Rock rivers, some scrambling, not the most clear navigation going up to Lantau Peak. Just one further route option for the avid hikers.
- Beauty/fun: 5/10 I prefer the upper Feng Bi option that I already mentioned in the corresponding post, or North Heaven, the Inverted Wrist, or several routes around the Dog’s Teeth. But if you have been in all of those, one more option to hike on.
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 7/10 if you are trying to follow our way, including some high scrambling and not the easiest navigation and in any route tons of loose rocks.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & the Garmin track. Blue line is this route. Green West Lotus Tower.
The last times that I had been in Lantau Pass it was extremely foggy and barely I could see anything. I had therefore pending to check all this area further. Janis was ready for some short outing and there we went. MTR to Tung Chung and bus to Ngong Ping. Head to the Wisdom Path and up Lantau trail towards Lantau Peak. Here you will be crossing Feng Bi.
Time to scramble up the dry creek. Video.
This time we moved out from the woods area into the rock rivers (0:07) as soon as we saw the first one on the map. Cautious, with enough space between the two of us and climbing in slightly separated line when possible. Not the most clear navigation.
This area is called the Feng Bi rock river (鳳峰石河). Without realizing, we diverted from the openstreetmap route (0:31). A few old ribbons there. But we were basically just trying to go up where it looked easiest. Eventually we arrived at the bottom of the Stone Window Tower (石窗塔) (0:55). If you are looking for the pic it is easier if you follow the openstreetmap path on the right side through the cliff. Long video of the sky window tower. At 44:26 they finally arrive to the aforementioned path.
In our case, we took the (non)path on the left of the cliff (1:06). Partly within the woods, eventually climbing within the bush (1:14). We continued up on the Northern side of the cliff and directly scrambled and hiked up to the Lantau Subpeak (2:08). There were no ribbons there and we just follow the path of less resistance. Trying to find as much rocks to climb as possible and fight less with the high vegetation. After that we hiked down from Lantau Pass and into the Sky Window itself (2:30). Janis on it on the right pic. Not impressed at all 😆
She preferred the wild first climb instead. Therefore we gave that area a second try. Looking uphill on the left side of the Sky Window we found some more rocks (2:55) to scramble on. After a short section of woods and high grass we arrived to almost the same spot that we had been before. Janis wanted to challenge herself more: “Do you think it is climbable?” Looking to those walls under the Lantau Subpeak.
So she did (3:14).
Not very recommendable unless you know what you are doing (9/10 difficulty, really high). Not the best rock quality and without easy places to set an anchor in case of an emergency. But as you can see in the pics doable for a relatively beginner climber. She has been sport climbing and others for approx a year.
After we hiked to Lantau Peak and run down to Ngong Ping. Where she picked the bus back and I continued towards the West Lotus Tower (coming post).
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