From Bowen Drive to Aberdeen Country Park and the Peak
The weather has been fine for most of the past few weeks. There are signs of summer and yet it has not been too hot. We seize the opportunity to do different kinds of walks.
The walk of the day was from Bowen Drive to the Aberdeen Country Park and then up to the Peak via Watford Road. We walked in a leisurely pace and spent between two to three hours for the whole trip.
The route begins at Hopewell Center 17th Floor, exiting toward Kennedy Road and onto Bowen Drive. Then enter the Bowen Road Fitness Trail. This trail comes with excellent city views on its way.
At this pavilion, you will see the Wan Chai Gap Road leading upward. Head on over to this trail for some very, very steep slope. At its end, cross Stubbs Road. Walk pass the Wan Chai Gap Park. You will be very near the entrance to the Aberdeen Country Park via the Aberdeen Reservoir Road.
The views at the Upper Aberdeen Reservoir this time paled in comparison to our last view of it. Due to the dry stretch of the winter, there was no flowing water at the dam.
We then headed southward to the Lower Aberdeen Reservoir via the Aberdeen Fitness Trail. These are the views of the Lower Aberdeen Reservoir.
So far so good, except that my friends said we would be heading back up to the peak from the Lower Aberdeen Reservoir. I expected a serious climb up. We routed back on the Aberdeen Fitness Trail and re-entered the Aberdeen Country Park at its southern entrance.
The way to go up the peak was via Watford Road. The entrance to Watford Road was close to the main dam of the Upper Aberdeen Reservoir. It would come up before the Aberdeen Fitness Trail turns into Aberdeen Reservoir Road.
Photo: this is the path up to Watford from the Aberdeen Fitness Trail
Clearly, Watford Road was not a popular trail. The path was generously shaded, which helped because the upward climbing would have been very taxing on such a sunny day. At the sites where streams crossed, there were many mosquitoes waiting to feed on us. I would say that the only attraction of this path was the serious stairs throughout, which entailed plenty of good exercise. On exit, we arrived at the Watford Villa. Once back at civilization, we hailed a cab. The rest of the way up the Peak Galleria would have been too strenuous on foot.
Photo: at this sign, follow the Peel Road direction
Photo: where shown, follow the Watford Road direction
Photo: this is the last stretch of stairs up the section of Watford Road on the Peak, passing by Watford Villa.
Our reward was a yummy bowl of noodle at the Peak Galleria, plus coffee at our favorite shop, Baekmidang.
The Aberdeen Reservoirs officially opened in 1931 by then Hong Kong Governor William Peel. The Lower Aberdeen Reservoir was originally a private reservoir owned by the Tai Shing Paper Factory. The Government bought it for $460,000, then expanded its capacity. Together with the later-built Upper Aberdeen Reservoir, the Lower Aberdeen Reservoir was intended to serve the water demands of the neighborhoods nearby. It would also augment the water supply of the Pok Fu Lam Reservoir to western Hong Kong Island.[i]
On the other hand, the Aberdeen Country Park opened in 1977 and it was one of the earliest country parks in Hong Kong.[ii]
[i] The Wikipedia on the Aberdeen Reservoirs.
[ii] Id.