes going into the gorge. And speaking of traffic signs for falling rocks, just how is one supposed to dodge such rocks while driving?
sad 
Would it be safer to ride on the river side of the road than on mountain side?
There’s only one road going up and down the gorge. That road is next to the river…but also next to the cliff.
Yeah, I mean right side of the road instead of left (depending on which side the mountain is on).
It makes no difference which side you ride on. The gorge is like a funnel. The road is at the bottom of the funnel, and a falling rock can come down like a bouncing ball in a pinball machine. It’s all by chance what part of the road it might land on.
feelsbadman
Not! It’s a warning that you can get struck by it. It’s like playing the lotto.
Oct 20 is the international King of the Mountain bicycle race up Taroko with NT$2,000,000 in prizes.
Can’t win if you get hit by a rock and die.
I always feel happier hugging the cliff when riding Taroko. Feel it’s more likely a large rock hitting the road will have travelled out horizontally, at least a little.
RIP to the Japanese lad. I imagine he’d have seen a couple of smaller rocks hitting, before the big one came down, but who knows. He wouldn’t have had much time to react in any case.
Awful news. Condolences to the family.
Guy