We're getting closer to our yearly ascent of Mt Stenhouse, before it gets hotter and wetter and foggier in springtime. I'm guiding a few small Sunday hikes these days to prepare for it, as it's definitely not for casual concreted-paths-only hikers.

We still need somebody who knows exactly where these tunnels are and how to get there from the Lo So Shing side! It's way to steep and dangerous to climb all over that hillside searching for the tunnel(s).

Anybody?

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If anyone who's familiar with the trail wants to go, let me know so I can tag along! Would like to check this out.

I'm in!

But I've only done this a few times and only went down the backside to Sok Kwu Wan once, usually using the easier and more familiar route that ThomasL describes above.

Could we find somebody who knows the way down or, even better, up from Lo So Shing? There are detailed maps on the Govt, maps website (much more detailed and up-to-date than Centamap I've used before):
http://www2.map.gov.hk/gih3/view/index.jsp

There's a mobile phone version, much more detailed than Google maps, and together with the GPS in many mobile phones and good mobile coverage even on top of Mt. Stenhouse, we shouldn't get lost:
http://www.map.gov.hk/mobile.

But many of these paths don't really exist anymore, totally overgrown. I found that out the hard way, trying to follow some paths on the govt maps into the totally wild, uninhabited hills beyond Mo Tat Wan. Even with the help of my smartphone maps and GPS I found most of the paths had become totally overgrown due to nobody using them anymore.

So who's a bit familiar with the path from Mt. Stenhouse to Lo So Shing? I'd suggest to use that for either going up or down, using the familiar, mostly-used path via the pavilion for the other half of the hike.

I also just bought the large printed map of Lamma Island that Alan recommended a few weeks ago. Useful, but by far not as detailed and up-to-date as the online maps, of course.

The weather is perfect for hiking now and if we catch a good-visibility day, the views should be spectacular, something like this photo below, courtesy of Wang Hong.

But this is NOT a trip for tourists and casual hikers, there's some mild climbing involved and you might have to carry any dogs coming along (most welcome) for short distances over big boulders. Long sleeves, long trousers to avoid scratches and serious footwear are strongly recommended.

Lamma-zine story and photos about my first climb:
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2009-01.html#Jan24

How about Sat, Feb 18, anyone?

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Thanks Lamma-Gung! I'm in for Sat 18 Feb or Sun 19 Feb.

Who's coming along next Sat or Sun, depending on the weather and especially the visibility?

The last time I went up it was all in fog and we almost lost our way. I'd also still like to find somebody who knows the way up or down at the back to Lo So Shing beach to make it even more interesting.

To give you a detailed idea on the hike, have a look at Lamma-zine stories and photos about 3 different hikes up Mt. Stenhouse:

http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2007-12.html#Dec30
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2009-01.html#Jan24
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2010-04.html#Apr5

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The back way to LSS can be a bit tricky ift he elephant grass in the old paddies behind the beach hasn't burnt down recently, we ended up taking a machete with us

Tried to climb it 20 years ago but could not find a path. Sounds like there is no path, cool, count me in on your next visit.

Weather forecast is very cloudy and cold this weekend, around 12 degrees and wind force 6, especially in the mornings when we'd be hiking up to Mt Stenhouse. Refreshingly cool when sweating while climbing up the occasionally very steep path, but it gets pretty windy on those hills, exposed on all sides, especially atop the 350-metre high double peaks.

Nousername, 20 years ago was the last time you went up?
Anybody else who's been up there a bit more recently, especially the back side? We went down the back side once but came out at the back of Sok Kwu Wan, not Lo So Shing. The second time we got lost in the dense fog up there, while it was all clear at lower altitudes. But I'd have loved to explore the man-made caves up there, probably from WWII, but the guy who's been in them personally is not eager about returning as he told me yesterday. Anybody else?

But if we can't find an experienced guide for the back side and the caves, we might just use the conventional, usual front path to go up and down, via the Pavilion, which is a quite safe and open trail. The big Burmese python (and other snakes and wildlife) spotted by several people up there are *probably* still hibernating....

There are a few more paths up and down by now, but very overgrown during the warmer seasons. I've attached the Govt. map below, but many of the Lamma paths on these maps are so overgrown that you can't get through without a machete. I've discovered this myself in recent months while GPS-hiking, trying to follow rarely used hill trails on my live Google maps, forcing me to turn back which I really hate to do!.

Looking at the weather, how about next Sat, Feb 25?
I'd prefer Saturdays, as we're doing outdoor Boostcamps early every Sunday morning. Maybe I can invite those very fit ladies to come up to Mt Stenhouse, too!

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The foggy weather has finally stopped and we're getting serious about ascending Mt Stenhouse this weekend or over the Easter weekend next week.

A photographer friend of mine suggested going up to Mt. Stenhouse BEFORE sunrise to get some unique photos from up there.

Has anybody EVER done that? It's tough enough to climb up there during daytime, but at night?

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