Scaling highest mountain in Hong Kong

Route: Tai Mo Shan (大帽山) – Lead Mine Pass (鉛礦坳) – Shing Mun Reservoir（城門水塘）

Date: 7 April 2013

Scaling the highest mountain in Hong Kong , Tai Mo Shan with an altitude of 957m, may sound daunting. But it is not. For there is a road all the way up to the mountain with a comfortable gradient. From the starting point I have chosen (the intersection between Tai Mo Shan Road and Route Twisk), it is a less than 2 hr hike.

View from the top:From Tai Mo Shan you can hike to Lead Mine Pass, which is about 2 hours. The landscape dotted by volcano rocks is amazing. This part of the route is most interesting, for the rock scenes, the landscape and the pleasure of walking on a dirt path.

The last part of the route is easy, from Lead Mine Pass to Shing Mun Reservoir, which is about 1 hour 15 minute walk. It is all the way concrete road with shady green.

Overall the route is highly recommended, especially for the first two parts. The hike is five hours in total.

How to get to the starting point (intersection between Tai Mo Shan Road and Route Twisk):

Take bus No. 51 at the bus terminal next to Tsuen Wan West MTR station. Get off at country park stop. Walk downhill to the first intersection where Tai Mo Shan Road intersects with Route Twisk. Walk up the concrete road for about 1 hour 40 minutes before you can reach the highest possible point – not the top where Hong Kong Government’s radio facility is located, a forbidden area.

Once you are at the highest point possible, turn to the right to go downhill and soon, you will come to an intersection with a trail sign. Turn right to continue. You are now on the way to Lead Mine Pass. Once you reach Lead Mine Pass, go in the direction of “Tsuen Wan” (荃灣), and you will be led to station of mini bus No. 52 at Shing Mun Reservoir , after about a 1-hour walk. The bus will bring you to Tsuen Wan, where you can hop on the MTR train.

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