Hikers underestimate danger of ‘suicide cliff’ in Hong Kong, experts warn, after tourists trapped during tropical storm

Two visitors from mainland China ran into trouble on Kowloon Peak on Saturday and were rescued after an extensive operation involving 160 firefighters

Reading Time:3 minutes

Kowloon Peak, the highest mountain on the Kowloon Peninsula, is an advanced-level hike as it involves climbers scrambling up narrow paths, but its popularity is growing thanks to social media coverage. Photo: Edward Tin

Published: 3:30pm, 28 Aug 2017Updated: 8:07pm, 27 Sep 2017

A rocky section of trail in Hong Kong dubbed “suicide cliff”, where two mainland Chinese tourists were stranded in a tropical storm over the weekend, is increasingly popular with travellers who underestimate the risks involved, according to hiking experts.

The pair, aged 31 and 47, ran into trouble on Kowloon Peak on Saturday, and were rescued after an extensive operation involving 160 firefighters on Sunday. They had gone hiking after the Hong Kong Observatory issued a tropical cyclone warning signal No 1 – the lowest on the city’s alert scale – for Tropical Storm Pakhar. But during the rescue mission, that increased to a No 8 typhoon warning as the city was blasted by heavy rain and wind speeds of up to 117km/h.

The two tourists were sent to hospital on Sunday afternoon and both have since been discharged, according to Hong Kong authorities.

Hong Kong Hikers director Steve Pheby said he knew Kowloon Peak “like the back of my hand” and had hiked it 13 or 14 times in the past 18 months alone. He told the Post the hike was known colloquially as “suicide cliff”.

“My first thought was, what were they doing up there during those winds?” he said. “It’s very dangerous because it’s so steep.”

An extensive operation involved 160 firefighters on Sunday to help the two stranded tourists.

In recent years, more people have been attempting the walk, prompted by dramatic photos on social and mainstream media, he said.