So, the idea was to give KOTH Lantau a go.

Timing:
Lap 1: Mui Wo to Sunset Peak (the right to Lin Fa Shan): 53 minutes 48 seconds
Lap 2: Sunset Peak to start of the trail to Ngong Ping: 1 hour 38 minutes

[solo run from here onwards]

- was unable to find the trail to Ngong Ping. Ended up at a Stream Trek and tried going upwards but of no avail. Returned, tried something else but still couldn’t find the trail

- so, traced the trail back and ended up doing Donkey Trail under the HOT sun

- saw passengers in the overhead cable car and made funny faces at the passengers (I can be childish)

- got hit by the sun big time. This called for heat management which kept me going

Timing:
Lap 3: Start of the trail to Ngong Ping to some stream teak and eventually back to Donkey Trail: 48 minutes 16 seconds
Lap 4: Donkey Trail to Ngong Ping: 1 hour 11 minutes
Lap 5: Ngong Ping to Lantau Peak: 36 minutes 31 seconds
Lap 6: Lantau Peak to Pak Kung Au: 22 minutes 34 seconds

[Ngong Ping to Pak Kung Au: 58 minutes]

Lap 7: Pak Kung Au to Nam Shan (around Sunset): 56 minutes 21 seconds

Total distance: 35.33Km
Total time: 6 hours 26 mins
Elevation gain: 2210M

Garmin Link.

Total: 36.423 km in 8h 36m 06s at an average of 4.23 km/h

GPX.

• Mui Wo to Sunset to Lantau to Ngong Ping AND BACK! (0)
• Hiking, 2009-08-08, Mui Wo to Ngong Ping AND BACK (0)
• The Calling from the Big Buddha (Lantau, Sunset, Tung Chung) (9)
• Back to Lantau! Mui Wo -> Sunset -> Lantau -> Tung Chung (0)
• Sunset Peak to somehow-get-to-the-airport hike (0)

Tags: KOTH, Lantau Peak, Mui Wo, Nam Shan, Ngong Ping, Pak Kung Au, Sunset Peak, Tung Chung

Idea was to start in Mui Wo, do Sunset Peak, Lantau Peak and reach Ngong Ping (after a slight detour across Stage 4). And after a brief snack at Ngong Ping, we had to go back to Mui Wo the same way!

Status: Mission Accomplished.

Details:
(1) Start time at Mui Wo: 0752 HKT
(2) Reached Pak Kung Au after going over Sunset Peak in 1 hour 24 minutes
(3) Reached Ngong Ping [Wisdom Sticks] after going over Lantau Peak in 56 minutes 22 seconds
(4) Reached “Disney Buddha” (as Dominic calls it) in 17 minutes 15 seconds [basically from Wisdom Sticks and some Stage 4]

On the way back!
(a) Start time in Ngong Ping (Wisdom sticks) at 1202 HKT
(b) Reached the summit of Lantau Peak in 30 minutes 46 seconds
(c) Reached Pak Kung Au in 21 minutes 31 seconds
(d) Reached Nam Shan after going over Sunset Peak from Pak Kung Au in 1 hour 3 minutes
(e) Reached Mui Wo in 11 minutes 18 seconds

Comparison to and fro:
(a) To hike: Mui Wo to Pak Kung Au: 1 hour 24 minutes
fro hike: Pak Kung Au to Mui Wo: 1 hour 14 minutes
[quicker on the fro hike]

(b) To hike: Pak Kung Au to Ngong Ping [Wisdom Sticks]: 56 minutes 22 seconds
fro hike: Wisdom Sticks to Pak Kung Au: ~= 52 minutes
[quicker on the fro hike]

Total excluding breaks in Ngong Ping + wait time for teammates = 4 hours 45 minutes

Notes:
(a) Big Buddha has to be renamed to Buddha Theme Park or “Disney Buddha” as teammate Dom puts it. The place is more touristy each day. 7-11 sales girls are extra courteous and helpful [money and Buddha make the world go around]

(b) Steve finished despite problems on the return leg [Pak Kung Au to Mui Wo]

(c) Dom took a 7Km shortcut as he also had some problems on the same return leg

Problems during the hike:
(a) All cool on this one. Could have used some grub on the way back but that didn’t kill speed

Fantastic workout.

Garmin:

Total: 28.871 km in 6h 51m 06s at an average of 4.21 km/h

Map:

• King of the Hills – Lantau recci (0)
• Hiking, 2009-08-08, Mui Wo to Ngong Ping AND BACK (0)
• Back to Lantau! Mui Wo -> Sunset -> Lantau -> Tung Chung (0)
• The Calling from the Big Buddha (Lantau, Sunset, Tung Chung) (9)
• Sunset Peak to somehow-get-to-the-airport hike (0)

Tags: Lantau Peak, Mui Wo, Ngong Ping, Sunset Peak

Pictures here.

So, I thought Mui Wo to Sunset to Lantau to Ngong Ping was tough. But, what we did today was a slight extension of that – Mui Wo to Sunset to Lantau to Ngong Ping + Stage 4,5 Lantau Trail AND BACK!! (35 KM).

The sun decided to make a dramatic return today after days of cloudy weather! The hike up to Sunset and Lantau were done at a slow pace but we were quick on the downhills.

Started at 8.30AM from the ferry pier and we were in Ngong Ping (after stage 4) at about 12.30PM. Had a nice long lunch and finished stage 4 and 5 by 3PM. The old stage 5 was a pleasure to cross. Several landslides and enormous spiders loomed threateningly. The hike back up Lantau Peak and Sunset peak wasn’t enjoyable to say the least but I had a lot of fun downhill.

Made 1 wrong turn and lost about 15 mins. Eventually, reached Mui Wo at 7.15PM.

Great hike.

• Mui Wo to Sunset to Lantau to Ngong Ping AND BACK! (0)
• King of the Hills – Lantau recci (0)
• Back to Lantau! Mui Wo -> Sunset -> Lantau -> Tung Chung (0)
• The Calling from the Big Buddha (Lantau, Sunset, Tung Chung) (9)
• Sunset Peak to somehow-get-to-the-airport hike (0)

Tags: Lantau Peak, Mui Wo, Ngong Ping, Sunset Peak