Short visit to Lantau Island, Hong Kong – 5th December 2015!

In last two weeks I was visiting my friends in Hong Kong.

I came back there after three years but only now I had a chance to ride. As most of you know Hong Kong (and islands nearby) is hilly. Especially compared to Shanghai. I was off my bike for last month but I couldn’t decline an offer from my friend to ride with him in Lantau Island. Our journey started in Pak Ngam Heung village. Our horses were full suspension mountain bikes. We went the easy way – we chose roads and skipped the hardest climbs. Our plan was to go to Tai O and then to Buddha. Getting to Tai O was reasonably easy, Buddha was harder. Weather was changing like in kaleidoscope. The higher we were the worse it was. Last 1km to Buddha was in a fog and drizzle. We couldn’t see Buddha even standing just under the staircase that brings you to him. It was getting colder as well. We decided to go the shorter way back home and that was a good idea. Proper storm hit us on the way down. Big rain and headwind from hell was trying to stop us from riding. We had to stop at the restaurant and buy some bin bags to make raincoats as we were drowning. Few parts (especially last descent to Mui Wo) we did on foot as the gradient was getting crazy and we were experiencing aquaplanning every 5s. We got back home wet but happy, 2000m of elevation gain over nearly 60km route being used to ride in flat Shanghai was a good check how far from my best shape I was (and I was far away). Few pictures from this ride below.