Seven Routes, One Climb Together – HowToTrip’s Leave No Trace Mountain Day

This year marks the 12th anniversary of HowToTrip’s Leave No Trace Mountain Day for All and the 10th anniversary of the completion of climbing the Seven Summits. These two major milestones are celebrated together in a grand double event this year. To commemorate HowToTrip’s achievement of climbing the world’s Seven Summits, the event has expanded from three main venues to seven simultaneous routes this year, creating the largest hiking event in Taiwan. On the 17th, under the theme “Climb Together – Seven Routes, One Day,” HowToTrip’s Leave No Trace Mountain Day was held simultaneously at seven locations across Taiwan: Nangang Mountain in Taipei, Santing Mountain in Taichung, Hengshan in Changhua, Shoushan in Kaohsiung, Hemay Mountain in New Taipei, Shimen Mountain in Taoyuan, and Dadong in Tainan. Nearly 20,000 participants joined the Leave No Trace mountain activities.

HowToTrip has been tirelessly promoting the Leave No Trace in the Mountains philosophy and leading hikers to experience the joy of hiking in the mountains. This year marks the 12th anniversary of the event, which has accumulated over 200,000 participants. The total altitude hiked by all participants over the years reaches 97 million meters — equivalent to over 11,000 Mount Everests or 192,000 Taipei 101 towers. This year, under the theme “Climb Together – Seven Routes, One Day,” HowToTrip has specially planned seven routes across Taiwan, with four main venues in Taipei Nangang Mountain, Taichung Santing Mountain, Changhua Hengshan, Kaohsiung Shoushan, as well as Hemay Mountain in New Taipei, Shimen Mountain in Taoyuan, and Dadong in Tainan as hiking destinations. To mark the 12th anniversary of the event, twelve-year-old students were invited to serve as Mountain Ambassadors. It is hoped that through the promotion of Leave No Trace principles, environmental conservation awareness and Leave No Trace concepts can be instilled in children from a young age, thereby protecting and preserving the beauty of the mountains through action.

In addition to organizing Leave No Trace events, HowToTrip has also launched the “Climb the Hundred Peaks” program since 2011 to inspire the public to enjoy hiking. As of December 31, 2018, 740 people had certified 50 Hundred Peaks, 422 had completed all 100, and the program has now certified over 83,000 participants, making it the most popular mountain certification activity in Taiwan. From “Leave No Trace Hiking” to “Climb the Hundred Peaks,” what HowToTrip is doing is cultivating a form of mountain education close to daily life for the people of Taiwan, planting the seeds of mountain love and protection, and encouraging families to pursue healthy and enjoyable outdoor activities together.

From October to March each year, Taiwan experiences its worst air pollution season, but the weather is actually ideal for outdoor activities. Air pollution and PM2.5 put outdoor enthusiasts in a difficult position. In fact, hiking and mountain trekking are the best choices during this period. On the day of the event, air quality at Yongchun High School in Taipei was measured at 20 to 30, classified as “fair,” but upon reaching an altitude of just over 200 meters on Nangang Mountain, it improved to “good” with levels between 2 and 3 – the difference was immediately obvious. Cheng Kun, Chairman of HowToTrip, said: “To celebrate the 12th anniversary of Leave No Trace, besides preparing a grand prize of NT$120,000, nothing beats the value of coming into the mountains to breathe fresh air and improve your health. Let’s climb more mountains and be healthier together.”