Sharp Peak 蚺蛇尖

With the new COVID-19 regulations in place, our camping trip for this weekend was cancelled. But hey, why not take advantage of it and go hiking? We decided to venture out to Sai Kung because Momentai has the new Gwei-Lo beer on tap which John was dying to try - Bohemoth x Gwei Lo Hazy IPA.

Among all the trails in Sai Kung, Sharp Peak offers one of the best views in Hong Kong. This is not the first time we have hiked Sharp Peak. I have just never done the "normal" route before. The last time we had done it was through Nam She Wan via taking a boat from Wong Shek Pier.

Today was one of the best days to go hiking. It was 15 degrees celsius in the morning, sunny but hazy, dry and breezy. We made our way to Sai Kung and took the minibus to Uk Tau 屋頭 to start the trail. We followed the trail to To Kwa Peng 土瓜坪, Chek Keng 赤徑, towards Ham Tin Wan 鹹田灣 direction. This is the same trail as MacLehose Trail 2. We turned off at Tai Long Au 大浪坳, where there was a government warning sign to stop us from proceeding up the unmaintained trail. Obviously we disregarded it and continued to hike up the Nam She Tsim Trail. Another option is to get off at Pak Tam Au 北潭凹, and follow the same MacLehose Trail 2.

After 30 minutes of hiking through the narrow shady single track, the trail became steep, dry and dusty with loose rocks. We had to use our hands at some point to scramble up. The area also became exposed and super windy. I could feel myself swaying in the strong wind. It took us approximately another 40 minutes to scramble up to reach the Sharp Peak. At the summit, the wind got much stronger. The panoramic view of the three beaches in front of us, Nam She Wan behind us and all the green mountainous ridges around us looked amazing.

We left the summit after lunch as it had become crowded. Most people took the exit through the ridges and beaches. We returned to the same route to avoid the crowds, although it was sketchy to go down the loose steep sections. At this point, backtracking to the boring concrete path of Pak Tam Au felt really long. Luckily the bus was arriving just as we got to the road. Of course, visiting Momentai was a must for their fresh local beer to end our fantastic adventurous day.

Sharp Peak is considered one of the most treacherous hiking trails in Hong Kong. As you can tell by the name, it offers the sharpest summit. To be honest, for any experience hiker (and obviously with certain fitness level), this is a totally doable hike. I would suggest to bring hiking poles, a pair of gloves (just in case), and wear a pair of comfortable yet good grip hiking boots.

Take advantage of the weather and enjoy the hike!

Uk Tau to Tai Long Au sceneries:

From Nam She Tsim Trail to Sharp Peak