“Walking along the undulating trail of Hehuanshan’s Northwest Peak, facing one steep uphill and downhill after another, even the teachers found it tough, yet the students didn’t complain much. At the steeper sections, they reminded each other to watch their steps; when tired, they encouraged one another. Some students even secretly brought back highland milk tea, brewed by the guide, for a teacher who couldn’t make it to the summit. From before dawn till after dark, this mountain trek offered not just the beauty of nature but also a glimpse of the students’ sincerity and kindness!”
This is the reflection written by a teacher who last week hiked the Hehuanshan range with a group of eighth-grade students. These children, having gone through eight mountaineering training sessions and under the school’s comprehensive administrative and medical arrangements, spent three days climbing five of Hehuanshan’s famous peaks, including the 14-hour round trip to the Northwest Peak. Many parents expressed their heartfelt emotions on social media, as this was an activity they wouldn’t have been able to organize on their own. Thanks to the school’s arrangement, they were able to witness their children’s potential.
We often say that one can walk fast alone, but a group can walk far together. Some kids initially didn’t believe they could reach the West Peak—even the medical team assumed they’d only get as far as the North Peak. But in the end, with the support of the team, they completed the entire journey, which was truly moving. This is also one of the goals of the school in organizing such challenging mountain activities: to teach children to believe in themselves and in the strength of teamwork, and not to give up on their goals so easily.
Of course, mountain climbing doesn’t always go as planned. Over the four trips of this program, there were days of brilliant sunshine and also days of freezing, wet weather. The students not only learned the courage to keep going but also the wisdom to retreat safely. Perhaps these kids may not necessarily climb high mountains again in the future, but this experience has taught them how to approach nature safely and with humility.
Taiwan’s mountains are incredibly beautiful, and many international hikers specifically come here to climb, yet Taiwanese children rarely get the chance to try it—which is quite a pity. Over the past ten years, we have led more than 4,700 sixth graders and second-year junior high students to climb famous peaks such as Yushan, Snow Mountain, Jiayi Lake, and the Hehuanshan range. We plan to keep doing this in the future so that more children can learn to climb mountains and learn from the mountains. (Author: Chairman of Kang Hsuan Cultural and Educational Group)