#hikingfever

[addapin-blog]

When nature creates it's own pops of color 😍 #nofilter #samsunggalaxys8 #inlovewithnature . . . #hiking #muirwoods #canopytrail #green #verde #naturephotography #naturesbeauty #forrest #nature #yellow #amarillo #hikingfever #californiahikes #california #addapin (at Muir Woods Redwood Forest)

[beyondlimitsonfootphotography]

One of the older pictures left on my phone, dreaming of going back here!!! #beyondlimitsonfoot ⛰ #backpacking #hikingfever #hike #snow #traillife #exploremore #outdoors #adventuremore #optoutside #getoutside #hikeit #hikecalifornia #hikemore #need #intothewild #wilderness #cottonwoodlakes #eastersierra #californiaadventure #naturelover https://www.instagram.com/p/B-zRwH1BZRb/?igshid=1b2nwcdakospw

[hikingnewbie]

Lei Yue Mun to Mau Wu Shan

Difficulty 4/5

If it’s your first hike, it’ll be a struggle but worth it I think because it really catapulted my base fitness way up.

Incline & Decline 4/5

My biggest issue with the trail was how much going up and down there was. I mean I know it’s hiking, but was probably a bit too much for a rookie that hasn’t gone hiking in ages. My legs were sore for quite a few days after. 

IG worthy? 3/5

I know there are plenty of other hikes in Hong Kong that will give you gorgeous photos, but I gave it a solid 3/5 because the views with the concrete jungle and greenery is just awesome. It was quite gloomy so I’m sure if you go on a nice & sunny day it’ll be quite the photos. I prefer it cloudy anyway. I’d rather be able to walk the trail, than have amazing photos for IG with sun. 

# of hours

Took us a good 3-4 hours because we kept stopping... sorry.

Breakdown of the Hike

Did part of Wilson Trail Section 3 from Lei Yu Mun, but took a detour rather than staying on section 3. Detour took us to Mau Wu Shan instead of continuing to Ma Yau Tong which is where section 3 continues to.

If you’re a beginner hiker, like me, doing the entire Wilson Trail Section 3 will likely take you a while. Although we started at 9.45 am, by the time we were halfway it was already past 12 pm. We took it very slow, stopping quite frequently to take photos of the view... and because this couch potato couldn’t keep going.

Getting to the trail is a hike in itself. A concrete hike.

From Yau Tong MTR station, it was took us about 15 minutes to get to the trail. This wasn’t a flat walk on nice soft grass... no this was uphill in the middle of the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong.  If you’re a couch potato like me, I guarantee you’ll be tired before you even start the trail.

Even the “walk” (hike) to the start of Wilson trail had a decent view. 

Honestly, by the time we reached the start of Wilson Trail Section 3, I was already exhausted. So we took a breather to look at the map of the trail.

*YOU ARE HERE* = Lei Yun Mun. Mau Wu Shan is about halfway on the right. 

When you reach the top of the stairs,  turn right -->  

Otherwise you’ll head towards Lam Tin. 

Where we started Wilson Trail, it is actually quite pleasant. It’s a concrete path (not ideal for your poor knees) but it did make it an easy warm up walk. There’s some slight potato couch friendly incline at times. Perfect for a beginner hiker! (”This is wonderful” I thought to myself. It’s like I’m a hiker!)

Quite quickly, you’ll stumble upon the sign that says “Devil’s Peak” it’s a perfect stop for photos and to take a breather. There’s two options it seems, the first Devil’s Peak (Gough Battery) and the Top Battery Devil’s Peak. I’m unsure of the difference, but we decided to ignore the first Devil’s Peak sign and continue walking to go up to the Top Battery instead. 

When you get to the second option for the Devil’s Peak, it’ll look like this. Quite a bit more intimidating than the concrete slope down where the first sign for Devil’s Peak. This is not for the faint, but a fun climb though to get started. Just make sure you’re not hiking in high heels... 

View from Devil’s Peak

Heading back down from Devil’s Peak to continue on the trail. This is the main reason why I would not recommend going up to Devil’s Peak if you have issues with climbing, it’s steep climbing up but getting down is the difficult part, even for the well-balanced individuals.

Thankfully helpful hikers have set up ropes along the path. Otherwise you’d be flailing your arms like a crazy person trying to keep your balance. 

Continuing to walk from Devil’s Peak towards Black Hill

Yes, that’s all uphill (then downhill.) Final thoughts... it’s a wonderful hike, but honestly very intense for a first one... if you want to challenge yourself though - go for it! Just take short but frequent breaks to catch your breath. 

[outdooropportunist]

The Hiker’s Paradox

In this day and age many live in urban centers where hiking, camping, the “great outdoors” and all it’s magnificent beauty, can’t really be enjoyed in day to day life. So many (including myself) take off, for weekends, mountains, some going so far as to take planes and adventure in other countries.  Without even touching on the issues with trash left by fellow voyagers (leave no trace people!), the very act of driving a car for a few hours, taking a plane, to hike on trails that cut through the ecosystems, brings forth the paradox: To love it to destroy, for our actions hurt the environment - so begs the question - do we truly love nature? At what point is it selfish of us to explore the “great outdoors”? What kind of traveling is ethically OK? I don’t have answers, just the start of many questions.

[addapin-blog]

#tbt to #costarican #jungle ⛰ Does anyone just want to build a treehouse and just live in the middle of this or is it just me? 😂 . . . #hikeeveryday #hikingfever #hikinglife #hike #exploreeverything #exploretogether #travelbloggeres #travelmore #travelers #wanderlust #couplegoals #addapin #greenjungle #greenery #nature #naturalbeauty #beautiful #outdoors #naturephotography