Distance: 3.6km

Time: 2 and a half hours but you really don’t need that long.

Difficulty: 3/10 – the steps are pretty tough but it’s all paved, the sign posts are well-maintained and easy to read. Right at the top you can do a bit of a scramble with would increase the difficulty but that’s not essential. We passed a woman in her 70’s on the way up so it can’t be too bad.

Water: 0.8L

Shade: none, if you go in the summer you’ll need sun protection.

Mobile network: good all the way

Enjoyment: The scenery here is really beautiful, mountains all folded in on themselves and a disturbance in the ocean where the river meets the salt water. However the hike itself is very short and a there-and-back type rather than a loop.

Seasonal: Between November and January the hills here are covered in elegant silvergrass.

The map was a little way up, close to the last bit of road before the path makes the final climb to the top. It isn’t really a useful guide to the walk but it does explain some of the other highlights of the area.

We parked in the car park and walked a little way up the road to the start of the trail.

In December the grasses are in full bloom, they give a lovely layer of highlights to the contours of the hills.

At the first junction turn up and left.

It’s pretty easy to see where you’re headed so it doesn’t matter that not every turn is signposted.

The path intersects with the road at a couple of places, (actually you can park a lot closer to the top but we wanted to walk), just keep heading up.

At the shelter turn up and left again.

At this point the path goes off on the right, (next to the signpost and the map). This is the final climb to the ‘teapot’.

I couldn’t really see the resemblance to a teapot until I got to about here where the bit facing forward looks a bit like a spout.

The last part is a bit of a scramble up to the teapot.

In fact up to and then under the teapot.

I didn’t really like being under those huge, heavy rocks but emerging on the other side was pretty rewarding. The path continues on from here but it’s a long day hike so I’ll have to come back and do it again at a later date. After enjoying the view for a bit we retraced our steps.

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How to get to Teapot Mountain:

By car or scooter: 無極索道 – this is the address of a fallen-down building next to the car park, the trail starts a little way up the road.

GPS location: N25 06.695 E121 51.701

Public transport: take bus 1062 from Songshan MRT station going towards Quan Ji Tang, (about 90 minutes), the path starts just up the hill from here.

Nearby trails:

• Mount Keelung Trail
• Jinguashi Aqueduct Trail
• Mount Banping
• Stegosaurus Ridge
• Dacukeng Historical Trail
• Tamsui Kavalan Trails – Ruifang to Fulong
• Tamsui Kavalan Trails – Mudan Loop

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My new words learnt on this hike were:

1. 茶壺 / chá hú / teapot
2. 煤礦 / méi kuàng / coal mine