As I hope that my previous photo essays (here and here) showed, the first two thirds or so of the High Junk Peak Country Trail is not without its interesting and beautiful sights. In all honesty however, I think its end bit is the icing on this hiking cake in question.
In particular, my regular hiking companion and I thought the Tin Ha Shan plateau so pleasant that we instantly resolved, once we got up there, to hike up there again some time -- and this next time around, to arrange for it to be so that we could spend time just enjoying being up there, in a place where one could take in a 360 degree view that did not include a single building or even other person. In addition, we also reckon that the Tin Hau Temple in Joss House Bay at the bottom of Tin Ha Shan makes for a very photogenic subject -- and so much so that it's worth making a trip to alone, especially on such as Tin Hau's Birthday...
Tin Ha Shan may not be a "treacherous peak" a la High Junk Peak but it still requires quite a bit of
effort to get up it (via a series of multiple stone steps)
On Tin Ha Shan plateau, I saw a collection of rocksthat looked to me like the broken up version of
Po Toi's turtle rock (along with a baby turtle nearby)
Standing on a large rock near the summit ofTin Ha Shan (trans. heaven mountain),
one can feel like one is on top of the world :)
A scenic, even if somewhat smoggy,view from the hill of land and sea
East of Tin Ha Shan lies the exclusiveClear Water Bay Gold and Country Club
(and beyond it, 127 meter high Po Keng Teng)
Down a series of steep and very hard stone stepsis how one gets from near the top of Tin Ha Shan
down to the Tin Hau Temple at Joss House Bay
Upon getting down in front of the Tin Hau Temple, one felt a nice sense of achievement
(together with no small amount of gratefulness!)
Looking out across the bay and out to seaAnd the scary thing is... this hike wasn't the only thing I managed to enjoy that day. Rather, that day also ended up including a cool concert -- something I felt obliged to blog about in an entry entitled -- what else?! -- A full Sunday. (And yes, that Sunday was one from way early in the year... so yeah, I really am that way behind in my hiking photo-essaying! ;b)
5 comments:
Wow... top of the world indeed! The views must be especially stunning on a crystal clear day.
Looks like another great hike. I would much rather climb those stone steps than have been the one who constructed them--that must have been a hard job.
Hi duriandave --
Alas, I haven't had the privilege yet of taking in those views on a crystal clear day... but the High Junk Peak Trail is definitely one of those I've marked to re-do on a clear day some day! :)
Hi Maya --
So true re those people who laid those stone steps having had quite the job. I'm seriously grateful for the Country Park people for helping lay out and maintain the many trails I've enjoyed hiking along here in Hong Kong.
Hi YTSL,
We had a bit of a set back in our travels to HK in Dec, but it looks like the end of April. How is the weather for hiking then? The earliest we can make it is in March, and I don't really want to wait until next December. Thanks.
Maya
Hi Maya --
The weather in March and April can be less than ideal for hiking as that's when it's the rainy season:-
http://www.hko.gov.hk/wservice/warning/rainstor.htm
Even on days when it doesn't rain, the air can be very heavy with humidity and people who aren't used to it may find it hard to breathe.
OTOH, according to my records, I went on a hike in late April this year during which the weather was pretty good. So will say that if you're going to come expressly to hike, wait until next December. But if you are up for doing other stuff, then look at hiking opportunities you get while here as a nice bonus.
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