Adventure Time

I thought I try and fit one last post in from Hong Kong before its time for fun and adventures once more.  Yesterday was my last day of work for a while after another busy season with Asia Pacific Adventure.  The last month has been pretty busy with work and bad weather which has meant no climbing and not really anything much except work actually.  November and the horrific Mo came to and end finally and I am back to not having an itchy upper lip.  I did have a slightly more relaxed week at work last week and managed to take some photos on program.

 Chisum, Ken and I (the dream team?) at the end of another program in the Beer Garden and the last day with the handlebar style moustache! - Yes Ken is drinking half pints!

 Not taking a nap - Miles tried to hide in the rubber tubes so we pushed him over.

 Kyle bringing the dragon boat home at Wong Yi Chau last week.  It was overcast and rainy most of the week but still a lot of fun (especially seeing as we were staying in dorms!)

 An old abandoned house at Wong Yi Chau village in Sai Kung.  There are loads of these old villages in the new territories but less and less people living in them.  Its amazing to walk along and come across these buildings that probably had people living in them not long ago.

 The Swimming pool in Luk Wu gorge.  No swimming this week but it was beautiful hiking weather.

 Black and White HDR shot of Wong Yi Chau pier.

 The 2012 staff team.

Another shot from the end of SPCC.  5 photo stitch.  L-R - James, Ant, Curtis, Al, Adam, Gabby, Gnani. Eben, Choy, Kyle.

Today I have a new climbing rope uncoiled, a pile of quickdraws and am trying to pack my bags.  Hannah flies in in a couple of hours and then its off on adventures for the next while - first stop a sport climbing trip to Yangshou.....

Movember

Its been a busy last couple of weeks with lots of work and the odd day out and about in Hong Kong looking for adventures.  I have also been taking part in Movember this year for the first time ever.  Thank you to all the sponsors so far and know that the moustache is coming in thick and strong (and itchy).  Photos from the last couple of weeks.

Gnani (my only real competeition at this stage) and I one week into movember

 Eben on the crag classic at Beacon hill "Lizard" 7a.

 A quick night shot on my way home one day.

 Another night shot from the top of the ferry pier where i get the boat home.

 I spent two days out on Tung Lung Island with Geordie and Nikolai chopping old bolts and replacing them with Glue ins.  Gear being sorted.

 One hole down - This was a long dusty couple of days grinding, drilling, cleaning and glueing.  You can just make out the start of the moustache - I think this was on the 2nd of Movemeber

 Still going in the evening of day one.  Geordie grinding the old Tyrolean bolts

 Nikolai and Geordie messing with one of Mr Wongs kittens.

 Miles, Giles, Matt and I made an early morning dash to Lion Rock to do a mass ascent of the classic climb "Gweilo".  Here Miles seems less than certain of Giles choice of legwear and his way of getting past him.

 Busted - Matt pulling on quickdraws on the crux pitch.

 Mile on the traverse pitch

 At the top being very chinese about it.  Hilarious day of banter climbing as a massive group.

 Last weekend Giles and I tried to find a route on Mt Stenhouse on Lamma which the old guidebook describes as a traditional classic.  Called "Aardclimb" and graded HVS 5a.  The approach, as expected, was  pure jungle scwacking to get to the base.  It actually did look like someone has been there recently.  The climb probably has not been done in years and we were met with a lot of vegetation.

Giles "cleaning" the second pitch.  He did in fact get to a position where he was standing on the thing hes holding onto in this shot before we realised how horrible the rest of the climbing looked (you can see the crack above him filled with grass and bushes)

 Giles "Do I look like Bear Grylls" Cranston alone in a sea of bushes on our retreat

Panoramic shot of hong kong from the end of last month from the top of Kowloon peak.

Slowly getting cooler

Hong Kong is slowly cooling down and becoming a little less humid.  This means more climbing on the big crags and possibly even wearing trousers in the evenings in a couple of weeks time.  I actually cant wait till I first have to put on a fleece.  I have managed to get out climbing quite a bit over the last few weeks as work has not been too busy and the breeze has been pretty constant making the big crags of Lion Rock and Temple crag viable options.  Lots of days climbing with Giles (who always seems to be ill) and an assorted crew of others has as ever allowed me to get to less visited parts of Hong Kong.  Apart from climbing theres been the usual round of eating and drinking with friends and the occasional music session.

 A rare photo of me climbing.  I dont always wear tights.  Thanks to Curtis for taking the shot, a brilliant day at central crags a few weeks ago with Giles, Curtis and Kyle.

 Some of the crew hanging out at the bottom of Austin Powers crag at Central.  L-R Elle, Jake and Gabby (looking in disgust at Giles on Dr Evil I think)

 Giles on "Dr Evil" 6c+/7a depending on reach and dyno ability.

 Nasty looking monkey on the way to Lion rock.  One of these went for me taking a photo of it later.

 Giles struggling to keep his feet on the rock on "Austrian Staircase" on Lion Rock.  Higher up this route I thought I saw a snake in the same crack my fingers were in.  Not my most controlled climbing but at least I stayed on (yelling "snake, snake, snake").  Turned out to be a large Gecko.

 Sunset over the ferry at my home town Yung Shue Wan, Lamma

 Miles and Letty in the their new house complete with fridge and red horse beer.

 Limited drink choices at the end of the night

 Giles seconding the first pitch of "Silent Prayer" 6a on temple crag.  A bit hot for slab climbing but great fun.

 Miles going for the only good hold on pitch one.

 3rd pitch of Silent prayer with Giles and Miles.  Lots of banter climbing as a three.  Small world to be multipitch cragging in Hong Kong with three people who all used to work for the same place in Scotland at different times.

Miles "this is kind of like Dun Caan" Mconville high above Lantau island.

One Month

I've been back in Hong Kong for a month now and as we enter October it is definitely cooling off a bit.  This month has been a mix of work and play - days in the office, staff training, working on a program and the odd day climbing, gorge walking, hiking and running.  

 Cooling off at Tung Lung Pier in the middle of the staff training week.  Pilky (furthest away) going for the "gaynor" while Tom front flips.

 Abseil at lovers rock all set to go for the annual staff adventure race.

 The day after staff training.  Tired and hungover but ready to go at the Zawn of Cape Collinson.  L to R Giles (potentially still a little drunk), James, Elle (hiding) and Gabbie

 Giles and Elle on neighbouring routes in the Zawn - this wall is great for an easy day sport climbing with a good progression of easy(ish) F6's

 Same as above, different angle.

 Matt in the pool of Yellow Dragon Waterfall on Lantau island on a day off.  A group of us had a great day hiking and swimming in the gorge followed by a solid bush bash out of the top of the gorge.  Hong Kong definitely has some beautiful natural places still to explore.

 Giant Golden Orb Weaver (or Large Woodland - not as cool a name) spider hanging out - taken on the hike out of the yellow dragon gorge.

 Yesterday James and I decided to break our rule of not going multipitch climbing on the big crags till it cooled down and went off to climb "Sunset Crack (S4b)" on Kowloon main wall, high above the city.  This turned out to be the full adventure experience, slogging uphill for 45mins in the heat, bush bash/scramble to the base followed by 5 pitches which may be a little undergraded (hard to tell as my left shoulder is not to happy right now so I was not really using my left hand).  James here on the finger traverse pitch - brilliant route for the grade though probably hasnt been climbed in years!

 James relieved to get through the crux with our somewhat limited rack of trad gear.

Swimming below the main fall in the brides pool gorge on staff training.  This day was so hot we were barely hiking 15mins before looking for the next pool to dip in.

Now I have a couple of days off to relax and get out and about in Hong Kong a bit more.  Its so easy to fall into the trap of going to the same places but with a group of interested people I'm hoping to see more places that I haven't yet seen in and around Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Days

I am now once again busy with work back in Hong Kong, living on the beautiful lamma island and trying to fit some days of climbing and fun into my work schedule. Work over the last couple of weeks has been a shock to the system working with groups as young as 8 year olds and trying to remember how to get around the Hong Kong public transport system. I have managed a few days climbing which has been great as the pain in my ribs is now almost totally gone.

James staring at the crux on the fourth pitch of "Gweilo" (6a or 5.10b) a classic multi pitch on Lion Rock.

A work photo - Col and Juillian teaching absieling at Shek O. The weather has been a mixed bag with some amazingly hot days (around 30degrees C) and others like this that feel a little more like Scotland.
The view from the base of Lion Rock back towards the Kowloon peninsular
James coming up the 3rd pitch of Gweilo.
Me looking pleased with myself on the top of Lion Rock, taken by James after finishing Gwielo.
Unknown climber on something hard at Lion Rock, looking east towards the New Territories and Sai Kung
The morning ferry ride into Central from Lamma island. This journey never really gets boring.