Hong Kong trail section 7 with Obelisk Hill sidetrack loop + D’Aguilar Peak

Start : Tai Tam Reservoir North bus stop - take #14 bus from near Sai Wan Ho MTR
Finish : Shek O beach - take #9 bus home to Shau Kei Wan MTR

Follow the flat HK trail to marker post H075 where a bridge crosses the catchwater and a ribboned trail goes north up Obelisk Hill. From here an anti-clockwise circuit back to H075 takes a little over 1hr.

The actual summit of Obelisk Hill is a fenced off GPS station. 200m prior stands one of two concrete obelisks built ~1900 by the navy. The second obelisk can be spied away to the south on the shore by Red Hill. Ships moored in the natural shelter of Tai Tam Bay used the obelisks to calibrate, aka “swing”, their compasses; the obelisks lie on the same line of longitude, so by lining up on them sailors could accurately reference true north. A secondary use for the obelisks may have been to navigate obstacles on approach to Tai Tam Harbour.

Descend NW to regain the HK trail at marker post H071. Soon after the summit are some WWII defence buildings to explore; an old fibreglass helmet liner lay on a window ledge, what era I don’t know.

Continue on the HK trail to take a break on the white sandy beach at To Tei Wan. A retired Star Ferry, looking smart and now privately owned was anchored in Tai Tam Harbour and the sun was low in the sky over Stanley. I had to speed up to summit D’Aguilar and make it to Shek O before dark! 700 steps go up to Shek O Road from the village; I passed a resident lugging a sizeable avocado plant in a pot down from the bus stop.

The D’Aguilar Peak trails had much scratchy vegetation and the summit was in cloud. Descended quickly to Shek O but negotiating a group of wide rock slabs proved tricky; due failing light the narrow path through intermediate patches of impenetrable brush became hard to spot. Enjoyed a welcome beer and ice cream on the almost empty beach in the dark to finish.