June 5, 2022
Our adventure to Violet Hill and Tai Tam Reservoir was challenging, yet rewarding. It was indeed a fat-burning aerobic exercise that could condition anyone's cardiovascular system. Along with the scorching sun, one would definitely need more oxygen and water while hiking this trail.
There were set of stairs with more or less 400 steps in a row and we felt like, we were climbing a stairway to heaven and kept telling ourselves, "stairs again, are we there yet?." It just depends on one's preference. The photo below is the Violet Hill we climbed. You can zoom out to see narrow inclining ridges and just imagine how exhausting it is to climb those trails.
Those are trails of stairs and if you are not a fan of stairs, you better try climbing here, you might gonna like it later, lol. It was exhausting, yet offered stunning views of the country park and city skylines that made our hike worth it. If you missed our adventure to these hills, you can still read it here: Violet Hill and Tai Tam Reservoir
After visiting the reservoir, there was an option to either follow the paved road to the other parts of the country park or go back to the bridge and start a new hike to the Twin Peak down to Stanley Gap Road, which was our ideal plan.
On our way down to the middle point of the two different hills, we already saw the terrible twins from the distance and we were excited to visit the hills since we heard different stories about its brutal stairs. Of course, an adventurer like me and my buddy wants to try it too.
Again, our journey to climbing stairs didn't end yet, and it continued as we climbed up the twin hills. As we went back to the bridge, we readied ourselves for another challenging hike!
The Twin Peak a.k.a. Terrible Twin is one of the favorite spots for adventurers and fitness enthusiasts. Because of the seemingly endless steep stairs, it was considered amongst the toughest trails in Hong Kong.
Would you dare to climb an ascending thousand steep stairs in a row?
Say yes to it! Our experience was awesome and you must try it too. But I guess, stairs are better than dirt, rocky, muddy, and uneven paths, aren't they? It would make the hike faster, albeit brutal and exhausting.
This is what I like about climbing behind her, as I find it funny and cute looking at her expression that seems like "can I make it?" lol. She's small, yet terrible. She gets tired but never surrenders.
Our hike to the previous hill was already exhausting, so just imagine double exhaustion while climbing these stairs. There were moments we felt like our lungs would burst and that we couldn’t possibly reach our destination.
Stairs wind upward and downward in a stunning view, steeply and seemingly endless. From our spots, the steps seemed to disappear into the forest. We felt breathless and our hearts speed up seeing the flights of steps, so we rested occasionally on the stairs and enjoyed the view instead. Besides, both views from ascending and descending stairs were stunning.
And who would dare climb a mountain in very hot weather with exposed bare skin? Only them, lol. Take note, some were even jogging up and down the stairs. There was even a pregnant woman who climbed the thousands of steps. I really admired those people.
After about an hour of climbing the seemingly endless stairs, we surpassed some parts of the thousands of steps and reached the peak of the other hill which offered a stunning view of the peninsula and water bay.
They called this The Twins as the two peaks are similar that stood next to each other. The peak in the southern part is three hundred and eighty-six meters in height, while the other one is lower at three hundred and sixty-three meters in height above sea level.
Up and down, we climbed. Some stairs are concrete, and some are not, and can be slippery in wet seasons which isn't advisable for hiking these hills.
For those who set a tax on their legs, adventuring to these hills would be pretty much harder. But for me, stairs are easier to manage, especially the concrete ones, as they could make my hike faster compared to uneven dirt-paved paths.
Have you ever seen a tiger butterfly? My travel buddy beautifully captured this while on our way down the second hill. There were several flowers around the area too and more beautiful flowers during the blooming season.
We started our hike in the morning at ninety thirty, and we reached the Ma Kong Shan (Twin Peak) Viewing Compass at around five in the afternoon. That includes our time visiting the reservoir, resting, and taking photos.
The beautiful Stanley Town and its beach and Peninsula can be seen from the viewing compass, as well as other distant islands like Lamma Island, Middle Island, and even the D' Aguilar Peak and Ocean Park.
The building with green roofs is Mary Knoll, which has a British architectural design. In the past during the Battle of Hong Kong, the British and Canadian troops also hoisted a last stand in Stanley Fort.
There aren't skyscrapers but high-rise buildings and apartments. The place also has beautiful British-inspired architectural designs, no wonder why it is a popular spot for tourists, and folks say that there are more French residents in this town.
This spot is also a perfect place to wait for the sunset and the town to light up at night. These people set up their cameras and waited for the sun to go below the horizon so buildings would turn on glimmering lights and that would make the town incredible at night. The town really looks stunning from above, and I am certain that, the rentals and houses' prices are amazing in digits as well, lol.
We were supposed to visit the town after our hike but there wasn't enough time anymore. One of these days, I will really visit this place, with or without my travel buddy since she'll be busy at work already and I would become a lone explorer again.
Our experience climbing Violet Hill and The Twin Hills was pretty challenging and exhilarating, yet a great exercise. Surpassing the toughest and most brutal stairs of these hills is another achievement for the two of us. But you know what? Your legs won't ache while going up and down the stairs, only when you stop. And after this hike, our legs ached for a few days, or even a week, lol.
We didn't plan this ahead of time but only the night before we sleep, prior to this day. When we are planning to travel on our holidays, either she or I would choose the place. We would just send a message with photos and like "hey, it's pretty here," then the next day we are there 🤣.
That's all folks and thank you for joining this virtual hike. See you on my next travel galore.
(All Photos Are Mine)
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