On my most recent trip to Hong Kong, I accompanied a friend from Beijing to the LDS temple for his first time. It was a glorious experience. I am glad I was able to be there to support him.
That took place on a Saturday, but my normal weekend off of work is Sunday and Monday. Consequently, I stayed in Hong Kong for a couple days longer than my companions. One of the big things I wanted to do was go hiking. I researched a few trails and chose one, the Dragon’s Backbone trail in Shek O Park. Then on the morning of, I changed my mind and chose a different one, MacLehose Trail in Sai Kung Country Park and Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark.
MacLehose Trail
This trail essentially goes around the High Island Reservoir. Public transportation got me to the entrance of the country park and near the trailhead. What I didn’t realize when I started is that most of the first leg of this hike is on a paved service road along the west and south sides of the lake. It makes it really easy though not very shady.
Geopark
The trail crosses both of the reservoir’s dams. The second of which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hong Kong Geopark. This is one of the reasons I chose this trail. I had looked at visiting the geopark the last several times I visited Hong Kong. However, everything I saw said you had to go on a boat tour to experience the park. And, the boat tours are not cheap. When I saw that I could hike to part of it, I decided I would do it.
Approaching the second dam, you can see a spectacular looking cliff on the other side of the reservoir. It looks a bit like organ pipes. This is the first glimpse of some truly magnificent geological formations. At the dam, there is a trail that leads down to see the hexagonal rock columns up close. Interpretive signs explain the forces that made them and more. It is pretty impressive.
Leaving the Road
At this point, I had already hiked for a couple of hours and several kilometers. I was tired, and starting to get a little red. However, the options I had were limited. I could walk back the way I came – boring! I could try to get a cab – too much trouble and too expensive. Or, I could continue on MacLehose Trail off the road and into the scrub.
I chose the latter. I started up the next part of the trail. It wasn’t too bad. It was quite lovely with the green shrubs on both sides of the path. I got to the top of this first little hill pretty quickly. From there I saw some amazing views of a quaint little bay tucked between the park’s peninsulas. Again, I made the decision to keep going. I wanted to reach the lovely beach I could see down at the head of the bay.
Long Ke Bay
I climbed down the hill toward the bay. Mesmerized by a paraglider, I stopped many times to watch. Eventually, I made it down. The sand felt good on my feet as I strolled shoeless along the beach. It was so quiet. The only ways onto the beach are by boat or hiking. Behind the beach is a rehab facility for boys. This seems like a good place for rehab. Again, I made the choice to continue rather than going back the way I came.
Section Two
From this point, the second section of the MacLehose Trail begins. This part of the trail is much more rugged and extreme than the first part. The path climbs right up the side of the islands peaks going up and over them. There is very little tree cover, so the sun beats down. At the top of some of the peaks, there are some spectacular views, but I was getting really sore and tired at this point just wanting to find the end of the trail.
When I did, I was so happy until I found out the bus that could take me back had stop running about two hours earlier. The trail took much longer than I expected. It was dusk, and darkness was coming fast, but my only option was to walk back to the entrance of the park and find a bus stop with routes back to town. Thankfully, Hong Kong doesn’t have any wild beasts to be scared of in the wilderness at night. However, I was pretty cantankerous at this point, and could have scared off any would be predators.
The End
I eventually reached the main road again and found a bus stop. The bus got me back to town safely. Even though I was pretty sunburnt and super sore, I am glad I took this magnificent trail. I should have prepared a little better to know what I was really getting into. I also saw some wildlife. Including a lizard (maybe a water dragon) dueling with a cat and lots of kites along the edge of the reservoir.
I would recommend the hike, however, unlike just about every website out there, I would not recommend starting with section one on the road by the reservoir. I would recommend taking the bus to the end of section two where I left the trail. This is the more difficult portion and is better done first. Leave the easy, relatively flat portion of paved road for the end. Be sure to take plenty of water and snacks. I think next time I’m in HK with time to hike, I’ll try the Dragon’s Backbone in Shek O. Until then, adventure is out there, so go have one!
