Hong Kong's summer weather can be a challenge for getting outdoors. It's either too hot, too wet, too stormy, or all of these. Yesterday's plan was to do a lap over Lantau Peak, but the proximity of a typhoon and associated thunder storms meant a change of plans was needed. We lose hikers in Hong Kong every year to heat stroke and lightning, so it is best not to mess about.
Hong Kong Trail is one of Hong Kong's four major trails, running a circuitous route from Victoria Peak to Big Wave Bay over about 50kms. The other major trails are Wilson, Machlehose and Lantau. Together these cover about 270km and, believe or not there is an annual race covering them all in one go, as well as separate events that cover each of them. The most famous of which is the Oxfam Trailwalker on Machlehose. Such events require a level of commitment to training that I don't have, or aspire to.
Therefore, Saturday morning found us in a cab going up Victoria Peak in a white-out and rain storm. I still haven't gotten used to warm rain in the tropics, but it is surprisingly refreshing, albeit the trails can get a bit slippy. The Hong Kong trails are really amazing, being both well maintained and way-marked, with distance markers every 500m, with the trails broken into sections of 6-12km. Hong Kong trail is mainly on concrete with the occasional rough section, which we would think awful in Europe, but is really a question of balancing erosion with the desire to maintain the natural environment. Tropical storms can be devasting to trails.
The plan was to do Stage 1 and bail at Pok Fu Lam Reservoir if the rain persisted, but it had stopped raining by then, so we pressed on. At the end of Stage 3, about 18km in, we had the choice of taxi home, or continue on Stage 4, taking us to the half way point. Stage 4 was chosen and it was ok for the first half, fueled by a power bar, but the last few kms were the walk of the damned. I was truly gubbed. Having struggled on Wilson 1 and 2 the prior weekend, Mandy seemed to draw strength from my weakness and powered through to the end. We ended at marker 50. Halfway on Hong Kong trail. Hardly gives me bragging rights, but it was still a good day out.
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