Huoyan Shan — Local services in Yuanli

Hike was difficult for two (pretty unfit) individuals. We took about 3.5hours going up and down, with multiple rests and the blazing sun slowing us down alot. We started the hike at 12.46pm which I would not advise anyone else to do. Overall, lots of steps and view points but after awhile the scenery was just forests and iron-red cliffs - not very picturesque in my opinion. Also, we had so much trouble trying to call an Uber to take us back to town, no one responded at all and we were at our wits end trying to hitch a ride back! In the end, we decided to take a local bus from a nearby stop, spending about 1.5hour in total from the end of the hike back to Tai An station. So stressful! Please arrange some transport when deciding to...

Took a morning hike. Views from the top were not super spectacular, but worth the hike. The route along the way was really nice at the time of our visit due to the white flowers that fell along the pathway.

Free parking outside the south entrance (parked along...

火炎山上的大峽谷

小烏鴉每次開車走中山高，經中部北上過泰安休息站後，總會被右前方的火炎山，猶如被開天巨斧所劈開那一道又一道火紅色的山溝給吸引，常常會忘了要趕緊猛踩油門，準備爬上三義這個路段的大上坡，尤其是在夕陽西下落日餘暉的投射下，又紅又亮的每一道山壁上，讓人真的以為山上正在猛烈燃燒著大火，而且火光四射，讓人眼睛完全都睜不開來。 每每經過時總是告訴自己找個時間前來朝聖一番，但總是沒有機會前來，二十幾年就這麽匆匆的過了。 這次要到台中訪友便決定提前一天，來走一走這多年來心心念念的火炎山。

火炎山位於台中與苗栗交界的大安溪北岸，山頂標高602公尺不算太高，卻因擁有猶如戲劇般呈現的大峽谷而遠近馳名。登山路線規劃的十分完整，可選擇沿著大峽谷一路往上登頂並原路來回，同時也可在登頂後、往後走環線下山。有趣的是兩條路線公里數差不多，而且環線下山還反而較為輕鬆，同時環線沿途的景色也較為豐富。如過碰上五月的油桐花季，環線下山路線沿途便能欣賞到高大又濃密的雪白油桐花了！

不管選擇那種路線，山友特別要注意的是—到達三角點約3K，如果含拍照大約要費時2小時，原路下山或環線也大約要1.5小時左右，特別是石礫地形要小心路滑。

小烏鴉11：20才到達登山口。本以為只有我們倆是瘋子，透中白晝（台語）來爬山，真想不到山上登山口及山徑上竟還有那麽多人，難道是「壞年冬厚囂郎？」還是因爲疫情，大家沒地方去？

精華路段當然是從小峽谷開始一直到大峽谷，沿途所見每一道峽谷猶如開天闢地一般，在眼前呈現讓人看得不知道要如何形容，真的是太震撼了！ 於大峽谷後便在林相豐富的稜線上，左拐右繞、忽上又忽下的林間穿行，一個又一個景觀平台上又可遠眺那大安溪一路往西，直到那排滿白色風車的海岸線上。 走著走著火炎山便到了！整座山全是圓滾滾的石礫所構成，很難想像在過去這裡也曾經是河床！

最後沿著環線和緩的腰繞下山，並穿過了高大的油桐森林...