General
X-rock is a recently opened crag that is clearly visible off to the left from the top of most routes at Hero Crag. The crag is accessed by following the first dirt trail reached when skirting the dam facilities at the end of the access road. It take about 10-15 minutes to reach from this point.
A draft PDF for the Ma Tai Stream area can be downloaded here.
Access
Either take the MTR to Tai Shui Hang Station (Exit B to Chevalier Garden) on the Ma On Shan Line or take a bus to Chevalier Garden Bus Terminus (Numbers 803, 85X or 89D).
Just north of Chevalier Garden (about 150 m), an obvious single-track road breaks right and follows the drainage channel into the hillside area. Follow this track to about 50m before the location of the small dam on the approach to Ma Tai, where a small concrete path and staircase breaks off left. Follow this path up the hill until a dirt trail breaks off left just before a large fallen log / squatter shack. Stay on the dirt rail and continue uphill, over a concrete platform until you reach a faint clearing. From here a vague dirt trail leads leftwards and up the hill to another clearing with a lone tree. Keep going along the trail, which now leads back right, around a big boulder , and ultimately to the back side of X-rock itself.
Routes
(1) Horizontal Mile F7c+
A bouldery start leads to a hard traverse left and an exposed slab above
F.A. Rocky Lok (2018)
(2) Wolverine F7c
Follow the same bouldery start as Horizontal Mile but continue up to the lip of the wall from the traverse and then follow this all the way back right to reach the anchor.
F.A. Angel Liu (2018)
(3) Phoenix in Fire F8a?
The direct line joining Wolverine in the upper part. Questions exist over what’s ‘allowed’ for this line as subsequent repeats using the available holds near the bolts found the climbing significantly easier and in the order of F6c+.
F.A. Rocky Lok (2020)
(4) Phoenix ** F6b
The easiest line on the wall and a good warm up. follow the obvious series of cracks to reach the anchor.
F.A. Angel Liu (2018)
(5) Mystique F8a+
The central direct line up the middle of the wall.
Angel Liu (2020)
Angel Liu on the first ascent of Mystique (F8a+). Photo: Wong Kwok Luen
(6) Storm *** F7a
Likely to become the classic of the crag. The central line of the main wall provides a steep, yet amenable challenge that directly tackles the most obvious features.
F.A. Angel Liu (2018)
(7) Spiders Web F7b
Start as for Storm but keep going right along the break to reach a lower off way out right.
F.A. Angel Liu (2018)
(8) Magneto F7c
Make a rising rightwards traverse across the steep wall to its far side before trending back left near the top to reach the anchor. A more direct variant may be possible at about F8a.
F.A. Rocky Lok (2019)
The following routes are not shown on the topo but are located around the back of the block, around the corner from Magneto.
(9) Double Trouble F7b
As the name suggests, a route with two cruxes, one low down to reach the jug before moving up a nd left to reach the second. Easier for the tall.
F.A. Rocky Lok (2019)
(10) Broken Stone F6c
Start as for double trouble but keep moving right to follow an easy upper section.
F.A. Angel Liu (2018)
(11) Happy Pig Year F6b
A powerful start leads to easier climbing above
F.A. Angel Liu (2019)
(12) X-File (Open Project)
A desperate roof climb that looks like it will give one of the best (and definitely the hardest) pieces of horizontal climbing in Hong Kong!
Rocky Lok
Yau Ka Chun trying to crack the X-File (Open Project). Photo: Joel Yiu Yat Man