Hong Kong’s gorgeous greenery makes for some fantastic hikes but it’s important to be well prepared. Outdoors enthusiast LOUISE COURTENAY shares her tips for five things to take on every hike.
#1 An armful of advice
Always be well prepared; maps are essential whether they’re an app on your phone or paper ones. Ask other people for advice on where to go and when, plus don’t forget to check out the weather in advance. Hong Kong’s rainstorms can be powerful, making flash floods and landslides possible. Download the Hong Kong Observatory app and enable notifications, or keep an eye on hko.gov.hk.
#2 The right gear
A good daypack is a necessity to hold the essentials: water, mosquito repellent, sun cream, hat, phone and your emergency medical pack. If you’re happy to buy second-hand, check out the For Sale noticeboards of schoolnoticeshk.com for pre-loved bags, boots and other hiking gear.
#3 Sustenance
You can’t always guarantee food stops along the way so pack plenty of food and water to keep you going. Remember, hold onto your trash until you see a rubbish bin!
#4 A hiking buddy!
Exploring by yourself gives you the freedom to go wherever, whenever, but walking in a group is much more fun. Plug yourself into a hiking network, make new friends and discover new parts of the SAR. You can find a walking group or open up your group to others with a post on the Community Noticeboard of School Notices.
#5 A bag for collecting rubbish
We all want to enjoy our beautiful Hong Kong hikes so let’s make an effort to keep them clean for others. I always encourage my kids to collect rubbish wherever we are – our family motto is “take three for the sea and a few for the view”. Community clean-ups are happening all around HK, so tap into a network and help out!
School Notices is a free online noticeboard and marketplace for families at the international schools here in Hong Kong. Join up at schoolnoticeshk.com.
Stay Safe: Remember to download the government app Enjoy Hiking and to activate the tracking service before hitting the trails.
See more in our Things To Do section!
