Bump Up Sprints and Boulder's Hometown Mountain (Mount Sanitas)

Yesterday started with a good elliptical workout with mrC joining me on the treadmill. He did walk/run intervals and I did sprints. It was bump up day for me, so after a 10 minute warm-up, I did 15 sprints @ 20:40 work/rest. It felt good and I did not want to die, ha!

After our workout, we grabbed a low carb breakfast from the hotel buffet. You never know what you are going to get, but usually the options are satisfactory to me. Basic, but good. The only way I can eat ham slices is with honey.

We had time to kill before meeting up with middleC after his finals, so we decided to go for a hike. Before we left, I got caught up on my PPB challenge. I did the over-due 40 burpees (15, 10, 10, 5) and a 2 minute plank (60, 30, 30).

Last year we hiked Royal Arch Trail and Woods Quarry in the Flatirons, so we wanted to hike something new. Mount Sanitas is considered Boulder's hometown mountain and is rated as a moderate plus hike.

The hike was a 3+ mile loop of three connecting trails that took about 2.5 hours with an elevation gain of over 1300 feet. It was the perfect hike for us ---> a little bit moderate and a little bit challenging.

We started the hike on the Mount Sanitas Trail which is recommended if you are looking for a workout. This trail definitely put our legs to the test, but there were plenty of places to stop and rest and take in the views.

This hike is probably faster if you don't climb off trail to get to the best seats to take your water break, but we couldn't resist taking in every part.

After passing over Mount Sanitas summit, we joined the East Ridge Trail and began our descent. This part of the trail was very technical and took a lot of concentration working our feet on the rock. It was definitely harder because I did not have my hiking shoes with me.

Although this trail was almost as challenging as the climb up, we did have fun following it through some interesting twists and openings. The last section did finally smooth out just before the next trail connection. And I have to share that my Miir Slate water bottle from Oiselle kept my water nice and cool. I've had it for years but because it's heavier I avoided using it. I'm so glad that I did! It was warm hiking in the sun.

The Sanitas Valley Trail was the final part of the loop. As it's namesake suggests, we were literally in the valley below Mount Sanitas. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

Although you can't tell from my photos, these trails were busy yesterday. We saw lots of other hikers, with and without their dogs, and lots of runners. I don't know how they can run on such technical trails, but they were doing it.

Throughout the hike, we enjoyed the beauty and fragrance of Boulder's flowers in Spring bloom. Of course we had to stop and smell them.

Speaking of flowers, we met up with middleC again for dinner and strolled along Pearl Street afterwards. It felt like we were attending a flower show. Planters of different colored tulips dotted the pedestrian street from end to end.

Do you prefer flat trails or technical trails for hiking/running?
Do you stop and smell the flowers?

Hiking: Maclehose Stage 4

They say that stage 4 is one of the toughest of the Maclehose Trail. I sure hope so, because it was hard hiking. Thank goodness for compression socks!

The hike starts with a strenuous climb up to 540 meters (we started around 80). At the top, I stared at the towering peak of Ma On Shan (702 meters) and thought about the day I might conquer it.

The reward after that big first climb is getting to spend time in the uplands and walking along the ridge. I thought this would be a great place to sit and enjoy a packed lunch while taking in the panoramic views over Sai Kung and Ma On Shan.

The ridge eventually takes a big descent down to Ngong Ping viewing area which is where we found loads of paragliders. This was an excellent spot to take a little break and grab a snack.

You would think that big climb is what makes this stage so challenging. For me, it was the big descent after and the multiple ups and downs after that. Descents are hard on the knees, and REALLY hard on mine. The final descent was the toughest, but we did get some amazing views all the way toward Central.

Stage 4 ends in an awkward place. If you are hoping to find public transport at the finish, you either decide to do this hike backwards with a big walk-in or carry on to stage 5. Our hiking group opted to have a big walk-out at the END...this was about another hour walk down a sloped road through the land of monkeys.

View from the top and the elevation chart. The view makes all that climbing worth it!

In a couple of weeks we will be moving on to the next stage and I'm hoping the hard part is behind us.

Previous Maclehose Trail hikes:

Hiking: 3 Best Parts of the MacLehose Trail Section 2

Hiking: Maclehose Stage 3

How do you rate difficult hikes? (Length, ascent, descent, terrain)

A Trip to Guilin, China + Weekly Wrap

I went on another China adventure to the land of karst mountains and had so much fun! We hiked, we rafted, we explored, we ate and we laughed.

My membership with the American Women's Association offers me the opportunity to do many things including take trips around Asia. I've been to Kaiping, Harbin, and now Guilin where the famous karst mountains are located.

The morning that we took the bamboo raft ride was rainy and overcast, but it didn't dampen the fun at all. Our rafts were authentic bamboo with the driver using a bamboo pole to push us down the river (we would later see larger rafts with motorboat engines attached and be grateful that we had a genuine experience).

The views from our bamboo raft were absolutely stunning! The karst mountain peaks loomed all around us and the countryside was so peaceful.

We did have a few exciting moments as the rafts dropped over terraces. The first one was a little scary but then after that it was just fun.



We pushed our hiking trip to the next day and it was worth the wait. The hike began with a moderate climb to Xianggongshan where we had amazing views of the Li River and the karst mountains.

The rest of the trail took us through beautiful countryside including right through mandarin plantations. The employees were very friendly as we passed by and our guide gave us each a mandarin orange.

At the bottom of the mountainside our hike continued along the Lijang River to Xingping old town. 

The shore was lined with cormorant fishing boats. The cormorants are tied to the rafts and sent into the water to retrieve fish. We didn't see actual fishing, but the locals were more than ready to pose for photos, for a small fee. (I found this photo on Trip Advisor)

I signed up for this trip because I wanted to see the karst mountains and because we would hiking and bamboo rating down the Yulong River. I like sightseeing, but I like adventure sightseeing even more. It was exactly what I hoped.

And now I'm catching up on blogging. Here's the rest of my workouts for the week:
Monday - Trip prep - lots of walking!
Tuesday - travel to Guilin
Wednesday - Bamboo rafting and sightseeing
Thursday - 7.3km hike and travel back to Hong Kong 
Friday - REST
Saturday - 3 mile run
Sunday - Walk around the neighborhood

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

Hiking: Maclehose Trail Stage 3

Embrace the hill!

That should be the mantra heading into this hike because the climbing is no joke.

I'm on a mission to hike all 100 km of the Maclehose Trail in Hong Kong. Unofficially, I started this trail when I hiked stage 2 with my SWIC hiking friends a couple of years ago. Now I'm teaming up with my AWA hiking friends to hopefully finish this beast.

Stage 3 of the Maclehose Trail is rated difficult because of the multiple climbs and rugged trail. You won't find any concrete paths or stairs on this one, but flat rock steps help on the ascents.

The first climb takes you up to Ngau Yee Shek Shan/Ngam Tau Shan at over 400 meters. Although it is quite challenging making your way up, the views of the mountains of Sai Kung and the South China Sea in the distance make rest stops along the way enjoyable (especially if you are there on a clear day).

A rather long and gradual descent takes you to a camping area at Cheung Sheung. This was a large area but the only living creature we saw on this drizzly day was a cow.

The second climb is short and sweet. Here you get the first views of the other side of the mountain toward Three Fathoms Cove and the skyscrapers of Ma On Shan.

Another drop down sets the stage for the final and most grueling climb of the day. The trail is the most rugged and steepest yet as you make your way up to Kai Kung Shan at 399 meters. Sadly after all that climbing we found ourselves in a cloud with no hope for a view.

It was all downhill from there. Literally. The trail gradually and slowly descends to Kei Ling Ha. Slowly because the trail is completely covered with irregular rocks.

At the end of stage 3 there is a very nice picnic area, rest rooms and a vending machine with water. A short walk takes you to the bus stops.

Other hard hikes in Hong Kong:

Hong Kong Trail - Sections 5-7

Hiking: Lantau Trail Stage 1 and 2

Hiking: Lantau Trail Stages 3 & 4 (Lantau Peak)

Hiking: Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via Tiger's Head

Just two days after hiking Dragon's Back, the kids decided that they wanted to tackle Tiger's Head ---> a peak that looms over us here in Discovery Bay. The name Tiger's Head comes from how the peak looks from the top - what do you think? Does it look like a tiger is watching over DB?

The best way to describe our hike from Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via Tiger's Head, is to break the 9km into three parts:

The first 3km was all climbing and I mean serious climbing right up to Tiger's Head peak at about 460 meters. It is hard work (made easier than our first time by the cooler weather) and in some places it feels like you are going straight up. But if you take breaks, it is completely manageable.

Lucky for us, we had a beautiful day to hike. The reward for the climb is the amazing views, especially once you push past Tiger's Head up to the ridge of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail.

For the next 3km we followed the Lo Fu Tau Country Trail across the ridge to its beginning. This part of the hike was pretty easy since the trail was mostly flat. We soaked up the views and the sun and didn't even let the crazy trail runners bother us ;)

Along this part of the trail we found the famous rock formations: turtle rock, sword sharpening rock and peach rock. According to online articles, none of these are man-made although they look like it.

The final 3+km began around the junction of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail and Olympic Trail. We took a short snack break at the pavilion before starting our descent into Mui Wo.

On this part of the hike there is lots of shade, at times it felt like we were walking through a forest. We spent a few minutes at Silvermine Cave and Silvermine Waterfall Garden before finishing up in Mui Wo.

We celebrated our hard core hiking skills with lunch at our favorite spot in Mui Wo, The Kitchen.

Other Discovery Bay area hikes:

Hiking Discovery Bay: Lookout Point Loop

Hiking: Mui Wo to Discovery Bay

Hiking: Tiger's Head - Lo Fu Tau