Hiking in Hong Kong

- Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail -

- Nei Lek Shan Country Trail-

- Shek Pik Country Trail-

- Dog's Teeth Ridge- -Nei Lek Shan-

Distance: 32.1 km

Time: 9 hours 10 minutes

Ascent: 1862 m

Date: July 2018

Start: Tung Chung MTR

End: Tung Chung MTR

hong kong, hiking, trail, mountain, view, scenery, lantau

I had one rain-free day to explore Lantau Island, so I scoured the maps and pieced together a route covering several different trails. This changed a few times, both the day before and in the middle of the hike. In the end I felt like I covered a huge chunk of the island, but looking back at the map it was just a small fraction of what was possible. I guess I need to plan a few more days out on Lantau.

Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail

Do this hike if:

you want to get your leg workout in for the week

Avoid this hike if:

you're after a real trail

From Tung Chung MTR I followed the walking/cycling path out to Tung O Ancient Trail, a route I had explored before, and walked along here until I came to the start of the Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail. The path followed the cable car straight up the hill, and I presumed everyone else would be smart enough to take easy option to the top. Wrong. The route was full of other hikers, and was obviously a popular Sunday hiking spot.

The first step on the trail was a step. Almost every other step on this five kilometre route was a step. It was all steps. They varied between stone and wooden, with no dirt (i.e. real trail) sections. Somehow the sun was blistering at 7.30 am and after half an hour of nothing but ascent (accompanied by pools of sweat) I was wondering if I had the motivation to make it to the end. I take a while to warm up when hiking (and running) so the first stretch is always tough, but this had me seriously considering turning around. The only things that kept me going were the views over Tung Chung and the surrounding mountains on the way up, plus what I hoped would be an epic outlook from the top. At least I couldn't get lost.

When I started climbing a local man was right behind me, blaring loud Chinese music from some sort of electronic device. It took me 10 minutes before I could finally walk fast enough to get away from him and his incessant noise, and this was possibly the only reason I kept going and didn't quit.

After a while the views turned from beautiful to ugly, as the airport came into view and took away from the picturesque landscape. I kept my eyes trained either straight ahead (at steps) or high above me, watching enviously as tourists took the leisurely route to my destination. I was also envious of all the people I passed coming back down the hill, smart enough to start the trek before the heat of the day set in.

Thankfully, after 3 km the steep inclines stopped and the path became more undulating, making for a much more pleasant experience. It was still all paved/boardwalk, but now I felt like the end was achievable.

The route was called Ngong Ping 360, which ended on top of a hill. With a name and location like that, I expected big things. I was severely disappointed. There was not one single lookout point in the entire area. I guess the 360 part referred to the cable car ride up here. At the top was a village full of restaurants, shops and entertainment venues, ready to suck the money right out of your wallet. Luckily I had arrived before the crowds did, but I'm sure in the middle of the day it would be swamped. I walked through here as quickly as possible, ready to hit a proper trail.

I had walked 7.5 km to reach this point. The first 2.5 km were flat. The last 2 km were undulating. Those 3 km in the middle had me gaining almost 600 metres of elevation. I really need more of a warm up before tackling something so intense.

Nei Lek Shan Country Trail

Do this hike if:

you want a beautiful trail without steep climbs

Avoid this hike if:

you like more intensity in your hikes

Nei Lak Shan Country Trail started just a short walk from NP 360, down a flat road lined with camp sites and hostels. I could see Lantau Peak, the tallest mountain on the island, on my right, and I was extremely glad that wasn't on my itinerary today. The skies were clear and the summit was unusually visible, which did make me consider momentarily of taking a detour up another several hundred metres. But it was far too hot and I was over climbing for the time being. It would have to wait for another day.

As soon as I turned off the asphalt my feet hit the dirt, and I knew I was going to love this trail. The entire 5 km route was gentle rocky slopes, making it much more enjoyable than the Rescue Trail. There were lookout points from all sides as it circled around Nei Lak Shan mountain, providing views of the Big Buddha (a 34 metre high bronze statue), Ngong Ping Village, Tung Chung, the mountains of Lantau and the surrounding sea (plus the ugly airport). A small forested section granted me some respite from the sun, and the carpet of dead leaves lining the track gave it an enchanted feel. Part of the trail doubled up with the Lantau Trail, and I saw a few people along here, but the rest was almost empty. It was the type of trail I could have walked forever.

Two things distracted me from my serenity. The first was another hiker, an Indian expat living on the island, who decided I was to be his best friend. For 10 minutes he asked me every question under the sun (What is your name? Where do you live? Where do you work? Where do you come from? Where did you start today? What time did you start? What trails are you doing today? Where will you finish? Why don't you sweat?). He was genuinely a very nice man, but my purpose for this hike was to be alone, not to be social. I stopped for a while at a lookout point to take photos, where he decided I was taking too long and he continued on his way. To my fellow hiker, If you happen to be reading this, I apologise for being so rude.

The second unwanted incident was a snake. Not big, not small, but it stopped me dead in my tracks. I waited for him to slither off before cautiously continuing, my eyes peeled for further reptile encounters.

Shek Pik Country Trail

Do this hike if:

you want a runnable trail

Avoid this hike if:

you are looking for inspiring scenery

From the end of one country trail I walked along a short segment of the Lantau Trail over to another. The start was located at Wisdom Path, where a series of wooden pillars were erected. Each pillar was engraved with a line from a Buddhist prayer, entirely in Chinese. I did a loop around the tall posts, but as they meant nothing to me I didn't stay long.

The Shek Pik Country Trail runs gently downhill all the way to the south of Lantau Island, following Shek Pik Reservoir. I was looking forward to the descent as well as decent views, even though I knew I would need to come back up at some stage. The downhill I got; the views were barely there. On only three occasions did I glimpse a view of the reservoir and surrounding scenery on the whole 5.5 km route. Each view was exactly the same, but slightly lower in altitude. The rest of the time I was surrounded by trees and there was nothing noteworthy to look at. Great for running; a little mundane for hiking.

The terrain was almost entirely rocky trail, with a series of stairs at the end. I was happy it wasn't paved, but the loose rocks coupled with the declining gradient meant my toes were well and truly squished by the end. This didn't help to improve my impression of the trail. The only saving graces were that it was shady (the heat was intense today) and that there was a tiny section with pine trees, giving off a lovely pine aroma. Pine always brings back fond memories of my childhood and I don't see much of it in Asia.

I saw another snake. Again, not big, not small, just casually crossing the path in front of me. I can't believe how many snakes I see in Hong Kong.

Just before I reached the end I heard the sound of cars, so I knew I was near the main road. Here I had a choice: either circle around the reservoir and follow the road back up the hill on the other side, which would probably be monotonous but might bring me some different views. Or I could follow one of the faint lines on my map to take me up to a peak I had never heard of, Kau Nga Ling. This would no doubt involve much more climbing, would definitely be on a trail and would likely take much longer than the road. One guess which one option I chose.