Chi Ma Wan has tons of rocky areas to explore, not only coasteering, but also in dry mode. Suitable for beginners & seasoned climbers.

  • Beauty/fun: 6/10 relatively less hiked main paths, fun scrambles to serious climbing routes with nice views of thecoastline, as many route combinations as you wish. Here mixing a bit of everything.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 5.5/10 considering the scrambling explained below. The grading could be lower or up to 10/10 depending how crazy you go with the route. You could “free solo” some of the walls avoiding the bolted parts, but not explained here. I have watched a few videos of people doing it. If you go high without protections you better be good with your skills and mental control. Do not kill yourself for the drone footage…
  • Map (how to download to your phone)

See full screen & Garmin track & original trail run exploration.

Chi Ma Wan is a relatively less hiked peninsula in Lantau. I do not know why, but whenever running or hiking there I have seen less people than in Lantau trail and others. Even if it offers all kind of difficulty paths, nice views and a not so “maaafan” transportation options. I knew about the climbing area (Temple Crag) and I had seen wildconquerors post scrambling there. So decided to trail run and explore different options around. Almost a year later I brought friends there, pics mainly from this second time.

Meeting point Tung Chung MTR station (Mui Wo ferry pier is an option too). From there you can take the bus to the main stop in Pui O. If you take a taxi you can avoid the inital 1.5km road section and go directly to the hiking path after the Tin Hau temple. There is a higher parallel path above but it is shared with mountain bikers, so when possible I prefer to let them their space. Eventually we connected with it anyhow through this slighlty bushy path.

Continue for a while and at the bridge the fun starts.

Easy scramble up the dry creek.

You could continue on it, but in our case we scaped for a more clear scrambling on the rocks on the right. This opens you the way to a tunnel.

We thought it was a Japanese Tunnel, but more knowledgeable people think it might be a mine prospect. Go back towards the creek direction (left-West) and find the small “rock river”.

You are arriving at Temple South, here information about the climbing in the area. Time to decide which route to go up. We saw a group of climbers on the wall that I originally wanted to scramble on. Red line on the map. It is pretty high but very doable if you find the correct way on the rocks.

Here an Instagram post from Mike & kids going through there with an experienced leader. Here exactly their route. Thanks Mike for the map! In our case, we didn’t want to throw any rocks on the climbers and decided to take the easier well ribboned path instead. A 360 pic from the latter looking to the previous.

Climbing with good hand and foot holds. Just beware of the loose rocks. Don’t throw them one too each other.

Once on the main hiking path we went to the top of Temple Crag and descended carefully to the lower part of the cliff.

Very sandy slippery on the bottom half. So ass down. Eventually we arrived the bottom and we walked under the bolted areas for a while. Basically all the wooded area under the wall in this picture I took the previous time.

You can barely see a couple of hikers/climbers there on the wall. That is that next “path” up we took. There are a few ribbons here, but not so clear. On the way we found J Wylie (a reader that helped me find some of the mine adits & we have mailed a bit) and friends checking the route too.

Just know the situation. Basically the path is the connection of various exit points of the climbing routes. Therefore if you are going up and you have a bifurcation and, let’s say, on the left mini path there is a double ring an bolts below you, most surely you are heading in the wrong direction. Meaning you are taking the exit path in reverse. Instead head back to the fork and try the right path instead. Eventually we left the ribbons behind, as I knew the upper section of the wall that is scrambable.

And finally come up atop. Please do not build cairns… Leave no trace + dangerous so close to a cliff were regularly people climb or scramble…

I wanted to show the ladies more of the peninsula and therefore we fast hiked (downhill jog included) towards Lo Yan Shan &

further East. Initially in the main path, later on in a bit narrower within the woods. Clearly marked and not umpleasantly overgrown. Arriving at peculiar rock formations.

Everyone above but the first pic is 呂字疊石, which very graphically means “呂 character stacked rock” in Chinese. The climb to it is not difficult if you find the correct stepping points. Otherwise use someone else’s shoulders 😉  Be careful with ropes left by previous groups.

Moving a little bit further down there is quite more fun. For example, this spot which is perfect to practice Chimney climb technique for newbies. With a smooth diagonal rock on her back. Summer stretching on the meantime.

A bit further down a small rock forest.

Not as nice as the one under Tai Mo Shan or Luk Chau rock forest but pretty anyhow. We spent some time checking around and connect with the main path here.

We went back to the starting point passing next to the Reservoir,

some more easy hiking paths, Chi Ma Wan road and bus stop of Pui O.