Hong Kong Sevens: 5 lung-busting hikes to sweat out your rugby weekend hangover
- Sore heads and anxious minds will need a hard hike to feel right again, and Hong Kong has plenty of them to offer
- Stay on the Island or head further afield to get back to feeling more normal in nature
There will be plenty of sore heads in the city next this weekend, with the Hong Kong Sevens returning in full fettle for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
There will be none of the Covid-19 restrictions which slightly limited the fun at the event’s return last November, where masks were required when not drinking.
Of course, exercise is a proven way to beat a hangover. Well, sort of. Physically, it may increase your metabolism and help you process the booze quicker. But mentally, it gets you feeling miles better.
Alcohol blocks various hormones and brain signals which cause stress (hence feeling happy when you are drunk). The body compensates by making more. Then, when the booze is gone but the increased level of stressors remains, you get anxiety.
This can be offset with a healthy dose of the happy hormone, endorphins. And one easy way to get such a boost is to exercise, especially when you head outdoors.
So, strap on your hiking shoes and pick one of these lung-busting hikes to overcome your Sevens-induced guilt. Also, make sure you download a hiking app like Komoot or AllTrails for safety purposes, so you know exactly where you are, and where you are going.
Needle Hill
Head to Sing Mun Reservoir for the perhaps appropriately numbered section seven of the MacLehose Trail. There you will find Needle Hill.
One the far side of the reservoir and across a dam, a short climb up the concrete road will take you to wooden arches declaring the start of the stage. Unfortunately, you are not eased in at all.
The climb starts immediately and is unrelenting. It is also beautiful, and by the time you reach the summit, you will have views stretching in every direction.
You can continue onwards, along section seven. Though, there aren’t many easy exit points so you might end up doing section eight too. That’s a fairly long day for anyone who is suffering from a hangover.
You could of course turn around and go down the way you came, chuffed that you even managed Needle Hill after the Sevens.
Sunset Peak from Pak Kung Au
This is a leg burner, and also one of the most beautiful spots in Hong Kong.
Head to Pak Kung Au, either by bus from Tung Chung or Mui Wo. There are some steps up to a pavilion where you’ll see the start of the climb.
From here, it will feel like it goes on forever. But you cannot really get lost. Up and up, until it finally plateaus.
It’s downhill in whichever direction you choose, now. Go back the way you came, or continue on along the Lantau Trail back to Mui Wo. You’ll pass huts on the mountains and descend into the woods.
If you do continue forward, it is a long hike even if it is all downhill. If it’s just a lung buster you want, turn back and go to Pak Kung Au.
The Twins
This is one of Hong Kong’s most notorious hikes.
Start near Park View with Violet Hill. Once you are at the summit, a long descent will take you to the start of the Twins.
The first mountain is 1,000 steps up, with the second another punchy set of more interspersed steps, when you already feel knackered.
Finally, you’ll come down a long descent to Stanley Gap Road, where you can take a bus to Stanley. Now, having just got over your hangover, resist the urge to celebrate with a drink.
Lantau Peak from Ngong Ping
It is not just the amount of steps on this one, but also the size of them.
Head up to Ngong Ping by bus from Mui Wo or Tung Chung, or take the gondola if you are feeling brave.
First take the Wisdom Path, then take the left fork and follow the Lantau Trail.
And so the climbing begins.
Lantau is one of the most beautiful places in Hong Kong. You will feel a million miles from the city and from the haunting memories of your weekend drinking at the Sevens.
Once on the summit, head down the other side of Lantau Peak. Initially, there are some very steep steps. The way down is longer than going back to Ngong Ping. But once you reach Pak Kung Au, it is easier to take transport back to civilisation and rest.
The Morning Trail and Mount High West
From the end of Conduit Road there is a lovely walk that is sure to get the endorphins flowing.
It is the easiest of these lung busters, and neither hike is particularly challenging on its own, but combining the Morning Trail and Mount High West is no easy task.
Once you reach the top of the winding morning trail, you will find yourself at an opening with a small pavilion. Behind the pavilion are some steps down. They take you to Mount High West.
A short but sharp set of stairs will get you blowing. At the top, you can survey Lamma, Lantau and Hong Kong in a unique panorama. For a moment at least, you will forget about your woes.
