Wild and Untamed Territory?

Today in the Sunday Morning Post: five hikers were rescued after 21 hours of being stranded at the slope of Ma On Shan (a large peak in the New Territories). Two helicopters and nearly 100 fire service and Civil Aid Service rescuers took part in an overnight search after receiving a 6 pm phone call from the hikers, who said that they were lost. They were airlifted out! No one was actually injured.

SB and I are wondering, where is this wonderful place where it is actually possible to get lost? I would be sadly disappointed if the hikers' inexperience and lack of necessary preparation led to them having to be rescued, rather than the vastness and wildness around Ma On Shan.

And to be airlifted?! Why didn't the rescuers just walk them out? Were they too cold?

Recently in my former home of Ithaca it was -9 F (-22 C). That is cold. SB's cousin in Stowe, Vermont, reported -30 F (-34 C) overnight. Those two grew up with the Adirondack mountains as their playground. They lived in a wildlife preserve that spanned over 50,000 acres, managed by less than 400 members, most of whom do not own private homes on the preserve. SB knows a lot of the features like the back of his hand from frequent explorations throughout childhood. Other places are still unfamiliar to him and he has no fear of bushwhacking into the unknown. Even with his expert knowledge, the two of us have never gone on a long hike without provisions. There is no possibility of being able to use a mobile phone in most of the preserve.

Has anyone been to Ma On Shan? Is there vastness of wilderness still within Hong Kong?

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