The Wuling Pass is not a ordinary mountain pass—it is a legend, in Taiwan and around the world. High up, at 3,275 meters above sea level, the highest paved road in Taiwan winds through the Central Mountains. If you cycle up here, you move not only through changing climate zones but also through the country’s history.
The pass was first a path for the Atayal, a native mountain people. During the Japanese colonial time, Governor-General Sakuma Samata built it up for strategy, to move troops and material over the hard-to-reach heights, and it was called Sakuma Pass. After the Second World War, the government in Taipei kept building it and gave the route its current name “Wuling”—a symbol for crossing the mountains, for strength and lasting.
Wuling Pass – the Cyclist’s Holy Grail in Taiwan
Today, the road is part of the famous Central Cross-Island Highway—and it has become a dream place in the cycling scene. Almost no climb in Asia is harder, almost none is more famous. The pass became known worldwide because of the Taiwan KOM Challenge—the race is seen by many as the hardest bike race in Asia.
Usually, the event starts at Qixingtan Beach near Hualien and follows the eastern route for about 107 kilometers and over 3,000 meters of elevation gain to the top. Even world-class riders like Vincenzo Nibali said after finishing: “I have never ridden a climb this long and hard in my life.” This sentence finally made Wuling’s name as the holy grail of Taiwanese cycling.
For 2025, the course was changed, though. Natural events like earthquakes, landslides, and road closures along the old east route made changes needed: The 2025 edition went for about 203 kilometers along the Pacific Coast, into the mountains, and then back along the coast to Hualien. This created a new challenge for all riders in the Taiwan KOM 2025.
» Here is my report about the KOM Challenge Pacific Classic 2025
But Wuling is more than just a ordinary climb. It tells a story of the connection between people, the road, and nature. Of fog caught between bushes and rich green trees, of sun falling onto the asphalt through clouds, and of the magic that stays when the sea is far behind you and the land disappears under the clouds. If you stand up here, on Taiwan’s roof, you have more than 3,000 meters of climbing and many switchbacks in your legs—and the feeling of having finished a small expedition on your road bike.
The Classic Road Bike Routes to the Wuling Pass
Three classic road bike routes go up to the “Roof of Taiwan,” each with its own personality, weather, and rhythm:
» East Side (Taroko Gorge): 85 km, 3,200 meters of climbing. Starts on the east coast, follows Highway 8 to Dayuling, then Highway 14A to the summit. Seen as the hardest option. Not passable right now.
» West Side (Puli): 53 km, 2,800 meters of climbing. Highway 14 goes through rich green valleys and past Qingjing Farm. Shorter, but very hard.
» North Side (Wuling Farm): 62 km, 2,300 meters of climbing. Highway 7A over Lishan, then onto Highway 8 and 14A to the summit. Quieter, nice scenery, and popular with bike tourists.
Our Route to the Wuling Pass
And then there is the Northeast Route. The route I planned and chose for us—the longest continuous climb of all: Luodong – Datong – Lishan – Dayuling – Wuling Pass
Start: Luodong, sea level (~20 m)
Finish: Wuling Pass, 3,275 m above sea level
Distance: 154 km
Elevation Gain: 4.784 m of climbing
Character: Extreme—very long distance, constant climbing, short flat parts for rest.
This road bike route is not only the longest but also one of the hardest options. It brings together the best—and the most difficult—parts of all three classic Wuling climbs: the many types of scenery and isolation of the North Route, the climbing meters of the West Side, and the epic length of the East climb. What looks like a thin line on the map through the mountains is actually a marathon of climbing, weather changes, and thin air.
From the coast near Luodong up to the pass, the road climbs almost non-stop. Short, seemingly flat sections are only in the valley floor around Lishan, where fruit farms and small guesthouses sit in the sun—a fake moment of rest before the asphalt pulls mercilessly upwards again. The last part from Dayuling to the summit is famous for its steepness of up to 27 percent and really hurts.
The Northeast option is lonely, long, and tough. It needs patience and mental strength. This mix makes the Northeast Route a real test. What matters here is less pure power and more endurance, calm pedaling, and mental persistence. Every kilometer brings new scenery, new temperature zones, new thoughts. If you finish this climb, you have not only reached the highest point in Taiwan you can cycle up to—but you have ridden a route that is almost a legend even among local cyclists.
The feeling of this route is special: from bamboo to cedar trees, from fishing villages to mountain farms, from 30 degrees Celsius in the valley to single-digit temperatures high up. An epic journey that shows the Wuling Pass climb not as the fastest or steepest, but probably as the most amazing climb in Taiwan.
| Route | Distance | Elevation gain | Character & Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| North-East-Route (Luodong) | 154 km | 4.785 m of climbing | Longest, most extreme route, constant climbing, only short valley parts, many types of scenery from coast to high mountains |
| Eastside (Taroko) | 85 km | 3.200 m of climbing | KOM option, amazing gorges, usually a lot of traffic, sometimes closed. Not passable right now. |
| Westside (Puli) | 53 km | 2.800 m of climbing | Shorter but steep, goes through green valleys & Qingjing Farm |
| Northside (Wuling Farm) | 62 km | 2.300 m of climbing | Quieter, great scenery, less traffic, popular with bike tourists |
My Thoughts on the Routes
While writing this article, I already asked myself: “What routes are actually possible to climb the Wuling Pass on a road bike? ” So I looked closely at maps, compared elevation profiles, and planned all options in Strava. As I see it, there are a total of 5 real routes to reach the Roof of Taiwan—each with its own character, challenge, and appeal.
With these routes I planned myself, the view opens up again to what the Wuling Pass really is: a mountain that can be experienced in many surprising ways. Besides the classic KOM option from Hualien and our Northeast climb from Luodong, I also worked out a route from Taoyuan over the northern mountain line, and two different ways from Taichung. Five ways—and each tells its own story.
While the East Route cannot be fully ridden due to the known closures, these alternatives show how many ways there really are to get to Wuling: long high valleys, steep ramps, lonely pass roads, city starts. All routes are serious day trips that can take up to twelve hours in the saddle. Planned up to the highest point, Wuling Pass at 3,275 m above sea level.
But they all have one thing in common: They lead to the highest point in Taiwan that you can cycle up to, the wildest, and also the most impressive. Each route is a different view of the same mountain—and each shows how much Wuling can be discovered, not just conquered.
1. From Hualien, Eastside – 107 km, 5.291 m of climbing
2. From Yilan, North-East-Side, 150 km, 4.900 m of climbing
3. From Taoyouan (Northside) – 200 km, 6.135 m of climbing
4. From Taichung East – 106 km, 3.704 m of climbing
5. From Taichung North – 95 km, 3.386 m of climbing
Weather and the joy of the summit
If you plan the Wuling Pass by bike, you should see the weather as a key factor for safety and the experience. Rain can cause slippery roads and rockfalls—we saw two new rockfall sites that day. Shortly before, we had taken a photo break—who knows what would have happened without that short stop. For me, it was a quiet but strong reminder to always see the mountains carefully and with respect.
For us, though, the pass showed its best side on Saturday. From the start in Luodong, the sun was with us almost all the time; only now and then did light fog lay like a veil over the landscape. The higher we got, the clearer the sky became. Sun rays covered the mountains in warm light and made the switchbacks appear in soft contrasts. For hours, the road seemed to belong only to us, with the quiet rhythm of our pedals and the air getting steadily cooler.
When we finally reached the summit, it was already dark. Above us, the night sky opened up: a clear sea of stars, crossed by the moon’s light, with the temperature only around 6 degrees Celsius. Every breath reminded us that we had done something special—a moment that made us forget the day’s hard work right away.
The End of the Day
The only bad thing—we had hoped to find a room right at the summit to stay the night. But there is no hotel or anything like it right at Wuling Pass—or we just did not see anything. The closest place to stay, the Songsyue Lodge, is often fully booked months in advance, we were told.
Luckily, we met very friendly Taiwanese people again, who advised us to take a 20-kilometer downhill to Songgang (west side descent towards Taichung) to find a place to stay there. That’s what we did. First we bought food at the 7-Eleven in Songgang (btw, this is the highest 7-Eleven in Taiwan, located at an altitude of 2,000 meters), than warmed up and found a hotel room for the night. A little later, we were happy, freshly showered and tired under the warm blanket. A moment that you can say is well deserved after 154 kilometers and over 4,700 meters of climbing.
My recommendations:
Start early. We left around 8:00, which was actually at least 3 hours too late.
Watch the weather. If it rains, it can be dangerous because of slippery roads and rockfalls. Always stay careful. Think about where you stop, watch your surroundings. High mountains must be enjoyed with care, like everywhere else in the world.
Take a break after 60 kilometers in the town of Nanshan at 1,000 m above sea level. You can find local food there, but also a 7-Eleven and Family Mart. It is a good place to get energy for what is coming.
If you want to stay overnight at the summit, book early enough. It usually feels bad to stand at the summit in the cold and dark and have to keep riding after this hard climb. If you do ride down towards the west, in the next town Songgang, after about 21 kilometers, you will find hotels and, as is normal here, a 7-Eleven and Family Mart.
