They may not boast the challenges of Everest or the romance of Kilimanjaro but the peaks and cliffs of Hong Kong provide plenty of opportunities for local climbers. Chung Kin-man recommends these seven local summits, in order of preference
1 Kowloon Peak: 'This is by far my favourite. It's wild and takes almost two hours to walk to the top. You could spend an entire year there and still not have climbed all the courses.' Located near Ngau Tau Kok, Kowloon Peak has at least 16 main climbing areas and provides courses from 30 metres to over 152 metres in length. The most famous climbing areas on the Kowloon Peak are the Majestic Slabs and the ominously named Suicide Wall, located in the lower slopes on the southwest side and on the upper east face respectively.
2 Lion Rock: 'When the sunlight hits the Golden Wall it lights up. It is very beautiful. Brazen Wall on the other side has multiple pitches and there's this one place you have to literally swing your legs above your head in order to get to. It's for more experienced climbers and the corrosion of the rocks also provides an element of risk.' Lion Rock (above), with some 91 metres of vertical rock, is located north of Kowloon City. The two main walls, the Golden Wall and the Brazen Wall, are full of bolts and have abseil chains on top and at standing points on the way up, Lion Rock is regarded as very safe despite being ranked 'hard, very severe' - rock climbing's second highest level of difficulty.
3 Shek O: In 1994, Chung, in his capacity as chairman of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Union, officiated at the wedding ceremonies of two adventurous couples dangling above the sea in Shek O. 'I prefer mountains but Hong Kong has many sea cliffs and they are much more accessible. Shek O is a great place and you don't have to walk two hours to get there.' The cliffs in Shek O are located on a small island, Tai Tau Chau, at the far end of the main village. There are four major climbing areas ranging from three metres to 34 metres in length.
4 Tung Lung Chau: A favourite destination for Hong Kong climbers. Says Chu Ka-wai, 23: 'Tung Lung Chau is great because you can find anything you want there. Courses with good landings and of different difficulties and lengths are all located in the same place.' Tung Lung Chau is a small island at the western approach of Hong Kong's harbour. On weekends and public holidays a ferry runs from Sai Wan Ho to the island. The main climbing areas, the Technical Wall and the Sea Gully Cliffs, are located on the northeast corner. The course lengths vary from 10 metres to 76 metres.
5 Amah Rock: Says Chung: 'This is the famous rock people say resembles a woman waiting for her husband.' Located on the hillside above the Sha Tin exit of the Lion Rock Tunnel, Amah Rock is only 12 metres in height, but it is regarded as a difficult and dangerous climb.