It was 26th December 2021, the Boxing day, and weather has been pretty bad. Cold weather warning, cloudy and overcast, and 3mm of rain are all forecasted. Yet, this situation present us an opportunity to experience nature and life differently. We haven’t tried hiking in cold and rainy weather especially in Hong Kong and since we have all the equipment ready (e.g., waterproof jacket, trousers and bag) for such hike, we decided to go ahead.

West Buffalo Hill (Chinese: 西水牛山) or Wong Ngau Shan (黃牛山) is a 604-metre high hill located within Ma On Shan Country Park, Hong Kong but it is actually nearer to Shatin than to Ma On Shan.

We started the hike from Kwong Yuen Estate bus terminal and within 2.5 hours we are at the summit of West Buffalo Hills. The weather is good at the start of our hike and then progressively becoming more rainy, cloudy and cold. One of the key highlights of the trip is the collection of few big boulder that seems to stack together artistically forming the “Window of the World”. It was a beautiful spot to take pictures. In rainy days, however, this spot is difficult to reach as the path towards it is very slippery. We literally slide down in between rock just to reach the spot. But it was worth the effort.

The “Windows of the World” spot is located just below the summit of West Buffalo Hill. When we reached the summit it was extremely windy and cold. Yet the scenery of cloud and mist flying past the surrounding hills is a sight to behold. It’s an memorable and amazing experience for us to be there witnessing the battle of nature and weather. Click on the video above to have a feel of what it is like being up there.

After reaching the summit we decided to retraced our trail back to the starting point as the weather was getting from bad to worst. It feels safer knowing using trail that we are familiar with. As we started the hike pretty late, we are prepared for a night hike. But with the rain coming down heavily on us, the hike was challenging. But again, it is an amazing experience for us.

We completed the hike in 5 hours in extreme weather! It as a great experience but make sure that you have the right equipment and preparation for this kind of hike. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for our 4th Peak Climb soon.