郊遊遠足其樂無窮，但在享受自然風光之樂前，卻先要接受風吹日曬之苦。據 KK 憶述，二十多年前的香港山路，原來大都是所謂的「光頭山」，植被稀薄，樹木寥寥，沿路無遮無擋。在炎炎夏日登山，似火的皎陽縱然不令你頭暈目眩，亦至少令你汗如雨下。幸而現今香港的山路綠樹成蔭，為一眾山客減卻烈日暴曬的痛苦。
縱使如此，要成為山野跑手，日曬雨淋總是少不免。如今 KK 每星期在山上進行長約100公里的訓練，風雨不改，一身肌膚飽經日炙風吹。然而，誰能想到當初的他最怕太陽，容不得曬黑半點，最愛的運動是只在室內進行的保齡球，對於在烈日下跑步更是敬而遠之，亦從未想過自己會與跑山結下不解之緣。談及為何踏上毅行之路，原來只因一顆敬業之心。
1993年，KK 任職消防隊員，因升職之故，由灣仔消防局被調派至西貢消防局。當時的西貢市中心不似現今般熱鬧，區內亦甚少巴士線路，部分地區尚未開發完善，缺少防治措施，每逢暴雨便引致山泥傾瀉，令西沙公路封閉。然而，這個聽起來人跡罕至的地區，特地前去遠足的人卻是絡繹不絕。西灣山、蚺蛇尖、雞公山、馬鞍山等山峰，原來當年早已是行山熱點。
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山途崎嶇，天氣不定，難免總會出現一些意外事件。如今，萬一在山上發生意外，迫不得已之際，市民能夠向「飛行服務隊」，或消防處的「攀山拯救專隊」請求救援。但可曾想過，在這兩個救援隊成立以前，山上的意外又由誰去救援?
據說，當時的救援方式有兩種:
- 向皇家香港輔助空軍請求直昇機救援，但以防天氣不穩定，阻礙飛行，需早於45分鐘前通知。
- 消防員接獲求救信號後，攜帶救援物資，親身上山進行高山拯救。
由於直昇機救援需時甚久，所以當時大多數的山上意外救援都由消防員出動。因此，其時駐守該區的消防員，除了要有強健的體魄外，更需熟知山路，以便迅速趕到意外現場。
初來乍到，以往長駐市區消防局的 KK，對西貢的郊野環境一竅不通，加上深知高山救援的難度，心中逐漸萌生提升自身救援能力的念頭。直至後來山上發生的一宗死亡事故，他方始決心踏上山野的跑途
撰文: Paul Chong
未完待續
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Chapter Two: Start off from his feet (Part A)
Hiking can be a lot of fun but when you enjoy the scenery, you can’t hide yourself from the wind and sun. According to KK, most of the mountains in the past in Hong Kong were like “bald mountains” without the shade of trees and shrubs and the hiking trails were there. During those heating summer days, even though the burning sun might not make you faint, you must sweat like it rained. Lucky are the Hong Kong hikers who don’t have to suffer from blazing sunshine as most mountains are covered with green trees nowadays.
Being a trail runner, you will inevitably train under the sun and in the rain. KK, every week, has around 100k training on the mountain regardless of the weather and his skin has experienced years of sun and wind. However, no one can imagine that he was a man who was afraid of the sun and could not bear any tanned mark on his body. His favorite sport was only the indoor bowling, no need to mention running outdoor. Never has he thought about building an inseparable connection with trail running. Why trail running? It began with a dedicated heart at work.
In 1993, he was a fireman. Later, he was promoted and assigned to work in Sai Kung Fire Station instead of Wan Chai Fire Station. Sai Kung Town Centre was not as bustling as now and some areas were not well developed yet with transport and prevention measures. Whenever there was storm, there must be landslide which blocked Sai Sha Road. Sai Kung sounded like a distant place but it attracted many people hiking and camping there. Sai Wan Shan, Nam She Tsim (Sharp Peak), Kai Kung Shan, Ma On Shan, etc. have been very popular hiking spots.
On rough paths with unpredictable weather, accidents happen. Nowadays, if there is accident in the mountain, the public can call for help from Government Flying Service or Mountain Search and Rescue Team from Fire Services Department. Have you ever thought about who was responsible for rescue before the establishment of these two teams?
It was said that there were two rescue methods:
- You might request helicopter rescue service from Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force; however, you had to notify the unit 45 minutes before due to the unpredictable weather which might hinder the operation.
- After receiving distress signal, firemen would carry all the equipment and carry out mountain rescue.
It took so long for helicopter rescue and so firemen would take responsibility for most of the mountain rescue operations. Therefore, it was important for the firemen to be physically strong and familiar with the trail and track in order to reach to the accident spot.
As a newcomer, KK knew nothing about the rural area like Sai Kung as he had been stationed in city. Plus, he understood the difficulty in high mountain rescue at high altitude, the idea to enhance the ability of self-rescue began to grow in his heart. After one fatal casualty had taken place in the mountain, he determined to begin his life of trail running.
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To be continued
By Paul Chong
