West Dog’s Teeth, also known as Kau Nga Ling, has been dubbed Hong Kong’s hardest hike, so it’s no surprise that this time trial is ranked 5/5 stars in terms of difficulty.
The ridge, which connects to the second tallest peak in Hong Kong, Lantau Peak, has jagged edges, resembling the jaws of a dog (hence the name) – and although physically challenging, the rewarding views and sense of achievement upon reaching the summit makes this trail worthwhile.
A majority of this walk is exposed with not many pit stops along the way, so it is best to come fully prepared and attempt this during the cooler months.
Overview
Length: 3.6 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 854m
Difficulty: 5/5
Head to Shek Pik Country Park, where the start zone lies about 100m or so from the entrance behind the catchwater.
You’ll need to climb a few stairs, and the path eventually levels out and is flat for a majority of the way until you come out to a big rock face with the Chinese characters “西狗牙,” (meaning West Dog’s Teeth) marking the start of your scramble.
Most of the trail is dirt and rock, with some sections requiring you to use all fours to climb up certain ridges - which is also part of the fun.
Although each ridge that lies ahead looks daunting, the views get better the higher you ascend.
You’ll eventually come out to a fork, before the big ascent, with a very narrow pathway to your right, which connects to the Middle Dog’s Teeth ridge – you’ll want the path to the left taking you up for the biggest climb yet!
Here you will pass rock formations such as Hades Wall and Bird Rock, before the path levels out for a short while, and you pass a sign post for Ngong Ping to your left.
Continue on to your final ascent up to Lantau Peak, and the end zone, where your app will record your time, and rank you amongst others competing. From here, you can take your pick of routes to get back down, though if you head back to the sign post for Ngong Ping, it'll be a 40 minute walk back down to to closest taxi or bus station.