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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
----- Margaret Mead

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Let's take a little online poll about how many people in this forum have actually ever been to the top of Mount Stenhouse, the highest peak on Lamma Island at 353 metres. I can't imagine more than a small percentage of Lamma's population and visitors ever going up there.

It was easily the physically hardest and most strenuous thing I've ever done in Hong Kong in 20+ years. Till a few months ago I wouldn't even dared to dream to ever make it up there. 5.5 hours of gruelling almost all up and downhill walking, often climbing over sheer rock face and densely vined jungle. It's some of the wildest, steepest and totally remote area up there, just beautiful, perfect weather yesterday and well worth my slightly aching knees and a few scrapes and scratches...

I'm feeling great today, the day after, still able to walk, I still can't quite believe this huge personal milestone in my weight loss adventure and makeover. Tomorrow, I'll start working out more with a personal trainer...

So, have you personally ever been up there, more than once, alone or not and how long ago? Please vote in our poll and then tell us more about your adventure!

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I've been up there once or twice, about 10 years ago.
I left it late in the day so came down in the dark, so that was a little interesting.


And we have to mention our former buddy Spinoza, who made a point of telling everyone how he'd scaled Stenhouse, making it sound like Everest without oxygen.

Yes, point taken, question changed...

The pavilion at the crossroads to Tung O and Ling Kok Shan is just a few minutes up the hill from Sok Kwu Wan, barely a third of the altitude of Mount Stenhouse and it's all paved path, unlike the little dirt trails afterwards. I passed by that pavilion the other day on my bike while doing the Sok Kwu Wan-Mo Tat Wan-Tung O-Sok Kwu Wan Family Trail. Nobody told me about all the stairs up and down beforehand.

There's a Trig Point column at the very top, the summit of Mount Stenhouse.

You can actually go beyond that, down and up to another peak of similar height. Later, we went down partially and then returned to the top to look for a friend's sunglasses he'd forgotten up there a few weeks ago. So we've returned twice to the Trig Point on Mount Stenhouse. So if I wanted to be really vain and bragging I could say that we reached the summit THREE times in a single day, and all without additional oxygen!

By the way, here's my own proof, photo taken of the Trig Point yesterday, with my witness, plus two famous Lamma doggie celebrities, Gail the Official Companion of the Official Court Pet Correspondent and Bianchino the Two-Timer. Of course, we didn't leave the poster up there, no littering at all, even cleaning up some of the non-paper garbage up there as well, taking it down with us.

Bianchino, alias Bobo, has been featured in the Lamma-zine before (May 15, 2007: Bianchino – Lovable Rogue & Two-Timer) as having two families taking care of him, unknown to both of them till recently, one family in Sok Kwu Wan and one in Yung Shue Wan.

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My new, superfit Personal Trainer claimed 3 hours from Tai Wan Old Village to the summit and back a few weeks ago. If you did that in only two hours, then we all stand in amazed awe and astonished admiration.

But doesn't it take an hour already just to get to Sok Kwu Wan one way? Takes me even half an hour on my bike each way... That would just leave one hour for climbing up AND down. WOW!

About the new me, I've shrunk enough to hide behind that Trig Point pillar in the photo above, so you can't see me in the photo...

Still another 32.2 pounds to lose before I become officially "Overweight" only (BMI), instead of the former medically charming term of "Super Morbidly Obese." Climbing Mount Stenhouse is great for losing weight, several of my pounds got left up there somewhere in the bushes; mostly water only, probably.

So you don't have to worry, you'd have to gain quite a bit of weight till we'd meet in the middle. Another intermediate celebration will be due when I finally reach ONEDERLAND (the "wonderland" below 200 pounds, 1xx-land, in weight-loss speak a fantasy land full of health, fitness and the good life.)

Time to hit the gym and plan my next local hill climb. There are just a few left on Lamma now to conquer and some don't seem to have any paths of any kind to the top at all. Any suggestions?<HR>
11 out of 12 voters in our poll so far have been to the summit at least once!

WOW, Lamma must have one of the fittest population of any area in HK! Why doesn't this come as a surprise?

Hey, anybody ready to admit that they tried but didn't make it to the top yet or that they haven't been up there yet and think we're all nuts for even trying? The poll is totally anonymous and even I can't find out who voted. So be honest, please.

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Congratulations Gung and a great day to have achieved it. One of those days when you may well be asked "where were you when Barack was innagurated?" and Mt. Stenhouse is a good one to say!

Not wanting to brag, but I have done the summit once with my (then 13 year old son) and then next time with four of my children ages (at the time) 3,5,14,15. Admittedly I/we carried the 3 year old most of the way but Louie (4) pretty much did it on his own (had to shove him up a couple of verticals along the way).

We slid back down mostly 'train-style' to the Sham Wan beach and ran sweating and exhausted straight into the sea. Oh, and we all started from Pak Kok!

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wooooooooooooooooh

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I walked up to the peak recently along the path starting from Lo So Shing beach. After several years of visiting Sai Kung sites I was surprised to discover Lamma is such a great land. I would be happy to join the "exploratory expedition to the peak and caves".