“What’s so hard about over 3,000 meters!” A group of hiking enthusiasts from Beigang decided to climb Hehuanshan, expecting an easy victory. But the team included seniors, those in their seventies, people with tendonitis, varicose veins... the old, the weak, women, and those with health issues all joined in. Fourteen of them were first-timers to Taiwan’s “hundred peaks,” with no prior physical training. Relying on mutual encouragement and support, they all successfully reached the summit, surprising many.
Retired principal Wu Changfa gathered like-minded retired and semi-retired friends to form the “Haha Smile Club,” meeting regularly to read books, tell stories, and share life’s ups and downs.
Recently, someone proposed going hiking—specifically, tackling one of Taiwan’s hundred peaks, Hehuanshan—and the idea got widespread approval. Out of the twenty members, fourteen had never climbed a major mountain before, yet none were intimidated by the 3,422-meter peak, nor did they think pre-hike physical training or full gear preparation was necessary.
The most nerve-wracking part? Among the twenty hikers, 52-year-old Hsu Li-mei was the youngest, while 72-year-old Su Chung-fen was the oldest. Hong Ching-chang, 63, had undergone heart bypass surgery, and Hsu Li-chin suffered from severe varicose veins.
Yet no one gave up, cheering each other on and supporting one another. The two-hour ascent took a total of five hours as they summited in two separate groups.
The “amateur team” returned home to accolades, stunning everyone. Hong’s wife, Cheng Pei-lan, joked that because her husband had had heart surgery, she used to forbid him from doing household chores—until now. Amazed by his courage, she immediately revoked his “chore exemption card.”