I will one day write about something other than hiking on this blog, but for now it is the main event in Hong Kong during quarantine times. This past weekend, I got the chance to take on one of the hikes known to be hardest on Hong Kong Island: Violet Hill and Twin Peaks. Amusingly, I didn’t even know I was going to hike Twin Peaks until I was on my way there — my friend sneakily said we were “doing some hike around Tai Hang” before I met up with her. And so it begun.
We started off with Violet Hill, which is quite a journey upwards, but nothing compared to the Twins themselves. But we already get a beautiful scenic view of the city even starting off climbing the Wilson Trail to Violet Hill.
Once we crossed the bridge at the end of Violet Hill, that is when we started the first uphill climb on Twins Peak! Lots of people were taking a moment to relax at this point, which is smart to do.
The journey to the top of the first peak was one of the longest uphill journeys I have ever had. We got out of breath constantly and took many breaks, even sitting on the steps at times. But the top of the first peak is one of the most beautiful views I’ve seen yet.
After that first complete uphill climb, you must go down a little…and then back uphill for the second peak. Luckily, that second climb uphill is nothing compared to the first. Once we realized we were at the top of the second twin, and therefore were completely done climbing uphill, there was a great feeling of triumph.
But the walk downhill at the end wasn’t the easiest feat for legs that were already aching. Sometimes I feel like going downhill is actually harder on the legs than uphill, as you feel each step in your knees.
We ended the hike close to Stanley Beach, so we took a bus over to the village to get tea and snacks. Overall, this is DEFINITELY a hike I would recommend to everyone who lives here! I would even do it again myself, once the aching in my calves finally goes away.
(This photo taken by Lili 🙂 )
April in HK 