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hether you are a seasoned pro or just starting out, Hong Kong has some eye-opening, all-natural places to climb. Plus there are numerous man-made indoor walls where you can get to grips with the sport.
the anchor; as the second follows the route taken by the leader, the second removes the equipment placed along the way in order to use it again on the next pitch. Once both are at the anchor, the leader begins climbing the next pitch and so on until they reach the top.
Discovery Bay resident Steve Turner has been rock climbing most of his life; a father of three, he caught the bug early on from his own father. “Rock climbing for me is just one part of the activity of moving through the terrain, though for others it's a pure challenge in its own right – hard routes are the goal. Every route is a problem, the moves for which need to be figured out,” he says. “In this case it doesn't really matter where the rock face is – it might just be a boulder. I find it amazing what some people can actually climb.”
Best local climbs
Steve adds, “Rock climbing locally is more popular than people would expect. The nature of the terrain in Hong Kong means that a lot of the activity is hidden from the view of the casual observer – you generally have to hike in on awkward trails to most of the crags. People also tend not to look up! In the right weather the established spots will be busy, particularly at the weekend, and if you look carefully you will be able to make out the tiny shapes of climbers on the rocks above.”
One of Hong Kong’s most iconic climbs is found at Lion Rock in the New Territories. Although not particularly high – about 250 feet at its tallest point – the granite cliff affords spectacular views of Hong Kong Island across Victoria Harbour.
Lantau’s Chi Ma Wan has some breath-taking vistas for rock climbers. Temple Crag faces west with views of Cheung Sha and Pui O beaches as well as the islands of the South China Sea. Eagle Crag is on the same side of Lantau as Temple Crag, but it’s a bit higher and it juts further out into the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula. Black Kite Crag will be familiar to DBers, as it is located on this side of Lantau.
On Hong Kong Island, the crags of Shek O offer some enjoyable, familyfriendly sport climbs, as well as some quality bouldering.
Most aficionados agree that the best climbs are found on the small island of Tung Lung Chau. These include a singlepitch sport climbing Technical Wall; As the name suggests, free or sport Sea Gully, which has a steep face with climbing is when you create your own Unknown climber on Eagle Crag, Chi Ma Wan (www.HongKongClimbing.com) compact, featureless walls and soaring route over a rock surface using minimal arêtes (sharp-crested ridges); Big Wall, equipment. Aid climbing routes, on the a multi-pitch sport climb; and Kite Wall (or Kite Rock) which other hand, have set-in bolts which the climber moves up. offers up five short sport climbs across a large boulder of You’ll find expansion bolts on most established routes in the coarse volcanic rock. territory. Bouldering (climbing low rocks and boulders) tends to be technically challenging. While the climber may not go very high, he or she has to be physically fit and very skilled. Gearing up
Technical talk
Stuart Millis – the man behind www.HongKongClimbing.com, the leading source for rock climbing and bouldering in Hong Kong – lists tips, news, courses and information on gear and climbing locations on his website. “Come climbing!” he says. “The combination of physical and mental challenge makes it worth trying. Plus, it gets you out of the city and into the countryside. It also tends to attract a pretty nice crowd of people so it has a good social scene.” For most climbs, rock jocks of course really rely on their buddies. Because the climbing rope is of a fixed length, the leader can only climb a certain distance. Thus longer routes are broken up into several pitches. At the top of a pitch, the leader sets up an anchor and then belays the second up to
Find more local sports activities
Knowing what to expect from every climb is crucial, whether you are an expert or a beginner. And you should note that kitting yourself out safely will set you back at least HK$3,000. But Steve is quick to minimise the sport’s perceived dangers. “You expect to take a few very small falls as part of the game, especially if you are pushing your personal limits, but they should never be more than a few feet if you have taken the necessary care to set the climbing system up properly. This is not a difficult thing to do but the consequences of inattention to detail are often serious.” And for those of us new to the sport? Steve advises, “Try it. If you know someone who climbs, see if they can help you get started with either a visit to an easy rock face or artificial wall.
www.arounddb.com January 2013
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