Shortish technical stream infrequently hiked: I have never seen people when there + little traces of recent hikers
Hike summary:
- Beauty/fun: 6.5/10. Nice waterfalls after some rain, the main Stone Dragon waterfall mainly.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 6/10 if walking in/next to the stream, with sections where you will be using your hands quite a bit. Avoiding the first waterfall. If you want to do it too increase to 8.5/10 (see instagram post on the bottom)
- The stream per se is bit more than a kilometre long
- The map
A better map that you can download to your phone.
See full screen and the Garmin track.
Shek Lung (石龍坑 = Stone Dragon) stream is situated in Ting Kau area in Tsuen Wan district. You can take different buses or taxi up to the bus station, 100 meters from Ting Kau beach. Cross the road using the pedestrian bridge. You will start walking on concrete up the road.
In the Opencyclemap you will see clearly the stream starting next to the concrete. And the first waterfall, with quite some ugly stuff around last time there…
You can go up the left side using the catch-water and cross the stream carefully.
You can avoid climbing this waterfall itself going on its right side. You will need to use your hands for going up this perpendicular (just over couple of meters) section.
Getting next to the stream again.
You can use side paths, but in our case we walked mainly on the rocks around the stream.
This section is way more tricky.
But there is a clear path on the left, with some ropes left by previous groups.
Back again in the stream.
Pulling our way up.
Using hands.
And into a really tall waterfall.
It is by far the most spectacular site of the hike.
On its right there is an easy path up
to the top of the waterfall.
From this point you can hike SE or NW directions through a frequently overgrown path or, as we did ourselves, continue up the stream.
The stream water all around Tai Lam, Ting Kau is not specially clean. But considering the wild life within, I am guessing that most of the dirtiness is natural. Clay soil and others in upper parts of the mountain. Pic of a crayfish which we almost stepped into.
The vegetation gets thick in this section and sometimes walking in the stream itself is the easiest way.
Be (in the) water, my friend.
Joan trying his best to keep shoes dry.
But finally he would give up. In this point you can go through the dense forest or
just up
the stream itself.
The grip of the rocks is pretty solid.
Once you arrive to this pool
the slope decreases and the stream becomes quite small.
We tried to go up to the North-Western side, but there is nothing specially interesting but a forest, and he was in a bit of rush.
So we decided to go down back again to the stream, passing next to this abandoned house.
Cross the creek to the East side (find a crossing with several different colour ribbons) and up through a bamboo passage.
And you will arrive to the top of the mountain from where to see the bridge to Lantau.
And the path connecting
with the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail.
Easy way down to Tsuen Wan.
July 2021. Just doing the first half up to the main waterfall, but climbing initial fall too after doing two other streams in the area.
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