AmCham arrow Publications arrow Topics Archive arrow Topics Archive 2005 arrow Vol.35- No.10 arrow Down Island: Whitewater Fun on Taiwan's Rivers
Down Island: Whitewater Fun on Taiwan's Rivers PDF Print E-mail

After the rainy season, there are exciting opportunities for rafting and kayaking on some of the island's waterways. Several companies organize regular trips.

BY STEVEN CROOK

 

Taiwan's geography and extreme weather patterns are to blame for the frequent flooding and occasional water shortages that bedevil the island. But the very same conditions create tantalizing opportunities for whitewater rafters and kayakers, for whom the onset of the rainy season means high, fast rivers and thrilling rapids.

The sport of whitewater rafting is well established in Taiwan. Groups of tourists have been floating down the Siuguluan River in eastern Taiwan for a quarter of a century. The Laonong River in southern Taiwan has been a venue for similar activities for well over a decade.

On both rivers, stretches where rafters can relax and enjoy the scenery while drifting gently are punctuated by short, exciting episodes when the boat tumbles and spins through rapids. Tipping over is a very real possibility, and slamming hard into rocks a near certainty. But the sport is safe - the organizers provide lifejackets, helmets, and sound advice. Should any serious accidents occur, it's usually because the victim has failed to heed instructions.

Rivers around the world are given ratings between one and six depending on how violent they can be - class one rivers are peaceful, while class six rivers are extremely dangerous. The Laonong is class four, while the Siuguluan is a calmer class two. That said, in the opinion of some people who've rafted on both, the former is not quite as scenic as the latter. What is visible to those floating down the Laonong is mostly bamboo and mixed forest, along with a few roads and buildings. There are no ravines as such, and for the most part the torrent flows between gravel banks. Egrets and other fish-eating birds flit across the water, but there's little time for nature appreciation - the river demands total attention.

The standard Laonong course is from the hot springs resort of Baolai to Sinfa Bridge. It usually takes about two hours to cover the 20 kilometers (some sources put the course length at nearer 18 kilometers), during which the river drops in altitude by 230 meters. Extra rainfall greatly increases the speed and danger of the river, so consider the previous few days' weather before committing yourself to the trip.

The Siuguluan River, East Taiwan's most important drainage, is 90 kilometers long. Organized rafting is done on the lower 22 kilometers, from Ruisui almost to the point where the river meets the sea at Dagangkou. The course starts in the East Rift Valley and follows a gorge through the Coastal Mountain Range to the Pacific Ocean.

Passengers can see forest-covered peaks and steep gray cliffs. A total of 23 sets of rapids have to be negotiated as the river drops in altitude by 65 meters. Some say that rocks have been dynamited away to smooth the journey downriver, but it is still not uncommon for rafts to turn over. Most groups stop for lunch at the aboriginal village of Cimei - a brief cultural interlude between sessions of intense excitement and physical effort.

The busiest rafting months on the Siuguluan are May to October, when up to 5,000 holidaymakers per weekend crowd the river. It's possible to join a float at other times of the year - providing there hasn't been a drought.

On the Siuguluan, passengers are usually given paddles, though the rafts seldom need extra propulsion. Not so on the Laonong - paying guests are required to do little more than hold on, which isn't as easy as it sounds. Even without having to paddle, you'll have aching muscles the following day.

On both rivers, speedboats nudge the rafts away from the most dangerous vortices. The guides in each boat steer with a paddle, shout out warnings such as "Lift your legs!" and mobilize the occupants if the boat gets stuck on a rock or in an eddy.

Organizers suggest wearing sports shoes to protect feet from the rocks. Sandals not only leave toes exposed, they are likely to come off, especially if you need to stand in silt when freeing the raft from an obstacle. If you don't have any suitable footwear, it's sometimes possible to buy cheap sneakers from the organizers.

During this writer's most recent whitewater rafting experience, passengers' attire varied from one-piece swimsuits to full-length shirts and jeans. If you do prefer to cover up against the sun, it makes sense to wear light clothing that won't weigh you down when waterlogged, as getting soaked is unavoidable.



Dispense with valuables

Wallets, electronic items, and other valuables should be left behind. Bring a bag for your car keys and a change of clothes; give it to the organizers at the start, and they'll make sure it's waiting for you when you disembark at the end of your float. If you can't do without your eyeglasses, tie them around your neck or to a shirt buttonhole with a piece of string. And if getting photos is important, take a disposable camera - and don't be surprised if you lose it before reaching the end of the course.

Before launching off into the river, everyone gets kitted out and receives a comprehensive safety lecture (if you don't speak Chinese or Taiwanese - the lecture may be in either language - don't worry; the guides will check you've got your lifejacket on properly, and will ask your companions to translate key points). Then it's into the boats, eight to ten people per vessel, sitting with one leg in and one leg out.

Several rafting companies organize floats down the Siuguluan River, including Donghai (tel: 03- 887-6338), Taipingyang (03- 887-2822), and the Nanshan Tourism Recreation Co. (03-833-9275). Travel agents in Taipei and Hualien can also book rafting trips and arrange transportation to and from the river.

Baolai's Laonong Whitewater Rafting Co. arranges Laonong River floats at least twice a day between April and November. They can be contacted at (07) 688-2996; their company web address is www.laonong.com.tw.

Other Baolai-based rafting outfits are listed on www.rafting.com.tw, a bilingual site that raves: "For a truly breathtaking experience, take a trip down the Laonong River... [which] arises on the slopes of Mount Jade, and has abundant water all year round. It is the best place for rafting in Taiwan."

On both the Laonong and Siuguluan rivers, rafting outfits charge about NT$700 per person. The exact price varies a little from company to company, with weekdays being slightly cheaper than weekends and national holidays. If you have several people in your group, it may be possible to get a discount. Calling ahead to ascertain float times and make reservations is advisable; arrive at the company's office at least half an hour before your float begins.

The Siuguluan River rafting course is better known, perhaps more scenic, and tends to get more crowded. But for anyone living south of Taichung, the Laonong River is a much more convenient venue. Baolai, the starting point, is on Taiwan Highway 20 (the Southern Cross-Island Highway), about 80 kilometers inland of Tainan City.

Different rafting companies have slightly different rules, but generally rafters must be between 12 and 65 years old (this rule is enforced; birth dates and ID details have to be provided for insurance reasons). Those with heart problems, high blood pressure, hemophilia, or epilepsy are barred. Also, anyone who appears to be intoxicated will not be allowed to get on a boat.

Environmentally conscious tourists should note that whitewater rafting has little adverse impact on the landscape - less even than hiking or mountain biking. As Paul Riley, one of the leaders of BlueSkies, a Kaohsiung-based not-for-profit travel group that organizes mountain hikes and other outdoors activities, points out: "It doesn't affect the environment at all. You only touch water."

If you'd like to race down either of these rivers, rather than be escorted - some paying guests complain that the guides steer them away from the most exciting rapids - keep your ears open for news about the big annual races. These are held in June or July each year, and typically feature 200-plus boats.

These events get oversubscribed very quickly, but even with so many boats taking part - they launch off in groups of up to 40 - there's plenty of space on the river. Unfortunately, races are liable to be cancelled if a typhoon is approaching. But if the Siuguluan contest is held just after a typhoon, and the river is exceptionally high, the course can be completed in less than an hour.

BlueSkies' Riley has taken part in races on both rivers. He describes safety arrangements as "pretty good," but expresses concern at the way the speedboats, when redirecting rafts, often partly ride up on top of the vessels they're trying to help.



Following the rules

Just as some hikers eschew large groups and strike out into the wilderness in twos or threes, so some rafting enthusiasts prefer to do things their own way. The legality of this is doubtful. Along the Laonong, for instance, notices posted in both English and Chinese state that the Maulin National Scenic Area Administration has decreed that canoeing and similar activities are permitted only between May 1 and November 30 each year, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and only if the activity organizers are licensed, are using boats certified by the relevant inspection authorities, and have given tourists safety instructions. But enforcement appears to be sporadic or non-existent.

Eric Ruotolo, an American who has been living in Tainan City for more than a decade - and who has explored much of Taiwan by motorcycle, bicycle, and on foot - has in the past two years discovered the delights of boating on the island's creeks. He has floated down sections of the Zengwun River - Tainan County's major drainage - but prefers smaller waterways, such those in "Moonworld." So named for its lunar landscape of small, sharp-ridged clay hills and bald, eroded slopes, "Moonworld" - which sprawls across Kaohsiung County's Tianliau and Tainan County's Longci and Zuojhen Townships - is crisscrossed by small streams. Many of them are highly seasonal, navigable only during the wet summer months. But by the standards of lowland Taiwan they are relatively unpolluted, because the area has few farms and no industry. Roads hereabouts tend not to follow drainage systems, but to go across them. This means that it's often possible to park at one bridge and float down to the next - and on the way glimpse scenery that no motorist ever sees. "To me, that's the main attraction," says Ruotolo of the fisheye view of these unique badlands.

Freelance rafting can be an inexpensive hobby. Inflatables can be had from hypermarkets like Costco for as little as NT$500 - but, Ruotolo points out, "something stronger, more substantial, and less likely to puncture" costs around NT$3,000. All the necessary gear - boat, paddle, a change of clothes - can be carried on a scooter. "Most of the rivers we're in are too slow and too shallow for lifejackets to be needed," he says. But there are some dangers. Odd pieces of rebar and sharp chunks of concrete (either purposely dumped in rivers, or the result of landslides that wiped out stretches of road) can rip open the side of a boat; bamboo shards can also cause punctures; and thorny plants sometimes pose problems when dragging boats to and from waterways.

"Shoes pop off in the mud, and sandals break. Divers' boots [made of neoprene] or going barefoot are the only options," says Ruotolo. And going barefoot is not an attractive option - recently one of Ruotolo's boating companions needed stitches to the sole of one of his feet after treading on a sharp piece of broken bamboo hidden in mud.

Of course, inflatable rafts are not the only craft that can go down a river. On some waterways, kayaks are more practical. Organized kayaking is possible on Shihmen Reservoir and in a few other places. And if it's whitewater kayaking you want, several of Taiwan's rivers look appealing. In Taipei County, some kayakers put in to the headwaters of the Nanshih River at Fushan, and go all the way down to Wulai; the drop in altitude is approximately 200 meters. The Beigang River in Nantou County's Huisun Forest is about 700 meters above sea level, and has a good, albeit short, stretch of whitewater. The pristine, marble-sided streams of Taroko Gorge might look ideal, but they're considered dangerous because there are so few spots where a kayaker can get out of the water or out of the ravine. Anyone considering DIY kayaking or rafting should follow a basic rule - scout a river before getting into it.
 
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