A pause at a roadside cafe for a hot cuppa tea during sub-zero temperatures as we cross the 3000m pass close to Hehuanshan (3416m) 合歡山 (Joy mountain), Taiwan. This was an 'expedition' to the farside, the east coast of Taiwan with two students. The distance from coast to coast, east-west is a mere 150km, which would normally only take a few hours to cross by car. However the high mountain range stretching the entire length of Taiwan makes this difficult and so takes much longer. Winding our way up steep forested mountainsides and down valleys took all day just to reach the top of the mountain pass, by which time the road was covered in snow and chains were required. Not being equipped with winter tyres or snow chains we abandoned our attempt to reach the east coast. We had at least achieved the highest point of Taiwan by car and visited the highest 7 Eleven in Taiwan.

Instead we visited Aowanda, one of many national parks (pic below) in central Taiwan, before returning home. It was an exciting adventure, with breathtaking scenery and a unique experience for both students and myself.