River trekking
Encyclopedia
River climbing, river trekking or mountain stream climbing is a form of hiking
or outdoor adventure
activity, a traditional sport in Japan
and popular in Hong Kong
and Taiwan
, and, in some ways, similar to canyoning
or canyoneering. River trekking is a combination of trekking and climbing and sometimes swimming along the river. It involves particular techniques like rock climbing
, climbing on wet surfaces, understanding the geographical features of river and valleys, knotting, dealing with sudden bad weather and finding out possible exits from the river.
The most famous 100 mountain streams to climb in Japan can be found by looking up 百名谷.
The Nine Big Rivers (九大石澗) are the nine rivers that are most popular among river trekkers in Hong Kong. The Nine Big Rivers include:
The particular nature park was featured on GMA 7's now defunct reality show Extra Challenge
.
and has gained a similar following from both an informal recreational and commercial point of view.
First, sudden changes in weather, like rainstorms, can cause rapid rises in water levels and speed in the river. Also, the number of viable paths and climbing areas inside the river valley could be reduced suddenly in a very short period. Besides this, bad or misty weather would also cause low visibility. Low visibility may come in too quickly for trekkers to adapt to. Therefore, a torch
(flashlight
), preferably a head-mounted one, is a must for river trekking.
Second, steep cliffs inside river valleys require a certain level of rock-climbing skills. However, because of the humid environment inside the river valley, some rock surfaces can be very wet and some rocks can be very loose despite appearing solid. To deal with such wet climbing conditions, a pair of professional river-trekking boots are strongly advised.
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
or outdoor adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
activity, a traditional sport in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and popular in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and, in some ways, similar to canyoning
Canyoning
Canyoning is traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, and/or swimming....
or canyoneering. River trekking is a combination of trekking and climbing and sometimes swimming along the river. It involves particular techniques like rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, climbing on wet surfaces, understanding the geographical features of river and valleys, knotting, dealing with sudden bad weather and finding out possible exits from the river.
Japan
Japan and Taiwan are the most popular destinations for this sport.The most famous 100 mountain streams to climb in Japan can be found by looking up 百名谷.
Taiwan
This sport is popular throughout Taiwan, where it is generally called river tracing (溯溪).Nine Big Rivers
The Nine Big Rivers (九大石澗) are the nine rivers that are most popular among river trekkers in Hong Kong. The Nine Big Rivers include:
| Romanization | Hanzi | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tai Shing River | 大城石澗 | in Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR... |
| Wan Chung River | 橫涌石澗 | in Tai Po Tai Po Tai Po is an area in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It refers to the vicinity of the traditional market towns in the area presently known as Tai Po Old Market or Tai Po Kau Hui and the Tai Wo Town on the other side of the Lam Tsuen River, near the old Tai Po Market Station of the... |
| Ng Tung River | 梧桐石澗 | in Tai Po |
| Wong Lung River | 黃龍石澗 | on Lantau Island Lantau Island Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong... near Tung Chung Tung Chung Tung Chung, meaning 'eastern stream', is an area situated on the north-western coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Tung Chung, currently one of the latest generation of new towns, was formerly a rural village around Tung Chung Wan, and along the delta and lower courses of Tung Chung River and Ma... |
| Sheng Luk River | 雙鹿石澗 | in Sai Kung |
| Man Cheng Po | 萬丈布 | in the west of Lantau Island |
| Lotus River | 蓮花石澗 | in Tai Lam Country Park Tai Lam Country Park Tai Lam Country Park , established on 23 February 1979, is a country park located in the Tai Lam, at the south of Yuen Long and east of Tuen Mun, in the western New Territories of Hong Kong. This country park has an area of 54 km².-Highlights:... |
| Ngon Sam River | 昂深石澗 | on Lantau Island near Great Buddha |
| Ping Nam River | 屏南石澗 | close to the border between Hong Kong and mainland China |
Philippines
In the Philippines, River Trekking is just gaining its popularity especially with the introduction of Mapawa Nature Park in Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao on one of their must-do activities. There are five challenges in the river which includes swimming, rapelling, jumping and sliding among others.The particular nature park was featured on GMA 7's now defunct reality show Extra Challenge
Extra Challenge
Extra Challenge was a one-of-a-kind Filipino reality show that has blazed a trail in Philippine television. The show has attracted a wide following after it presented episodes where strange yet amusing predicaments befall on participants. It is shown in the Philippines by GMA Network every weekday...
.
South Africa
The South African version of river trekking is called kloofingKloofing
Kloofing is an adventure activity that typically involves the descent of a deep ravine or watercourse that may be dry or wet. The defining factor is usually that the ravine is several times deeper than it is wide...
and has gained a similar following from both an informal recreational and commercial point of view.
Rating of difficulties
As river trekking has a certain level of risk, experienced river trekkers or hiking groups have developed rating systems about difficulties on different rivers. The ratings usually are various from 1 to 5 stars, even though a few rivers can be more than five stars because of their extreme difficulties. Such ratings are largely subjective, depending largely on river trekker's own experience. Therefore, different people or hiking groups would give different number of stars on the same river. According to Hong Kong Adventurer, an English Website about hiking and river trekking in Hong Kong, difficult scale of different rivers as:| Number of stars | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | can be handled by normal healthy persons |
| 2 | not too easy |
| 3 | fairly difficult |
| 4 | difficult, absolutely not for beginners |
| 5 | very difficult, very demanding in term of strength and skill |
Risk and danger
River trekking has certain level of risk. There are occasional accidents in river trekking, including falls from steep cliffs or waterfalls, drownings, exhaustion, or getting lost. Risks that should be prepared for include the following:First, sudden changes in weather, like rainstorms, can cause rapid rises in water levels and speed in the river. Also, the number of viable paths and climbing areas inside the river valley could be reduced suddenly in a very short period. Besides this, bad or misty weather would also cause low visibility. Low visibility may come in too quickly for trekkers to adapt to. Therefore, a torch
Torch
A torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
(flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
), preferably a head-mounted one, is a must for river trekking.
Second, steep cliffs inside river valleys require a certain level of rock-climbing skills. However, because of the humid environment inside the river valley, some rock surfaces can be very wet and some rocks can be very loose despite appearing solid. To deal with such wet climbing conditions, a pair of professional river-trekking boots are strongly advised.
See also
- CanyoningCanyoningCanyoning is traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, and/or swimming....
- HikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
- Geography of Hong KongGeography of Hong KongThe geography of Hong Kong primarily consists of three main territories: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories.The name "Hong Kong", literally meaning "fragrant harbour", is derived from the area around present-day Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island, where fragrant wood products...
- Country parks and conservation in Hong KongCountry parks and conservation in Hong KongAlthough Hong Kong is regarded as one of the world's great cities, out of the total 1,092 km² of land, about three-quarters is countryside. Scenically, Hong Kong has a great deal to offer - a landscape rising from sandy beaches and rocky foreshores to heights of almost 1,000 metres, woodlands...
- Environment of Hong Kong
External links
RiverClimb.com is a website dedicated to sending out English information about sawanobori to the world.- http://www.riverclimb.com
- HK adventurer, an English website about hiking in Hong Kong includes many river trekking routes
- http://www.hkadventurer.com
- 越野雄心, a river trekking website (in Chinese) http://www.wildconqueror.com/web/outdoorriver/river.htm