At the start of trail-race season, we sit down with three of Lantau’s biggest trail-race organisers to discuss the beauty of the trails and their lure for world-class athletes and social hikers alike.
Reporting By: Raphael Blett
Photos courtesy of: Action Asia Events, Barclays Moontrekker & TransLantau (Sunny Lee)
At 142km², Lantau is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island (78,59km²) and far less densely populated, meaning there is still a whole lot of unspoilt countryside to enjoy.
The beauty and scope of Lantau’s hiking trails is world-renowned and the island’s geological diversity means there is a hike or run for everyone, regardless of fitness level, to enjoy.
The 70km, 12-sectioned Lantau Trail, which loops around the island, is probably the best-known but there are countless others, from the Tung O Ancient Trail with its time-old rock formations, to the somewhat newer, ultra-steep Ngong Ping 360 Rescue Trail, which as its name suggests, was built to rescue cable car passengers in the event of a breakdown.
The only way to truly appreciate these trails is to get out there and run or hike them – whether socially or competitively. To encourage you to do just that, and to mark the start of trail-race season this October, we talk to Michael Maddess, Sabrina De Nadai Dumont and William Sargent, the organisers of some of Lantau’s biggest trail races.
SPACE TO RACE
“Many areas across Hong Kong are able to hold world-class running and training events, but the fact that Lantau is Hong Kong’s last ‘Shangri-La’ makes it special,” opens Michael Maddess, Director and CEO of Action Asia Events, who organises numerous trail races both across Hong Kong and internationally.
With the CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks taking place on October 2, the Lantau 50 is the next big Lantau race being organised by Action Asia Events (www.actionasiaevents.com). Scheduled for December 10, the Lantau 50 starts and ends in Tung Chung, with competitors choosing to run either 16km, 27km or 54km. All three courses loop around the island, with the longer distances taking runners up and over both Lantau and Sunset peaks.
“When Action Asia Events gets feedback from international participants, the first thing most say is that Lantau is one of the few places where they can be running next to an ocean and then climbing immediately up a steep peak, with stunning surrounding panoramic views all the way back down,” Michael says.
Echoing Michael, Sabrina De Nadai Dumont, Co-founder of TransLantau says: “Participants in the TransLantau get to push their limits as their eyes feast on the landscape of undulating hills and long coastline, untouched by the urbanisation of Hong Kong.”
Running from October 28 to November 18, TransLantau (translantau.utmb.world) is an UTMB World Series Event. On trails for 80% of the time, it covers two of Lantau’s country parks, and there are four courses to choose from: 25km, 50km, 100km and the new ultra-distance 140km. Visual highpoints that runners get to experience along the way include Kau Ling Chung, Sham Wat and Lantau Peak.
“There are many stunning points on Lantau from north to south: Tiger’s Head, Sunset Peak and Ngong Ping,” Sabrina says. “My favourite trail is the descent to Tai O.”
For William Sargent, Founder of Barclays MoonTrekker, section 5 of the Lantau Trail is “probably” the most beautiful. “It’s tough for me to say which trail is my favourite, but I would say the Kwun Yam Shan climb is one of the most stunning,” he explains.
Barclays MoonTrekker (www.barclaysmoontrekker.com), scheduled for December 3 to 4, starts at night in Mui Wo and ends on Cheung Sha beach.
Competitors choose either the 30km or 40km course to see if they can reach the summit of Lantau Peak before sunrise to enjoy of one Hong Kong’s best dawn views.
Asked to sum up the lure of the Lantau trails, William says: “First, there is the topography – beautiful beaches, steep mountains, flat terrain. There’s a real mixture and, with the exception of Sunset Peak, trails on Lantau are not crowded, you can often enjoy the views all to yourself.”
SOCIAL HIKING
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, amateur hiking has become a common weekend activity in Hong Kong, with people grabbing the opportunity to get outdoors and active, while enjoying some incredible scenery. The draw for some is climbing a couple of Hong Kong’s highest peaks, for others it’s the opportunity to spot rare and indigenous wildlife, fauna and flora.
The downside is that more hikers on the trails has resulted in a 181% increase in mountain rescue incidents: Only 121 hiking injuries cases were reported in 2019 with figures jumping to 322 in 2020. To tackle this problem, a range of measures, including the 50222 SMS hiker tracking service, have been introduced. Manned by the Communications Association of Hong Kong, the 50222 SMS enables hikers to report their location each time they encounter a distance post. Fitness tracking apps, such as Strava, have also incorporated position sharing features to help facilitate rescue efforts.
With safety in mind, Michael is keen to remind hikers to be responsible and well-prepared: “Pack a map, extra food and water, and a water filter or purification tablets in case you run out. Take a drybag to keep your rain jacket, headlamp and phone inside; and make sure your phone is fully charged or has a spare battery.”
When hiking the trails, encounters with snakes are a very real possibility, something William, who is also the founder of the Hong Kong Snakes Facebook page, considers a plus. “Cobras, king cobras, pythons… Lantau has it all,” he says with delight. “Hiking through long grass or overgrown trails, you’ve a fair chance of encountering a White-Lipped Pit Viper waiting for his prey.” A snake enthusiast since a very young age, William is quick to point out that snakes only bite defensively, so if you don’t bother them, they’re unlikely to bother you.
TRAILS TO TRAIN ON
No doubt, hiking Lantau’s trails isn’t a walk in the park and Michael points out that everyone, professional runners and social hikers alike, should pick trails that match their fitness levels – and get some training in beforehand.
“If you’re after an easy mountain marathon with little elevation, then South Lantau Country Trail is a good start,” he says. “But if you’re training for a race, and you want a lot of vertical, then it makes sense to have a go at the stairs from all directions – Wong Lung Hang Valley up to the top in a vertical sprint – or see how much of Lantau Peak you can actually run versus fast hiking.”
“You can also get off the trail for a change and do a bit of coasteering around Chi Ma Wan or from Discovery Bay to Hong Kong Disneyland at low tide, bouldering along the coastline,” Michael adds.
“Lantau’s trails are great training spots, especially on weekdays when there are few people about,” Sabrina concludes. “If you want to train, Chi Ma Wan is a must: While many parts are runnable, you feel deep in nature.”