By Jay Scott Kanes
LAMMA ISLAND, Hong Kong -- On January 20, the day when President Barack Obama made history by taking charge in the United States, I had the pleasure to watch a good friend make personal history with a lofty adventure on Lamma Island. Three dogs helped him do it.
For the first time, Lamma-Gung, the kingpin of Lamma-Zine (www.lamma.com.hk), reached the 353-metre-high peak of Mount Stenhouse, the highest point on our home island. It’s the latest highlight in a fitness campaign that has seen Lamma-Gung lose more pounds than most Hong Kong people weigh.
“That climb was the most strenuous thing I’ve ever done in Hong Kong after more than 20 years,” Lamma-Gung said. “Until a few months ago, I wouldn’t have dared to dream of making it up there. It took more than five hours of grueling up-and-downhill walking, often climbing over sheer rock-face and crawling through densely-vined jungle. Up there is wild, steep and totally remote, just beautiful, well worth my slightly aching knees and a few scrapes and scratches.”
As for me, I’d made the trip once before and knew much of the way. Lamma-Gung recruited me as “a guide”, but mostly wanted a witness that he reached the top. Despite our tropical location, the journey resembled an Arctic expedition in that we relied on a team of trusty dogs who did the real guiding.
My dog, Gail, always enjoys hikes. Near home, she and I encountered Bianchino, one of her furry friends, an infamous two-timer with multiple homes in different villages. Instantly, this fluffy, grey canine appointed himself the expedition leader and led us along the trail to Sok Kwu Wan where we joined Lamma-Gung (who’d bicycled that far). There, Bianchino recruited two more pals, both brown dogs.
As we climbed, the dogs employed a strategy. Bianchino and Gail always led, showing us where the indistinct trail meandered. Bianchino’s buddies followed, guarding our backs.
At extra-steep spots, Bianchino and Gail suggested better options by detouring slightly. When getting too far ahead, they doubled back to check on us. At forks in the trail, they bounded forward. If I challenged them, insisting on the other way, a few steps invariably brought us to a dead-end. Always, the dogs knew best.
Realizing that we’d go for the summit, one brown dog, handicapped by having just one eye (the other lost in a fight long ago), gave up and returned to Sok Kwu Wan. Bianchino’s other recruit stayed behind us, patient and concerned, quietly watching our unorthodox climbing and tardy progress.
At the summit, Gail stayed alert, attentive to my actions, but Bianchino and his disciple flopped down to power-nap until the descent. Lamma-Gung and I ate cookies, took photos and briefly displayed an Obama poster. I rationed two bottles of water among the dogs, and they lapped up every drop.
Then Bianchino and Gail led us back down by a different trail. Once more, the brown dog followed, gently herding us and making sure we didn’t falter entirely.
Back in Sok Kwu Wan, we watered the dogs again. As Lamma-Gung and I sat in a restaurant for coffee and a recap, Bianchino and his sidekick dozed nearby. Beside our table, Gail showed fatigue too, her eyes closing, her head bobbing.
The hardworking dogs had contributed strongly. Lamma-Gung’s climbing success looked like a victory for them too.
(Republished from www.lamma.com.hk)
Most Photos by Lamma-Gung
 Descending: halfway down.
Peering back toward the top:
'wild, steep and totally remote.
Trusty guides: thirsty dogs gulp water.
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