HowToTrip’s Senior Vice President of Fubon Securities, Kuo Yong-yi, has extensive experience in the financial markets and frequently travels across Taiwan to meet clients, keeping his schedule packed. Yet he always wears a smile and has “maintained the same physique for decades,” staying in top shape. The secret to his enduring vitality is the sport of “mountain climbing,” and he has set himself the goal of summiting all of Taiwan’s 100 Peaks.
Beneath his gentle demeanor, Kuo Yong-yi has a passionate heart for sports. Reflecting on how he developed a love for mountain climbing, he said that actually, over a decade ago, the Fubon Group once organized an event to climb Yushan, but he wasn’t interested in hiking at the time. It wasn’t until 2008, when he was invited by friends to join a climb, that he gradually developed an interest. He also began collecting information on hiking routes and started by challenging less difficult peaks. Kuo Yong-yi explained that mountain climbing can generally be planned as a one-day round trip, a two-day one-night trip, or even longer hikes, depending on available time. For example, Yangtou Mountain and the northern peak of Hehuanshan take about four to five hours for a round trip. He has also successfully summited the Wuling Four Beauties and Nanhu Mountain, but his favorite is Snow Mountain.
Moreover, not every climb can be successfully completed with reaching the summit. Even with the best preparation, external factors may interfere, and there’s about a one-third chance of having to turn back. However, Kuo Yong-yi believes this is part of the mountain climbing experience, and “being able to enjoy the process” is a very important aspect.
When talking about the joy of mountain climbing, apart from being a personal challenge, the spirit of enthusiastic mutual assistance among Taiwan’s hikers is also a deeply moving part.
On a previous climb of North Dajia Mountain, Kuo Yong-yi underestimated the mountain conditions and hadn’t done enough preparation beforehand, thinking that just carrying light gear would be enough to reach the summit. During the climb, although other hikers warned him that there was a risk of not being able to finish the route and advised turning back to camp, Kuo Yong-yi decided at the time that he couldn’t retreat on the last leg. Unexpectedly, this section turned out to be a tough and rugged mountain path, causing his legs to cramp and slowing down his descent.
As it got darker, the two hikers who had kindly warned him earlier, worried about his safety, chose to camp early on the descent route and provided timely help to Kuo Yong-yi. Later, he found out that those two hikers were actually colleagues from the Search and Rescue Corps. After getting to know each other, they became good hiking friends.
In addition, Kuo Yong-yi said that walking step by step on Taiwan’s land allows one to personally experience the local culture and history, leading to a deeper understanding of Taiwan. Crossing the “Nenggao Alpine Ancient Trail” from Nantou to Hualien, being in the place where the Wushe Incident occurred, offers a completely different feeling compared to reading about it in books. Reaching the mountaintop makes one feel even smaller in the grand scheme of things.
Each hiking trip is usually made up of a team of around 10 people, and Kuo Yong-yi often takes on the role of team leader. He admitted that when hiking, you have to think not only about yourself but also consider the physical conditions of your teammates and environmental changes. “Whether to push forward or decide to give up, the team must come first.” It’s a test and a learning experience for both physical strength and mental resilience.
Kuo Yong-yi recalled that during his first climb of Qilai Mountain, he got lost. The trail markers he had made along the way on the ascent were blocked by bushes, causing him to take a wrong turn on the descent and momentarily lose his way back. But he told himself to stay calm and gradually found his way back to the planned route with his friend. Since then, when encountering more complex sections, he makes sure to stop and mark the trail more carefully.
To date, Kuo Yong-yi has successfully challenged 50 of Taiwan’s 100 Peaks. His future goal is to gradually conquer the remaining 50. However, because these peaks are relatively more difficult to climb and require longer durations, and he has limited time outside of work, he plans to do his homework first and complete the 100 Peaks challenge step by step.
In addition, during the spare time while preparing for hiking plans, Kuo Yong-yi also developed a habit of running. Together with friends, he hired a coach for lessons. He laughed and said that after receiving professional guidance, he realized he had been running incorrectly for over 50 years. So he started learning from scratch with the coach, focusing on correct running posture. “Leaning the body naturally forward by 10–15 degrees, swinging the arms naturally, and using a running style similar to animals—pushing off with the heels”—has become his go-to “running mantra.”
To make the most of running opportunities, Kuo Yong-yi keeps a set of workout clothes in his office and uses his after-work time to jog 8 kilometers at the riverside park to maintain his stamina. He has also participated in the “Rights Run” event organized by the Securities Dealers Association. He said that after running, sweating profusely not only feels refreshing all over but also helps release the day’s work stress, gradually becoming the motivation that drives him to keep running and moving forward.