Sunday, October 30, 2016

Braemer Hill (寶馬山) short hike

Duration: 
2 hours (7 km)

Difficulty: 2/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter

Appreciation: 7/10. There are not a lot of viewpoints but the ones that are there are unusual. And the trail itself is easily accessible, short, and mostly shaded. So that's a nice and easy summer trail for a Saturday morning, or, right at sunset, the main view would be quite spectacular.

Transportation: Take minibus 24M from Admiralty MTR exit A, get off at the terminus at the Mount Butler Estate. Return via Taikoo MTR.


Why it's worth it:

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Admiralty MTR station, exit A

The minibus stop is right off the exit, on your left. 24M. Ride should be about 15 minutes


You will be dropped off here at the terminus. Get out of the estate and head right on Mount Butler Road.


About 200m on Mt Buttler road, you'll be heading left at the junction. Still on Mt Buttler Road

Mount Buttler Road sort of merges into Sir Cecil's Ride. Go straight

After about 500m on Sir Cecil's ride, there will be a path on the left, just before the road curves on the right. There's a little sign with Chinese lettering. Take that path on the left.

Vistas will open up on your left

After about 1 kilometer on Sir Cecil, you'll reach this point (the little loop at marker 2.62km on the map). Go on the bushwack path on the left first to get to the peak and have the nice view. Then retrace your steps to come back to this fork, don't climb the stairs but instead continue on the path (right on the picture above)

Nice view. Would be even nicer on a clear day, or night.
Unfortunately, lots of morons left their rubbish there

This is despicable and by extension, IF YOU left your litter there, YOU ARE freakin' despicable!
There are no valid excuses! You brought it with you, bring it back and dispose it in a trashcan somewhere. I hope I would like to believe that no-one reading my blog would do this. But you can help in telling anyone you catch leaving trash behind that they have to pick it up. Sorry, done ranting now, but it makes my blood boiling that some idiots would think that they can make beautiful pictures but completely trash the environment in which they take these pictures
Follow Dan's directions, he knows his stuff! (Yeah right...)

Then, pretty straightforward, just keep going on
Sir Cecil's trail

Follow the map instructions, you'll eventually merge into the Quarry Bay Jogging Trail

Then follow your lovely hosts Dan and May's directions towards Mount Parker's Road.

Little shrine

Straight thru at the shrine, don't go right


There you go, Mount Parker road! Head left. You will come by a building, The Woodside, which has a small but nice exhibit on Hong Kong's fauna. Worth spending 20 minutes there. They keep going on Mount Parker road until you hit King's road in Taikoo, go right and the Taikoo MTR will be about a 200m walk on King's road.

Hike Hong Kong Web Site

HikeHongKOng on Facebook

Please, don't litter!

Hiking is about communion with nature. So please pickup after yourself. There's no excuse to leave plastic bags, water bottles or any rubbish on or around the trails; if you managed to bring it, you can manage to bring it back!