Trekkers come from around the world to enjoy Kong Kong's natural greenery along the MacLehose Trail.

Renowned for showing off Hong Kong's natural beauty, the 100 km (62 miles) MacLehose route runs through eight country parks and over 20 hills in the New Territories. Hikers come from around the world to experience the trail marked by luxuriant woodlands, rugged mountain peaks and a diverse array of flora and fauna, interspersed with streams, plateaux and greenery.

The Trailwaker event is organised by Oxfam  and supported by an array of companies and community organisations. It will be held for the 21st time from November 8-10.

Each of the estimated 3,600 participants in 900 teams will be accurately pinpointed regardless of their location, utilising "smart cards" monitored at Oxfam's data centre in North Point and at each of the 10 designated checkpoints. Helpers can track the hikers' progress and estimate completion time over each stage of the walk via access to the virtual private network (VPN) from either notebook or desktop computers.

Software company Computer Associates is donating HK$2 million (US$256,000) worth of software and manpower over a five-year period.

"As well as the obvious benefits of being able to monitor the progress of participants, the introduction of this system also confirms the organiser's commitment to overall safety and security - which is paramount in an international event of this kind," said Computer Associates consulting director Sherwin Wong.

"Upon completion of this gruelling course and the final swiping of smart-cards at the last checkpoint, each team's timing and ranking will be automatically recorded and loaded onto the Trailwalker web site for ready access by all competitors.

"As a participant in previous Trailwalker events, I well appreciate the advantages to friends and colleagues of being able to monitor the progress of particular teams and individuals. This system will also allow supporters in Hong Kong to plan where they can lend onsite moral support at any given time."

Mr Wong said Oxfam and Computer Associates would review the new system after the event with a view to developing and introducing additional features in the run-up to next year's Trailwalker. This could include personalised portals for each participant, wireless/mobile tracking technology, and accurate predictions on walkers' timing and arrival.

Related links:
Trailwalker www.trailwalker.org.hk/
Oxfam www.oxfam.org.hk/
Computer Associates www.cai.com/offices/hongkong/aboutca/