Last Sunday, both of us, joined by our college friends have decided to hike Bukit Senaling of Kuala Pilah, popularly known for her panoramic views above the clouds.
The hike up is a lot less challenging than her neighboring counterparts, namely Gn. Angsi and Datok. The route is less steep and of average distance. However, Senaling offers you a trail through different landscapes and plantations, and personally for us, the best way to learn your topography.
Info:
Location: Pekan Senaling, Kuala Pilah
Trailhead coordinate: 2.690491N, 102.264534E
Summit elevation: 394 meters (1, 293 ft)
Elevation gain: 341 m
Distance: 3km one way
Duration: 45 mins — 1hr one way
Permit fee: RM15 per head
Parking: Provided
Road condition to trailhead: Tar road, thru a residential area. You will park at a designated parking area prepared by the locals, just a walk away from the trailhead.
Facilities: Surau is provided. Food and drinks available. Toilet is provided.
Trail route:
The trail is actually very easy to follow. You will see red arrows at every 0.5 km or so, and follow them exactly (even if you doubt them when its leading you downhill instead of uphill, just follow them).
Start of the trail —> walk uphill till you see a pondok (hut) —> rubber plantation —> follow the arrow that leads downhill —> palm tree plantation —> cross a mini creek (anak sungai) —> trek uphill which you may now observe the clouds engulfing the panorama —> steeper trail, going thru an open forest —> wooden staircase —> flat trail (400m) to the panoramic point.
Today’s post will be interesting because Fahim and I are going to talk about our 2 day/ 1 night hike on the highest peak of Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu. This trip is very dear to our hearts because we have been talking about scaling it ever since our college days, and that dragged on until sometime in October of last year, when we decided to finally give it a go. The trip became possible when a friend of mine told me that she was planning to hike too, and that she found a guided trip at an affordable price. Safe to say, we were both hooked, registered both our names and bought flight tickets right away!
Firstly, we would like to introduce our extremely skilled yet generous guide, Jaffri from KinabaluBah. We would recommend many others to choose KinabaluBah (ain’t a sponsored post, by the way) because our trip was only RM700 per person! The expenses include your overnight stay at Laban Rata, permit, certificate, buffet meals for the entire 2 days/ 1 night stay (breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, breakfast next day and late lunch the day after), three local yet expert guides and a ton worth of pictures the whole way. Also, Jaffri is extremely friendly and kind, and would ensure that you get to the peak and back safely no matter what! He would wait for you if you need some time to recover from AMS, or would carry you if you injure yourself, and he has all the supplies needed to help you get back on your feet and to get that colored certificate everyone have been dreaming of!
First of all, here are some important info on our Kinabalu hike:
1. Summit elevation: 4095 m/ 13, 435 ft
2. Route: Timpohon trail
3. Distance: 8.7 KM each way
4. Duration: 2D/1N
Anyway, this was our itinerary of the whole trip:
First day (2nd Feb 2020)
7am: Breakfast at Restoran Panataran
This restaurant sits literally outside of the Kinabalu Park, and the main dining spot for hikers alike. The breakfast was also included in the trip expenses.
Breakfast 🍳 menu. Pretty decent too, don’t you think?
We also met up with the rest of our group members at this restaurant. There were 15 of us altogether.
Group of 15 before hiking 🥾
8 am: Registration in Kinabalu Park
After our breakfast, we walked to the main office in Kinabalu park for registration. This is where we fill up forms containing our details, as well as getting our tags which is a very essential piece for the hike. You will be expected to have your tags with you at all times during the hike (especially at the following checkpoints: Timpohon Gate, Laban Rata, Sayat-Sayat hut).
Inside Kinabalu Park, overlooking the peak.
All smiles before the sweat and tears.
Snapped this in case it would be useful for anyone
Got our tags!
9am: Start hiking via Timpohon trail
After registration, all 15 of us carpooled to Timpohon Gate, which is our very first checkpoint. Here is also where we have to double check our names and our tag numbers prior to the hike.
Double checking on names — making sure they’re correct!
My high school buddy, Syaabah, who’s also on this trip with me.
Group photo
Map of the trails, checkpoints and shelters going towards the peak. The shelters are at every 1km, and there are signboards at every 0.5 km to sort of motivate/demotivate you.
Syaabah and I, at KM0.5.
Pack light! The ideal weight to carry is usually 10% of your body weight. I brought 4kg with me, which is pretty light, considering 2kg of those are water.
This is somewhere between KM 1.5 – KM 2 checkpoint. Stunning view. Getting steeper at this point.
The trail is mostly “staircase” steep, but there are flatter areas which helps you to recover yourselves. Thank goodness.
Gorgeous landscapes throughout the hike. This is what we miss the most.
This shot was taken around 11:30 am. Even during this hour, clouds have started enveloping the peak making it less visible.
This was around KM 4.5. Another 1.5 to go!
12:30 pm: Reached Panalaban
YES! We can see civilization! We have reached Panalaban /Laban Rata, where we shall rest for the night.
We were one of the earliest to reach. Still managed to smile but dead tired inside, if we’re being honest.
Not forgetting — stats! This was the statistics going up from Timpohon Gate to Panalaban.
Selfie-ing at 10,700 ft in the air.
Above the clouds
5:00 pm: Dinner
We had our dinner at around 5pm. Prior to that, we showered and rested for a bit while waiting for the others to reach Panalaban. There was no water heater, of course, but showering really helps to cool down blood vessels and ultimately making us feel more relaxed and refreshed.
Afterwards, we went down to the dining area to have our dinner and to enjoy the pretty view that Kinabalu has to offer.
This is how the buffet menu looks like. Pretty decent, and amazing as to how they can prepare variety of food up here. Shout out to the strong porters carrying heavy bulky items every single day! Even gas!
Waiting for sunset. The picture makes it seem like it’s still bright, but in reality, it was freezing cold.
With Alisya.
Teams of porters and guides playing volleyball above the clouds. Simply stunning.
With the KinabaluBah group members
8:00 pm: Rest
Second day (3rd Feb 2020)
2:00 am: Supper at Panalaban
The next morning, En Jaffri woke us up sometime before 2am so we could get ready and head to the dining area to have our supper before continuing our summit hike. We honestly cannot tell you how unbelievably cold the morning was. I (Yasmine) was in three layers of shirts, and two layers of pants. We both were wearing hot packs in our gloves and shoes which tremendously helped in warming us.
I was told we got the newest dorm, so it was really spacious, comfortable, and also single bed for every one.
2:45 am: Start ascending to the peak
Unfortunately, we had no pictures during this part of the hike as we were freezing. Basically, our next checkpoint before reaching the peak was Sayat-Sayat hut. Our guide has told us that everyone had to reach Sayat-Sayat before 5:30 am or they would not allow us to venture any further. This was done as a safety precaution. So, we had to time ourselves for this part of the hike. This hut is located between KM 7.0 and KM 7.5. Therefore, we still had another 1km from Sayat-Sayat to Low’s Peak.
The trail from Panalaban to Sayat-Sayat was “staircase” steep, but was definitely 2x more intense from previous day.
We finally reached Sayat-Sayat checkpoint at 4:00 am. We waited for some of our group members here, but after 20 minutes, we decided to continue as we were getting cold.
The trail from Sayat-Sayat hut to the peak is no joke. It was steep all the way, We’re pretty sure the inclination from here onwards was 45 degree-ish and steeper. There are ropes provided all the way to the peak at this point. It’s important to wear gloves to help you when you’re depending on the ropes. One can get severe AMS due to rapid elevation gain, so please be careful. If you start feeling AMS or cramps, please get the “air garam” or ORS dehydration salt to somewhat make you feel better.
5:30 am: Reached peak
We were the first of our group to reach Low’s Peak. When we got there, there was already a long queue for photos at the signboard. Of course, we had to queue. Once we had our photos taken, we waited for the rest of our friends. Mind you, it was super windy and freezing, and we thought we could find shelter in between boulders while waiting for the rest of the group. However, after 30 minutes of waiting, we could not stay any longer so we decided to descend.
WE MADE IT! Reached here at 5:28 am.
Stats! From Panalaban to Low’s Peak! Clocked in at 13,420 ft!
The following pictures were taken during our descent, when we finally got some sun. Sunrise was at 6am.
Taken by our tourguide. We look like an old married couple.
And I look like a potato, with so many layers of clothes to keep myself warm.
Gotta do that generic pose!
6:00 am: Descend
8:00 am: Reached Panalaban
We were the earliest to reach back to our dorms. So, while waiting for the rest, we packed our stuffs, and managed to sleep for an hour and a half.
9:30 am: Breakfast 🥞
Tired but happy faces.
10 am: Start descending
We didn’t take any photos throughout our descend as we were saving batteries. We couldn’t charge our electronics in the dorm as electricity for our dormitory was only available after 12:00 pm.
1:30 pm: Reached Timpohon gate
WE did it! Once we have reached Timpohon gate, we signed off our names, just like how we did it before starting our hike yesterday.
With the rest of our group members! And our colored certificates! Basically, colored certificate simply means that you have reached the peak, whereas black and white certificate means you did not reach the peak.
6:00 pm: Dinner
Our certificate giving ceremony was held during dinner at Restoran Panataran. We took pictures afterwards and bid goodbye to our friends.
Honestly, we had such an amazing time hiking Mt K, especially with the help of En Jaffri, and the local guides. Everyone else on the trip were really nice too. Everything went smooth for us, Alhamdulillah. We managed to get to the peak and back safely without any injuries.
Our tip is that you follow the rules and regulations of the park. Be respectful of the surrounding and only mind your own business while hiking. Have proper training prior to the hike, because trust us, Kinabalu is intense. We were lucky as we have trekked Mt Nuang the week before, so we were both considered very fit for the hike. We also did not struggle with AMS as we were lucky to have summited mountains higher than Kinabalu prior to this. But, training regularly and wearing proper shoes are exceptionally important to avoid you from having cramps.
Overall, Kinabalu was beautiful and worth the struggle. I would recommend anyone with the right amount of fitness to try it and experience it. It’s definitely worth it.
Hey folks! Today we would like to share our hike to Gunung Nuang a couple of weeks ago. This was done as our preparation for Mt. Kinabalu. We picked Nuang as our training ground as most hikers within the Klang Valley are aware of the difficulty that Nuang poses — the distance, the wilderness, the steepness, although not so of the prominence as it is nothing compared to the mountains in the Crocker Range.
Overlooking Banjaran Titiwangsa
Before we start off with the lengthy paragraphs, we would like to accentuate some useful statistics on Gunung Nuang:
Location: Pahang-Selangor border
Available routes:
via Kuala Pangsoon, Hulu Kelang
via Janda Baik
via Kampung Kemensah
Elevation: 1, 493 meters (4, 898 ft) — courtesy of Wikipedia
Elevation gain: 1, 155 meters (3, 789 ft)
We managed the Janda Baik route as it is relatively easier as stated by bloggers. Even so, we had to start the morning earlier than usual as it is an hour journey from Kuala Lumpur.
Trail via Janda Baik:
Transportation: 1-hr drive from KL, exit via Genting Sempah.
Trailhead coordinates: 3.303979,101.887121 (You can easily copy paste this on GoogleMaps).
Facilities: There is a RM10 parking fee per car just before the trailhead starts. The parking has a toilet provided.
Distance from trailhead to peak: ~8 km
So, here comes the lengthy yet useful paragraphs if you are to summit Nuang via Janda Baik. First off, we would like to say that it is most recommended to start the hike early so you can finish by noon. Usually, it would start raining in the afternoon, so the earlier you get up, the better. We drove off from KL at around 5:30am and reach the trailhead at about 7am. Remember to eat your breakfast! This is a relatively long hike so be sure to fuel your body prior to the hike. Also, bring lots of water. We brought 6 liters of water, and it was just enough for the two of us until the end of the hike. Pack along some energy bars or light munchies in case you get hungry in the middle of the hike.
The thing with hiking early in the morning is that the cool weather in the jungle will make you more likely to forget to drink. However, you need to remind yourself to sip at least a little amount to avoid being dehydrated or getting headaches since you are constantly moving. Thus, drinking plenty of water is a must!
Okay, enough with the safety precautions. Let’s roll in the best part of the hike.
We started off at 7:27 am, walking from the car park to the starting point. Here, you must cross a short stream to get to the other side. Then, we passed through some agriculture farms that stretched out probably for 15 minutes. *Please note that the hike hasn’t started yet at this point. This is merely a brisk walk. Then, walked through a sandy route fit for a 4WD and this went on for another 15 minutes before coming to a 3-way route. We proceeded on by taking the middle route, which led up to a hill, and here is where the aching starts. We also found out from fellow hikers that this trail normally used by ultra-runners as part of their training. Anyway, this trail leads to the deep rainforest where you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by the millions of various trees and plants that make up the profile of the mountain. This went on for awhile until you reached Chemperoh waterfall. *Also! Tip on not getting yourself lost: Follow the colored signs on trees or tapes belted around the trees.
The trail at the agriculture farm
At the end of the 4WD road is a 3-way route, follow the trail with red arrow which leads up to the hill.
Some forest loving appreciation pic
Once we have reached the Chemperoh waterfall, we crossed a second stream to get to the other side. Then, we took a left and continued our hike. Some might get confused here and take a right, but it’s a dead end anyway, so you’re bound to take the left from where you crossed the stream, and soon you’ll find the tapes on trees like what we mentioned earlier. The trail gets steeper at this point so if you have a hiking pole, this would be handy. But, if you don’t, work those asses off! You’re getting yourself a booty… and leg day. The trail from here is pretty straightforward, there is only one path at this point on, so it’s impossible to get yourself lost. Again, mind the tapes belted around the trees! Be wary of your surrounding. The steep route after Chemperoh waterfall gets most of the elevation gain, as it is steppy steep steps all the way up. You may start getting tired or headaches, but remember to drink water once you feel tired. Water is your best friend at this point. Many hikers had their chances of meeting pacat (english: leeches) during this hike, so please wear appropriately.
About an hour or so of hiking, you will encounter the mossy forest. When you get here, you will realize that the elevation gain is legit and that you’re almost there. There are ropes at this point of the trail to assist you in those sloping, difficult reaches. 10 minutes or so, you will finally reach the peak! Like us! Congratulations, you’ve made it to the top!
At the ropey place just below the peak.We made it to the top!
Now, it’s just a matter of going back down. The same way. Only, this time, your ankles will ache.
As for us, we made to the peak in 2:59 hrs, and back down in 5:58hrs. We reached car park at 1:51 pm, covering a total distance of 16-ish km. Our tip is slow and steady wins the race, and we avoid stopping for more than 15 seconds, until we reached the peak or carpark. We believe that when you have the momentum to push yourself further, go for it and don’t stop. Otherwise, you’ll tire yourself. You may have a different approach that speaks to you, and that’s completely fine. It isn’t a race. The idea is to get up and down the mountain all in one piece. So, safety is key.
Tip: If you’re a beginner, we don’t really recommend Nuang as your first hike. You should try Broga or other hills equivalent to that prior to this hike.
Also, if you’re unfamiliar with the trails, hike within a group, and most probably during the weekends as more people tend to hike during this time. You will feel safer this way, and you get to meet new friends too.
If you think you’re slow or heavy, don’t get the mountains discourage you. Just start earlier, and at a steady pace, whatever pace that may be. The key is to get up and down in a safely manner.
More hiking posts coming up!
Til then,
Fahim & Yasmine
P.S.: Please carry your trash with you. Treat the rainforest as an exotic destination, and not your home! Your trash doesn’t belong in the forest, it will not decompose so don’t litter!
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