I was trying to find potential early exits for the long coasteering down there & spent several weekends entertained in the bush & rocks.

See full screen & the Garmin track day 1 & day 2

Usual starting point is Sok Kwu Wan Pier, with ferries departing from Central or Aberdeen. First day with Tania we went on the blue line heading West. Soon on the hills, far from the civilized concrete paths. Careful navigation is required. The bush can be dense in some areas and in some others we could find traces of previous hiking groups heading in different ways, confusing. If you are not sure if you are in the correct path, go back and recheck with the GPS track and ribbons.

First interesting spot was the cliff area around the crag under Mount Stenhouse.

It can remind you initially the walls of the South Phoenix corridor in Lantau. But definitely with its own character. We scrambled a little bit around. Later I checked with Colin and the climbing requires quite some gardening. No bolts, so everything trad if you want to try.

Fun rocks around to scramble on. Just try to keep close from the marked hiking paths or you might need pruners or tons of time to fight your way out of the bush. It was the case for Tania, who took a wrong turn while I was scrambling on the brown line going towards Mt Stenhouse and took her a long while to catch me 😅 She had an apointment and I was not sure of how much more time the rest of the route would take us. So we decided to split. She headed down through the well hiked green line (explained below).

In my case, I continued towards the aforementioned Water Curtain cave (水簾洞). Clear sandy downhill slippery path initially

that becomes a bit more confusing the closer you get to the coastline. I needed to retrace a couple of times to find the faiding path. Eventually I heard the water of the stream on my left and decided to cross the vegetation and get into it. Up cute, bottom the waterfall that I already knew from the coasteering.

But just a few meters before the waterfall you need to cross a complete mess of thorny jungle “adorned” with rest of campers that stayed there long ago. Not recommended. You better continue on the path and go directly to the waterfall.

The way up is relatively easy to find but within hard bush. Leaving the coastline behind.

I went after to Sham Wan and back to the pier in fast mode. Jogging sections included. In case you want to use the Garmin track above as a reference, consider that the second part hiking would take you significantly longer.

On the second day with Ana the start was the same but first we went almost to Lo So Shing Beach on the concrete path. The path is slightly more clear that way (brown line). Connect again with the path walked the previous day, but after we took a shortcut towards the waterfall. Brown line again. Instead of goig up to the crag area you keep way closer to the coastline (Coleman’s Beach clearly down there). There were tons of plastic ribbons and a path that looked well hiked even if not present in the maps that I had checked before.

I did not want to go to the waterfall area but keep checking further paths, so eventually we went up almost till Mt Stenhouse and take the brown path heading down South again.

Open path within hard bush, nicer than the waterfall area. There is a curious rock formation there too. Marked on the map as “Window Rock”. The two pics above. A really nice place for a lunch break with views.

We continued South direction towards a slab area that I was hoping could connect with the first big waterfall in the coasteering route. Scrambling time.

Definitely no connection without tons of gardening and may be a rope. Nevertheless this area is quite picturesque with tons of peculiar rock formations. A boat like rock, a double coral fish, pretty tafoni.

From there we went back again to an area where I had been before. I have marked several paths on the map and there are even more. Ana was getting lost continuously every time I let her lead 😅 Try to find ribbons and check the GPS if you are not sure where you are heading. Eventually we arrived to what I called the Imperial Walker rock. Easily climbable and with the lower part to pass accross.

From there we headed to the Western peninsula of Sham Wan (brown line again). There you can find the Dragon Mouth and Jaguar rock.

We continued a bit further and we find a path connecting with the coasteering route below. Very bushy in the last section, but doable and with big orange plastic ribbons.

We walked on the rocks for a while and then tried to go up another way. Eh… Dense bush to pass.

You better go back the same way we had come or be fully covered, long sleeves and gloves included.

In little minutes back on the slabs seeing some more rocks to play with pareidolia. A frog rock and others included.

Back on the ridge of the peninsula and go down towards the Sham Wan beach.

Pretty path with interesting rocks, dry creeks and the nice coastline below. BTW, as explained before, from April to October all the shoreline, including the beach, is a restricted area. But you can find and alternative route (brown line) that brings you back to the main path and back to the ferry.

In a previous post centered in the Lamma tunnels I already explained the green line up to Mount Stenhouse including the Dick rock.

It might be the path with most hikers in all the area.

Tons of things to see in this area alone and there is way more in Lamma. Coasteering routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the tunnels & further dry paths North previously explained for example.