Thursday 3 November 2016

Hong Kong best hikes: how we missed the Sunset Peak

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak

It was a cloudy morning but turned out into a beautiful day: alternatively sunny and partially cloudy with a mild wind helping us up the hills.
Because it is hilly!
One after one after yet another one, hills crossing each other, covered with deep green vegetation and -when close to the peak- with a beautifully dens blanket of tall grass - all looking like a lovely meadow. Hong Kong is famous for its awesome hiking trails and we did quite a few; however this was my first on Lantau island and I must say I absolutely love it!

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak

Lantau trail section 2 Mui O village

Lantau trail section 2 hills

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak

Right before the summit, between Sunset Peak and Yi Tung Shan, we found this wonderful high plateau, more like a saddle where few shelters huts were scattered throughout and were loads of hikers were sunbathing and replenish while enjoying the wide views over Lantau and the South Chinese Sea.

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak Camp site
Camp site - about 20 grey buildings were built in the 1920s by Christian missionaries for their summer vacations. Today they are privately owned, and very cheap to rent for a night. 
Lantau trail section 2 Tung Chung
Tung Chung from the Camp site
Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak
The village of Mui O - view from the camp site
From there the path is still going up and around the peak.Yes, THE peak because that’s the one, the Sunset Peak itself!! 
Strange enough, for some unknown reasons, the summit has been omitted from the official Lantau Trail sign posts and with so “oh so many” peaks of all those high hills around - you can easily just walk past it. Which we did!!
So if you want to conquer the Sunset Peak, as you should, you have to make a slight detour - on the right side of the trail when going down to Pak Kung Au - climb to the summit up through the shrubs and then the very same way - back down to the trail.

Going down to Pak Kung Au pass on the Tung Chung road was much more difficult then going up from Nam Shan - but equally beautiful.

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak

Lantau trail section 2 Sunset Peak
Traffic jam on the way up, while we were going down
Lantau trail section 2 Lantau Peak
Lantau Peak, picture taken while going down to Tung Chung Road

We took the bus back to Moi O and finished all with a delicious turkish meal at a restaurant near the ferry pier; a stroll alongside the beach followed by a short trip by ferry back to Hong Kong island  - and that was the end of a beautiful day out.


Starting Point: Nam Shan barbecue site
Transportation
Ferry to Mui Wo, then by bus to Nam Shan barbecue site.
Ask the driver and he will tell you where to get off - then cross the road and walk forward till you see the hiking info board on your right.

Finishing Point: Pak Kung Au on Tung Chung Road
Transportation
By bus to Mui Wo and from there by Ferry - back to Central

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Jilo_v13 said...

no efforts really and thank you so very much