big day out
StartYour Day theRight Way Matthew Teague watches the day begin from Sunrise Hill There is something rather magical about watching the sunrise over the outlying islands of Sai Kung. After wading your way through the dark of night and reaching the summit of one of Hong Kong’s most beautiful hills. Sai Kung has the privilege of facing East, which allows for spectacular cloud-level (and cloudless) sights of a new day springing to life when you are wandering over Section four of the Maclehose Trail, running from Kei Ling Ha to Tate’s Cairn at early dawn. For those willing, an early and wholesome nights’ sleep is ideal - especially if preparing for a fresh Saturday morning hike. A muzzy head at 4am after a few too many gins at Momentai may offer a different, albeit interesting, experience. An early start allows for enough time to pack a light breakfast picnic and dive into an icy shower, or whatever helps wake your body up in the morning. If you can, getting the whole family
involved and out of bed this early certainly adds a fun communal early-rise struggle and a story for the family memory bank. If you are not too confident of a nighttime hiker, a head touch can definitely be helpful, along with your most comfortable hiking gear. Although, for the most authentic experience and once you feel comfortable finding your stepping without your iPhone’s torch, try to let your eyes adjust to the natural light of the moon, especially if its a full one. However, for those scared of wild boar encounters, you best keep your light on. For a leisurely start, it’s best to begin the hike from Sai Kung at around 4:15am. Head up Chuk Yeung Road, onto Shan Liu Sheung, and then further onto Wong Chuk Yeung. Once you reach the divide, bear left and you will find yourself on the Maclehose Trail. Continue on and follow the Maclehose
trail as it veers off the road left once again, you will find yourself journeying up Ma On Shan mountain. (For an easier walk, a taxi can take you to where the Maclehose Trailcrosses Wong Chuk Yeung.) Once you have begun this section of the walk, the path will eventually lead you through a valley to a T-junction. Here, turning right will take you steeper further onto the summit of Ma On Shan, whilst turning left will guide you on a level-path around the north side of a few smaller hills. Continue left until you reach a plateau path running along a ridge, giving you a beautiful vantage point of Sha Tin to the right and Sai Kung to the left. This view will truly put your early morning struggles in perspective. Instead of carrying on across this ridge, take a sharp left. Here, you will find a lesstrodden path leading you up a rocky incline,
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