WHAT TO DO WHEN ENCOUNTER WITH LEECHES

How much do you know about leeches?
 I did not  know there are so many species of Leeches.
Here is some interesting pointers on leeches here

HIKING GEARS

Things you can't do without on a hike

a 30 Liter dry Bag. Can be use for all type of hike. Most suitable for waterfall hike

This one with rain cover. But not suitable for waterfall hike as not water proof

If you are into macro photography this is a must have len

A good Hiking shoes will make your hike enjoyable

Nothing like a cap to keep you from the sun. and of course a cool hiking pants will makes  one very comfortable

TENGKIL FALL

This is my second trip to this marvelous waterfall and also my shortest trip ever. Reason being I received a message from my son , saying his wife was in the Hospital and will be in labour soon. It will be my first grandchild and I was excited and anxious to  get out of the jungle where there is limited coverage. I had to get out soon to where there is stronger signal to get more info from my son. He had gone earlier in the morning while I was making my way to the fall.  So this trip I took very little photos as well. Making my way out was no easy task and there was not much markers except for some red paint on the trees. Anyhow I made it with God's help. Yes I believe in prayer. Here are some of the shots taken.

Some of the members from the Freewill Hikers Club

A Fall from at the 2nd tier.

Note: I got news later in the afternoon my Granddaughter was born around 11.15am . I will be on my way home soon to hold her.

TABUR EXTREME

This is my 3^rd time hike with the singapore group SANL(Singapore Adventurous and Nature Lover) and and their 3^rd hike at tabur.This time I took them to another hill located behind the zoo negara, known as Tabur X. Some had nicknamed it as Extreme, which gave the impression it was very extreme.

tabur X

When I put up the event on Facebook as well as on meetup I did not except such  a good response.As it get closer to the date of the event the response was over 30 hikers including the 12 already confirm guests from the Sanl group. I was a bit worried as hiking with a big group can be very challenging and it will also slow down the group.

Anyway just a few days before our hike there was another accident at Tabur West and so I posted that news on the wall of the event just to let them know and also a chance to pull out if they choose to. As I had anticipated, I saw a number of them pulling out over the next couple of days. In a way I was glad as it has reduced it to a smaller group. Finally on the actual date of the event only 26 turned up at our agreed meeting point. After our breakfast we made our way to our destination. It was not a smooth journey, we end up on the wrong road,passed through a fallen electric pole .When we finally got to the correct road, we met someone at the car park who informed  us( more like intimidating,) saying we need to hire two guides and also pay for the parking Charges. We told them firmly that we do not require guides , but will pay for the parking fees. Then two girls from the group decided to pull out. I wonder if the guy at the car park had frighten them off. The road leading to the hill was quite steep. Luckily it was not too slippery or muddy, though it had been raining for the past couple of days. After half an hours' walk we reach another hill slope leading to the hill we intend to explore. It was not a clear path as the undergrowth was quite thick due to not many people frequent this place and also due to the rain. 

But not to worry I had my columbia knife which I just bought and clear the path as we bulldozer our way through. 

my columbia knife

Two hours later we were up on the peak. By then the sun was already above our heads and we almost baked,but manage to find some shelter to rest. Those first timers of course were very excited over their achievement. this trip I did not take that many photos , I leave it to the new comers who were happy snaping away.After we took the group photo,we were ready to decend . If climbing up was difficult , going down was just as difficult especially if you are a first timer. So there was a delays as well and those who were faster had to wait it out. We started the climb at 8.30 am and made it at the foot at around 2.30 pm, totally exhausted, but very contended. Another adventure, another hill conqured!

rock climbing at certain parts of the hill.

group photo of Sanl & Budget travellers

with a member of Sanl

photos credit: Apoorv Kulshrestha

More photos here and here.

WHY I/WE HAVE TO DO THIS?

An account by Agnes Tan

Mountain climbing is such enjoyable experience.

On a personnal note, I am doing it for health, for friendship and for the love of nature; and it is so with my friends, whom we do this together in Bukit Tabur for the last of many years.

When people asked do I/us if we organised trip up Bukit Tabur ?
We say no.

And they checked why do I/we start the trekkers ?
I just said, from the experience we went through while enjoying that place, we hope to document it so that other trekkers, who needs it, may find it useful.

Then they asked again Am I/are we selling any product or services related to trekking ?
The answer is no.

And when there are people who wants to go up asked me/us, can I go with you and your friends ?

I will said, well I have no problem, but please make sure you don't bother us with your heart attack, or any other health problem because we are not professional to handle you.

We are just hobby maker in trekking.

And so if they come trekking with us, it is alright for us, if they dont come trekking with us, it is also alright with us.

At our age, most of us are retiree and take health as utmost importance, and sharing friendship while enjoying the nature.

And so, the many times of trekking, in the same place, being with friends together for health and friendship and nature, we kind of take note whatever changes happened to the place and the people and the rock and the trees and so is the accidents and the location of it.

I am asking myself, why is it that when accidents happened in Bukit Tabur, why am I/are we so sensitive to this issue ?

I can frankly tell you personally that it related to our unique experience we went through while saving a trekker name Siaw Ching specifically, when she fell off the cliff.

Siaw Ching & I /us can laugh about it now when we looked back, but during the incident, she scared the day light out of me/us then.

We hope others ( parents, family and friends ) dont have to go through that kind of emotion that was really yarky.

There definately is a need for workable solution


for complete story go to this link
Also visit her facebook page here.

GUNUNG BELUMUT, AT LAST

After months of waiting and pestering my friend Tony to take me to this mountain, finally the day came I could take on Gunung Belumut(Mount Belumut.)

This mountain, standing at 1,010 metres (3,314 ft), is located in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The trek can be completed within a day, while the average climber would take two days one night. For the average climber, the climb to the summit takes 5 to 6 hours and the return to the foot (by the same route) takes 3 to 4 hours.

The route upwards to the false and true summits is uphill almost all the way. It is considered quite a tough climb for those less fit or first timers. It takes about 20mins to reach the true summit from the false peak. Except for a huge boulder and the pyaramic shape pinnacle there was not much of a scenary.
. We arrived at the entrance at around 0830hrs and started climbing immediately after posing for some photos.

The starting trail was quite easy, but after a couple of km was steep all the way, with a few flat land along the way, then it's back steepness till eternity. I must have walk for miles. Have you ever walked until you can't walk anymore and all you wanted to do is to sit down, have a cold drink? That was how I felt, but I knew I had to keep on pushing myself in order to complete the hike. For this expedition we had a group of 14 people , the oldest was about 65 years old. Everyone took their own time and at their own pace. It took me 3 hours to reach the peak and about the same time down. It rained on my way down and the wet condition makes it quite difficult to descend and I had to slowed down abit. At one point there as a fallen branches and I had to bend low to get to the other side and got in the way of a twig.I got cut across my forehead between my eyes. Had it been a few inches nearer I would had been blind. Finally reach the foot of the mountain at around 1550 hours. This is by far the highest peak I had climbed and the most difficult one for me and I don't think I would be in a hurry to try another similar or higher ones. Even if I wanted to I doubt my body could take such punishment anymore. Here are some photos that serve as memories of the trip.

part of the team members

at the summit

crown rock

                                           wild mushrooms

at the main entrance

You may view more photos on my facebook page here.

DISCLAIMER

I thought I better have this in place, just in case. A simple disclaimers like this will saved us a lot of trouble in case something do happen. As they say better be safe than sorry. The below disclaimer is on the southern hikers page on facebook and also on the event that has been created for southern hikers.




Disclaimers: The organiser recognizes the inherent risks and dangers of outdoor activities which may result in injuries or even death.
By joining this hike you are aware of the risks involved.
Neither
southern hikers nor the organizer will be liable for any accidents or any unto wards incident that might occur.
Whilst every consideration has been given to your safety in the planning of these routes, ultimately your safety is your own responsibility.


ABOVE SHALL APPLY TO ALL EVENT ORGANISED BY SOUTHERN HIKERS

GUNUNG PANTI: A FAILED MISSION.

This tree was uprooted, but along with the rock.

Looking for the right path is no easy task

Everthing was planned for our trip to explore gunung Panti from the other side. Through the palm oil plantation at lukut on 28^th august 2011. I was to meet my friends in front of the Lukut police station at 7.30am Then on saturday morning I was informed to be in at the plant to receive the tankers, as it is almost the raya holidays and since their non muslim drivers are only available on sunday. There goes my hiking plan . I sent a message to my friends to not to wait for me as I was not sure if I could make it, but they were so gracious and asked what time I could get off and were prepare to wait for me. So I set the time at 10.00am and made arrangement with the transporter to be at the factory at 5.00am and the whole operations was completed at 9.30am. I drove like a F1 driver as I had to be at the destination by 10.00am and the journey will normally takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the speed and traffic. I had never been late for an appointment and I don't intend to break my record. Thank goodness when I got there my friends had not arrived yet.

I parked by car at the road side and went to one of the stall selling goreng pisang or something. Since it was not open for business yet, I help myself to one of the chair . Had time to check some mails, facebook before they finally showed up a few minutes later. Only Eric and Chris came, they rest must have ffk or deceived to drop out at the last minute.

We droved for about half through some kampung(villiage) area through some not so good road .I was thinking if only I had my 4 wheel drive. My son had gone back to our home town with my car, and since I had to be around during the long holidays to keep an eye on the factory with most of the staffs away, I was driving the other car a kancil,the malaysian car. It was not very comfortable driving through those road condition. Anyway we finally reached a point where it was not possible to drive further and we had to leave our vehicles and continue our journey on foot. This side of the mountain was practically unknown and not many people had hike from this side. There were hardly any markers and there don't seems to be any visible sign of any kind of track, and the continuous rain for the past few days had make it worst. Only Eric had been here before and we had to rely solely on him to find the correct path. We followed closely to his intruction and used some old newpaper to marked our route as we explore deep into the unknown.Each time it was a deadlock.We seems to goes in circles , and at times we thought we found the correct trail only to find out it was a false trail. After more than two hours we decided to call it quit. Puting the marker was easy but trying to look out for them was quite a task. I felt like Hazel and Gretel trying to find their way back . The only difference was they left bread crumb along the way,while we use old newspaper, where the birds could not eat and thus we found our way out of the woods.
 Perhaps we could go by the forest reserve way and work ourselves down to this trial to find our create new route .

Our failed mission will not deters us.Yes we were disappointed, but we will not give up . We will be back.

A LEISURE HIKE AT GUNUNG PULAI

Got a call from  a friend and also a member of southern hikers, she asked if I was free on sunday afternoon as she wanted to hike in preparation for her future trip to Nepal. So I agreed. Though the weather was no too favourable and it looked like it was going to rain, but since she came all the way from Johor Baru and not to disappointed her I agreed to proceed with her plan. And besides being a season hikers we had our ponchos handy when it rained.
 At first we went through the stream to hike on the mountain trail, but after the 2nd tier we could not find the trail due to heavy rain for the couple of days earlier and also the path was slippery and so we cut across another stream to continue on the tared road leading towards the army base. But  after an hour or so we had to make our way down as it was getting dark, and it looks like it was going to rain. Further more it was almost dinner time and down we went and went to a nearby restaurant for our dinner.

water fall on first tier

2nd tier

3rd tier

dark sky, threatening to rain

HIKERS TO TABUR WEST BEWARE

Please be informed that the rope at the " FIRST ROPE " spot in Bukit Tabur West was dismantled, the rock on top was also loosen. 

Please be careful, kindly spread the message among yr friends for the benefit of trekkers. Let's do prevention effort as this is accident prone spot. Received this warning for Agnes tan of trekkers here

HIKER'S CHECK LIST FOR DUMMY

Just a simple check list with some basic items needed on a simple hike. It's better to come prepared.

1) Hand gloves
2) Pancho,raincoats, biker's rain gear would be much better
3)salt, salt spray against leeches
4)insect repellent
5)sunblock
6)Water proof pouch (sealable)for your phones, camera etc)
7)knee guard

hand gloves

knee guard

Motorist rain coat

poncho

Climbing Uphill On Your Way To Health

By Kurniawati Kamarudin
an article from bernama- now we have all the more reason to hike
KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- Bukit Batu Putih, a hill adjacent to Taman Awana in Cheras, is teeming with motley crowd during the weekends as hundreds of people from far and near visit the place not just to relax or soak in the fresh air, but also exercise by going uphill.

Streams of people from all walks of life, young and old, can be seen ascending and descending the hill to sweat it out while enjoying the greenery provided by the jungle covering the hill, something that is increasingly rare in Kuala Lumpur nowadays.

Bukit Batu Putih, with its peak at 1,010-metre from sea level and steep gradient, is ready to put to test anybody's physical endurance.

ROUTE TO THE TOP

As for those who have not been there, there are several routes leading to Bukit Batu Putih, some being Taman Awana (the route used by most people), Taman Mudun, Cheras Hartamas and Taman Melur from Bukit Saga, Ampang.

Many come to the hill daily and some like Uncle Lim, 75, are well known faces of the hill. Other climbers at Bukit Batu eagerly wait for the genial Uncle Lim who almost without fail visits the hill daily.

The classic Mandarin song reverberating along the route winding up the hill, whether it rains or shines, indicates Uncle Lim's presence.

With a cheerful face and a 1.5 metre stick, he starts his way up by 8am as he feels it is the best time to get vitamin D other than enjoying the fresh morning atmosphere.

"I sing aloud while climbing because it is good for the lungs. If I don't sing, I get bored and it takes me longer to reach the peak," shared this senior citizen, who lives in the neighbourhood.

Looking hale and hearty, with his t-shirt wet from sweat, he greets anyone whom he meets on the hill and has made a lots of friends.

Uncle Lim's hill climbing routine started 10 years ago when he realised his body was slowly becoming weak due to inactivity after retirement.

"When there was no work, I just ate and slept, and soon my body started becoming weak. So I started climbing the hill to sweat it out. I climb daily, rain or shine, because I feel healthy and sleep well. When I return home, I take a short nap before proceeding with other outines," he said.

Ever since he started hill climbing, Uncle Lim has been in the best of health, except for some fever and common cold. He is free from heart ailments, high blood pressure or even diabetes.

He added that he watches his diet too and advised others to start taking care of their health right from an early stage.

"Many are gluttons and lazy to exercise, that is why they suffer from a host of disorders. Always think of making money, never happy, sooner or later they fall sick and die," said the father of two children.

Uncle Lim, who has six grandchildren, noted that climbing Bukit Batu Putih also helped him overcome loneliness as he meets his old friends there while making new ones.

HILL CLIMBING AND WELLNESS

Hill climbing is a recreational activity that calls for physical and mental strength.

According to Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) Sports Science and Recreation lecturer Associate Prof Dr Anuar Suun, more people are taking up climbing as it is another wellness lifestyle.

Apart from Bukit Batu Putih, there are many hills within the Klang Valley where this activity is popular - Bukit Gasing, Bukit Saga, Bukit Tabur, Bukit Broga and Bukit Takun.

Dr Anuar pointed out that climbing hills regularly could help in maintaining body weight and keep heart disease at bay. The heart becomes stronger and works optimally through physical exercise.

He said that even those with heart problems, except if it is serious, could climb hills but they should seek their doctor's advice beforehand.

"The same goes for those with high blood pressure, they have to seek the doctor's advice beforehand as climbing activity pushes up the blood pressure and causes extra stress to the heart," he said.

Hill climbing also reduces stress and mood swings, and improved blood flow helps to slow down the aging process.

PERILS OF HILL CLIMBING

Meanwhile, Lt. Muda Shahrul Kamar Mohd Joha, an officer with the Federal Territory Civil Defence Department, said while climbing Bukit Batu Putih is a healthy recreational activity, climbers have to be aware of the perils.

He pointed out that first timers should be careful as there is a risk of getting lost because the hill has 30 Y junctions and those who lose their way may end up deeper in the jungles of Hulu Langat.

However, to help joggers and visitors find their way, numerous markers have been put up along the way, including six checkpoints. Despite this, people get lost.

Even those familiar with the place also go missing, especially when they suffer from sprained ankle or chest pain that immobilises them.

"Often those who get lost are the ones who start late in the evening. Some start late without any preparation like proper shoes and attire and this slows them down, and when darkness sets in they fail to see their way out," observed Shahrul, who took joint search teams in five cases where people went missing on the hill.







original article here

PANTI

Together with some friends from the southern hikers, we hike up to Gunong Panti ,which is 513M above sea level. The route was quite steep with lots of roots all the way up, just like in Gunung Dato in Negeri sembilan. It took us 2 hours to get up , coming down was much faster. Even that it took us 1 and half hour to reach the base. The most exciting part was almost at the peak where we need to climb up using rope. However I prefer to use my hands , as there were rocks for grip and roots, just like in Tabur. It was fun. It is located just about 4 km before the Kota Tinggi water resort. Legend has it Bigfoot once roam in this jungle. That's why they even name the road Jalan Mawai.(bigfoot). How far it is true  I can't say for sure.
My guide Eric lim informed us there is another way to reach this mountain. Maybe we will try it another day.