More Japanese tunnels on the Island. Dug in rock, longer, and slightly more complex. Tons of bats in one of them. Be careful, they are very fragile.
- Beauty/fun: 5.5/10. Bigger rooms and tunnels but also crawling required if you want to see it all. The route we did includes several winter (dry) classic spots.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 5/10. Outdoors the tunnels difficulty would be a 1/10, without almost any scrambling nor wet sections in the dry season. But you are doing it underground! I’m not trying to sound like Mr. Obvious, but without proper gear and care, you might get into serious trouble here. Navigation in these tunnels is relatively simple. Go always right or else to remember your way.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
We started this time in Shau Kei Wan MTR station. Head towards Sai Wan Battery and just next to this turn get onto the dirt path.
In little time what looked like an old entrance, now blocked.
And a few meters higher, also on the right side the entry we used to the tunnel under Sai Wan Redoubt.
A bit low, as usual.
But soon opens. Another entrance nearby full of trash…
As mentioned, the start is quite wide
although soon we needed to scramble and squat a bit.
The tunnel was fully drilled on the rock
which allows for longer and higher galleries that looked way more secure than the clay-like tunnels in Jardine’s area. Soon we found their inhabitants.
Surprise! I had read about the possibility of finding rats in these specific tunnels, but none. Instead, tons of tiny bats.
In a few places, we could see a few water puddles. I guess filtered through the rocks. Almost transparent. Just where she is pointing the light on one.
And deeper bat colonies above.
More or less hidden.
We were extra careful this time with the noise levels. Really quiet and trying to avoid pointing directly to them with the torches from close. We managed that way to keep them all in their “hibernation mode”. It is really dangerous for them if they wake up fully and fly. Some can have babies that could drop. Others could die just as not having enough energy stores to survive till the weather warms and are able to catch enough insects. So, please, be mindful of their fragility. See them from some distance, don’t spend much time around, and leave them behind quietly. More info.
A little bit of crawling and
getting into the main exits. Two, gated. One just next to this tree.
And an even easier one just a bit above. Both had the padlocks removed, so we exited there and
went up to take a look at the old Sai Wan Battery.
A piece of history and nice views. On top.
After checking a bit around down again
towards Chai Wan.
Cross Chain Wan road and get onto the path
heading West. Initially dirt path and then concrete.
Find your way up these stairs.
In a little time, you will find this electric pylon and
the entrance to the Tai Tam Japanese tunnel just next to it. Looking up to the hill on your left side.
Low entrance.
But soon it gets higher.
Do not forget to check the ceiling. Very peculiar formations in all these tunnels with water, mold, and others.
A little further
we found a peculiar looking spider. Approx 5 cm size.
I had never seen something like that in a tunnel before. Thanks to the Bugs City HK 2 Facebook group and reading a bit I discovered that it could be Heteropoda species. And that Heteropoda Venatoria has been known to eat bats! Ouch… There were a few bats around. Circle of life…
A little further in the rocks get a prettier look. Buddies saying that could look like snow in some areas.
Deep carved on the rock.
There are several forks and additional entrances.
This for example, quite wide and next to a clear path. Already ribboned and that I guess most people use as the main entry.
In again.
And another exit.
This significantly lower.
Deep squatting in this one. Several especially big rooms that we had not seen in other tunnels.
Corridor downwards.
and the very peculiar structure of this tunnel section.
Not completely sure why there are those extra carvings looking like “negative” pillars. Most surely where beams used to be before. Completely disappeared with the pass of time. The tunnel gets shorter and shorter
until crawling is the only option.
Last exit
found.
Just in case, we went back in and confirmed that we have visited it all. A really big one. Exiting back through the original entrance next to the electric post.
We decided to go up the road and do some extra out path, throughout a bamboo passageway,
next to slabs
into
Tai Tam reservoir.
Doing again part of a route already written about. It was so dry that we could have tried getting in on the Easternmost side. I have marked on the map with a green area where you could try to go in instead. Dry, dry under,
This time, we took this stream (渣大石澗 – Jar Tai stream) instead.
Just because it is the fastest way back to civilization. But soon we started to see some clean water around.
With one of the pools temptingly full even in this season.
The waterfalls were definitely not at their best.
But pretty anyhow
the few concatenated falls.
A little higher it gets flatter again
with the vegetation getting closer.
Ending on Tai Tam Reservoir road. This could be also part of a longer outpath route.
In approx 20 minutes walk on the bus stop to end the day.
Jan 2024. We started hiking at the Junction Of Hong Kong Trail Section 6 & 7. Up to these tunnels and after through the water channeling up to Jardine’s lookout and into the original tunnel. Pics
Video
And the Garmin track (disregard the last part, jogging on my own).
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