Short scrambling adventure. Perfect for an evening hike with the city lights below or for beginners trying to continue improving their skills before trickier routes.

See full screen and Garmin track of a rainy day testing shoes and checking the ropes around and another day on the paths further West.

Central Crags is a well-known climbing site in Hong Kong. You can check hongkongclimbing web for all the major routes if you have the skills and gear. But you do not need to be used to ropes, harnesses, and carabiners to enjoy the area.

The usual start for us is the crossing of Old Peak road and Tregunter Path. Turn right here, next to the rest area.

After some little time, 5-10 minutes on the green line (張保仔古道), you will arrive at a “stair” section up. Here midway up.

Time to choose your route. I will explain all of those marked on the map starting from the Easternmost.

If you continue going up the stairs (purple line) you will end up in a succession of little cliffs. They are not completely vertical and the rock grip was decent even wet (Vibram Megagrip).

With ribbons but no ropes (March 2020). If you continue up you will arrive at Eagle rock. An invented name for this peculiar formation.

I have marked another path (red line) that it was not available in openstreetmaps (March 2020). It goes further East. No ribbons around but quite open (= relatively regularly hiked on). Nothing interesting, I guess another exit route for climbing routes around. In this area, I found the perfect example of why you should be careful with ropes not set by your group.

Decomposing already. And even worse: the anchoring tree was also close to breaking completely and you could not see it until you were atop…

If you continue up the paths you will connect through the woods with the rest.

Let’s say you would want to climb up as many “safe” rope sections as possible (they never are completely). Then the blue path is for you. Continue on the flatter path until you arrive here.

You have several ropes to help you up in all of your scrambles. I have done them without and it would be very tricky for the regular hiker. Some sections are relatively easy.

But others are completely vertical.

Several climbers and hiking groups use them regularly and new pieces are added. In any case, if not sure of their condition, check carefully before using them and bring your own rope to help weaker hikers in your group.

After the initial ascent, you can turn right (light blue), go down a bit

and find other slabs to scramble on. Relatively easier. A lot less steep. With ropes too.

On the openstreetmaps I could see another path. There was no way to scramble it without using any of the ropes. I have marked with an orange line another alternative route up. You most surely will need to be relying on the rope there too. It was OK in March 2020. I would not take the risk as a couple was doing there without knowing the route though…

Once you leave the crags behind this becomes a hike in the woods. You will pass several small bamboo areas.

And rocky surfaces within the vegetation.

Drone picture from above of the rocks and the forest crossed at

the Luggard Road level. Where the path ends up.

Continue walking on the road

and you will find transportation back to the city or downhill path to the starting point from the Peak.

A video with the main rope path for your reference.

If you want to spice the outing a bit, do it at night 😀

Check HKOutsider’s web if interested in trying this with an experienced group and other fun excursions.

There are a lot more “simple” (off)paths going up to Luggard Road. Some readers asked me about them. So here three more tested recently. There might be a lot more, with big groups creating their own up the hill and setting their ribbons.

The first one marked (yellow line) starts next to that old water construction next to the green path. Walking in the woods, in a relatively clear path with no much views.

Up to Luggard road again. Just go under the road itself and scramble up on the Southside of it.

The black line starts in Po Shan road, here.

Stairs halfway up connecting with different layers of water control structures. In the upper part, there were several ropes set by previous groups on a relatively easy path.

The top is just next to this resting spot on Luggard road, just behind the trash bin.

The final Westernmost blue line starts at Lung Fu Shan Morning Trail, up these stairs.

Soon walking next to these pipelines in the first pic.

You will arrive at Fresh water service reservoir of Hatton Road #1 & #2 in little time. Turn left and find your way around the installation

(below drone footage) and continue up the hill. You will see several more structures from the Water Department. Like the sticks of the right picture above.

Continue up in the woods. There are ribbons, but the path is not completely clear. Eventually, you should arrive at the pipeline again.

In my case, I crossed to the right side of it and continue the ribboned path up to Luggard Road again.

January 2022 Summer and Alexa wanted a short outing. Therefore we went there again doing the rope route up, down purple, up light blue & checking a bit more. More paths recently around, although nothing new interesting.

The Garmin track.

October 2023. Joan was in town but with little time. Approx 4 hours available within the Island. Therefore up we went Central Crags

The Garmin track. The ropes on the bottom of the blue line are not there anymore. But all the rest in the blue line remain. We did blue and light blue up. Afterward, once on Lugard Road, we walked Westward to check a tiny path (just go under the road and walk a few meters) heading to what on the map was marked as Turtle Rock (brown waypoint). Decent viewpoint. Pictures 9/10. We continued a bit more West and we hiked up (brown line) through a relatively clear path initially within the forest and later a bit less clear bush to the very Peak, pics 10/10 above. The highest point on the Island, next to the Peak VHF UHF Radio Station. From there we went through the Governor’s Walk down to the waterfalls, paths next to HKU, and ended up at the starting point in Mid Levels within the requested 4 hours.

More adventures.