Pak Mong Crag |

General

The small buttress overlooking the North Lantau Expressway and Airport Express Line has been eyed by many climbers on their way to the airport over the years but it was not until late 2019 when Stuart Millis and Joost Swetter went for a closer look that the potential for climbing was more closely checked. Unfortunately, the findings weren’t that great…

The crag itself provides a steep slabby wall of thin and technical, but sadly very crumbly, lines. For this reason, no climbs were bolted as it wasn’t considered worth the time and costs for a bunch of lines that would have disintegrated significantly with traffic. The bolts for access and top roping some of the lines inspected do remain, but the hangers have been removed.

Oh yeah – pack your mosquito spray too as you’ll get eaten quite a bit even in the dead of winter… Sounds wonderful doesn’t it…

Access

By far the easiest access is by car or taxi from Tung Chung, from where you simply drive down Cheung Tung Road to the parking at Pak Mong Village. Alternatively, you can catch New Lantau Bus No. 36 from Tung Chung Bus Station (not that frequent) or just walk from Tung Chung, which takes about 30 minutes along a flat road.

Bus Schedule: 0745 , 1000 , 1215 , 1500 , 1700 , 1930
(check online schedule for changes here)

From the parking spot / bus stop, head east to the start of the Tung Mui Ancient Trail and follow this back west until reaching a turning for a dirt trail heading steeply up the slope to the left, almost directly beneath the crag (currently marked with white and red tape) and just before you reach the slope maintenance staircase. From here an overgrown and vague trail (expect a little bit of bushwhacking) brings you to some CLP pylons. At the second level of these pylons, follow the path leftwards and over a stone wall until you reach a small dried up streambed. Follow this up the slope, over another small dry stone wall, to reach the crag.

Its is also possible to reach the dirt trail from the maintenance staircase and berms on the cut slope above Cheung Tung Road. The turning for the dirt path is just a few metres east of the point where the maintenance path meets the Tung Mui Ancient Trail.

Routes

To access the existing anchor bolts, scramble up the right side of the crag until it is possible to move back left (carefully) along the vegetated ledge at the top to reach two anchor bolts. From here a short abseil (5m or so) takes you down to a lower ledge from which the two sets of anchor bolts for the lines previously cleaned can be found.

Both lines were only top roped so can be claimed / renamed by anyone keen (and rich) enough to put the effort in to actually bolting them.

(1) The Disillusioned Gardener – F6b+
Climb the obvious crack, groove line trending left and right of the main feature to make use of those holds that actually look like they may stay on the wall…
T.R. Joost Swetter & Stuart Millis (2019)

(2) Thin Skinned – F7a
Start just left of the crackline/groove and climb the slabby wall above via thin technical moves on holds that may (or may not) stand the passage of time…
T.R. Joost Swetter & Stuart Millis (2019)