Tai Mo Shan

Tai Mo Shan is Hong Kong's tallest peak.

At 957 metres, it doesn't seem high. I learned the hard way that maps can be deceiving.

I began the trek about the 200-metre mark, at the base of Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden in Tai Po. I climbed a series of switchbacks and a steep incline to reach the memorial pavilion at the top of the farm.

From there, I broke from established paths that went around the hills, electing instead to go over them, in a direct line toward the peak. That meant breaking trail through tall grasses, or following natural paths cut by water runoff from the rainy season.

When I reached the summit, I decided to continue down the other side instead of retracing my steps, because the path was a paved road, and the grassland we'd come up was slippery and treacherous. I didn't relish the idea of tackling it moving downhill.

View large image The hard part was I had to walk much farther to reach civilisation, where I could board a minibus the rest of the way into Tsuen Wan. I was flat-out bagged by the time I sat down for dinner.

I hadn't planned to traverse a mountain when I awoke, but it was worth it. The downside was the air pollution, which obliterated the view. On a clear day, the scenery would be spectacular.

Knowing a road is near the summit means whenever there's a clear day, I could get up there quickly to take advantage of it with my camera. It also means I won't have to put another 15 miles of wear and tear on my feet and knees.

I'm beat.

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