Hike Hong Kong: Twin Peaks

If you ever consider visiting Hong Kong, I highly recommend a stay of at least 4 days and 3 nights.

This allows you to eat a huge Hong Kong Café breakfast for at least 2 mornings, while the other 2 mornings can be spent getting away from the busy city, way up in the picturesque hills. If you like, you can consider having equally huge dim sum lunches as a reward after the climbs.

The Twin Peaks are part of what they call the Wilson Trail, which is divided into 3 main areas. They are so lovingly named as they involve an ambitious climb up 2 separate peaks. Each peak has a gruelling number of steps (staircase steps), so please train your cardio limits up before you go on this climb.

I chose to start at the main Wilson Trail entry point, which is located behind a group of apartments called ‘Parkview‘ on Wong Nai Chung Gap Road. This is the beginning of the trail.

Looks harmless? Well, multiply this flight of steps by 100. Not to scare you, but please pace yourself when you ascend even the early steps – it will build up on your thighs in time. The good thing is, after the climb, your calves and glutes will also feel like they are on fire – an extremely effective fat-burning workout.

As you complete the first peak, about 300 steps and 30 minutes into the whole experience, you are rewarded with views like this. On most days, the Hong Kong morning sky gives off a quality of light that highlights the mist surrounding the various mountains. A beautiful layered effect.

For some reason, a little guy like me burns off energy extremely fast, so I always bring snacks with me on hikes. This time, I got some friends to bring along Lord Stow’s Portuguese Egg Tarts – golden nuggets of heaven from Macau, an island known for its casinos off Hong Kong. Man, I could only eat 1/6 of an egg tart. Sometimes I wish my stomach was 20 times its size.

After crossing the tiniest bridge in the world (perfect for me), you will encounter a more challenging flight of stairs such as this one. This is the beginning of peak 2, which will involve about 1300 steps. I highly suggest stopping at least every 200 steps to catch your breath to make the last 400-500 more tolerable for your limbs.

Up the winding steps you go, and you can get more beautiful views of the water and greenery. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses from time to time.

Great news is, you can also enjoy sweeping panoramic views on your way down. Check out all that lush greenery. The steps are extremely well paved and the whole route in general is well maintained, so there is no need to worry about safety. Bathrooms, however, are a rare breed here. Limit your water intake if you can.

Dino, out!