Group of hikers in their 50s and 60s conquer Hong Kong’s 50 highest peaks for charity, braving brutal weather and rocky routes
- Six Britons and one Australian set out to climb Hong Kong’s highest mountains to find purpose amid monotony of Covid-19 travel restrictions
- Group raises nearly HK$88,800 for Hong Kong Cancer Fund, which has struggled for donations during the pandemic
Having grown tired of the monotony of Covid-19 travel restrictions, a group of six Hong Kong-based Britons and one Australian set out to climb the city’s 50 highest peaks for charity at the turn of 2022.
They were under no illusions as to the challenge facing them. But somehow, it was even harder than they anticipated, with the group twice driven from the mountains by brutal weather.
“There were a couple of hikes where you take in 10 peaks each. That’s 20 peaks done, so it can’t be that hard, we thought,” 52-year-old William Hornby, the group’s leader, said.
“But, the one where there’s only one or two, they were quite spicy. And we got into what could have been quite serious predicaments.”
Hornby hatched the plan in January as a way to lose weight and set a personal goal after two years of being stuck in the city. He invited his friends Andrew Corner, 54, Nick Jones from Australia, 52, Matthew Middleditch, 63, Mark Bonnar, 60, Bruce Ingram, 49, and Niels Jensen, 55.
The group finished their challenge two weeks ago. By the final weekend, they were wearing masks and social distancing, as per recent changes to Covid-19 restrictions amid a surge of cases.
