Miscalculation

The second typhoon missed the northern part of Taiwan this weekend. I was able to do some outdoor activites now that the skies were clear. Peter and I went to the coast to do some snorkeling. It was better than expected although I did have to swim through some debris. The water was not as clear as in the Caribbean, but visibility was good enough to see some fish and coral. One thing that was kind of funny was Peters swim suit which I can best describe as a red banana hammock. I have no idea why he wears a suit which weighs about 1 gram. It was not pretty.

Sunday morning was sunny and hot. Peter went snorkeling again, but I decided to head to Yangmingshan mountain. It is a relatively small peak with abut a 650 meter climb. The trail is basically a bunch of stone stair steps similar to those found on the Inca trail. Some sections of the trail are steep to the point where you can crawl on all fours. Maybe it was the heat or my lack of fitness, but I found the hike difficult. Although I reached the top in half of the normal time, I thought it would be much easier. This has worried me a bit since I'm scheduled to climb Yushan (Jade Mountain) in three weeks which is about 2800 meter higher than Yangmingshan. Jane once said "Don't even talk to me if it isn't over 4000 meters." I can't help but think not only have I miscalculated my fitness level, but I may not have enough cold weather gear for this climb. This is one peak that I don't think I can do "off the couch."