Saturday, December 27, 2014

Nam Long Shan (Brick Hill)

Duration: 
(2.62 kilometers)
1.5/2 hours return

Difficulty: 3/10. Really easy. Some steps but so short, there's nothing to it.


Cel phone coverage: Everywhere.

Water needs: 0.5 liter

Appreciation: 8/10 nice views of the ocean. Very short and don't expect to break a sweat (unless it's middle of summer)

Transportation: Bus 70 from Exchange Square (next to IFC mall). Drop off at Nam Long Shan. You can return from across the street

Why it's worth it:


Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/654249378
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Get off @ Nam Long Shan road. This is the stop. Then retrace your steps a bit to Nam Long Shan road and head South (turn right, onto it)

New MTR station under construction. Go underneath. You will want to stay on Nam Long Shan Road all the way to the stairs climbing Brick Hill...


You will go by this Singaporean international school

Then the Canadian school, eh?!


About 30-40 minutes onto the Nam Long Shan road walk, you'll get to this set of stairs. That's the path up Brick Hill.

Can't miss it, there's a yellow sign on the concrete well next to the stairs. And the stairs curve up and to the right

There are two pavilions on the way up. 

Almost at the top. The helipad. Once you have climbed all the way up to the cellular phone tower, you're done. Just retrace your steps

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Kap Lung Ancient Trail

Duration: 
(2.5 kilometers)
1.25 hours

Difficulty: 3/10


Cel phone coverage: Everywhere.

Water needs: 0.5 liter

Appreciation: 6/10 nice trees at the beginning, lots of streams. Nothing spectacular, but certainly easy and short

Transportation: KMB 51 from Tsuen Wan West MTR station (exit A or E). Get off at Country Park bus stop. Return to Kam Sheung Road MTR Station via green minibus at end of trail map

Why it's worth it:


Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/624693655
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Get off at Country Park bus stop. The trail head is a bit further along, on the same side of the road as the bus stop

Forest trail and Ancient Trail overlap for a little while


At the junction, keep on the Ancient Trail. There's signage pretty much everywhere along the way

You will cross the stream over this waterfall. We went down to have a better view

At the end of the trail, you'll hit a road, head right until you reach a bus stop, about 750m in

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Olympic Trail Tung Chung to Mui-Wo (a.k.a Tung Mui Ancient Path-東梅古道)

Duration: 
(9 kilometers)
2:30 hours

Difficulty: 3/10


Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 0.5 liter

Appreciation: 5/10. Not much in terms of views but a relaxing walk

Transportation: Tung Chung MTR, return via ferry in Mui-Wo (or buses back to Tung Chung)

Why it's worth it:





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Go through the Tung Chung mall and exit on Man Tung Rd, head to the right.
Walk on Man Tung Rd for about 400m

Turn right on Hei Tung Rd. There will be a small path on the right to reach the ocean boardwalk.

Continue on the ocean boardwalk for about 500-750m. Take the underpass to the right

Then, quite easy, just follow the Olympic Trail to Mui Wo

Monday, October 13, 2014

Nei Sham Stream (彌深石澗), from Tung Chung


Duration: 
(15 kilometers)
5.5 hours; 2 hours from Tung Chung to Sham Wat village, 45 minutes Sham Wat to stream. 2.5 hours in stream. 15 minutes from stream to Ngong Ping.

Difficulty: 9/10. The stream is more difficult than Wong Lung Hang because of the large boulders and sometimes tricky passes. But WLH gets higher rating because of the rope part at the end. In any case, not a stream for people with no stream-trekking experience


Cel phone coverage: Not in stream

Water needs: 2 liters

Appreciation: 9/10

Transportation: Start at Tung Chung MTR, Exit A. Return via bus 23 at Ngong Ping, to Tung Chung. Last bus at 19:10!

Why it's worth it:

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First half, the flat hike to Sham Wat village

Tung Chung MTR Exit A.

Cross all the cab stops towards the apartment towers  in front of Exit A.


Refer to Point 1 on the map. You will be on a path that parallels Tai Tung Road until it reaches Shun Tung Road.
Do not turn right into the tunnel, instead, turn left.


After about 100 meters, there will be a tunnel on your right. Take it.

Bunch of steps right in front of you. Don't take them, follow the path on the left.

After the tunnel, walk about 200 meters and take the catwalk over  Chung Yan Road.
Keep walking for another 200 meters or so, you'll go past housing estates on your right  and get to another  catwalk. Don't take that one, just keep going straight.

Just before the end of Tu Yung Road, you will turn right at a sign post  indicating the way to Hau Wong temple.
Down the stairs, turn left.

In general, just follow the signs indicating Tai O.

About 1 kilometer in, in a small village.

Just added this one because it may be confusing. But again, just follow the signs that indicate Tai O. From this point on, in it smooth walking without real possibilities of a wrong turn until Sham Wat Wan, 9 kilometers along the way.

Sham Wat Wan. The ladies there at the village will surely remind you that there's food to be had if you are hungry. If you don't plan to stop, keep walking on the road through the village and over the bridge.

After the bridge, just keep going straight on the road. You are starting your paved climb towards the stream entrance
Make your way up to point #2, at about 105m altitude...

...don't miss that turn on the left. The sign reads 'Sham Wat Catchwater (East)'. 

A few hundred meters in, you'll see a catch-water basin on the right but keep going, that's not the entry point

At the next bridge is the actual entry point of the stream. Go down the stairs (past the sign with a skull that warns you of your impending death), go to the rightmost stream. The boulders are quite large, which might make them a bit challenging 


Nei Ngong waterfall (彌昂飛瀑). Bypass on the left. If at any point, the climb looks too difficult, chances are that there's a ribbon delimited bypass.

Here's the most important split to remember. On the right, the Ngong Sham stream, much more difficulty. Stay on the left on the Nei Sham stream which is easier



Almost there. You will be right under the Ngong Ping cable line

The spot where we exited the stream. I put some blue ribbons on the right to indicate the path. The path itself is quite well-used so if it is not too late in the evening, you should find it easily. Remember, it's on the right.

At the top of the exit path, you'll reach the Lantau trail, make a right and you'll reach Ngong Ping in about 10-15 minutes. From there, you can take a bus back to Tung Chung (MTR), or Tai-O or Mui-Wo

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Please, don't litter!

Hiking is about communion with nature. So please pickup after yourself. There's no excuse to leave plastic bags, water bottles or any rubbish on or around the trails; if you managed to bring it, you can manage to bring it back!