So, here’s a Hong Kong Nature 101 lesson and a Hong Kong Capitalism 101 lesson.

I’ll start of with HK Nature 101.

Saw the HKTrampers website this morning and remembered that they were going to my favorite part of Hong Kong (well, favorite after Sharp Peak and Plover Cove). So, make that 3rd favorite part of Hong Kong – Wong Lung Hang waterfalls. So, carried my camera for a change and decided to take it easy (at least for the first half).

Getting to Wong Lung Hang is easy. It’s walkable from Tung Chung station and takes about 15 minutes from there to get to the starting point (you can see the Garmin page for the map – link below). From there, there’s a lot of hopping over boulders and you eventually get to a beautiful waterfall.

Ready for action

The group

Waterfalls

There was too much demand for real estate by the main waterfalls so decided to go up a bit and found a private pool to occupy. After chilling for a while in the pools, it was time to undo all the “take it easy” stuff and so decided to go full throttle to Mui Wo. Enthusiasm was great but as usual sense of direction was not. Could not find the trail up to Lin Fa Shaan but after going in some random direction and heading back, the trail suddenly appeared in front of my eyes! Wasn’t too easy going up to 715m from 250m but wasn’t that incredibly tough either.

View from Lin Fa Shaan – Lamma, Cheung Chau and anything else you want to imagine is visible!

From there a straight run down to Mui Wo in about 30 minutes or so concluded the hike. (Dejavu from yesterday). Took a total of 1 hour 30 minutes from the waterfalls to get to Mui Wo ferry pier.

Now, for HK Capitalism 101.

ICC, The Arch, The Cullinan and co.

They say success leaves clues and the clues these beautiful buildings have left is that one owner has built all the 3 of them. Sun Hung Kai Properties. ICC is already attracted all the big financial giants (Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and co.) This area will probably become like Central in the next couple of years.

Masterpiece and First Ferry

New World Development has built the Masterpiece (nice name) and they also own the First Ferry brand. They keep advertising First Ferry services on the ferry’s TVs YET have a monopoly on that route!

And finally, here’s Ocean Terminal in TST.

Ocean Terminal

This place is special because if you bring the word’s top 100 dirtiest, fattest pigs and have them all fart in Ocean Terminal, the interior of the building WILL STILL smell nice! That’s because this place hosts all the high end perfume/make up brands that HK has to offer.

So, after a nice long hike, I don’t have to worry about how much I stink as I am walking home through Ocean Terminal…

Pictures are here.

Garmin link is here.

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Tags: Lantau, Wong Lung Hang

Awesome 46Km hike. Mui Wo to Pui O was a breeze. It rained for about a minute only (some toothless typhoon went by Hong Kong the previous day).

Spiderweb demolition started from Pui O to Shui Hao. Made a lot of enemies among spiders but it ain’t my fault. They should take into consideration the needs of hikers before building webs. How about getting a spider architect to design the web at a decent elevation?! Some webs I ran straight into, had to spit out the gooey stuff on one occasion!

The Shui Hao stop called for some Noodles and Tau Cheung. Even rat poison would have tasted nice at that point! I was starving. After Shui Hao, the next stop was Shek Pik which was a breeze again.

Shek Pik to Ngong Ping was a tough climb but it’s a beautiful trail (the spiders didn’t allow me to enjoy the view too much though). Had another pit stop in Ngong Ping and then did the mammoth Man Cheung Po and some other super tough hill (450m). From there running to Tai O was simply awesome! Loved trail running!

Garmin.

Total: 34.909 km in 5h 56m 47s at an average of 5.87 km/h

GPX.

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Tags: Lantau, Man Cheung Po, Mui Wo, Shek Pik, Tai O

Felt like a Samurai hiker during stage 7. Big stick in one hand (I mean a wooden stick, not a hiking pole) to destroy the numerous spiderwebs (intention was to inflict minimal damage). Spiders probably thought I was a mean bulldozer. Each time I tried to gain pace, my face went right through a huge spiderweb and the gooey, sticky feeling that followed took a further 2 minutes of washing, plucking, spitting and swearing.

After the bushwhack on Stage 7, we passed Fan Lau (spider land) and then we were on our way to Shek Pik (6Km long concrete path). Plan was to then head to Shui Hau but we had to abort as teammate Steven was suffering from diarrhea. Can’t imagine doing 16Km in this heat with diarrhea!

Maps below.

Garmin.

Total: 16.968 km in 2h 40m 05s at an average of 6.36 km/h

Map.

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Tags: Lantau, Lantau Stages 7-12

What a humbling experience! I have to say, this has been the toughest 30Km hike I have done so far! Imagine going up from 0m to 900m not once but TWICE!

It’s just amazing how there are so many fit people in Hong Kong. The KOTH series seem to attract the fittest of this bunch! So, it’s just a humbling experience to participate and finish!

The registration was in the 0830 HKT ferry to Mui Wo and I realized I had forgotten to take my bib from the previous race (KOTH requires that users keep one bib for all races otherwise there’s a 20 bucker fine). Well, the day regretfully started off with me paying a 20 bucker fine for a new bib! I was pissed off because I HATE paying fines regardless of the amount. The businessman inside me thought of a way to salvage this. I wanted to get another tee shirt for today and thought the value of the tee shirt would be way more than 20 bucks. But, unfortunately, my plan was foiled by a gentleman at the registration who advised that each participant would only get 1 tee shirt for the series and I had to “treasure the tee shirt” I already had! Oh well! I wrote off the 20 bucks!

Race started at 1000 HKT and all the fit guys were zooming off. My protocol required me to go slow on uphills and fast downhill but the latter was tough because 130+ people were on the trail and I wasn’t running in the beginning to be ahead of everyone else.

After Sunset Peak (0m to app 800m), there were some super climbs before returning to 0m (Tung Chung). Surprisingly, I didn’t get lost anywhere as I was always following some fit dude/dudette. The climb back up to Ngong Ping made my muscles tender (650m) and there was a steep, grueling climb to Lantau Peak (900m) after that. Boy, I had to stop for a break (I NEVER do that!!) It was tough!! I couldn’t quite run down Lantau Peak either because of some cramp (I NEVER get them but got them today!) Upon reaching the saddle, there was a further 8M run back to Nam Shan!

Well, here are the stats:

Finished in 5 hrs 30 minutes 07 seconds (app 30 Km)
Came 18 in category (not sure how many people)
Came 53 overall (well over 130+ people)

So, overall, it’s been a humbling experience and it’s amazing how I am such an amateur in front of the people who participated. Winner finished in something like 3 hrs 40!

Shoulda, Woulda, Couldas
1) Better nutrition/water management to prevent the cramps
2) Should be faster uphill
3) Should be faster on flats

since downhill strength on these races can’t be used optimally. Btw, soon after I got the bus back to Tung Chung, the body recovered! No more cramps! I think I can even do a 5Km run now!

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Tags: KOTH, Lantau

Some fab pictures are here.

During the construction of the famous Lantau cable car to Ngong Ping, mules were used to transport materials back and forth. We too this mule trail today from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping. Well, the cable car offers a fab view for HKD 70 (one way ticket) but we pretty much followed the cable car path on land for free and got an even better view. We had to stop at several points to take pictures! (something you can’t quite do when you are dangling from a cable car and moving at a constant speed!)

After reaching Ngong Ping, we were off to Tai O. Here’s a sign from the government. Yes, beware of failing.

The great Tai O pic

If you are at Tai O, I would recommend the Chinese plum drink (red color) and deep fried yams. Apparently, they have seafood, etc, etc which is supposed to be a connoisseur’s delight but I am veggie.

The mule trail is definitely a trail I would recommend to explore the Lantau scenery. Much better than either the cable car or the boring bus.

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Tags: Lantau, Mule Trail, Tai O

Pics here.

Took preparation to the max for this one. 70KM is no joke. Took Vaseline, Pokari, nuts, fruits, gels, etc, etc. Stages 1,2,3,4 were not a problem (these are the hardest stages – Sunset, Lantau, Ngong Ping, etc).

Stage 5 was Man Cheung Po. Sun was probably at 33-35 degrees. Got hammered by the sun again during stage 5. Couldn’t keep up with my teammates (who are superhuman). After some wrong turns (in spite of carrying a printout of the markers!!) I found myself walking alone on a boring concrete trail to Tai O. Waited for another teammate but he was nowhere to be seen. So, decided to dropout (yet again!) and took a bus from Tai O to Tung Chung. Slept like a dog on the bus. Didn’t even know when we reached Tung Chung! As prepared as I was, this heat is just not for me!

Probably did about 25KM. Some hardcore 25KM though. This is no joke especially in this temperature.

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Tags: Lantau, Phoenix Trail

Pics here.

What a hike!

42KM, 7 hrs 15 mins. Well, in all honesty, it was 7 hrs 17 mins including going to 7-11 for a coke.

The sun chose (yet again) to make a comeback. Decimating the cloudy weather, the rays started stinging early on. The trail is relatively flat (stages 7 to 11) and went to Shek Pik and then to Shui Hao.

Hardest part was stage 12, Pui O to Mui O and there were plenty of ups and downs in the end. Got a blister as a result of wet socks so couldn’t quite accelerate during the end. Nevertheless, a decent finish 7 hrs 15 minutes.

Btw, saw a BEAUTIFUL model on stage 12. She was running down, smiled but there wasn’t one drop of sweat on her. Looked like a mix (Chinese and European probably). We think we saw a ghost! Oh well! All in a day’s hike.

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Tags: Lantau, Lantau Stages 7 to 12, Mui Wo, Pui O

Hiking pics here.

Fantastic hike! Sometimes it is hard to believe that such beautiful places exist in Hong Kong and that they are hardly 2 hrs away from Central!

Taking a dip in crystal clear waters, naturally filtered through years of nature’s hard work is an amazing feeling. Wing Lung stream in Lantau provided just that. We then hiked up to Lin Fa Shan and then to Sunset peak/Nam Shaan/Mui Wo.

Fantastic day out.

The waterfall

Me, struggling to swim

Dancing with the rope

Greenery everywhere – Lin Fa Shann

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Tags: Lantau, Stream

Pics here.

New Year’s Walk Report – Jan 4th 2009

Who are you and where is Francis?
12 Trampers were waiting at 10.30AM just outside the Tung Chung MTR station to join legendary leader Francis on a Lantau exploration hike.

A gentleman munching on a fruit, wearing an immaculate jumper, sporting a clean haircut and carrying a map in one hand showed up a few minutes later. After staring at this gentleman for a couple of seconds in much disbelief and denial, we realized it was leader Francis!

“Give him a shirt and tie and he’ll look like an Investment Banker!!” Lutz exclaimed.

(for those of you who aren’t too familiar with Francis, us regulars liken him to Clark Kent of Superman –minus Lois Lane, of course- since he is rarely seen eating/drinking/carrying maps on a hike and yet has enormous endurance and strength)

We took the usual bus #11 to Mr. Buddha’s residence at Ngong Ping and began walking from there in the direction of Lantau Peak. We were not really looking forward to taking the series of steep steps up to Lantau Peak which is when Alex came up with a pleasant New Year surprise for all of us – a beautiful boulder trail that would elevate us right to the majestically standing 918M peak.

Mission briefing
Fortunately, the Francis we knew emerged from the back of the group for his usual mission briefing, having changed into his usual outfit – tee-shirtless and wearing his trademark Flap Cap (see previous walk report) and a Little-Red-Riding-Hood style red scarf draped around his head. He gave us a How-To-Use-Ropes 101 lesson, which I doubt anyone really paid attention to. He warned us that he was not to be charged any money or blamed, if we hurt ourselves using the ropes wrongly because of ignorance.

“We have insurance”, I said to Francis to appease him. “And I have a DISCLAIMER”, retorted Francis, quickly remembering that his walk proposal came with some generous disclaimers.

He finally issued his ‘go’ command, setting all of us climbing the 918M hill on 4 limbs along the boulder trail.

The trail was certainly among one of the most beautiful ones I have been on. We were admiring the beauty of the surroundings from time to time while focusing on climbing using all our 4 limbs slowly, but steadily. The giant Mr. Buddha appeared smaller and smaller as we were gaining elevation.

The scenery was, to say the least, spectacular. Pictures do speak a thousand words and you should check them out. The challenging and sometimes dangerous boulder climbing exercise also highlighted the way some smart people think.

For example, there is this one tremendously strong, almost Terminator like Tramper that everyone has to be wary of. I can’t name him for privacy reasons but I’ll give you a hint – his name begins with a ‘L’, ends with a ‘Z’ and there’s a ‘U’ and a ‘T’ in between). I’ll call him ‘Tramper T’ (T for Terminator) for purposes of this report. Tramper T doesn’t like to be in pictures and there was even an incident where he was once spotted carrying hardcore explosives in his back pack! Yes, there was an occasion where the contents of his backpack suddenly exploded during a hike leaving a cloud of stinky smoke behind and completely traumatizing the Tramper who was innocently walking behind him. Rumor has it that this innocent Tramper still hasn’t recovered from the shock! When confronted, Tramper T, who nobody usually dares to question, attributed the explosion to faulty Yau Ma Tei batteries. (You decide whether you are going to believe him or not!) Now, on this occasion, Tramper T wanted to climb ahead in front of everyone else because then there would be no way for a boulder that has been set rolling down accidentally to hit him. (Based on this thinking and his modus operandi, I suspect he must have received military training somewhere).

Anyway, so we continued on the boulder trail and eventually walked along another captivating path.

“I never knew there was a trail here”, I said surprised.

“Actually, I think we are making one!” said Hiroko, correcting me, as we trudged past the overgrown trees.

The trail was fantastic. We saw some beautiful rocks and there was even one with a pair of real, black hiking shoes strategically stuck in the middle of it. I really don’t know what a pair of hiking shoes was doing there. I think it was probably some “cool” act of vandalism. Alex told us that the shoes had been there for 2+ years and were brown in color the last time he saw them!

We eventually reached a steep section that was impossible to climb without the help of ropes. Francis harbored no grudge against us for booing his previous Rope 101 lesson and even offered to re-demonstrate the correct usage of ropes.

“Hold the rope like this. Put your foot over here and climb up.

When you reach the tree (the tree was on top of this steep section), hug her like your mother or throw your arms around her and kiss her like she’s your girlfriend”, he explained as he demonstrated with passion.

Lutz and Alex’s helping hands, as well as the tree’s love made the climbing matter rather easy. We left the pampered tree behind and carried on traversing along the trail to reach the Lantau Trail intersection.

The many challenges of the day left the group zapped of energy and we voted unanimously to take the proper Lantau trail back to Pak Kung Au/Tung Chung.

Nerissa correctly read my mind and announced “On your marks, get set” and I ran off back to civilization to Tung Chung. The rest of the group had plans to walk up to Tung Chung at a slower pace on the Lantau Country Trail.

Thanks to Francis and Alex for organizing this beautiful hike. My pictures are at the usual link.

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Tags: Lantau, Rain, Tung Chung

Did a super fast Mui Wo -> Nam Shaan -> Sunset -> Lantau peak -> Ngong Ping hike. Beat previous record to finish in 3 hours total today (9.30AM to 12.30PM). Ngong Ping -> the bus stop was amazing fast and did some gentle running to finish off the hike. No pictures because of speed + the visibility wasn’t that great although better than usual.

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Tags: Lantau

Pictures here.

Great hike. Picturesque and close to Lantau peak.

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Tags: Lantau

Pictures here.

Appointed by Donald Tsang himself (really!), we went to inspect the landslides in Lantau. Pretty messy! The waterfalls were stronger than ever and many trees had been uprooted by the June 7th record rainfall. Having reached Ngong Ping after a 20KM walk, we discovered that the road connection between that part of Lantau and the rest of Hong Kong had been cut because of the storm. So, we had to walk back from Ngong Ping to Tung Chung..

Landslide

Weird looking nest. Is this a honeycomb?

Taken near Lantau peak. Excellent visibility at times and looming clouds a little later

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Tags: Lantau, Rain, Tung Chung, Waterfalls