Long Ke to Sai Wan coasteering and short stream hiking is a classic long route that requires experienced buddies and some advance planning.
- Beauty/fun: 9.5/10 nice rocks including a few hexagonal pillars sections, tons of caves, some huge, some smaller go through tunnels, beaches, and high waterfall streams as side fun.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 9.5/10 Long route with few complicated potential early exits. Very exposed to East swell and wind. If you wish to enjoy it fully a waterproof torch and some experience in tight tunnels are required. Varied surfaces with very diverse grip rocks, some fun but slowly to traverse slabs included.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & Garmin track.
Another route that I had on the to-do list since long ago. I had checked a few parts of it, but the weather & waves had never been ideal to go the full route. Just before going for the first time on holidays since Covid started (May 2022) a window of opportunity opened. Good weather + no waves for my last weekend! Confirm Tyler & James’ availability and book a return speedboat (Ham Tin Speedboats, WhatsApp 6210 8776) from Sai Wan.
Before 9 am we were at the bathrooms next to the start of the second section of MacLehose Trail. Hike to Long Ke Beach and first mini coasteering. We could have hiked on the faint path above, but time-wise for us, there was not going to be much of a difference + it was starting to be hot, so better get wet immediately.
Once on Long Ke Tsai (浪茄仔 small Long Ke) take up the slightly bushy paths up the hill and down
a short stream arriving at the coastline again. The initial part was known to me, already covered in the Cheung Ngam Wan post.
The high scrambling starts soon with as many cliff jumping opportunities as you would wish for.
The first tunnel. It was wet slippery and we decided to play “safe”. Come out back the same way (actually Tyler from the upper entry, watch the video at the bottom) and
jump onto the next rocks. Good grip required, slightly angled, and 4 m drop if Tyler would miss the landing.
The first caves.
and slabs… Happy with my Five Tennies. James having problems with his Evolv, with a slightly less grippy outsole.
The rock types & structures change continuously. If you would want to scramble them all, you would need quite some time. After a small accident on a slab, the two of them decided to swim more. I tried to keep the pace on the rocks, but no way. So eventually I swam a bit more than required too.
Here on the rocks going through a huge tunnel.
And just a little later arriving at the biggest cave en route.
Pics mid-way in, looking back to the entry and the further way in. Able to see Tyler in the second pic? For size reference (click and zoom on it).
Just after there is the only potential early exit.
You can see it on the map, but it might be quite bushy in some sections. I have not been there recently. The covid period might have improved it a bit.
Continuing on the coastline. There are also smaller caves. This tight tunnel for example was fun.
A bit later added entertainment. Very sizeable waterfalls.
We could see later from the boat that there are several more concatenated high waterfalls upstream. 80m total elevation gain, as per Colin. We just checked the first two levels and we continued coasteering with Tai Long Wan already in sight.
A bit further another waterfall. This one with columns around.
20 min later we arrived at Sai Wan beach.
In our case, we had a late lunch there and took the boat back. Without it, you would need to hike back to the starting point (long) or Sai Wan Pavilion. Getting a taxi or minibus to go back on weekends at the latter might be complicated though.
Full video by Tyler.
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