Continue with onX Maps
Sign in with Facebook
Lion Rock Rock Climbing
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
| Elevation: | 1,361 ft | 415 m |
| GPS: |
22.35191, 114.18534 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
|
| Page Views: | 14,386 total · 103/month | |
| Shared By: | James K Haugen on Oct 24, 2013 | |
| Admins: | Brian Boyd, Nate Ball, Dan Flynn |
Access Issue: Bolt removal
Details
The HK government has removed bolts on several parts of Lion Rock. This includes routes on the East face (e.g., Austrian staircase), and parts of the west face as well — in particular, the upper pitches of Gweilo have been stripped. This action was in response to pro-democracy banners being hung off the cliff by protestors.
Description
Lion Rock is considered to be an 'adventure crag' by locals: A long approach -- relative to other areas -- and multipitch climbing keep the hordes away. That said, if you are climbing popular routes on the weekend, such as Gweilo or Austrian Staircase, it's common to have parties above and below you. You will be greeted by enthusiastic hikers at the top, and are also likely to get buzzed by many drones.
Lion Rock has a long and uneven history of development. Ward's Groove was first climbed as an aid route in 1958, and subsequently described as "the greatest climb in Hong Kong" (Ward guidebook). The first attempt took five months, and a decade passed before the second ascent. The East Flake was also climbed on aid in 1958. Gweilo was climbed in 1991, and the 1990s saw many new trad and bolted routes.
Many of the routes were originally led on gear, and have been subsequently bolted. Old bolts should be treated with caution, as there are instances where bolts have broken under body weight or short falls. Francis Haden has rebolted many of the routes, including new anchors stations. All of the new bolts are glue-ins.
It's possible to climb many of the bolted routes using gear. There are also a handful of trad lines, such as Top Cat, which go entirely on gear.
GETTING DOWN: EAST FACE
There is a rap station at the top of Austrian Staircase/Tigger. Two rappels with a 30m rope.
GETTING DOWN: WEST FACE
If you are at the summit, there is a rap station at the top of Ward's Groove -- look for bolts and chains right at the edge of the cliff. If you top out on Gweilo, walk up and left briefly, then turn back towards the clifftop. When you drop your rope, try to avoid getting caught in the tree that is by the Lion's Head. A 60m rope will get you the top of the inside corner on Gweilo, while a 70 will get you to the belay at the base of the Gweilo corner. If you are using a 60m rope, you will be hanging out in space, and will need to swing in to reach the belay station.
The belay stations can get quite crowded on the weekend, so many parties choose to walk down.
Lion Rock has a long and uneven history of development. Ward's Groove was first climbed as an aid route in 1958, and subsequently described as "the greatest climb in Hong Kong" (Ward guidebook). The first attempt took five months, and a decade passed before the second ascent. The East Flake was also climbed on aid in 1958. Gweilo was climbed in 1991, and the 1990s saw many new trad and bolted routes.
Many of the routes were originally led on gear, and have been subsequently bolted. Old bolts should be treated with caution, as there are instances where bolts have broken under body weight or short falls. Francis Haden has rebolted many of the routes, including new anchors stations. All of the new bolts are glue-ins.
It's possible to climb many of the bolted routes using gear. There are also a handful of trad lines, such as Top Cat, which go entirely on gear.
GETTING DOWN: EAST FACE
There is a rap station at the top of Austrian Staircase/Tigger. Two rappels with a 30m rope.
GETTING DOWN: WEST FACE
If you are at the summit, there is a rap station at the top of Ward's Groove -- look for bolts and chains right at the edge of the cliff. If you top out on Gweilo, walk up and left briefly, then turn back towards the clifftop. When you drop your rope, try to avoid getting caught in the tree that is by the Lion's Head. A 60m rope will get you the top of the inside corner on Gweilo, while a 70 will get you to the belay at the base of the Gweilo corner. If you are using a 60m rope, you will be hanging out in space, and will need to swing in to reach the belay station.
The belay stations can get quite crowded on the weekend, so many parties choose to walk down.
Getting There
From Kowloon side:
Take the MTR to Lok Fu Station and get a taxi to Lion Rock Country Park (Sze Tse San). Follow the road to the right of the park entrance gates for about 30m before heading up the hill on a well signposted footpath. Upon reaching a small shelter on the ridgeline take the upper right hand path (signposted to Lion Rock) and continue upwards. When approximately level with the toe of the crag a small dirt path breaks off right from the main track (at a small clearing in the footpath) and leads to the foot of the cliff. Approach time approx. 40 minutes.
From Sha Tin side:
Take the MTR to Sha Tin Station and get a taxi to Mong Fu Shek BBQ. From here follow the obvious footpath up the hill towards the crag. From the shelter follow the left hand path up the ridge and approach as for Kowloon side. Approach time approx. 45 minutes.
Take the MTR to Lok Fu Station and get a taxi to Lion Rock Country Park (Sze Tse San). Follow the road to the right of the park entrance gates for about 30m before heading up the hill on a well signposted footpath. Upon reaching a small shelter on the ridgeline take the upper right hand path (signposted to Lion Rock) and continue upwards. When approximately level with the toe of the crag a small dirt path breaks off right from the main track (at a small clearing in the footpath) and leads to the foot of the cliff. Approach time approx. 40 minutes.
From Sha Tin side:
Take the MTR to Sha Tin Station and get a taxi to Mong Fu Shek BBQ. From here follow the obvious footpath up the hill towards the crag. From the shelter follow the left hand path up the ridge and approach as for Kowloon side. Approach time approx. 45 minutes.
Classic Climbing Routes at Lion Rock
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
Weather Averages
|
High
|
Low
|
|
Precip
|
Days w Precip
|
Prime Climbing Season
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
Photos
All Photos Within Lion Rock
Most Popular · Newest · RandomMore About Lion Rock
Printer-FriendlyWhat's New
1 Comment