2024 Hong Kong Hiking: Luk Shan and Kau To Shan

Luk Shan and Kau To Shan are located in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. Although not very high, Luk Shan is 407 meters and Kau To Shan is 399 meters (Figure 13). The road conditions are not good, mainly dirt and gravel roads, with a section of highway in the middle. It is a relatively niche hiking route, but both mountains are on the "100 Peaks" list, so this route is also relatively mature. Today's itinerary is: Lok Lo Ha Village - Ma Lok Path - Kau To Shan - Tai Po Kau Forest Track - Luk Shan - Tai Po Kau Nature Trail - Chung Tsai Yuen, with a total length of 8.5 km, an ascent of 720 meters, and a total time of 3 hours. Taking bus 66K from Sha Tin Station to Ma Lok Path is ideal, but I couldn't find it, so I had to take bus 88K to Lok Lo Ha Village, which added 100 meters of ascent to Ma Lok Path. Go up the mountain from the end of Ma Lok Path (Figure 14, top left). The trailhead is not very obvious, and the first few steps are a bit steep, so you need to pull on the rope to climb up. This section of the road is basically in the forest (Figure 7), and you can overlook Sha Tin along the way (Figures 5 and 6). There are red leaves on the road (Figure 8). It takes about 40 minutes to reach the top of Kau To Shan, where the terrain is open and the scenery is beautiful (Figures 1-4). After going down the mountain and crossing a hill, you will reach Tai Po Kau Forest Track, which is a concrete road (Figure 10). There are two guys camping on the open ground (Figure 9). The end of the forest track turns into a mountain road again. In the middle of Figure 14, change from the "yellow road" to the "orange road". Go to the top right of Figure 14 and change back to the yellow road to go up the mountain. Although there is a road closure sign here, it does not affect hiking. Turn right to climb the mountain at the bottom left of Figure 14. After about 10 minutes and an ascent of about 100 meters, you will reach the top of Luk Shan, but the view is blocked by trees. Return the same way, go down the mountain along the orange road at the top right of Figure 14, go to the starting point of Tai Po Kau Nature Education Trail (bottom middle of Figure 14), and then go down the road to Chung Tsai Yuen (bottom right of Figure 14). Turn right to the bus stop, where you can go to Tai Po Market Station to transfer to the East Rail Line. This route is really niche. Although it is sunny today and suitable for hiking, there are less than ten people on the mountain, and three of them are foreigners.