Goose Valley Lost Trail (雁谷迷徑) is a nice route to connect with the Hunch Backs, here with some adventurous alternatives.

  • Beauty/fun: 6.5/10. Nice views, fun scrambles, tons of different options.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 6.5/10 considering you choose any of the challenging options. Some of the scrambling requires good skills if avoiding the ropes set by previous groups. If you use them, check their condition, they could be dangerously damaged. Bring your own 15-20m rope, just in case, to help weaker scramblers.
  • Map

See full screen and Garmin track of a day hiking most of the possible interesting paths & all the rest.

You can start in different places. On the map three main options marked + 2 that I do not especially like. The first one (purple line) directly starting at the MTR, Heng On exit B or C. Follow the bicycle track till you arrive next to the highway and find your way just under (you might need to jump two small fences). Easiest using any of these offline map apps. The uphill dirt and rock path starts really close to the old mine complex. After this points, it is when gets really steep. There are ribbons marking the way and even post-typhoon it was relatively clear. In some points, you might use your hands to help yourself up grabbing the trees or rocks around.

At approximately 300m above sea level, you will arrive at the Goose Valley Lost Trail itself. Another starting option (green line) would connect with this point. Significantly easier and let you start way higher with transportation available up till the Ma On Shan Country Park BBQ site, by car, taxi or (scarce) minibuses. I have marked with a lighter blue line another path that I found recently around the mine. Ribbons up till the Goose Valley lost trail too, mainly among bamboo forest, but not especially nice and with fewer views. I would go with purple, green or yellow.

The first half “Lost Trail” itself is less steep but still rugged with big bamboo forest tunnel sections, great views and the possibility to connect with one of the usual ways up to the Hunch Backs (magenta, Eastern path). There are several ridges also that you can climb up towards Tiu Shau Ngam to make the outing more “adventurous”. In its west, you have the “Golden Wall Ridge” 黃金壁脊 (purple line) which is the easiest of the three marked. It is steep again and there are several exposed cliffs, which are not completely perpendicular and have some ropes to help you up.

The creek in the middle (red line) is the most difficult of all. The water flow is minimal and most of the year this sections is dry but still a bit slippery. There is only one spot, the connection with the exit path next to a waterfall (when there is any water at all), where you will need to be good climbing 3-4m almost perpendicular walls, bring your rope to help weaker hikers. There are some few set before too. Significantly easier but with loose rocks up onwards, be careful and do not drop any to those behind. You are walking within the jungle, so there are almost no views but till you get upper almost with the connection with path on the top of the hill.

The easternmost path known as “Tiu Shau North Ridge” 吊手北脊 (blue line) might be the most hiked. Although it is not as tricky as the aforementioned, you will need to climb several high walls. Done without using any of the ropes set before, but borderline solo (not deathly but you can hurt yourself) climbing. So you know the already mentioned tips for weaker scramblers. Completely exposed views of the area below in several sections.

Once on the top of the hill the path is very clear heading towards Ngau Ngak Shan. I haven’t marked on the map, but you could go up there and continue on the route previously written about. Otherwise come back down through the orange line back to the BBQ site.

The yellow line would be the direct ascent to the North Ridge. It might be slightly easier than the initial purple. Some nice view areas, but you would be missing all of the Goose Valley lost trail. You could do the latter completely starting on green and finishing on magenta (馬尾脊 = HorseTail Ridge, way up from Wu Kai Sha) or reverse. The second part, after the North Ridge fork, is significantly more difficult than the previous section. Bit more ups and downs, with steep areas and streams that you will be crossing. Dry in non-rainy season.

Pics and video from the last check hike around.

Pics on Jan 2022. We went up purple + green + blue, then to Ma On Shan (the mountain) & down directly to the 280m adit in the mine

All the ropes but one had been removed there. No big issue for us anyhow.

Late December 2022 going down after checking the Triangular rock river above Ma Dai