Another case of hikers disappearing in the snow mountains emerges. Three hikers planned to climb Snow Mountain’s main peak on New Year’s Eve. On the evening of December 31, a 31-year-old man surnamed Chen and a 41-year-old woman surnamed Zhang set out lightly equipped to scale the main peak of Snow Mountain. A 26-year-old man surnamed Liu, feeling unwell, stayed behind at the 369 Mountain Hut. By the early hours of New Year’s Day, neither of the two had returned, prompting Liu to urgently report the situation to the fire department. Around 8 a.m. yesterday, the Taichung City Fire Department deployed seven mountain rescue personnel aboard a Black Hawk helicopter to conduct an ascent search, though no findings have been reported yet.

The three hikers, all from New Taipei City, applied for entry into the mountain area on December 30 and were due to descend yesterday, planning to climb the 3,886-meter main peak of Snow Mountain. At around 8 a.m. on December 31, Mr. Chen and Ms. Zhang were getting ready to head to the main peak. They set off from the 369 Mountain Hut lightly equipped, planning to pass through Black Forest and Snow Mountain First Cirque before ascending directly to the peak. Mr. Liu, who suddenly felt unwell, did not join them and remained alone at the 369 Mountain Hut. When the two failed to return even as night deepened, Liu quickly called for help.

The Taichung City Fire Department received a report from the Yilan County Fire Department around 12:20 a.m. yesterday, informing them that Mr. Chen and Ms. Zhang had gone missing during their ascent to the Snow Mountain peak. At 1:30 a.m., two members of the Lishan Mountain Rescue Squad were dispatched on foot to begin rescue efforts. Then, at around 8 a.m., seven mountain rescue personnel were sent up via a Black Hawk helicopter to assist in the search. Search operations are still ongoing. With the help of fire department personnel, Mr. Liu descended the mountain earlier.

Part of the Snow Mountain Range, Snow Mountain stands at 3,886 meters and is the second highest peak in Taiwan. Together with Yushan, Xueshan (also known as Mt. Sylvia), Nanhu Dashan, and Beidawushan, it forms the “Five Great Mountains,” making it one of the most popular mountaineering destinations for hikers.