https://www.scmp.com/rss/500248/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When Jason Kei took his son on a round-the-island cycling tour of Taiwan over Easter in 2019, he did not expect to have to fix a flat tyre on the very first day. The Hong Kong native and father of four had organised the trip around the Chinese island as a kindergarten graduation gift for his eldest son, Colin – then aged six. They spent over an hour that day making repairs, with Jason removing and replacing the rear wheel and Colin pumping up the new tyre. For the next 11 days, the pair rode... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3174258/12-day-cycling-road-trip-taught-boy-6-resilience-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3174258/12-day-cycling-road-trip-taught-boy-6-resilience-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Apr 2022 05:15:16 +0000 The first weekend of April is always a big one for cycling fans, with the Tour of Flanders, one cycling’s oldest and toughest single day classic races, dominating proceedings. And because of its historical significance and difficulty, this is one of only five World Tour road races to hold “monument” status. For more than a century the race has been at the heart of Belgian sporting culture, and the cycling-mad region is widely accepted as the home of global road bike racing. But on Sunday, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/how-guides/article/3172703/what-uci-gravel-world-series-all-you-need-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/how-guides/article/3172703/what-uci-gravel-world-series-all-you-need-know-about?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Apr 2022 01:30:18 +0000 As the technology in mobile phones has improved, so have the cameras that come with them, making them great at capturing decent images and videos on the fly. However, if you want something to get that perfect picture when you’re out biking, hiking or climbing around Hong Kong or elsewhere then a dedicated action camera is never a bad idea. And if you really want your images and videos to stand out, but still want to keep things simple and pocket-sized then there are some superb options out there... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3171960/sony-olympus-best-small-cameras-capture-your-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3171960/sony-olympus-best-small-cameras-capture-your-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Mar 2022 02:30:10 +0000 Having grown tired of the monotony of Covid-19 travel restrictions, a group of six Hong Kong-based Britons and one Australian set out to climb the city’s 50 highest peaks for charity at the turn of 2022. They were under no illusions as to the challenge facing them. But somehow, it was even harder than they anticipated, with the group twice driven from the mountains by brutal weather. “There were a couple of hikes where you take in 10 peaks each. That’s 20 peaks done, so it can’t be that hard, we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3169736/group-hikers-their-50s-and-60s-conquer-hong-kongs-50-highest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/hiking/article/3169736/group-hikers-their-50s-and-60s-conquer-hong-kongs-50-highest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:15:13 +0000 People in Hong Kong are enduring yet another lockdown in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, and for many it is depressing. An uplifting escape is at their doorsteps: 300 kilometres of nature trails and country parks that criss-cross the city. Briton Jake Tyler’s story highlights the power of reconnecting with nature. In March 2016, a week before his 30th birthday, Tyler, who was suffering from anxiety and depression, came close to committing suicide. The great outdoors was the tonic he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3163349/has-lockdown-got-you-down-how-walking-nature-saved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3163349/has-lockdown-got-you-down-how-walking-nature-saved?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jan 2022 08:15:21 +0000 On a Wednesday morning in Janda Baik, a lush, hilly area around 40 minutes from the Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur, a group of women start unloading their bicycles from their cars. They check their tyres, chains, gears and lights and don their gloves and helmets. The sun is out and the jungle surrounding them is wide awake. As usual, this Wednesday’s route was announced in the Bike in Nature group chat the day before. “We meet at 8.15am sharp and we start rolling at 8.30,” the message... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3161952/women-malaysia-meet-group-bicycle-rides-connect-nature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3161952/women-malaysia-meet-group-bicycle-rides-connect-nature?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jan 2022 23:15:21 +0000 The business career of Chinese triathlete and outdoor sportsman Zhang Heng, 51, is the embodiment of psychologist Marsha Sinetar’s saying, “Do what you love, the money will follow”. When Zhang’s technology start-up folded in 1997, it left him 270,000 yuan in debt. Not knowing what to do next, he set off for Tibet for three months to explore and to consider his options. There, the idea of setting up a nature-related business came to him. “I saw backpackers from America and Europe with top-notch... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3161526/nature-lover-bet-his-fellow-chinese-getting-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3161526/nature-lover-bet-his-fellow-chinese-getting-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jan 2022 05:15:18 +0000 Located on the Tibetan plateau, Namsei Township in China’s Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai province is home to endangered species including snow leopards.  The big felines have earned the district the name “Valley of the Cats."  It is inside Sanjiangyuan Park, one of the first wildlife areas to be included in China’s new national park system. https://www.scmp.com/china/welcome-chinas-valley-cats/article/3040157?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/welcome-chinas-valley-cats/article/3040157?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2019 10:10:06 +0000