The North route in Po Toi is really good but very long & exposed. The South allows more tranquil coasteering even with bad wave/wind conditions.
- Beauty/fun: 7.5/10 nice rock formations, including some slabs and low scrambling sections to test yourself. Tons of side easy hiking fun to add to a shorter route.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 7.5/10 if trying to stay close to the shoreline in the last peninsula. All the rest explained here is well protected and easier (6/10). But the Easternmost side, after Nam Kok Tsui is really exposed, as you will see down in the pics. Huge cliffs here. Short route all the time close to the main paths for potential early exits. Be careful if scrambling high.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & Garmin track.
The sea conditions were far from ideal that Good Friday (15/Apr/2022).
But nevertheless, I wanted to pay Po Toi a visit again. After checking thoroughly my previous outing pics, different satellite images, and others I was quite certain we could do it safely even with huge waves on the East. So select a small group that I could trust in those conditions and Stanley Blake Pier gathering. Half an hour ride, come down from the ferry and almost immediately on the rocks.
A very short warm-up section and swim to the tiny island (Mat Chau).
There are a few nice scrambling sections and
an additional swim to the even smaller islet (Mat Chau Pai).
Swim back to the main island and some fun traversing sections
before arriving at the Rock carvings and the bridge.
You can see tons of people around here on good weather weekends. Next to Palm Cliff jumping and short swim spot or
climbable going really high (the way Topher in the pic and myself went) or very hard traverse too. After some easier areas for a little while up till Nam Kok Tsui. Once we turned we got the full wind and sea force on display.
We were able to scramble high for a while but eventually
the cliffs were too perpendicular and the waves were huge. So we needed to go up for a while and head down again to the shoreline. Another impassable (in those conditions) swim in the crack on the left side of the next drone pic.
So up to the lighthouse area again and down to the shoreline.
In the last section, we had some wave fun. Just timing correctly to pass fast fast when it was safe.
A short video by Topher to have some reference.
Be safe you all if you want to try something like that. Check wave patterns for long enough. It could look safe and just when you try to pass the swell and wind waves perfectly match their power getting a wave x2 the size you were seeing for minutes before.
After finishing this section we went up to the hiking path and I brought them to the Western side of the island. So that they could have a little taste of the Po Toi slabs in a safe way. Follow one of the main paths and eventually turn towards the bush and cliffs. Descend slowly
and slab time. In my case, I had been here already in the previous long outing in Po Toi. See Noah’s Ark and return
to the Conch Rock and Tin Hau temple area. Seafood lunch and ferry back to Hong Kong Island.
If you want to spend more time there you can see the easier-to-access hiking highlights. Tons is written about it. Here for example or Google further.
September 8, 2022 at 1:24 am
We did that trail last month… only from the start to the bridge.
Super fun, because we didn’t have a waterproof backpack we went to nice and exposed scrambling (almost solo cilmbing with good holds)… fishing boats were waiting to see if we were going to fall….. begginers MUST jump into the water. We promice to return with gear and swim to the mini island. Thank you very much!