Rehai Rock Climbing

Taipei area's best crag... if you have your own transportation!

If you live north or west of Taipei Main Station, it's super-close. From city center, it's a third as far as Long Dong by scooter. If you have a car (thus can take the highway), it's half as far from city center. If you take public transportation, and thus have to walk to the trail entrance, it depends on where you're coming from.

A small cliff of coarse sandstone set above the Xinbeitou area of Taipei City. In contrast to Big Cannon Cliff, it does have bolts for leading, and is outside the national park. It has a more strenuous approach (5 minutes from trailhead), but for those who wish to lead climb outdoors in the Taipei area, this is the only option. It is primarily a sport climbing area, with one section that can be setup for top-roping.

In spite of its convenient location in the heart of a major metropolitan city, the cliff does not see many climbers. Even the most popular walls can become overgrown quickly, thus regular gardening is required. Though short and sometimes scruffy, there are quite a few gems amongst the rough. The rock is typically slabby with horizontals and crimpy features. There are even a few short crack systems. Top anchors all have descent hardware, but bolts may be far apart which can cause rope twist when lowering.

The First Wall is densely packed with slab climbs broken up by ledges. The Overhang Wall can be setup for top-rope via obvious trail on the left side, and is mostly easy, with a single challenging sequence of moves. The Gully Route is a gem of a boulder problem. Skinny and Fat Walls have a few flurries of moves, but are mostly walk-ups. The White-streak Wall is tiny but quality. Finally, the Last Wall has a concentration of "tough start to cruising" climbs with some variation, the last one being the "king line" of the crag.

If you continue past the cliffs to another rocky outcropping, you can climb to the top of the ridge. This is a great vantage point. From here, you can join the hiking trails that go through the hills to Yangmingshan University and the Shipai area.