The hikes you find on Hiking Hong Kong all have a quick stats section located near the start of the page. These quick stats provide you with information relating to the hiking trail that is useful to you, should you wish to embark on one of these adventures. Below is a summary of each of these quick stats.

Enjoyment Ranking:

Enjoyment of any particular hiking trail is ranked using 5 stars with ranking as follows:

Star Ranking	Value	Description
	Poor	The hiking trail resembles a footpath.
	Fair	The hiking trail shows potential for enjoyment, but really it is just a glorified footpath.
	Good	The hiking trail is worth walking along but don't expect too much. Some views but mainly a concreted trail.
	Very Good	The hiking trail has good views, gets you away from the busy life of Hong Kong and consists of less than 50% of concrete footpaths.
	Excellent	The hiking trail has excellent views, is predominantly in natural terrain and gets you far away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Difficulty Ranking:

The difficulty of any particular hiking trail is ranked using 5 stars with ranking as follows:

Star Ranking	Value	Description
	Basic	The hiking trail is nothing but a footpath along a flat surface.
	Easy	The hiking trail is predominantly flat with less than a 100 metre ascent. It consists mainly of paved trails.
	Average	The hiking trail is difficult at times with short, sharp inclines reaching no higher than 300 metres. It may consist of either dirt or concrete or a mixture of both.
	Difficult	The hiking trail is quite difficult, mainly consisting of dirt trails. The maximum ascent will be 1000 metres.
	Hard	The hiking trail has multiple peaks. Trail composition is predominantly dirt and may consist of rough terrain. Total ascent may be up to or over 1000 metres.

Hike Type:

On this web site you will find three different types of hiking trails. Point A to Point B, Loop, and Stage Trails. Each have their own advantages depending on your needs.

Point A to Point B Hiking Trail

These hiking trails start at one point and end at another and sometimes vary depending on the hiking trail chosen. These trails are best if you want to get from one point to another.

We do our best to find hiking trails that lead from one major transport terminal to another, or at the least offer some type of transport at the start and the end. For the most part they will be from and to MTR stations or ferry/bus terminals so that you can easily make your way home after the hike.

Loop Hiking Trail

Loop hikes are great when you want to return to the same point. This way you only need to worry about getting to one destination and of course returning from that same destination.

These hikes are also useful should you live in the particular area that the hike is located for a casual hike when you are feeling energetic.

Again these hikes will start from either an MTR station or bus/ferry terminal where possible.

Stage Hiking Trail

Stage trails mostly refer to hikes such as the Hong Kong Trail or Lantau Trail where the hike is so long that it is separated into separate stages.

Unlike the other hiking trails, these most often do not end either near an MTR station or bus/ferry terminal. This means that you will have to make your way to the beginning of each stage in addition to the trail described. Of course this also applies to the end of that particular stage.

These hikes are great for a challenge should you wish to push yourself in an attempt to complete either the entire hike or several stages

Distance:

The length of the hiking trail will be displayed in km and will be an approximation based on my amateur mapping skills.

Maximum Height:

The maximum height of a trail will measure the highest peak of any one mountain along the trail in metres.

Total Ascent:

The total ascent will measure the total number of metres climbed along a hiking trail. This may exceed the highest peak of a mountain, should the hiking trail cross multiple peaks.

Total Descent:

The total descent will measure the total number of metres descended along a hiking trail. This may exceed the maximum height of a trail should the hiking trail cross multiple peaks.

Duration:

The duration of a hike is measured using Naismaith's Rule which looks at both height variation and distance to determine the duration of any particular hike.

Duration is calculated by the following:

• Add 60 minutes for every 5km traveled.
• Add 30 minutes for every 300 metre ascent.
• Subtract 10 minutes for every 300 metre descent.
• For very steep slopes, add 10 minutes for every 300 metre descent.

From my hiking experience in Hong Kong, I would adjust the duration as follows:

• If the temperature is above 28 degrees Celsius with high humidity, add 20 minutes for every hour of hiking time using Naismaith's Rule.
• For every additional person above a group of three, add 10 minutes for every hour of hiking time using Naismaith's Rule.
• If you are playing the tourist, and expect to show interest in everything you see, add 20 minutes for every hour of hiking time using Naismaith's Rule.

Calculated duration should be used as a guide only as fitness level and age will play a large role in how much time it takes to complete any given hiking trail.

Trail Composition:

Trail composition will list, in percentage, the amount of concreted, rocky, wooden or dirt pathways along a hiking trail.

Many of the mainstream trails in Hong Kong have been concreted which makes for less of a hiking experience and also for an easier difficulty. A rocky surface will generally increase difficulty, as will a sandy or muddy surface, especially given the high humidity in Hong Kong which can make these surfaces very slippery and difficult to navigate.