I have a friend in the city, who I like to visit sometimes early in the morning and sometimes in the evening. It is an uphill task paying him a visit but one that is truly enriching.
When living in one of the most densely urban city, the urge to leave the city behind and gawk at it from a distance and at a height is but natural. The Peak is one such vantage point and thongs of tourists with their selfie sticks take the buses/tram & the taxis to reach the observation deck at the Victoria peak.
There are a couple of variations to the hike and I believe we have explored each one of them. The standard Lung Fu Shan country Park trail, the longer version that goes along the Pok Fu Lam reservoir, the route via Pinewood Battery heritage trail, which comes with a slice of history. (This coastal defence battery was built by the British and was air-raided and heavily shelled by Japanese artillery fire during the battle of Hong Kong in December 1941.)
There is a special spot along the route where the gradient gently gives way to a gentler path. This is the park area with some nice canopy rest places and landscaped garden. Apparently this is where the forces of nature stage their theatrics. It is here that the hot city air comes in contact with the cool air and it gets fantastically misty on some nights. You can see droplets of water trickling from the trees and the ground gets all wet. The first time around we were tricked into thinking that it was actually raining. Only when we retraced our steps and walked down the slope did we realize that we’d been fooled.
Another time we stood under the canopied shade with the cooing birds and watched as the wind, rain and the mist played their game. A little butterfly should have known better than to get embroiled in this tussle, I watched as it fought its way back to safety.
With each hike you hope to get a little wiser about the ways of nature..
With each hike you seek to revive the kinship that city life threatens to usurp..
With each hike we try to claim some quite for ourselves.
With each hike you bond and share stories..
With each hike you challenge yourself to get 'faster, stronger & higher'.
In sum total this is one darn good friend to have.. :)
When living in one of the most densely urban city, the urge to leave the city behind and gawk at it from a distance and at a height is but natural. The Peak is one such vantage point and thongs of tourists with their selfie sticks take the buses/tram & the taxis to reach the observation deck at the Victoria peak.
There is another path, a well shaded wooded road that steadily rises in gradient as it takes us from the base of the hill all the way to the top. This is a nice urban trail, well paved and lighted with street lamps for joggers, walkers and such to get lung-full of fresh air and ear-full of chirpy bird sounds. This is the road the mister & me have trudged countless times now..
There are a couple of variations to the hike and I believe we have explored each one of them. The standard Lung Fu Shan country Park trail, the longer version that goes along the Pok Fu Lam reservoir, the route via Pinewood Battery heritage trail, which comes with a slice of history. (This coastal defence battery was built by the British and was air-raided and heavily shelled by Japanese artillery fire during the battle of Hong Kong in December 1941.)
Very recently, a hiker friend introduced us to the quieter sibling of the Peak-the High West. This summit is reserved for those who toil and walk up the gruelling steps to earn the quite of the winds and the clouds. Far away from the pandemonium of the crowds at the peak, you can peacefully sit down and look far across all the way to Discovery bay. The wind is at its playful best at this height and sure is a ‘balm for the bruised soul..'
The summit has a psychological significance; it gives you a sense of accomplishment. It is the desire to reach the peak that makes you trudge the road all along, but the journey is its own reward. The vistas en-route change continuously with the seasons and the time of the day. Sometimes it is a nice breezy walk; sometimes it gets all muggy under the dense canopy of the tree. Sometimes the clear distant sights enchant you and other times you see the night lamp flickering at a distance in the mist.
There is a special spot along the route where the gradient gently gives way to a gentler path. This is the park area with some nice canopy rest places and landscaped garden. Apparently this is where the forces of nature stage their theatrics. It is here that the hot city air comes in contact with the cool air and it gets fantastically misty on some nights. You can see droplets of water trickling from the trees and the ground gets all wet. The first time around we were tricked into thinking that it was actually raining. Only when we retraced our steps and walked down the slope did we realize that we’d been fooled.
Another time we stood under the canopied shade with the cooing birds and watched as the wind, rain and the mist played their game. A little butterfly should have known better than to get embroiled in this tussle, I watched as it fought its way back to safety.
With each hike you hope to get a little wiser about the ways of nature..
With each hike you seek to revive the kinship that city life threatens to usurp..
With each hike we try to claim some quite for ourselves.
With each hike you bond and share stories..
With each hike you challenge yourself to get 'faster, stronger & higher'.
In sum total this is one darn good friend to have.. :)
There are two kinds of climbers, those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest. Half way through moving to your group.
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