CO129-554-6 Hong Kong University- 1. Appointment of Dr. Chen Shas Yi as head of Chinese Department... 18-3-1935 - 28-10-1935 — Page 34

Hong Kong Hills

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mediately to the south of the summit. The path crosses the stream and zig-zags up a grassy spur on the far side, eventually reaching a high pass on the ridge between Ma On Shan and Pyramid Hill. The ridge is followed to the top, passing close to the fine crag which falls sheer from the summit on its eastern side. Time, 21⁄2 hours from Tai Shui Hang.

The East Face from Sai Kung.-Seen from Port Shelter the bold eastern face of Ma On Shan looks almost impregnable, yet there is an easy path up the mountain from this side. Rather less than a mile north of Sai Kung a long wooded spur comes down to the coast, and a paved path leads up it to the village of Wong Chuk Yeung, about 700 feet above sea level. I reached this village one cloudy evening with about two hours of daylight to spare; in the still air the blue smoke from the cottages was rising into the grey blanket of mist which lay close above the roofs. A villager, whom I asked the way up the mountain, evidently thought that this mad Westerner should be discouraged from wandering on the hills so late in the evening in so thick a fog, and told me that no path existed. Not wishing to worry the kind man, I retraced my steps until out of sight, and than plunged through the bushes to an obvious path on the hillside behind the village. This took me up on to a spur and along a hummocky ridge towards the face of the mountain, with fine glimpses through the mist of the cliffs below the summit away to the right. The path turned to the left where the ridge joins the face, and finally reached the top of the south ridge about 500 yards from the summit. This climb takes about 2 hours from Sai Kung; the path is well shown on the R.A.F. map, sheets 15 and 16.

So much for the easy ways up Ma On Shan; those which can be climbed (almost) with the hands in the pockets.

The North East Face. This splendid mountain wall is thickly forested and difficult of access, but the botanist or scrambler will find it well worth a visit. Through the kindness of a friend in Tai Po our party was given a lift in a launch, which landed some of us in the bay to the east of White Head. It was a cloudy day, and most of the party scorned the delights. of scrambling in the mist, and landed further down the coast for a long walk over the lower hills. We started along a track which led hopefully up the glen behind Cheung Muk Tau; unfortunately it was only a cow track, and after meandering between the bushes as cow tracks do, it dis- appeared completely in the deep gorge at the head of the glen. burrowed our way up through a jungle, where wild pigs had evidently been grubbing for roots, and rather to our surprise managed to find a way out on to the ridge to the east. Here to our joy there was a path; it would probably have been better to start the climb from the foot of this spur, where it comes down to the sea at Nai Chung.

We

For another 500 feet of ascent we followed the path up the steep crest of the spur, until the latter merged into the N.E. face of the moun- tain. The path dwindled away, and the rest of the climb was through thick scrub, up a slope which was everywhere steep and in places precipitous. We took comfort from the thought that had we slipped on the damp and greasy rocks, the bushes would have prevented us from rolling far. Finally we emerged, breathless and triumphant, on the highest point of the Hunchbacks.

July 1935.

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