Sun Moon Lake → Alishan 日月潭 → 阿里山
over the Yushan (Tataka) Pass 玉山
Dashed lines are the options for this stage, see below.
Stage 6
Be well rested, as the day ahead poses one of the harder efforts of your journey: you're climbing the Yushan 玉山 pass, the country's second-highest peak reachable by road. Head south via a lesser-known but beautiful road climbing out of Sun Moon Lake. After this, a long false-flat road with beautiful vistas of what you will climb later today takes you to the foot of the Yushan mountain.
Stock up on food at the last 7-Eleven in Heshe 和社, as you won't find anything until far past the peak. The climb that follows is locally known as Tataka 塔塔加, and consists of a staggering 2,000 m of climbing along jaw-dropping hairpins and winding mountain roads. At the 2,600 m summit, the Tataka Visitor's Centre offers food and a well-deserved rest.
Prepare for a long, comfy descent to Shizhuo 石桌 (sometimes transliterated as Shizhao), a four-way crossing perfectly located in the middle of the Alishan 阿里山 area. Either find one of the many homestays or hotels to stay overnight here, or climb a little further to the picturesque town of Fenqihu 奮起湖.
Options for this stage
shortcutSkip the Yushan Pass112 km (−20) · 2,320 m up (−760)
Sun Moon Lake – Jiji – Zhushan – Fenqihu – Alishan
Don't fancy 3,000 m of climbing in one long go today? Skip the Yushan Pass and reach Alishan via the alternative route, which is jaw-droppingly beautiful as well. Expect the most amazing views of tea plantations against a backdrop of the Yushan peaks, while you make your way up via Jiji 集集, Zhushan 竹山 and Zhangshuhu 樟樹湖.
After passing today's summit you'll get to the cute little town of Fenqihu (where you could opt to stay overnight), or otherwise descend a little further to the crossing at Shizhuo.