Hot on the trails

One of the things that makes Hong Kong such an appealing destination is the possibility of keeping fit in the great outdoors. Now that the weather has cooled dramatically, I have spent the past couple of weekends hiking paths that overlook the vistas from the heights of Dragon's Back, Lantau Peak and Victoria Peak.

The territory has a maze of trails to please the seasoned hiker. But where does a newcomer to the city begin to explore these trails? I looked to iTunes to download the apps that would point me in the right direction.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's (AFCD) Enjoy Hiking app is the most immediately useful, listing all the walks and trails by types and regions. The app provides trail information such as starting point, expected sights en route, difficulty level and a map of the route. So, now I had places to go.

But there were so many routes that I needed to get feedback from people who had walked the trails. I found it in the EveryTrail Pro app. It has guides and tips from experts, as well as members of the public, who have recorded their routes in detail and included photos. Many hikers use this app to share information.

I had read good things about Jardine's Lookout, so I took some visiting friends to conquer stage five of the Hong Kong Trail. But when we got to Hong Kong Parkview, the condominium on Tai Tam Reservoir Road where the stage began, I realised that there were trails leading in all directions. It was a case of the blind leading the blind.

The Enjoy Hiking app indicated the route would head towards Quarry Bay, so I led the group in a northeasterly direction only to find we were heading towards the Tai Tam Family Walk, a much easier trail that wouldn't give us the workout we wanted. I backtracked to the starting point and switched to EveryTrail Pro, which allowed me to track and record my signal directly on the topological trail map, and check with waypoints and pictures that we were on the right track.