Shocked

26.12.2005

27.11.2008
(Photo coutesy of Agence France-Presse)

好o野，又去嚕

(Photo courtesy of www.sandyandme.com)

又放個假先。。。

Trailwalker 毅行者 2008 （1）

原來自己比想象中tough.

查實兩個多月的訓練，都算為自己的體能作了一個很好的評估。。。

上山是ok的。

下山比較討厭，因自己負荷大（我體重不輕），所以對膝頭壓力不少。


對我來講原來通宵不眠才是最大的考驗。

我們上星期五早上11點起步，在風和日麗的環境下，與其他三千多個毅行者從北潭涌出發。出發點是保良局度假營。記得很久以前第一次來這個地方是跟很多親戚一塊兒來的。然後小學都試過來這兒作school picnic （話時話要un兩個鐘車從中環到西貢picnic爲什麽？我記得回程時我有嘔的）。


Anyway，我們38個小時的旅程就在北潭涌開始。

1. 2.

3.

1. Start of Trailwalker at Po Leung Kuk Holiday Camp at Pak Tam Chung

2. End the trail around Highland Reservoir at East Dam

3. The first hill up and then down to Long Ke

攀過浪茄、西灣山，我們隊長身體有點不對。其實，當天的氣溫實在溫暖，而且太陽高照，上西灣山的一段就是很多人癩野的地方。可能就是隊長沒有喝足夠的水分，所以到西灣亭時辛苦到不得了。往後他唯有慢慢支持到西灣村，即Check Point #1，補充體力，食個餐蛋麪，繼續向北潭凹(CP 2)進發。

大浪坳 - 赤徑 - 牛湖墩都是上上落落的一段，雖然登山的路段不大困難，但始終都是從大浪坳落山到水平綫上的赤徑，然後在急攀上海拔400米的高度。所以，隊長在傍晚到達北潭凹時決定退出，但希望小休之後可以在CP3（企嶺下/水浪窩）可以陪我們完成餘下的路段。

就這樣，我們繼續向第3段推進。根據之前訓練的經驗，第3、4、5段是100km的路程裏面最困難的路段。由於已經入黑，所以山就麻木的攀，有路就行。半夜前（先在嶂上食了碗豆腐花，hehe）越過雞公山到達CP3（企嶺下/水浪窩），與Support Team會合，而隊長亦已經恢復體力，換過衫，非常refresh。我們經過Support Team的呵護，換襪、換under、換衫，再次踏上征途，向馬鞍山進發。有人問入夜行上會否害怕？事實是，當晚有超過3千人通山跑，壯觀的是在山上可以看到一條長長的燈龍。。。一位每個人的頭上有頭燈或手持手電，所以從山下往上山，整個山頭都是一點點的光。Feels quite special。

4. 5.

4. CP1 at Sai Wan Tsuen

5. Tofu Fa at Cheung Sheung

雖然馬鞍山是很大的挑戰，但到睡覺時間，人已經開始有點神志不清。只有跟著前面的步伐，一步步往上行。馬鞍山過了，昂平、茅坪、打瀉油坳都順利完成。自己是第一個到達基維爾營地(CP4)，記得有沐浴設施的，便不理三七二十一沖了個熱水涼。。。哇，當時的感覺是在無敵！感覺就好像剛剛從沙漠出來，滿身是沙塵，在bath tub 浸個浴。。。呢呢呢，好似Ralph Fiennes 在 "The English Patient" 裏面一樣，哈哈。

Anyway，由於已經早上5點，實在很悃，而且有點涼，而隊長亦應要求讓我們hup 15 分鐘。那我們就在浴室外的石屎地上休息了15分鐘了。

（大會在每個CP預備了不同的飲料及食物，包括我摯愛的Ovaltine及花生醬夾麵包。也有蘑菇湯、番茄湯、葁茶、咖啡等）

6. 7.

8.

6. Rest Stop at CP3 (Shui Long Wo)

7. Checking in at CP3 with Firemen volunteers

8. Still 69km to go!

往後的3個鐘，就是在天就光的時段向沙田坳推進。在沙田坳食過麪後，在9點前到達筆架山(CP5)。由於天朗氣清，登上筆架山前可以欣賞整個在獅子山下九龍的全景。啓德早晨！又一村早晨！九龍塘早晨！

9. 10.

9. After snack at Shatin Pass

10. Panoramic view over Kowloon

大埔道是我們Support Team的第二個支援點，很累、很肚餓、很髒，總之辛苦。

又訓、又食、又換衫，今次還有按摩。。。哇簡直一流。。。在和暖的陽光下訓了20分鐘，精神爲之一振。

11. 12.

11. Sleep deprived... so had to take a small nap

12. On we go again after CP6

(TO BE CONTINUED...)

A Never-ending Hike

Descending from Grass Hill (草山) to Lead Mine Pass (鉛礦凹), before climbing up Tai Mo Shan (957m), which could be seen here on the upper left hand corner. Photo taken by teammate at 3:27pm on 8.11.2008, still 10 hours to go before our finish.

I Had a Dream

... in which I scaled the tallest peaks in Hong Kong,

saw shooting stars in a cloudless sky,

faced the cold north wind over ridgelines,

admired my beloved City at night,

chowed down energy bars as snacks,

and going non-stop for a day and a half...

#($*&!*(@(#!@

Wait a minute, that wasn't a dream,

that's what I was doing for over 38 hours.

D-1

Track our progress

The 44th President of the United States of America

Called by Yahoo! and the SF Chronicle (among others) at 8:19pm PST...

D-3: Unfavourable weather forecasted

D-6

Cloudy panoramic view from Jardine's Lookout

Two months of training covered 95% of the actual MacLehose Trail, sections of Wilson Trail, 99% of Hong Kong Trail. This is the most hiking I've ever done in a season, and the grand daddy of it all is still coming... in 4 days.



So, on D-6 (Nov 1), we did the 2nd half of Hong Kong Trail, picking up from where we left off more than a month ago, from Parkview, through Jardine's Lookout, Mount Bulter, Tai Tam Reservoir, To Di Wan, Dragon's Back, and diverted to Siu Sai Wan through Pottinger Gap and Pottinger Peak and Cape Collinson.

These make up Stages 5 to 8 of Hong Kong Trail. I've done the first two sections alot. The last one was quite memorable, as AM, MM, H, and I stumbled upon a new explosives depot at the base of the Jardine's Lookout Quarry... well, the rest is, let's just say, history. Another time I did it with a whole bunch of people, gosh there must be over 10 people. I do remember one guy (whom I don't know so well) walked from Parkview to the tip of Jardine's Lookout, only to turn back to Parkview when we began the descend down to the quarry... you ask me why? He said he's afraid of heights.

The hike between Tai Tam Reservoir and To Di Wan (土地灣) was very boring as you walk along this catchwater for about 7km (like... 2 hours?). You do get a little bit of a view overlooking Tai Tam Bay and Redhill (紅山半島). There's a Hobie Club there and from operator, it seems a popular spot for ex-pats.

土地灣, end of Stage 7 of Hong Kong Trail,

藍記士多 selling drinks and noodles open on weekends

Dragon's Back (龍脊) along mountain ridges

Stage 8 of HK Trail features a very well-known section called "Dragon's Back". I remember it was last year when AM decided to lead a group hike there... about 8 of us again. Then we hiked up from the bus stop above 土地灣, walked across the hill half way up, and about an hour later, we ended up at the same spot where we began... Clearly somebody didn't do their homework, hahaha. Anyway, this time I finally got to this section which Time Magazine declared in 2004 the Best Urban Hike in Asia. It was a bit drizzly and windy on Saturday, but the view towards both sides of the Dragon's Back is quite amazing. One the right you have the ultra-exclusive Shek O Road/Big Wave Bay Road (石澳道/大浪灣道) houses as well as an enclave of villas at Shek O Headland (石澳山仔); and on the left you have the highrises of Tai Tam, clusters of houses on Redhill and Tai Tam Road as well as a distant view of Stanley and Tung Tau Wan Road (赤柱/東頭灣道). Lots of top properties here on this side of the Island. It's not a difficult hike at all, and compared to the "3 star" rating on MacLehose Trail, thses trails on Hong Kong Island really pales in comparison.

Shek O and Shek O Headland

So anyway, this would be our last preparation for our monumental hike on Friday. Wish me luck, and hopefully I will be able to take some pictures along the way and capture the spirit and excitement of the event.

Picture taken at the Pottinger's Peak Lookout Point looking back at Shek O/Big Wave Bay. This is almost the easternmost point of Hong Kong Island.