r

r

r

y

y

Clear Water Bay Road is a long road stretching from Choi Hung all the way to Clear Water Bay. The bustle outside Choi Hung MTR gives way to a more peaceful road as the walker heads to the base of Kowloon Peak.

Turning off of Clear Water Bay Road on to Fei Ngo Shan Road, you will soon find yourself at this marker stone, called an Obelisk in some sources. An obelisk it definitely isn't and is not "...a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top." Behind me though was what I was looking for - a way onto Kowloon Peak.

This small road leads to house. Outside this can be found a rough path on to Kowloon Peak. This is a steep path and not one of the 'official' maintained paths that cross Hong Kong. It leads up the steep slopes of Kowloon Peak and past a point known as Suicide Cliff. The peak offers great views over Kowloon from an unusual and difficult to get to perspective - more kudos and a reason why people risk the climb. The name derives from the danger where one slip could lead to a fatality. The reason why I decided against doing the climb.

Kowloon Peak Viewing Point is a great location to pause and take in the reward of the view across Kowloon to Hong Kong Island (if you haven't driven here). There had been a recent storm which meant that the air was clear; on other days it can be quite grey and murky. Strangely named, Kowloon Peak is a considerable distance from here but certainly a lot safer than being on Kowloon Peak.

From the Kowloon Peak Viewing Point the route continues along stage 4 of the Wilson trail, cresting the mountains at the top of Kowloon.

SDF

Looking back at where I've travelled from, the Lion Pavilion marks the end of stage 4 of the Wilson Trail. Stage 5 goes to the left. Directly behind me is the entrance to Lion Rock Country Park - the starting point for today's hike per my original plan!

I remember getting a taxi to here in about 2012, hence my plan being to get a taxi to this spot and walk along the entire ridge line along the top of Kowloon. With it now being quite late in the day this would not be possible.

A series of marker stones such as this exist among the many defensive locations built by the British prior to World War 2. Quite ridiculously, these gave away the location of various positions such as pillboxes and HQs to an enemy.

How do we read these military markers? The arrow pointing to P.B. 219 TO 222 refers to the locations of the pillboxes with serial numbers 219 to 222. The arrow to BN HQ is Battalion HQ and a convenient pointer to an enemy that is intent on decapitating the leadership. The other numbers refer to the grid location.

Shatin Pass Estate to the left, ahead is Lion Rock / Maclehose Trail. A bit further ahead the path splits; one leads to the top of Lion Rock but the paths merge again.

A welcome rest point with picturesque view towards Sha Tin.

Hours of hiking in temperatures of around 30C brings out a full sweat. Once soaked in sweat, the heat can no longer be felt and I thought I'd share the visible result.