The riders' dreams

The trails today are very popular with both hikers and bikers. They are maintained regularly by a group of local riders and mountain bike races are occasionally organized on the island. This place is a must-go for any mountain biker residing in Hong KoNG

Lamma is a good place to go riding for half a day. there are about 15k's of singletrack ranging in difficulty from easy to moderately difficult, the variety means that it is an ideal place for all levels of rider. The island is traffic free, only small fleet of little utilitarian vehicles are allowed on Lamma's paths and roads, making riding there relatively safe. Yung Shu Wan’s layed back fell makes it a perfect place to stay on for a post-ride drink or meal. It’s also a good place to go with friends and family who are not riding since they can go to the beach or hang-out in the bars and restaurants while you are out hitting the trails.

Getting there

Get a freight ferry to Lamma, Yung Shu Wan from Central ferries pier number 4. There is at least one every hour. It's a 30 minutes ferry ride. Check HKKF ferry company’s website for schedule. The last ferry carrying freight (bikes) is 11:30 pm in both ways.

It’s also possible to go to Sok Ku Wan from Aberdeen pier using a ferry (not HKKF) that has a regular link with So Ku Wan – you’ll need to find its pier near the Aberdeen fish market. From Aberdeen you can also catch a sampan (small wooden boat) you’ll need to negotiate a price, usually from HK$ 80 to 120 during the day for a trip, the boat driver may charge more if you’re a larger group, you should be able to get up to 8 riders with bikes on one boat.

Once on the island you have a choice of starting points, depending on what you want to do.

Trails configuration:

Project X, a loop built around Pak Kok Shan on the north of the island. Tight single track winds up the mountain, ending in a killer descent.
Snake Trail, a traverse of the Northern part of the island Island from Tai Peng Village to the Lamma Youth Hostel. This old trail is still one of the best on lamma, a technical singletrack that dips and climbs throwing up the occasional challenge.
Snakes Tail, One of Lammas original purpose built trails, a short but challenging downhill with a few natural jumps tight twists and killer scenery, taking the rider over rugged ground through bamboo groves and shaded forest.
The Hump, a small section of trail that is used to connect Project X and the Snakes trail, this is a very rutted section of trail, impossible to ride up and equally hard to ride down. It can also be used to add length to the Snakes tail.
The Back Passage, Due to the difficulty of The Hump a new trail has been cut that contours the hill to the windmill.
The Sok Ku Wan Quarry, located opposite Sok Ku Wan village, an old quarry that offers wide dirt roads, flat sections, alarming drop offs to the right and a cooling fresh water reservoir to take a dip in. NOTE (Sept.1, 2011: YMCA have taken over this prime site and have blocked access.)

All the trails are relatively easy to connect to via a network of paths and roads (the Cable road: a road covering high voltage power lines coming from the Lamma Power Station.

Here is a more up-to-date map of the trails between the windmill (Lamma Winds) and Pak Kok Shan:trail map: download map

Load Google Earth folder of Lamma Island Trails (v.01) here
Learn how to organize and use your Google Earth files here (link to come)

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Project X

Trail head
From Yung Shu Wan Pier follow the path into main street, take the first turning to the left heading towards Tai Peng Village, after about ten metres the road forks, continue on the road to the left. up the hill. In Tai Peng Village find Wong's food store and turn right towards public toilets continue past the toilets until you come to a wide cable road. Turn left up the steep road climbing to the top and a flat platform. Descend along the road until you come up to the first of two trail entrances. After about 350m of descent you will come across The first is on your right on just as you're turning a bend. The second trail entrance is on the “platform area” 300 meters further, near metal service hatches in the road.

Trail specs
This 3.5k trail is a loop and must be ridden counter clockwise.
Some obstacles are difficult. Steep climbs. rough and narrow sections of trail and a series of henous switchbacks followed by a technical descent will challenge the best of riders.

Need to know
It’s a perfect training ground for fit and skilled riders offering enough variation to keep the riding interesting. Beginners may find it hard to stay on their bikes.
The trail regularly hosts Hong Kong Cycling Association XC competitions and has hosted MTB endurance competitions. And is even being considered as the course for the Asian Games when it is held in Hong Kong, a true testament to the riders that built it.

However the trail can be quite overgrown by vegetation during summer. And the clay surface can be trechourous in the wet.

 

Snake Trail

Trail head
Follow signs to HK electric wind turbine or head towards Hung Shing Yeh Beach and go up the second large road you come across (right after a small climb) turn right and follow the road which climbs to the wind turbine.

You can also link Project X to Snake Trail by following in reverse the Cable Road you took to get to ProjectX. At Tai Peng the cable road climbs a 300m hill, then proceeds down, about 200m on the left is a connecting road that joins with the second cable road, rake this then turn right and head to the wind turbine.

Alternatively you can hike a bike over The Hump or ride The Back Passage to get to the wind turbine.

The trail entrance is not always obvious when overgrown, it’s on your right side when looking at the wind turbine, it is just before the access steps to the pagoda.

Trail specs
The first 1.5k is narrow and winding, it has some steep climbs and equally steep technical descents, beginners are advised to walk some of the harder sections. It then levels out slightly as it contours a series of hills before arriving at a small platform. Here there are two choices, the first to the right will take you down a series of technical steps and a very steep final downhill and bring you out on the family walking trail. The second option is to continue straight on the obvious trail that is clearly visible, a few natural obsticles and a brutal climb will bring you out at the youth hostel.

Need to know
Locals mostly use this trail as a link between ProjectX and the quarry. Remain on the obvious, most used path that seems to follow the ridgeline. Best ridden from North to South.

 

The Snake Trail Downhill (Snake Tail)

Trail Head
To get to the trail, take the first cable road up to the highest platform. On the right, not very obvious is the trail entrance, a short scramble through the brush and a slippery climb brings you out at the skills training ground. You have a choice here, turn right and head to the highest point of the hill (The Hump) thus adding an extra 150m of hard descent, or look for the obvious trail to the left that immediately heads downhill.

The ride
800 metres of hardcore riding, tight turns, natural rock drops and a series of jumps descend through bamboo groves, rice terraces and shaded woods ending at the cable road near Tai Peng. It’s narrow, rutted and often overgrown but was designed by local riders for a challenging DH riding.

Need to know
A mountain bike skills training ground featuring bumps, rocky sections, switch backs is located in the saddle of the hill. Built and used by Julien Lallemand for his skills training courses, this is a great location to hone those basic skills in a controlled environment

The Hump

Trail head
Connecting the two cable roads the Hump used to be the only way to gain access to Snakes trail without a boring road ride. head towards the skills training ground. Once there head up the obvious path to your right.

The ride
Attack the hill with all you have as it soon becomes impossible to ride. At the top a series of natural bowls make for fun riding but the final descent to the cable road is a real killer with a seriously high regret factor.

The Back Passage

Trail head
Follow the directions to the skills course training ground, look towards Hong Kong island, the trailhead is not immediately apparent.

The ride
Cutting out the need to climb the hump this trail contours the hill to get to the wind turbine, its fast and flowing with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

Need to know
This trail is relatively new and is still being bedded in so can get quite slippery in the wet

 

Sok ku Wan Quarry

The quarry is a perfect fitness loop and great for beginners to familiarize themselves with off-road riding. It is a large area with dirt roads and paths going around an artificial lake.

Trail Head
Head to the Lamma Youth Hostel via the path linking Yung Shu Wan to So Ku Wan. Just follow the signs to Youth Hostel.
Or use Snake Trail to the Youth Hostel. From Youth Hostel follow path to Luk Chau Tsuen (village), the path soon start to go downhill after a short ride on a paved path you will rerach some trees and see an opening on the right, this is the quarry only entrance.

The ride
A 2.5k loop of easy riding, with additional options to gain distance available. Locals usually ride a loop going clockwise starting soon after the entrance, head down 100 metres until you reach path going left on what appear to be a former quarry road.
The path follows the quarry cliff,with a high regret factor to the right followed by a fast downhill over very loose gravel and a difficult turn at the bottom, it then follows the lakes shoreline , crossing a bridge before entering a small wooded section that finally spits you out on the gravel road back to the start.

Need to know
It’s a good place to train and hang out. It’s a great off road Triathlon training spot since it’s possible to swim on the lake in the summer when waters are high (best to access water from bridge). It’s mosquito free!