From the roundabout, take a left turn down the small private road and follow this until just passed all of the buildings. Just beyond the buildings, keep an eye open on the left for a slope maintenance staircase heading into the vegetation and down the slope. At the base of the staircase, follow the concrete path as it zig zags down the slope to eventually join an abandoned access road. Follow this until it disappears and then take a small dirt trail down the hillside to reach the beach.
The beach sector can essentially be split into two parts, separated by the Mothership – which is the mother of all boulders!
Beach (Left)
The Mothership
This is the boulder that spawned all other boulders. Its huge, so huge in fact that there’s not a single line all the way up up it yet. Some small one move wonder problems have been climbed on the flake in the middle of the overhanging face and potential exists for a few short problems up a crack and the arete left of this but, other than these, i’d recommend anyone intent on trying to climb it bring a rope and learn to defy the laws of gravity! So far, the only problem of any particular note is this beast:
1) Sasquatch *** V6
A brutal yet compelling 6m long roof crack. Start at the far end of the cave where the crack pinches out, with both hands jamming the end of the crack. Use the jams to invert in the flared roof offwidth and follow this till the crack pinches out at several points, pulling through these tenuously (crux) to eventually gain a line of jugs. The route ends on the furthest jug at the entrance to the cave. The link to the crack above awaits an ascent (but we’ll leave that to the trad climbers to figure out).
Roadside
A big storm in 2008 managed to erode a significant area at the base of the concrete access road, leaving a newly exposed wall of granite in the area just off to the right of the Jumper Block. Three problems have currently been recorded in this area.
1) Washed Away V2
Follow the diagonal crack at the right hand edge of the wall to the top.
2) Roadside V4
Start in the shallow groove below the highest part of the wall. Use the flat hold to move up to R and L hand crimps, then make a large rockover onto your left foot onto the large flat hold, to reach better holds below the top. Finish easily.
3) Perfect Storm V3
Start just left of the centre of the wall. Start on crimps for L and R hands with L foot smear. Move up on crimps to reach the side-pull for the right hand near the top, and use this to finish precariously
Jumper
1) The Jumper *** V5
Success on the left arete of the face requires a slightly dynamic (and since the erosion of the base of the climb, brave) approach.
2) Groove and Flake *** VB
The left slanting groove line provides a fine, if a little too short lived, problem.
3) Short Slab ** V3
The short slab at the right side of the face.
The Pit
1) Destructive Tendencies (sds) *** V6
Crawl into the small cave beneath the crack and then thugishly fight your way back out. Crack gloves (and even knee pads) are highly recommended in order to preserve any degree of skin cover on your hands.
2) The Perfect Traverse (sds) *** V6
Sit start sat squeezed between boulders on the left side of the sloping lip. Slap your way along this to an intimidating and dauntingly thin finish up the slab left of the crack.
3) Dominatrix (sds) *** V8
Sit start matched on the low rail. From here, crank your way up the arête to the good crimp high up before making a huge slap out right to a distant, yet positive, hold. Originally FA’d starting with left on the low rail and right on the first crimp above at soft V8. However, most repeats have started matched lower to add an additional hard move and give a much more solid outing for the grade.
Stuart Millis on Dominatrix (V8)
4) Some Like it Rough (sds) ** V6
Start on the low rail and first crimp on the arête (the short will need to stack pads). Follow the good crimps on the arete to the rounded lip. From here make a thin traverse left to the edge of the boulder and finish direct.
5) Virtual Insanity *** V2
Start stood on the pointy boulder opposite the large juggy flake. Make a leap of faith across the void to, hopefully, latch the flake itself. Finish easily above.
6) Cure for a Sick Mind *** V1
The short hanging flake leads to a slopey top out.
Death Metal
1) Desiccation *** VB
Follow the line of broken crack up the short wall
2) Desiccated (sds) * V1
Climb the short slightly overhanging arete, using some of the cracks and jugs on its right side.
3) Death Metal *** V3
Start matched in the positive slot at bout mid-height of the crack. From here move up the crack before making a big slap to a positive pocket on the lip. Now the fun starts and as a heinous rock over / mantle is required to top out. Extra points awarded for those who maintain any modicum of style for the final moves!
This problem was originally a sit start until a big storm washed away the concrete block that used to sit under the problem and moved the sit start a couple of feet lower down the crack. Fortunately, this gave us the following:
4) The Mind Hunter (sds) *** V7
Start sat on the boulder at the base of the crack and make very difficult moves from poor undercuts/lay aways and with just the crack for feet to reach the positive slots on the stand start, which is then followed to the top.
5) Inseamnia *** V6
Start on the sloping lip and, with great difficulty, get established in the scope / seam above. Only one move but more physically draining than climbing a route!
6) Inseamnia Low *** V7
Start matched in the scoop beneath the groove and then move into Inseamnia to finish. Quality!
Beach (Right)
Odds & Sods Blocs
1) Mr Fantastic ** V5
Start on the right side of the sloping shelf. Make powerful moves left along this to gain the blunt nose. Throw up a high right foot and make a committing mantel / rock over onto the slab above. Hard but excellent!
2) Odds * VB
In the centre of the wall is a flake. Pleasant moves up this bring the top.
3) Sods (sds) * VB
The angular arete of the lower block.
The Aretes
1) Masters of the Universe * V3
Start matched on the slopey rail. Make a high step and rock out left to a good side pull. Finish directly above.
2) Mistress of the Universe (sds) * V6
Sit start at a reasonable side pull on the arete and thin holds in the crack out right. From here use power and technical wizardry to climb the overhanging arete above, finishing up Master’s once you reach the ledge.
3) The Power of Greyskull (sds) ** V4
Undercut your way up the slanting crack / flake to gain the hanging slab above.
4) He-Man (sds) * V7
Powerfully slap your way up the right side of the crack before making desperate moves up and onto the slab above.
The Wave
1) The Flake * V1
Follow the hanging flake to a precarious finish.
2) The Wave * V2
Start beneath the roof, at good holds on the lip of the right end of the lower boulder. Traverse the lip / crack leftwards to finish above the arete.
3) Shore Break (sds) *** V4
An extension of The Wave. Start sat on a boulder in the depths of the roof. Traverse the crack / lip between the boulders, with difficult moves round the arête, to join and finish up Problem 2.
4) Patina * V6
Follow a line of thin crimps to gain the break at the roof. Drop off or finish along the break.
5) Crimped ** V6
Follow the line of small crimps up the wall right of the right, avoiding all holds on the arête itself. A test of crimping ability.
6) Geoff’s Arete *** V3
The excellent left arete of the boulder eases in difficulty after a thin start.
P) Apocalypse Prow *** Project
One of the Last Great Problems of Hong Kong bouldering and a contender for something in the V13 to V16 grades if it ever gets climbed. Start on good undercuts in the scoop near the bottom of the undercut prow. Compress your way ut the prow using the good side pulls on the left and a series of small crimps / slaps up the outer right side, eventually leading to a poor chicken head high up and (what looks like) a terrifying finish above that.
7) Breach of the Peace *** V3
The slabby right arete of the face gives one of the best problems at Chung Hom Kok. Delicate smearing may or may not lead to the top.
8) Smeared ** V6
The slab immediately left of the arête can also [somehow] be climbed without any use of the arête itself. A true test of smearing ability that’s considered by most to be at the upper end of its grade.
9) Black Smear * V3
Step off the boulder and onto the lip of the slab, before continuing up this without any use of the arête to the left.
10) Left Arete * VB
The left arete of the face.
Geoff Breach on Breach of the PeaceThe Pier Boulders
1) Tracy Island V0
Start at the left end of the block and reach for good crimps on a flake. Top out above these.
2) Supermarionation * V1
The central crack line has a slightly insecure feel to it.
3) Thunderbird (sds) ** V2
Start on good undercuts beneath the arete and slap you way up this, using the flake to the right and crack to the left.
4) The Pier * V1
Follow the corner / groove, being wary of a loose looking block high up.
5) The Mitchtrix (sds) * V6
Start sitting beneath a thin flake line. Slap your way up this, easier said than done, before reaching out right to finish on the slab.
(6) Reloaded (sds) * V4
Traverse the sloping lip on the short wall, make a hard move round the arete and finish up the slab.
7) Shorty * VB
The short face at the right end of the wall is climbed on good, but small, flakes.
8) Slabby Groove * VB
The slabby groove / corner.
9) Groove Arete *** V1
Climb the arete to the left of the groove, on its left side, with thin moves near the top.
10) V1 *** The Mentalist
Follow a series of thin horizontal breaks up the right side of the big wall.