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Barely five hours upon my arrival in Hong Kong, after having dinner with my grandparents, I was on the MTR with a 7-kilo backpack (not really that heavy, but enough to rob me of a few millimeters of height and loads of calories) and tripod, on my way to Lantau Island. I admit that I was nervous, not knowing what craziness drove me to agreeing to join an overnight hike to the peak of Hong Kong’s second-tallest hill at 938m above sea level. The last time I had attempted anything of this nature was a day trek across Hong Kong island a year and a half ago. In between… the closest I had was Bukit Timah hill.
The ascent was slow and labourous, winds were strong and the air dry and thin. But oh! The night sky of stars… never have I seen so many, and so brightly, since my days in Australia. The crescent moon was rising behind us, faintly illuminating our way. Light from torches fell on a terrain of mainly dirt road, chiseled stone steps and rocks. We took care not to step on the earthworms, some dead and surrounded by ants, and the many ‘roaches and centipedes that occasionally scuttled across the path. Now and then, someone would point to the front and shout, “shooting star!”
We came across groups of locals along the way, some out of breath, telling us to “go on ahead first”. There were many hikers that night… more than I had expected. Looking straight ahead, I could see a trail of moving lights heading up the hill.
Typhoon signal no. 1 was hoisted by the time we reached the summit (it would escalate to no. 9 the next day). Despite the winds, the haze came, and obscured the view and faraway city lights, casting an mystical orange glow around the mountains. Up there, we rested, and waited. I set to work with my camera, stealing a little shut-eye in between exposures. Around us, some hikers assembled their makeshift pantries and started cooking instant noodles and sausages. I devoured two cereal bars and some Toblerone.
The sunrise came and went quickly - a yellow peeking yolk. It wasn’t that spectacular nor particularly golden, but it was a worth it. Worth sacrificing sleep for, worth remembering.
The treacherous way down was a test of mental willpower (heights!) as much as it was a trial of endurance. I admit I cheated by having others share my load… but still! We made it!
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More photos on Flickr.
