Tomorrow, November 1, Japanese adventurer Yoki Tanaka begins a four-month, 2,000km trek north to south down the length of Taiwan. Along the way, he will summit all 100 of Taiwan’s celebrated Baiyue peaks.
Taiwan has about 268 peaks exceeding 3,000m, but only 100 of them made this special list, which is based not only on height but beauty, difficulty, prominence, and character. Prominent Taiwanese mountaineers compiled the list in the early 1970s, partly inspired by Japan’s own list of 100 revered mountains.
Yoki Tanaka arrives in Taiwan earlier this week. Photo: Yoki Tanaka/Instagram
The 43-year-old Tanaka has specialized in this unusual combination of long-distance trekking and mountaineering. In 2014, he summited Japan’s 100 famous mountains while walking 7,800km over 208 days. (Japan, though far bigger than Taiwan, has only 23 mountains over 3,000m.) A year later, he extended that by climbing 200 mountains and walking 8,000km in 222 days. Finally, he increased that again to 300 mountains. This time, it took him three years and about 20,000km of walking.
Tanaka’s projected route across Taiwan.
Tanaka will begin on Sunday from the northernmost tip of Taiwan, at the Cape Fugui lighthouse, and finish sometime in March at Eluanbi, the country’s southernmost point. The first 150km will be along roads before he reaches his first trailhead. He’ll spend the next week trekking. His first five peaks will be Xueshan (3,886m), Nanhudashan (3,742m), Hehuanshan (3,417m), Qilaishan (3,560m), and Nenggaoshan 3,262m).
Precise planning
Although he won’t use motorized transport for the entire journey, he will have ample opportunity to resupply along the way. His expedition plan includes a charmingly precise breakdown of how he plans to spend his evenings: town stays, 48 days; mountain huts, 38 days; tent camping, 39 days. He has also budgeted 16 rest days and 20 contingency days.
Tanaka trains in Taiwan earlier this year. Photo: Yoki Tanaka/Instagram
His most difficult section, scheduled for early January, will take him through the remote interior of the Central Mountain Range for over two weeks. During this time, he’ll have to carry his own food, search for trails that may no longer exist, and gamble that he will be able to find enough water.
During a December 2025 reconnaissance trip to Xueshan, Taiwan’s second-highest mountain, Tanaka discovered how difficult it can be to obtain water. Two water sources marked on his map were completely dry.
On a previous hike. Photo: Yoki Tanaka/Instagram
By late January, the Japanese trekker should reach the historic Batongguan Trail, eventually leading to 3,952m Yushan, Taiwan’s highest mountain. The Batongguan Trail was originally constructed in 1875 under the Qing dynasty to establish a route across the mountainous interior. Decades later, Japanese colonial authorities constructed a separate crossing through the region. Sections of the route survive as remote hiking trails and provide access to some of Taiwan’s highest mountains.
Tanaka first visited Taiwan in the spring of 2025 and has made several reconnaissance visits since, including an east-west crossing of the island earlier this year. He had intended to begin his Taiwan 100 Peaks Traverse project this past spring, but local mountaineers advised him to avoid the rainy season and typhoon risks. Their advice prompted him to shift his starting date to November.
Yoki Tanaka on a training hike in Taiwan. Photo: Yoki Tanaka/Instagram
Interestingly, of Taiwan’s 100 Baiyue peaks, only 99 are now recognized as surpassing 3,000m. The exception is Lushan at 2,981m. It was originally measured at 3,043m but subsequent measurements reduced its elevation. Nevertheless, it remains on the list.
Taiwan’s representative in Japan told Japanese media that the fastest prior completion of the Baiyue by a foreign climber took three years and eight months, spread over multiple trips.
Once Tanaka begins, his expedition website will provide live tracking of his progress across Taiwan.
