RETURN TO THE PINACCLES(MULU)

This is my second trip to this hill known as Gunung Api but more well known as the Pinaccles at mulu. I wont go into details about my adventure but would like to  share lessons I learnt during the trip.
Always a good idea to avoid rainy seasons to plan your trip. Reason ? Well for one it will be really wet on the trial and cold should it start raining, even with raincoat it can be quite unpleasant and unbearable if you do not have a breathable type. Because of bad weather flight can be cancelled and you do not want to be Strandled as a result.
Another lesson which I learnt first hand was luggage that are check in ,there are risk of them getting lost or even left behind and if that happen you are left without any clothings other than those you wore.If you are hiking for a few days that can be a nightmare unless you have friends who can spare you some and if they are about your size. Buying from the shops might not be an option if your plane landed at the time when all shops are already closed.
So the solutions avoid checking it your luggage but if you must have another hand carried bag with at least two day's clothing.
If you have to walk long distance to your campsite it is best you packed light and squeeze into your medium size back pack.

My next packing list would consist of:-

1) light clothing for 2 days.the cloths which I wore on the first day can be worn again on the last day.
2) avoid carrying big items like inflatable pillows. Make do with what ever items you have like cloths. or the back pack.
3)toiletries items can be put into plastic bags or similar bags .Not only they safe space but they are also lighter.
4) have a foldable day hike bag which can be put into your bag which contain the rest of your items.

I think this should do it. Lesser contents and lighter and easier on your back when have to walk quite a distant to the camp site and you are not willing to hire a porter to do the job.

with the organiser of the trip.

ACCIDENT AT TABUR EAST

oh no, another fatal accident at Tabur, this time is is at Tabur east. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A man was killed after falling 15 metres from Bukit Tabur, Taman Melawati here, today.

The 49-year-old man who had started climbing the hill at 8am was said to have slipped and fell while descending the hill.

Ampang District Police chief ACP Hamzah Alias said the victim sustained serious head injuries and his body was sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for post-mortem.

Police have yet to identify the victim whose last address was Teluk Gadong, Klang, Selangor, he said when contacted.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Mohd Sani Harul said the department received an emergency call at 10.15am.

He said eight firemen from the Ampang Fire and Rescue Station were immediately deployed to the scene. — Bernama

original story found here
Due to this accident, all tabur is out of bound for the time being.
Lately there are too many people flocking to most all the taburs.namely Taburwest, Tabureast,Tabur far east/extreme. Alot of them are newbies and have no idea what they are getting themselves into. Sometimes my friend Ben, and I when we happen to there and many a time have to assist them to get down at station 10. So in a way I am glad Tabur is closed for now. I just hope they will be strict in enforcing the law and ensure everyone has a guide besides applying the permit. Getting the permit does not help to prevent accident, but if they have an experience guide to take them, it will help to avoid such incidents.

A MERDEKA HIKE 2016

August 31st will always remains a memorable day.  I remember so clearly , as if it was just yesterday.

That was when I first hike with her. would be wonderful if she could join me yesterday, but atlas fate had dealt a hard blow and things gone bad. sigh. Anyway had a wonderful hike yesterday with a new group of friends .only two from last year's hike join this hike. However this time we went to Tabur extreme and another peak which everyone had dubbed as Extra. so just to find our for myself if this indeed was another peak and requested my friend Ben, to arrange the hike and loh and behold it was the same peak I had gone so many years ago.when I did the extreme hike. This time we went through the secret garden and by the a route I nick name as "lost route" as when I did a reecee hike to Tabur extreme (the dynamic rope) we actually got lost. Good weather and good company. will be back again next year for our reunion?

MY FAVOURITE HILL MENTION IN THE BIBLE??

Last sunday my Pastor share a portion from the Bible, Judges 4:14 "So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him."   Funny I never notice that before. I know it is not the same mountain as the one I goes to at Taman melawati, but it sound like Bukit Tabur and that got me so excited that I shared with all my friends who had gone to bukit tabur and those who had read the bible would appreciate it and knows where I am getting at.

Then I was reminded of another hill in Johore, Gunung Ledang, which is also known as Mount Ophir.

Ophir was mention in the Bible as well .Ophir (/ˈoʊfər/; Hebrew: אוֹפִיר, Modern Ofir, Tiberian ʼÔp̄îr) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks from Ophir every three years. 2 Choricles 9:10 mentions this "Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones."  White there is no concrete proof where Ophir is actually located,but some one from the Philippines believe it is at the Phillipines as share in this video below. Interesting.

Bukit Tabur

A LEISURE HIKE

This is my first time here at this new place. It was a rather easy hike, indeed a leisure hike. I would say much easier than saga hill or even ketumbar. There were even a couple of gym items, though not as much as those at the two hills  mentioned earlier. Still this is a good  place to relax or introduce to newbies. I would certainly come back again. There are only two "peak" and for the whole hike it took us only two hours.The name of the hill is Bukit Seri Bintang.at kepong.

HIKING AT BUKIT TABUR

Nice write up by one of the hikers here

and here

DOUBLE TABUR

January 2nd 2016.A back to back tabur comprising of Tabur west, follwed by Tabur East.My regular sweeper hikers Ryan, organised this hike for his Penang hiking buddies. Since I was not doing anything this saturday, I just tag along and help him sweep. We was suppose to catch the sunrise and met up at the trail head at 6.00am .By the time we got there, there were already alot of cars.Looks like we were not the only ones there to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately the sun did not showed up and there were clouds and it looks like it was going to rain.(but it did not) Anyway we completed and west peak at around 9.30am and continue with East ,which we finished at 12.00pm.

Taman melawati at dawn

chinese new year decoration is already up

the hikers from Penang