He is part of the big crowd who have taken to the trails through the city’s nature parks and hilly slopes. With cooler temperatures now, hiking season is in full swing.

Experts say there has been an explosion of interest in hiking since the start of the pandemic, with new enthusiasts exploring Hong Kong’s green and open spaces as an alternative to getting away.

Downloads of the popular hiking app TrailWatch doubled from 14,785 in 2019 to 28,979 last year, and stood at 29,591 as of November 22, while the Hong Kong Hiking Meetup group has seen membership shoot up from a few thousand to 26,059.

TrailWatch logged the top five most popular hotspots this year as The Peak area, which includes Mount High West which is 494 metres, Mount Parker Road, Shing Mun reservoir, Tai Tam Reservoir Road and Sha Tin Pass Road, where the fifth section of The MacLehose Trail is located.

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The company’s project director, Alicia Lui, said more women and younger people had taken to hiking too and, with travel still difficult, the interest in the activity looks likely to continue.

According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the number of visitors to country parks rose to 12 million last year, from 11.2 million in 2019.

But the increased interest in the outdoors has also resulted in more mishaps, with people getting injured falling off cliffs or becoming disoriented on their hikes.

The number of mountain rescues tripled from 215 in 2019 to 602 last year. As of October this year, there have been 810 rescues, according to the Fire Services Department (FSD). The number of injury cases shot up from 121 in 2019 to 322 last year and 500 as of October. There were 13 deaths in 2019, 11 last year and 10 as of October.

An FSD spokesman told the Post rescue operations were time-consuming and challenging, as many accidents occurred beyond the properly maintained trails and paths.

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Hiking Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail

Hiking Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail

‘When I hike, I feel at peace’

Before this year, Ng rarely went hiking in Hong Kong, though he has done so in places such as Japan and Poland.

Then friends invited him on a hike in September, and he was amazed by the different terrain and scenery his city had to offer.

He recalls his first hike to Castle Peak, the highest point in Tuen Mun at 583 metres, and being stunned by the rugged beauty of its reddish rocks and the views.

“I never thought Hong Kong had anything like that,” he says.

Since then, he has been waking up on Saturdays to head out early with two friends to far flung parts of the city, making sure to get there ahead of the crowds.

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On their five-hour hikes, the trio talk about work, life and even the state of their mental health, something Ng says they would never do in a crowded bar or restaurant.

“It is quite hard to bring up this kind of topic if we go for a drink or dinner, but when we are hiking, we can talk about everything,” he says.

Ng, who is single, says he has a demanding job with tough deadlines and targets, and although he often feels stressed at work, he cannot not talk about it with colleagues.

He told his hiking companions about difficulties he was having with co-workers, and although they did not provide a solution, being able to talk about it made him feel less alone.

“Deep talk with friends during a hike is an unexpected benefit. Hiking is not just good for my physical health, but also my mental health,” he says.

Hong Kong’s new hikers also include domestic helpers, who have started their own Facebook groups dedicated to the activity.

Some say their employers prefer them to avoid crowds, while others say hiking lets them do something different during the pandemic.

Filipino Annalyn Limit, 38, who has lived in Hong Kong for six years, used to spend her days off in her small room watching films or chatting with her family back home.

Last month, a friend encouraged her to join a group of domestic helpers on their weekly hikes and she went along.

She recalls reaching the top of Fu Shan Viewing Point on Lantau Island, and crying because she felt so sore and did not want to go all the way down.

“My feet ached and my muscles hurt so badly,” she says.

But she went again, and soon began looking forward to the time away from the city.

“Since the coronavirus pandemic, I sometimes feel stressed or miss my family,” she says. “But when I go hiking, I enjoy myself and feel at peace. I love the views.”

The group has set a target of completing the 100km MacLehose Trail which crosses much of the New Territories in sections of around 20km. So far they have completed four sections over two weekends.

What sets the group apart is the women pick up litter as they walk. Crumpled surgical masks are among the items frequently discarded along the trails.

Last weekend, the group collected about three bags of rubbish over the third and fourth section of the MacLehose trail.

Locals who spot them cleaning as they go sometimes thank the women, saying in Cantonese: “Do ze.”

Filipino Mary Jane Escalante, 43, another hiker in the group, says: “It is fulfilling when the locals say thanks, it makes us so happy.”

Safety and improvement opportunities

Michael Maddess, director at Action Asia Events, which organises trail running events, is heartened by the new interest in hiking and trail running, but stresses that safety is important.

On his regular hikes up High West mountain on Hong Kong Island, he sees many teenagers and young people in their 20s, a rare sight just a few years ago.

What disturbs him is seeing young hikers edging out on a cliff to take a selfie photo.

“I do hope the whole community is more careful when they go near cliff faces or rock ledges and stretch their arms out for that Instagram photo,” says the Canadian, who has lived in Hong Kong for 31 years.

With more people taking up hiking, Maddess feels there ought to be more education to remind them to stay safe.

“It is no different than being on a crowded street trying to take a selfie, when there are buses going by really fast,” he adds.

An FSD spokesman says hikers should plan their routes carefully, taking into account their physical condition, the gear they need and the weather.

“They should always go hiking with companions,” he says. “Hikers should not take short cuts or venture onto unmaintained paths in bushes or forests.”

They could also activate a GPS tracking app that allows the AFCD to record their location.

District councillor Paul Zimmerman agrees education is vital, but says there seems to be no stopping those who go off the beaten track or on dangerous hikes.

“You should be prepared for the trail you’re hiking. You must understand your limits, the challenge ahead, and you cannot just go without the necessary gear,” says Zimmerman, who is chief executive officer of Designing Hong Kong, a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainability.

He believes the new popularity of hiking presents an opportunity to improve pedestrian links.

Hiking routes start and end at roads next to MTR stations or by public bus stops, but they can be difficult to find and are often poorly designed and managed.

He suggests having sign posts, recycling and water facilities where the routes start and end, and also improving links.

As an example, he says the only way to get between the Shek O and Tai Tam Country Parks, at the Tai Tam Gap, is to walk along the narrow road.

Another crossing was along Shek O Road near To Tau Wan. On October 31, a 51-year-old woman hiker died after being hit by a car while crossing Shek O Road.

“Those are very important country parks but the connections are really awkward,” he says. “Safe links are missing.”