Small stream good to combine with other streams or tunnels around Tai Tam reservoir. Slightly more flow than others around.
- Beauty/fun: 5/10 short stream, usually with a bit more flow than others around, one decent sized waterfall and pool. Just a nice way to end up a longer day in the area.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 4/10 Short. Relatively easy to navigate, meanwhile you remember that you need to cross side to side several times to find the easiest way. You could try to keep your feet dry, but if you get wet a bit is significantly easier. Only one high scramble, but within the woods, next to the waterfall, and a tiny potential wet rock slippery section (after rain) before the concatenated falls.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & the Garmin track.
I have mentioned it before when visiting the Tai Tam area tunnels and the Outpaths around HK s5. But considering that I have combined it with other routes and to simplify the search, here is a dedicated post. You will see more and more mini posts like this one while I record smaller streams all around Hong Kong.
The name: the stream that goes from Jardine’s Lookout 渣甸山 area to 大潭上水塘 Tai Tam Upper Reservoir = Jar Tai stream 渣大石澗.
In the aforementioned tunnels post, we visited it in the winter time. Really easy entry if so through the dry reservoir.
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.
After a few concatenated small falls.
A little higher it gets flatter again
with the vegetation getting closer.
Ending on Tai Tam Reservoir road.
After 20 minutes concrete walk we were at the bus stop to end the day.
Old drone footage from the main waterfall, also in the dry season.
In early August 2023, a relatively drier summer, but after 20-30mm of rain in the previous half day, with way more flow.
Going in through the East side of the reservoir is not an option in rainy season. If you don’t want to get completely mud wet, I mean. There is an easy access on the West side of the reservoir. Marked on the map above. Concrete path initially and then a clear, although relatively new, dirt path going down to the reservoir area. In our case, was the last bit of hiking, after starting on the pipeline, then Tai Tam mound & SheungTam stream. Garmin track of the day.
August 17, 2023 at 2:25 pm
Did you consider following the stream further? It seems you followed it from ~160 to ~235 m altitude. I saw the part between 260 and 290 m altitude on a dry hike in early April a few years ago. It was almost dry, but still nice to walk on (wide open rocky surfaces).
August 18, 2023 at 12:59 pm
I think I did but I can not recall it correctly. Exploration in that part of the Island was over a decade ago! 🙃 If I am right, it was just boring flat with dense vegetation just a bit after the connection with the road. So I never tried again and instead I combined it in other ways since. Now, as most of the streams, with more hikers around, might be more open. Nevertheless almost no slope there according to the topo map.
If you check it let us know!