General

The easiest access and most visited of the sectors at Sunset Forest, with a good selection of mid-to-upper grade blocs.

Approach

The blocs are best approached from Choi Fai Estate at the bottom of Jat’s Incline, which has parking at the estate as well as minibus service (No. 16 from Ping Shek Estate in Choi Hung). From the bus stop, walk up Jat’s Incline until reaching the staircases just before those leading to the Sam Fung Temple (三峰廟), about 5 minutes from base of Jat’s Incline.

The sectors at Sunset Forest are best accessed via a small concrete footpath a short distance down the road from the main staircase leading to the Sam Feng Temple. This concrete path leads you quickly to a small concrete platform, from which a small dirt trail accesses the forested hillside beyond in its back left corner. Follow this trail directly up and into the forest to quickly reach the blocs themselves.

Blocs

The blocs in the Crown Sector are reached very quickly after starting up the dirt trail behind the concrete platform, with the Welcome Bloc almost blocking the footpath as you head up the hill.

Welcome Bloc

The first bloc you encounter heading up the hill after the concrete platform and one that, frankly speaking, 99% of people will just walk straight past as its not especially impressive (especially when you consider what else is available just a bit further up the hill).

1) New World Order (sds) ** V2
Start on the sloping side pull n the arête and then climb the rest of this feature.

2) First Light (sds) * V3
From adjacent crimps on the lip and a heel hook out right, reach out to a side pull on New World Order before continuing over the top of the bloc.

3) Happy Home (sds) * V1
Start on the obvious jug and climb the short face above.

Temple Bloc

The obvious bloc off to the left of the main access path above the Welcome Bloc, just behind the temple complex. Currently home to one high quality V8 but with potential for more to be added on the walls left of this.

1) Immortals *** V8
Start with left on the sloping lip and right on the lowest crimpy hold under the roof. Squeeze like hell to get yourself established before slapping up various holds on and above the lip to eventually turn the roof and finish up the slab above.

2) Camazotz (sds) *** V3
A silly but extremely fun gym style problem. Start with an sds (‘shoulders down start’ in this case) to allowed hands to get matched in the low break about 2 ft of the floor (see image below for reference). Move through the slopey ledge to then gain the ledge / crack up and left of this and eventually the good holds on the lip above that. Finish up the slab above.

The Crown Bloc

The first really large bloc you’re likely to encounter if approaching via the platform to the right of the temple area.

1) Rock Blast 石破天驚 * V11
From a tiny crimp at chest height, battle your way into Hamster the Cat and then finish up that.

2) Hamster the Cat * V5
From side pulls at the base of the groove (left) and crimps out right, throw to the lip before pulling over this to top out.

3) The Crown (sds) ** V6
Sit start at two small slopey crimps on the right side of the bloc, at a small groove and just left of the tree. Make several powerful, dynamic moves up the wall to gain the lip of the face, where the angle and difficulties finally ease. Given V5 by the FA team but this seemed a bit of a sandbag…

4) The Sceptre (sds) ** V6
Sit start matched on the ledgey jug about 1.5 m to the right of The Crown and then make a leftwards traverse across to join and finish up that line.

3) Hiking * V1
Start on the positive flake and then pull over on to the slab above, which is followed to the top.

4) Lone Wolf (sds) * V5
Start from a good crimp for the right and slopey crimp for the left, on either side of the arête, and make technical moves to climb this feature. Tricky and technical.

5) Crack Stairs (sds) * V3
Start sat beneath the crack at a good side pull. Pull on and make tricky moves to get stood up, before following the crack up the slab above. Can also finish up the slab to the right but beware of some friable holds.

6) Dark Portal (sds) *** V6
Start on the good (but hollow sounding) undercut beneath the roof, making powerful moves to get through the lip of the overhang before finishing up the slab above.
Warning: Caution is recommended with the start holds right now as the cracks in these seem to be growing and it’s probably just a matter of time before they fall off and crush someone!

1) Stairmaster VB
Climb the short slabby wall to the left of the crack.

2) Sticky Damp * VB
Follow the intermittent crack up the middle of the face.

3) Sans Hands ** V0
Climb the right side the slab, avoiding the arête and aiming gradually towards the highest part of the bloc. Also a fun one to try sans hands, even more so if you also ban the use of knees for balance too.

Spectral Bloc

The next large boulder immediately up the hill from The Crown Bloc is home to a nice collection of problems covering a varied range of grades and styles.

1) Spectre * V1
Climb the left side of the slab, with a tricky move low down to reach good ledges and an easy finish.

2) Haunter ** V2
Climb the middle of the slab, starting just right of the boulder and the tree and aiming for the good ledge at mid-height before a slightly more committing finish.

3) Scary Face ** V1
A tricky start up the right side of the slab leads to a series of good bobbles and an easier finish.

1) Ghost Fire * V3
Start matched on the large side pull. Pull off the ground (crux) and make big moves up and right to good ledges. Awkward to start but easy once you’ve got going.

2) Ghostbuster * V7
A righthand start to Ghost Fire, coming across the face starting matched from a small hold in the middle, at the top of the curved flake feature.

3) Spectral ** V4
Start with a positive side pull or slopey crimp for the left and a better crimp for the right. Make dynamic moves to the ledge above before finishing more easily above this.

4) Mojo’s Crimp (sds) ** V8
The sit start to the above line, via some very fierce pulling low down.

5) Wraith * V1
From the obvious chest high crack follow the features up the right side of the face.

1) God of Chaos (sds) *** V5
Start matched on the ledge on the left side of the face. Move directly up from this, either via a long press to the positive hold high above or making use of a tiny crimp out right. From the good hold, use a small edge out right to get balanced and then launch to the good jug above before topping out.

2) Monster Strength (sds) ** V4
Start using the right end of the ledge and an adjacent jug. From these make a huge throw up and right for the broken edge. Move back up and left from this to finish.

3) Oblate (sds) *** V3
Start on the undercut in the middle of the face, plus a small side pull just to its left. From these follow a series of spaced, but positive edges up the wall above, trending slightly left as you go.

4) Lantern ** V1
Start on the positive jug on the chest high ledge. Make a rising rightwards traverse up from this to eventually gain the hanging crack at the top right side of the face.

Viking Table

The next bloc up the slope is home to a few more short and easy lines.

1) Viking Dinner (sds) V0
Start on some low crimps on the small left face of the bloc and climb the arête on the right side of this.

2) Meat and Wine (sds) * V1
Start on a big jug in the crack on the overhanging face and climb directly up from here.

3) Feast (sds) V1
Start in the low horizontal break on the right side of the face and climb up and right from this.

4) Brave One * V2
Climb the prow on the right side of the face, starting from undercuts just beneath the small overlap.

Adjacent Sectors

Great Sail Sector – take a small dirt trail directly up the hill in the area just up and left of the Spectre Bloc

The Whale Sector – traverse diagonally up and left from the Crown to reach the streamline around which this sector is focussed

Kaze Sector – head off to the right and up the hill from the Crown

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