It was our last full day in Hong Kong. Based on the weather forecasts I’ve been checking the past week, this looked like the best shot we had for some clear skies and good views over the city. Lion Rock is known for some spectacular nightscapes.
So we went on a hike. Sections 3 and 4 of the MacLehose trail. The whole trail has 100 km, while our route had 20.
Approaching the Lion Rock tunnel, with the namesake peak to the upper right
2 buses and 1h30′ later, we started climbing Ma On Shan. The sky was overcast, with the clouds starting from around 300-400 m in elevation. Got a couple of foggy views towards the eastern islands before everything turned white.
-
- The first part of our climb was being turned into a road
At the Ngong Ping Viewing Point we did manage to enjoy the view, as implied by the name. We hoped the clouds wouldn’t get any worse than this.
-
- Resting at the Ngong Ping Viewing Point
As we took on the ridge closest to Kowloon, we got again engulfed in clouds. With the sun setting, the atmosphere started to resemble that of a horror/thriller. Needless to say, we didn’t get the gorgeous night view from atop Lion’s Peak. Maybe next time. We finished the hike in the dark, on headlamps, trying to avoid stepping on toads.
-
- I carried my tripod for 20 km and all I got was this shot.
About the trails:
– a lot of them are paved (with most climbs having steps)
– well organised camp sites along the way; all have toilets; a lot of them have water (untreated); a few have vending machines (the ones that are road accessible)
– on our route there was a shop at Sha Tin Pass:
