Danger lurks as Hong Kong’s hiking hordes discover city’s green country trails, stunning mountain views
- Unable to travel during pandemic, thousands head outdoors, but mishaps and injuries have risen too
- Experts, fire service urge caution, advise novice trekkers to plan ahead, avoid hazardous selfies
Sam Ng wakes up at 6am every Saturday to meet his friends and go hiking in Hong Kong. It is a big change from before the coronavirus pandemic, when weekends meant going out mainly to eat and drink.
The 34-year-old, who works in a private bank, says he was surprised to discover how much he enjoyed spending time in nature after accompanying friends on a trek in September.
“It has added some spice to my life,” he says with a laugh.
He is part of the big crowd who have taken to the trails through the city’s nature parks and hilly slopes. With cooler temperatures now, hiking season is in full swing.
Experts say there has been an explosion of interest in hiking since the start of the pandemic, with new enthusiasts exploring Hong Kong’s green and open spaces as an alternative to getting away.
Downloads of the popular hiking app TrailWatch doubled from 14,785 in 2019 to 28,979 last year, and stood at 29,591 as of November 22, while the Hong Kong Hiking Meetup group has seen membership shoot up from a few thousand to 26,059.
