Mount Nicholson & Mount Cameron

This hike is considered to be moderate and isn’t advice for beginners although the climb looks very short from a distance.

We think that these 2 mountains' lack of popularity could have to do with a couple of factors; the trail isn’t maintained and requires some bushwhacking and clambering. Although the paths are very obvious, the hike isn’t easy to navigate.

However, if you enjoy a bit of adventure and rock formations as well as great views, then this is for you.

Distance - 5.67km
Duration - 3.7 hours (Includes rest & photos)
Difficulty - 3/5 Intermediate
Our adventure started at the Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Bus Stop.

Once we arrived at the bus stop, crossed the street and walked through the garden towards the bus stop on the opposite side to reach Black’s Link.

Black’s Link section of the hike is very easy, it involves walking along the road with a slight incline.

The road then narrows down from a street to a trail that enters Aberdeen Country Park.

Continue walking along until you reach an information board then if you look towards the right, you’ll see the steep slope with the rock formations on the top. This section will be the challenging part of the hike.

The climb up requires a bit of effort but as long as you’re careful, you should be fine.

Fortunately, this section is short. You’ll arrive at the rock formations, and the most popular of the rocks here resembles a mask.

To see the shape of the Face Mask Rock, you need to head towards the left side of the trail, but be careful as the climb is very steep.

There is an opening like a cave along the rock formations, you can explore it or take a rest but make sure to keep off the edges for safety.

Once we were done exploring, we continued to follow the trail heading up the summit of Mount Nicholson.

It’s a short and steep climb through the bushes until you reach the transmission station which is the top of Mount Nicholson.

After the summit point, we continue to follow the trail that heads down the steps until the trail junction. From there we took the right side of the fork to continue toward the midsection of Black’s Link.

Once we reach the midsection of Black’s Link, you will notice a sitting area, and next to it is a staircase heading up, this trail heads up Mount Cameron.

This section of the hike requires bushwhacking and navigating.

Walk up the flights of steps until you reach the dead end, and on the left, you will see the slanted rock which you have to climb up to reach the trail.

The trail is quite overgrown and there are lots of sharp trees along the way, we recommend wearing long pants and arm sleeves when doing this hike.

Some of the sections heading up require clambering so it's also good to have a pair of gloves.

Once the trail opens up away from the overgrown section, you can admire views from Happy Valley and parts of Kowloon.

Take a moment to rest before continuing, the following trails are relatively easy and flat.

There are plenty of ribbon markers along the way toward the top of Mount Cameron, make sure to locate them.

Once we reach the summit of Mount Cameron, look toward the direction of Mount Nicholson and be amazed at how far you have traveled.

Enjoy the views while taking a rest at the summit before heading down toward Middle Gap Road.

Once you are ready, continue toward the trail that heads down, and prepare for another bushwhacking section.

The trail heading down is obvious but you’ll have to pay attention to the ribbons as it’s easy to get lost.

If uncertain, check G to determine if you’re heading toward Middle Gap Road.

After the long downhill, the trail merges onto the steps before ending along the road.

Continue to follow the road, it passes through some residential houses before reaching Stubbs Road, where you can catch the bus back to the city.

Overall this hike is a bit challenging in some parts and offers great views of the city.

We recommend bringing at least 2 liters of hydration and a few snacks.

Wearing proper hiking shoes with good grip is a must, especially during clambering up the rock formations.