General
A small tidal crag in a beautiful setting near the mouth of Tai Tam Bay that is home to a handful of pleasant low- and mid-grade sport routes as well as some fine trad crack lines. Slightly further down the peninsula there’s also a recently (2024) established deep water solo spot that still has some potential for a bit more development.
We recommend checking the tides here to make sure the crag will be accessible when you visit.
Access
The simplest approach to the crag is to take either the Number 9 bus or red minibus from the bus depot near Exit A3 of Shau Kei Wan MTR to the bus stop at the roundabout on Cape D’Aguilar Road (there’s a small amount of ‘not strictly legal‘ parking available here). After alighting from the bus, walk down Cape D’Aguilar Road for about 300 m until you reach a small bridge spanning a streamline. Scramble down into the streamline on the uphill side of the road and then go beneath the bridge and follow the stream all the way down to the shoreline. The crag is just on the left of the bottom of the stream. Note: the streamline can also be reached by following a small trail that starts from a passing bay on the right side of the road, slightly higher up from the aforementioned bridge. For those feeling lazy or a bit flush with cash, a boat can also be arranged from Tai Tam to the beach or nearby flooded quarry by calling Ah Ming (9878 0258).
Be careful if visiting after rain (or if rain is forecast) as the stream is a major natural drainage line that collects significant water flows and will also stay wet after periods of heavy rain.
Access details for the Upper Cliffs and DWS spot are described lower down this page, at the section describing the route details for those areas.
Routes
Main Crag
1) Unnamed ** F5
Climb the left arête and face of the pillar of rock on the left side of the crag.
F.A. Unknown
2) Unnamed * F6a+
Climb the main face of the pillar of rock on the left side of the crag, with a thin technical crux low down.
F.A. Unknown
3) Unnamed F4
Climb the crack and slab formed between the left edge of the main buttress and the adjacent pillar of rock, scrambling up and right across the ledges to finish.
F.A. Unknown
4) Slab, Sea and Sand ** F4
From a tidal swept ledge, climb up the right side of the slab to reach the ledges and the lower off above.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
5) On the Beach * F6b
Start in the middle of the face of the left buttress, beneath a slanting set of discontinuous cracks. Follow these up and right until it is possible to go more vertically towards the left corner of the face and the ledges above. Scramble across the ledges to the lower off.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
6) Newtonian Trajectory *** F7a+
The line of the crag follows the right arête of the left buttress and is both technical and challenging.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2022)
7) Salty Body * VS 4b
In the back of the niche between Routes 7 and 8 is a prominent vertical crack that increases in width with height. Climb this via full body jams. Be warned that the rock quality is that ‘top notch’ so expect lots of crumbling as the weathered skin disintegrates while you thrutch your way up it.
F.A. Unknown
8) Mad Dogs * F6a
Climb the left arête of the right buttress, moving across the crack to a lower off above Salty Body.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
9) Englishmen * F6b
Climb the centre of the wall to a lower off just above the two-thirds height ledge.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
10) Noonday Sun F6a+
Climb the right arête of the wall to a lower off just above the two-thirds height ledge.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
11) Unnamed * F6b+
Climb the wall and arête just around the corner from Noonday Sun.
F.A. Unknown
12) That Sinking Feeling ** F6b+
Climb the off width crack to the right of the previous route, with a strenuous pull through the roof.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
13) No Time to Pong ** F6a
Start up the crack / corner where the main buttress meets the main slab of the hillside. Break out left from this before racing your way up the steep wall above.
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
Upper Cliffs
The upper cliffs form a small escarpment in the lower reaches of some larger granite slabs perched on the hillside overlooking Cape D’Aguilar Road.
The crag is accessed from the road by scrambling up a wire mesh covered rock slope, about 50 m further down the road than the lay-by with the trail leading to the Main Crag. Once above the roadside rock slope follow a small retaining wall towards some granite slabs, which are then followed in back in the general direction of the bus stop until a small trail appears that leads back down to the base of the crag.
1) Tip Top F5
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
2) Base Rate Fallacy * F5
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
3) Bust a Tyre F5
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
4) For the Gram * F5
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
5)Appetite for Development * F5
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
6) No Added Sugar * F4
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
7) Blinded by the Brilliance F3
Potentially the lowest graded bolted climb in Hong Kong
F.A. F. Haden & V. Wong (2021)
Cape D’Ag DWS Crag
A recently established DWS cliff on the coastline beneath Hok Tsui Village. This crag is reached via a trail leading west and down the hillside to the coastline from Hok Tsui Village, lower down Cape D’Aguilar Road. Once at the coastline, a relatively straightforward scramble southwards along this brings you to the crag itself.
1) Release the Kraken F6a
An about 8 m high ling up the first crack system on the sheer face.
F.A. Corentin Le Manse De Chermont (2025)
2) Keel Haul F5+
A low level traverse across the face for those not wanting to get too far above the water line.
F.A. Corentin Le Manse De Chermont (2025)
3) Po Tsai *** F6b+
The main event of the lines so far established, tackling the majority of the central sickle shaped crack system, breaking left to safety at about 3/4 height (8-9 m) and taking a diagonal escape line to top out at just over 10 m height.
F.A. Corentin Le Manse De Chermont (2025)
4) Delay No More *** F6b+
The route Po Tsai wanted to be. Start up that line but take the more committing option of continuing directly up the wall following a line of thinner cracks all the way to the top of the face.
F.A. Corentin Le Manse De Chermont (2026)
Notable potential for lines either side of those described above still remain