Had been worrying
if the weather would allow us to go .... Everything seemed not so favourable. Rain, cold wind and fog were
common for days before this day. The 'leader' told me that we could keep going as long as there's nothing
heavier than drizzles. Unlike last time when we ventured the West-Kau-Nga, it was overcast the whole day long.
Lantau Peak was kept hidden under a layer of rolling fog. I'd been wondering if we could see anything once up
there.
We took the Shek Pik Country Trail till we met the junction. This junction branched off much earlier than
the one to the west ridge. Unlike the west one, the first part of the middle ridge was gentle and had much more
vegetation and shades. We didn't have to do any climbing until we're almost up to the Narrow Escape [一線生機]
- a large gap between two crags. Only one of the crags was jagged, the one on the west was not as steep. By
then, was a rarely seen clear day, the view of those Mainland islands [ 萬山群島] at the horizon was the best
proofs. Right in front of us was the Shui Hau Peninsula [水口半島], Tong Fuk Miu Wan [塘褔廟灣] was on its east
shore. It has a large mudflat of which I'd love to visit one day. On both sides of the middle ridge, the bottom
of ravines were covered with thick vegetation. The east ridge can only be reached from the catchwater by a
stream, thus making it the most unfrequented one among the three ridges of the Kau Nga Leng.
The wind got higher and higher as time went by. Before long, it was as if the strong wind signal was
hoisted. In such a condition, it was rather awkward to move uphill against the forceful wind. Even though the
wind came from the side, I found it hard to walk with a straight back, nor to steady my stance. Still, the wind
helped keeping me cool. The temperature up there should be below 5oC, nevertheless, I found it
alright to have only a T-shirt over a long-sleeve one for most of the time. No hat was needed at all. It was
only when the wind got too chilly, then I had to put on a thin windbreaker for a short while. A mask also
helped my allergic nose from becoming runny. Yet, the breathing vapour soon blurred my glasses. So you see,
summer would be as hot as hell to me. It didn't take us long to reach the Lantau Trail near the summit. No more
than two hours were spent for this uphill leg, much less than expected. If not for the strong wind that had
made me clung close to the King of Hades Cliff [閰王壁], I could move up even faster. By then, the fog looked
as if it was running away from me. It seemed that the fog only enjoyed sticking to Lantau Peak. Soon, we're
descending the Jacob's Ladder, its upper part was slippery with traces of dampness on the steps.
Without having a long break, we headed for the donkey shed. The donkeys were having a good time listening
to the radio. This time, it was not the western music. Instead, they had been localised and got the interest in
horse-racing programs. I tried to greet Oscar who's on the nearest left, he ignored me by retreating into his
shed. But when I turned to Larry who's on his opposite, Larry retreated while Oscar stuck his head out. Had
they swapped places or were they thinking that I was calling them to work? We moved on downhill via a new path,
it was muddy and slippery due to days of pouring rain. Before us lay the magnificient panoramic view of the
airport and Tung Chung Bay, we enjoyed it for some time before descending for downtown.
