The reason it's so challenging is that the ridge is exposed in various places, with drops on either side that, if you fell down them, you would die. But the likelihood of this happening is lower these days after the county government installed safety barriers.
Huangdidian means "The Emperor's Hall".
It was just me and Robert today.
Here's the trailhead, just outside of Shiding:
This trail starts out with a "Stairway to Heaven" which goes almost all the way up to the start of the ridge trail. On the way up we saw a female golden orb-weaver (Nephila pilipes):
These spiders are quite common on the trails, and including their legs the females can reach the size of a human hand. The males are tiny, and can sometimes be seen on the webs. They are not poisonous, but they can give you a painful bite if you let them.
Soon we came across this Taiwan Common Toad (Bufo bankorensis):
Along the way, there are several spots where ropes or ladders are needed for climbing. Here are some hikers we encountered:
Some more wildlife we encountered: Neolucanus swinhoei, a kind of stag beetle that's native to Taiwan.
We were on one peak looking at what lay in store in the next:
Robert taking a quick break on his way up!
Part of the exposed ridge:
Robert on the ridge.
Finally we come to the section with no safety barriers. Yes, you can fall to your death here if you're not careful!
As we were hiking down a trail leading through the jungle, we came across a cave:
Then, before long, we saw signs of civilization, like this temple built into the cliff face:
Then a shrine to the God of Wealth:
And finally we get to the road. There we saw another temple. (Temples and shrines dot the landscape here in Taiwan - mostly Taoist or Buddhist, or a mix of the two.) The roof was impressively colorful:
And then a walk of about 40 minutes back to Shiding, where we had an excellent dinner of Hongshao Tofu, half a chicken, and stir-fried beet leaves, washed down with Taiwan Beer. It really hit the spot!
