Up Devil's Peak to its summit and now ruined redoubt (Photo-essay)

More than a year ago, my regular hiking companion and I went along Stage 3 of the Wilson Trail. Now that no small amount of time has passed since that we went on that excursion, I can look back and remember enough good things about that hiking experience to actually think that it might be worth taking other friends along that particular section of the 78 kilometer long hiking trail named after David Wilson, the 27th British governor of Hong Kong at some point.

On the day of the hike itself, however, I was more prone to rant about the problems encountered along the way -- specifically with regards to the poor (placements of) signage on what is, after all, a major Hong Kong hiking trail. And to put things in context: This really was the worst sign-posted trail that I went along of the 120 hikes that I've now gone on in the Big Lychee!

At the same time though, as I hope that the following photo-essay will go some way in showing, a hike along Wilson Trail Stage 3 does yield some scenic vistas, cool sights and -- if one allows for a short detour up the first hill encountered on the trek -- a visit to a ruined early 20th century redoubt up on Devil's Peak!

Unlike the two earlier sections of the Wilson Trail,
Stage 3 is located across Victoria Harbour
from Hong Kong Island

A sign post along the way that has
no mention whatsoever of the Wilson Trail

A view that shows how close city and countryside
are to each other in Hong Kong (with few,
if any, suburban areas existing in between)

Although the ruins of the redoubt at the top
of Devil's Peak is not officially part of Wilson Trail
Stage 3, we couldn't resist detouring up to it

One of many treasured snaps of a trigonometrical
station that I now have in my photo collection ;b

View from the former military site that takes in
part of the huge Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery

As improbable as it may seem, someone (or more)
has decided that the top of this 222 meter high peak
-- including the sections that are a former military
facility -- is a good place to cultivate a garden!

For the record: Carving noting for posterity
that the redoubt was built by the 40th Company
(of the (British) Royal Engineers) in 1914