Hiking the twins and 1,000 steps of triumph
I’ve been excited about hiking in Hong Kong for quite some time now. Once we learned we were officially moving here, it was at the top of the list of things I wanted to do on the weekends. I don’t know if you’ve noticed from all the photos and videos I’ve been posting, but Hong Kong truly is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. Where else in the world do you have a city that holds 7 million people, with some of the worlds tallest skyscrapers, paired with mountains and beaches, making for some of the best outdoor activities?
So, why not start our hiking experience with one of the most difficult treks Hong Kong has to offer? I was up for the challenge, and ready to be amazed with the sights.
The Ascent
We began our journey by hopping a cab to Parkview, about a 20-minute drive from where we’re staying. Once we got out of the car it was another five minutes to the start of the trail, which heads towards Violet Hill.
Violet Hill
The start of the hike (we’ll call this the ‘warm up’) is fairly steep. It’s nothing but steps headed straight up, but luckily it only lasts maybe 10 minutes before we found ourselves in a clearing surrounded by mountains and valleys, with a views of the adjacent Hong Kong islands. This relatively “flat” area left me feeling inspired and motivated to continue the rest of the way up Violet Hill, which was still another 35 minutes or so to the top.
By this point we’re about 1.5 hours into the journey, with roughly another 45 minutes to go. Feeling tired, but not defeated. The views are now giving way to the Tai Tam Reservoir, Repulse Bay and…the looming Twin peaks. I remember having a ‘woah’ moment at the top of Violet Hill when I looked at the Twins and saw a tiny path etched up the side of the first mountain. I knew that’s where we were headed, but for some reason, seeing the path actually lined straight up the mountain made it all the more daunting. Still, we pressed on.
The Twins
Just before we began the hike up to the first peak, we came upon a clearing area where a bunch of other hikers were relaxing. I took these final few moments to collect myself, and avoid looking at the 1,000 steps that lay ahead of me.
I think the most difficult part about this hike aren’t necessarily the inclines (which would still make it incredibly tough), it’s that the majority of the hike is a giant stairwell. So, not only are you heading up a steep mountain, you’re having to pick your legs up each step of the way. Now, I know you’re thinking, “Lauren, you have to pick your legs up to walk naturally.” And yes, I get that, but try walking up hill verse, walking up hill on a flight of stairs. Additionally, some of the steps are wider than others, often requiring a double-step to get up to the next one. All of those little lifts start to burn after a while. Hello calves!
We now found ourselves headed skyward, up the infamous ‘thousand steps’ towards our final destination of Stanley beach.
The first peak is the longest stretch of steps and about half way I paused to take a break. Mistake. As soon as I stopped my muscles started quivering and I got a little bit dizzy. I also decided to turn around to see how far I’d come, and that was an even bigger mistake.
This, friends, is what panic sounds like:
“How high is this?”
“What if I fall backwards?”
“What if someone wants to quit?”
“Where do you turn back?”
“What if I CAN’T turn back?!”
“Who would find me here?!”
“What if there’s an earthquake and the entire mountain starts to crumble?”
“We’re all just sitting ducks.”
Before I could allow myself any darker thoughts, I was snapped back from my dizzy day dream by the sounds of hikers coming up behind me. There’s really not a lot of room to “scoot” over, allowing others to pass, so I was forced to keep moving. Which, looking back, is a good thing.
At the top of the first peak I was unbelievably tired, but still not overcome. The terrain in between the two peaks was tough, and because my legs were so shaky, I had to climb on all fours for some of it. I’m sure I looked absolutely ridiculous, but I couldn’t trust that my legs would support me, and I needed to conserve for the second peak. I knew that the second peak had less steps, which meant I was getting closer and closer to that beach. This gave me hope.
As we began cresting the second peak, I decided to take the lead, feeling this strange sense of purpose. I was ready to finish this thing. Twenty minutes later, in the distance I could see the last few steps. Then dirt and grass. This was it. I had reached the top of the second Twin…so, I started running?
Call it adrenaline. Runner’s high, maybe? No bullshit, it’s a real thing. When I got to the top, I was THAT person. Throwing my arms up, gasping for air and cheering. The thing is I was not messing around or trying to mock anyone. I don’t know that I’ve ever been more excited for something to be over in my life, yet thrilled with myself at the same time. When I got to the top, another hiker was on his way down, and gave me the biggest smile and thumbs up ever. He bowed at me and I felt like I could fly.
So, then I started running again. I DO NOT know what was going on. My heart rate was through the roof and my legs were nearly numb from all those steps, so I had to keep moving. Descending. Finally. Part way down the second mountain is a lookout point with panoramic views of Stanley. We stopped to catch our breath and drink some water. In just 10 minutes, we were done and officially on flat ground.
Stanley beach
The plan next was to take the bus to Stanley, a five-minute ride. WELL, one of us forgot our Octopus card (ok, it was me), so we were forced to walk the rest of the way to town. You would think this would have been annoying, but by that point I was still riding the adrenaline high, so it was ok. We’ll call this one the cool down.
In total, we amassed 10 miles, more than 20,000 steps in 2.5 hours. Lunch and celebratory drinks followed with a short walk through the Stanley market. It was a good day. And today I’m thankful for rest. Which is a good thing because there’s a typhoon coming.