Hong Kong’s strict pandemic control measures closed many sports facilities so people chose to go outdoors, hitting the city’s hiking trails, said Lobo Louie Hung-tak, a senior lecturer in outdoor sports and wilderness experience at Education University.

“But many beginners don’t realise that hiking needs basic skills and training like other sports,” he said. “Some people just think, ‘I have two legs, I can go hiking.’”

Like other outdoors enthusiasts, he advised newcomers to learn some basic hiking skills and know how to use equipment needed for trails presenting different challenges. He also suggested that hikers choose routes carefully.

Two country parks in Sai Kung Peninsula saw the highest number of rescue requests over the past three years.

Sai Kung East Country Park had 263 search and rescue requests, with 106 people injured and five dead, the highest number of fatalities across all country parks. Ma On Shan Country Park had 265 requests, with 110 injured and one dead.

Professional mountaineer Conway Leung Nim-ho said the two country parks in Sai Kung had easily accessible but dangerous spots, which meant there was a potential for mishaps.

Both were also popular for canyoning, which includes trekking along river trails and swimming, which was risky too.

Even though Ma On Shan had difficult routes with steep cliffs, he said, people were attracted to the park because they could get there easily by public transport and it had restaurants and cafes too.

“The east side of the hill is covered by thick jungle and there are loose rocks from the cliffs,” he said. “Hikers can easily slip down from the famous cliff Tiu Shau Ngam.”

While Sai Kung East was less easily accessible, its well known Sharp Peak could be reached easily from Sai Kung’s popular tourist spots Tai Long Wan and Chek Keng.

Leung said unprepared hikers were likely to lose energy and risked heatstroke because the hill had little vegetation and shade.

Nine of Hong Kong’s 24 country parks recorded deaths. The second-highest number of fatalities after Sai Kung East Country Park occurred at Lantau South Country Park, where four people died.

Pat Sin Leng Country Park in the northeast of the city recorded three deaths, while Lion Rock Country Park, the city’s iconic mountain in Sha Tin, saw two fatalities.

Louie said casualties could occur along both difficult and “user-friendly” routes.

“Lion Rock mountain is always regarded as accessible and friendly, so a lot of people ignore safety instructions and even go there alone, making tragedies happen,” he said.

Other mountaineering routes, like the ones in Lantau and Sai Kung, were simply too hard for inexperienced hikers and it was hard to get help if a hiker twisted an ankle or had chest pain, he added.

Veteran mountaineer Chung Kin-man advised people not to hike alone and to prepare properly before going on a trek and check that they are fit enough to attempt particular routes.

Noting that many mishaps involved solo hikers, he said: “It’s best to hike with people who have experience.”

He said that unlike in the past, when hikers did a lot of planning, by reading books and designing their routes, people nowadays tended to be more impromptu, relying merely on online information for their outings.

Despite the increase in hiking accidents, Hong Kong’s outdoors enthusiasts still believed that the country parks were gems worth exploring as a getaway from the city’s dense urban living.

Education University’s Louie said hikers could turn to mountaineering clubs or organisations to be better prepared for their outdoor adventures.

He also urged the authorities to do more to promote safe hiking, especially among students, and make nature areas more accessible.

“Even though we have information from different departments, the point is whether people ever see them. How they deliver those safety messages to users, that’s something the government should do,” he said.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Cheung