Riding High

Riding High

Our grand finale combines distance and altitude for our most physically and mentally challenging ride up to Tai Mo Shan. At 60 kilometers, it’s not our longest route, yet the strenuous climbs ahead will see you conquer Hong Kong’s highest peak on a bicycle.
Starting at Tai Mei Tuk Village, you’re within easy reach of Nam Chung Uk, a most underrated and picturesque area. There, egrets perch on mangrove trees, scanning wetlands as Shenzhen shimmers in the background.

Our first altitude challenge comes at Wu Shan Military Road. The trail is known locally as the “Great Wall of Hong Kong” as it undulates several hill ridges akin to the Great Wall on the Chinese mainland. Some peaks are exceptionally steep, with the descents being similarly extreme. The views are the payoff, though, with Shenzhen on one side and Pat Sin Leng on the other.

From there, a long flat route takes you to the base of Tai Mo Shan, where you’ll face a seemingly relentless climb up Route Twisk. Our grand ascent ends along an old military path and gently weaves up to Tai Mo Shan peak, where the crowning view awaits you. To top off the day, a grand 900-meter descent down to Tsuen Wan MTR station will see you finish on a downhill high.

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DIRECTIONS

  1. We’re starting this grand journey at the bottom of Bride’s Pool Road. Due to a 400-meter stretch of road where bikes are not permitted, you will need to get dropped off after the first section from Tai Mei Tuk.
  2. After 3.5 kilometers, you pass Bride’s Pool Waterfall, tucked out of sight in a ravine to our right.
  3. You arrive at Nam Chung Cheng Uk village 4 kilometers later, where idyllic views across the Starling Inlet await. A Tin Hau Temple completes the scene as egrets perch on trees scanning the wetlands for their next catch.
  4. Turn off onto Shau Tao Kok Road, continuing for 5 kilometers, then turn right onto Ping Che Road. After half a kilometer of cycling through an industrial area, take a left turn and continue for another kilometer.
  5. Our altitude challenge begins at the very start of Wu Shan Military Road along 4.6 kilometers of an undulating ridge line. It’s high in grunt factor, but the views and thrilling descents combine to make this the first highlight of the day.
  6. At the end of the military road, turn right onto Man Kam To Road towards Sheung Shui, joining Po Shek Wu at the roundabout.
  7. Joining Fan Kam Road, 2 kilometers of which cuts through several golf courses, carry on for another 5 kilometers, then turn left onto Kam Tin Road.
  8. Two kilometers further on, you segue in Route Twisk, which begins on a deceptively easy gradient. The route is about to get tough, with Tai Mo Shan Peak towering ahead. The road winds up for about 5.2 kilometers before you turn off. The ascent is slow and drawn out, making this a true test of physical and mental stamina.
  9. A break in pace comes with a right turn onto Tai Mo Shan Road, where you can stop for rest and refreshments at a visitor center.
  10. At the 1.9-kilometer mark, pass through the gate. Here an old military road gently winds up through hairpin after hairpin. With each turn comes a new and wider view, and any notion you might have had about being tired evaporates. At the top, Tai Mo Shan repays you handsomely with a breathtaking view.
  11. To finish the day, you freewheel along an epic 990-meter descent down to Tsuen Wan MTR station.

GALLERY