TRAIL WALKER |
LANTAU TRAIL HIKE: DAY TWO H I K I N G S E C T I O N S 4 , 5 A N D 6 O F T H E L A N TA U T R A I L , C L A I R E S E V E R N B AT T L E S M E D I U M - S I Z E D M O U N TA I N S , T H E T U N N E L O F D O O M A N D S O M E S E R I O U S LY MASSIVE SPIDERS P HO T O S BY A n dr ew Spi r e s
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ay two of our Lantau Trail hike. More than three months have passed since my buddy and I completed the first part of our challenge, and our leg muscles have just about forgotten the trauma of climbing Hong Kong’s second and third highest peaks in one day.
Relieved to arrive safely at our starting point of Ngong Ping after a rather hair-raising blue taxi ride, we set off for what we hoped would be a more relaxing rest of the day.
SECTION 4: NGONG PING Section 4 of the Lantau Trail is basically a big loop, affording great views across the valley and over to the north of the island. It starts at Wisdom Path, around a 5-minute walk from the Big Buddha. Here, you see two signs for the Lantau Trail. Section 4 follows the path heading through the trees, away from Lantau Peak.
WISDOM PATH
Happily, it’s a rather gentle route, and fairly well signposted. There are a few steps to climb along the way, but the path soon starts to head downhill again as you circle back towards your starting point.
of section 5 looms ahead. Again, the signs here could be clearer, but we took a punt and decided to follow the yellow sign uphill towards Man Cheung Po. We made the right choice.
Arriving back at Ngong Ping, we lost the trail for a while – the signs at this point are somewhat confusing – but eventually we figured out that we just needed to head straight through the village to join the main road. From there, the trail heads downhill to the junction of Sham Wat Road and Keng Shan Road, where the archway marking the start 26 LIFE ON L ANTAU | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022
SECTION 5: IN THE MOUNTAINS This was where the hike got tougher – the incline at the start of section 5 is somewhat steep, but at least the route is shaded in parts, and Tai O soon comes into view in the distance.
