rafflesia trek

| 23 december 2008 | thanks to the phone numbers provided by taiping goh managed to get in touch with adun the guide after breakfast | on rather vague instructions given by azin the son of adun managed to get to kampung jedip | adun turned out to be nice and smiling orang asli, very friendly indeed | was comfortable with him | the team comprised of lee wan, yvonne, seng kew, eng cheang and me | the first part of the trek was a tiresome and muddy affair along an old logging path now used by the trucks of tour agencies from tanah rata and brinchang to bring tourists to see rafflesia | the first part of the trek will take about 1 hour and ended at an area where the trucks can be parked | there were 3 trucks from kang tours on the particular day | if you wish to shorten the trek, contact kang tours located next to tanah rata tour agency which offered a full day tour which included rafflesia sighting for about rm 95 | not endorsing kang tours, just a suggestion, ask around | only met with kang tour guides during the trek | the second part of the trek starts from the bamboo bridge crossing a ravine with a small stream up to a wide stream which must be crossed to get to the area where rafflesia blooms can be found | the second part of the trek which is rather scenic takes about 45 minutes | the second part of the trek is enjoyable, passing by a small waterfall with a swimmable pool and a beautiful waterfall called lata denkong | the third part of the trek starts from the wide stream and comprise of going up and down some trails searching for rafflesia blooms | rafflesia buds are black in colour, round and can easily be overlooked | when rafflesia sheds it black skin, the unopened bloom is round and orang in colour | rafflesia did not smell bad at all | a friend poked a finger into the bloom and did manage to catch a whiff of the widely publized rotting meat smell | but personally did not smell a thing | there were numerous rafflesia buds in the area after the wide stream which was interspersed with a network of trails | was informed by adun the guide from kampung jedip that rafflesia blooms all year round in the area and the chances of seeing rafflesia blooms are good whatever the time of the year | but to be sure, you might want to check with the orang asli at kampung jedip first | looking at the number of black rafflesia buds, this would appear to be a good place to sight rafflesia | you will have a good chance of sighting rafflesia kerii at kampung jedip | based on information obtained from malaysian outdoor trekking hiking society, the rafflesia in the area are rafflesia kerii | for information about rafflesia kerii, please click here | for information about rafflesia in general, please click here | during the trek, adun cut some bamboo and offered trekkers drinking water from the insides of the bamboo | bamboo water tasted rather bland but was cool and refreshing | cut sections of bamboo can be found in the open space next to the small waterfall with the swimmable pool and apparently drinking bamboo water was a tourist attraction | all in all a relaxing and enjoyable trek | eng cheang in particular enjoyed the trek |

rafflesia trek log

| 23 december 2008 | 10.45 am | arrived at kampung jedip by the side of the highway between simpang pulai and gua musang about 15 minutes drive after the junction to kampung raja | 10.50 am | start of trek | first part of trek was along a dirt track muddied and eroded by trucks used by tours organized by various agencies in tanah rata and brinchang | 11.50 am | arrived a parking area for the trucks | end of the dirt track for vehicles | 10.51 am | immediately after parking area, crossed stream on narrow bamboo bridge | 12.11 pm | arrived at open space beside small waterfall with swimmable pool | guide cut some bamboo so that trekkers can drink water from the inside of the bamboo | 12.36 pm | arrived at lata denkong a scenic waterfall | 12.37 pm | arrival at rather wide stream crossing | rafflesia kerii grows in abundance after the stream crossing | 12.45 pm | first rafflesia bloom sighted, only half open | 1.07 pm | second rafflesia bloom sighted, fully bloomed a few days old | 1.18 pm | third rafflesia bloom sighted, fully bloomed a few days old | 1.23 pm | fourth rafflesia bloom sighted, just about to bloom, shed outer shell | after this sighting, trek back to kampung jedip | 3.10 pm | arrival at kampung jedip |

rafflesia trek photos

| 23 december 2008 | for the photos taken on 23 december 2008 during the trek in search of rafflesia kerii, please click here | for the photos taken on 21 december 2008 by tony sung during the same trek by members of Malaysia Outdoor Hiking Trekking Society, please click here |

maxwell hill trek

| 20 november 2008 | trek was organized by the taiping hash house harriers | ah pian, kuey teow huat, poh meng, black horse, see first chia and lau chi were the taiping hashers who attended the trek | was invited along together with ah chui and ah hwa | trek was on a new route to reach the jeep station on maxwell hill | trek is an eye opener | no surprises | terrain was familiar | trekking team was experienced and fit | ah pian and chia ably led the trek and found the way to the jeep station relying only on their instincts | no compass or gps were used | kuey teow huat and ah chui helped with the hacking to clear some undergrowth | kuey teow huat had 2 gps receivers with him to track the trek but no idea what he intended to do with them and no idea if they worked | no wildlife was sighted | trekked past some wild boar nests but did not see any wild boars | leeches were present but not numerous except around wild boar nests | the most irritating parts of the trek were through areas with thorny plants | quite a few areas were filled with thorny plants and it was slow going through these areas | was surprised that there was no stream crossing after the route started upwards after the last stream crossing at about 10.57 am | ran out of water | shortage of water made the trek more uncomfortable than it ought to be | brought only 1 litre of water and this is insufficient for a 5 hours trek | assumed that there would be water but was proven wrong | when going up maxwell hill using new route it will be advisable to bring more water at least 2 litres | will probably bring 3 litres to be prudent | used a reebok frameless backpack | got uncomfortable after a while | there was a tear in the fabric of the backpack during the trek | advisable to use proper internal frame backpack for similar treks | normal backpacks are probably not sturdy enough | will need to look for a deuter internal frame backpack with capacity of about 50 litres for day trips | all in all a good eye opening trip | ah chui and ah hwa showed that women make excellent trekkers as both even took their turns in hacking at the plants blocking the way forward |

maxwell hill photos

| 20 november 2008 | for the photos taken on 20 november 2008 during the trek from taman sentosa to the jeep station at maxwell hill, please click here |

maxwell hill trek log

| 20 november 2008 | 9.54 am | reached start of the off road portion of the trek just beside gate to a bungalow reached by a small steep road branching of main road just before the driving school at taman sentosa | followed existing trail | 10.18 am | end of existing trail, went off the beaten path | 10.57 am | crossed small stream | no more stream crossing after this | up to this point, trek was on up and down kind of terrain | 11.01 am | just after crossing, stopped for a break | rest stop | after this stop, trek goes upwards almost all the way | 11.15 am | resumption of trek | 12.20 pm | rest stop | 12.30 pm | resumption of trek | 1.46 pm | rest stop | 11.54 pm | resumption of trek | 2.20 pm | arrival at abandoned field and hut | can hear construction works at indian temple at this point | difficulty in finding way forward | 2.28 pm | resumed trek after finding way up | 2.33 pm | arrived at abandoned bungalow | view of indian temple and uncovered roof of the unfinished hotel/hostel being constructed near the temple | 2.38 pm | resumed trek | after the bungalow the team divided into 2 | first group took direct route by going upwards cutting through undergrowth | second group followed a horizontal trail leading from the abandoned bungalow | 2.42 pm | first group arrived at jeep station | second group arrived at a small pine forest | soon after pine forest, second group have to cut through dense undergrowth | trail also vanished soon after pine forest | 3.00 pm | second group reached pine forest next to road | 3.07 pm | second group arrived at jeep station |

yong yap trek

| 7 november 2008 | arrived at about 7.00 am at kampung raja at cameron highlands | had leisurely breakfast | mucked around kampong raja morning market | bought 909 soap which selama kong swears will keep leeches away | bought cheap nylon socks for trek | taiping goh called | said pinoy group will be late | met up with taiping goh at coffee shop | headed to temple to be picked up by 4wd vehicles | tried to nap but with some difficulty as a primary school was having a concert nearby | pinoy group arrived | 11 pinoy and 1 pinay | introduced to joon the leader of pinoy group | climbed onto a 4wd vehicle | set off for pos rengil | had to stop at pos rengil as apparently the 4wd vehicles declined to cross sungai brooke for whatever reason | taiping goh had some discussion with the villagers of pos rengil | no idea what they were discussing | started trek at about 10.30 am | see trek log for the details | trek at moderate speed | not as fast as the titiwangsa traverse trek | plenty of breaks for water and food | quite long breaks for food | no leeches | but plenty of "agas-agas" an insect that packs strong bites that itch for weeks | sometimes called "sandflies" | but kept well at bay by nylon cheetah track pants and by insect repellant spray on | sprayed every now and then to keep "agas-agas" and assorted insects away | nothing untoward during the trek up to gunung yong yap summit | first experience with "night-hiking" which is apparently an "in-thing" among pinoy and malay trekkers | apparently pinoy trekkers like to trek at night because it is cooler at night | drawbacks to "night-hiking" include lack of any view, limited vision, the cold and difficult photography | however "night-hiking" did not turn out to be too bad although did step into a hole and scrapped the shins | rained during last part of night hike but stopped before summit was reached | arrived at peak of yong yap mountain by about 9.25 pm | put on poncho to keep cold at bay | set up flysheet and groundsheet | unpacked everything | dumped stuff onto groundsheet | wiped and powdered | changed into sleeping clothes | started cooking | 1 piece of solid fuel to boil 600ml of water | when boiling added 2 packets of 20g campbell mushroom soup and 1 packet of double serving couscous | waited a while for couscous to soften | ate | not bad | edible | took a drink | started to prepare for bed | was probably asleep before 11.00 pm | woken up intermittently because the inflatable pillow newly purchased from tesco was leaking air | mistake not to test pillow earlier | had to use spare clothing as pillow | 8 november 2008 | woke up at about 7.00 am in the morning | had quick breakfast of cup instant noodles and 2 packets of 3-in-1 30g quaker oats cereals | packed | attended to toilet matters | changed to trekking cloths | wandered around campsite | mucked around | first group of pinoy left at about 8.00 am | waited till about 8.40 am for the second group | left summit at about 8.40 am while second group of pinoy still packing | arrived at the first water crossing on the way to pos rengil and stopped at small campsite at about 10.30 am | waited for others to arrive | at a rice dumpling or "bak-chang" | too salty | better to stick to sandwiches | washed up | cleaned up | resume trek at about 12.15 pm | fairly uneventful trek to pos rengil with short stops for water every 30 minutes and a slightly longer stop for food at base camp | arrived at pos rengil at about 5.50 pm | chit chatted with villagers of pos rengil and 4wd drivers | all trekkers arrived safely at pos rengil by 8.00 pm and boarded th 4wd vehicles back to kampung raja | had dinner at kampung raja | left kampung raja at about 10.00 pm |

yong yap pack

| packing list | backpack | deuter act zero 60+10 | essential | highly recommended | liked it a lot | weight of pack rests primary on the lower back giving a lower centre of gravity and a freer upper body mobility | sleeping | no tent | shared fly and ground sheets with taiping goh and nasir | 1 6 feet x 6 feet tarpaulin sheet | essential | 1 sleeping bag | essential | 1 foam mat | good | 1 inflatable pillow | essential | hiking clothes | 1 cheetah nylon track pants | very good | 1 pagoda t-shirt | good | 1 btb nylon windbreaker | hardly used | 1 lightweight plastic poncho | used only at peak while setting up fly sheet | 1 pair of ecco receptor shoes | good | these shoes are better for malaysian mountain treks when compared with the hytec hiking boots used for titiwangsa traverse trek | the 1 pair of nylon socks | good | sleeping clothes | 1 mizuno dual layered track pants | good but can be improved upon | 1 timberland long sleeved t shirt | comfortable | 1 adidas nylon windbreaker | good | 1 pair of plastic slippers | good | 1 cotton underwear | good | 1 small towel to wipe clean | essential | extra clothing | 1 long sleeved t-shirt | 1 knee length pants | 1 underwear | food | for dinner | 1 packet of instant couscous | edible | 2 packets of 20g instant campbell soup | good | all can be cooked just by adding boiling water | for breakfast | 2 packets of 30g "3-in-1" instant nesvita | nice | 1 60g cup of instant noodle | nice | for snacking | 2 rice dumplings | too salty | 6 pieces of bread with peanut butter and 3 cheese slices | good | 1 bunch of bananas | good | 2 apples | good | for comfort | 300g of absolut vodka | cooking | 1 fork | 1 spoon | 1 billy can | 3 pieces of solid fuel | 1 solid fuel stove | health | 1 spray on insect repellent | essential | medicated powder | essential | vitamins and cod liver capsules | essential | hydration salts | okay | skin cream | good | anti histamines tablets | standby | ultra carbon charcoal tablets | standby | handyplasts | standby | miscellaneous | 1 roll of toilet paper | useful | 1 roll of nylon rope | not used | swiss army knife | rarely used | whistle | essential | all in all a good packing list | will be hard to improve upon |

yong yap photos

| 7 november 2008 | for the photos taken on 7 november 2008 during the trek to peak of yong yap mountain, please click here | | 8 november 2008 | for the photos taken on 8 november 2008 during the trek from peak of yong yap mountain, please click here |

about yong yap mountain

| about | yong yap mountain or gunung yong yap is one of the commonly called "g-7" peaks of peninsular malaysia | the "g-7" peaks are the 7 peaks in peninsular malaysia which are higher than 7000 feet | gunung yong yap at 7113 feet (ie 2168 metres) is the sixth tallest mountain in peninsular malaysia | for more information on gunung yong yap, please click here or please click here |

yong yap trek log

| 7 november 2008 | day 1 | 10.30 am | set off from pos renggil | low gradient trail | logging trail | 11.00 am | crossed waist deep stream | most difficult stream crossing | 11.02 am | briefing, eating and resting | 11.35 am | start on clearly marked trail with easy gradient of about 10-20 degrees | 12.03 pm | arrival at open space with fallen logs | rest | 12.20 pm | resume trail | 12.40 pm | crossed stream using single log | 12.42 pm | abandoned hut and trail | large clearing | 12.45 pm | first stream crossing the first batch of stream crossings | start of crossings and recrossings of the same stream and its tributaries | start of bamboo forested area | rest | 1.10 pm | resume trek | 1.23 pm | crossed stream using single log with rattan hand rails | 2.05 pm | last stream crossing of the first batch of stream crossings | no more stream crossing after this | start of medium gradient trail of about 20 to 30 degrees | well marked trail | 2.15 pm | break and rest | 2.30 pm | resume trek | 2.55 pm | break | 3.00 pm | resume trek | 3.25 pm | arrival at base camp where most trekkers apparently spend the night | very large campsite with stream just beside | rest at base camp | 3.55 pm | resume trek | first stream crossing the second batch of stream crossings | start of crossings and recrossings of the same stream |start of second stretch of stream crossings | 5.20 pm | last stream crossing of the first batch of stream crossings | small campsite | rest | 5.50 pm | resume trek | start of high gradient trail of about 30 to 45 degrees | 7.18 pm | arrival at junction for obscure trail downwards to last water point | rest | 7.42 pm | resume trek | soon after resumption start of very high gradient trail of about 40 to 70 degrees | mossy forest | 9.25 pm | arrival at peak of yong yap mountain | 8 november 2008 | day 2 | 8.35 am | set off from peak | reverse trek | same trail as that for day 1 | 10.30 am | arrival at small campsite beside last stream crossing | 5.45 pm | arrival at pos renggil | for the photos taken during the trek, please click here |

one saturday

| 1 november 2008 | for the photos taken a pondok tiga on saturday 1 november 2008, please click here |

maxwell hill waterfalls

| 1 november 2008 | 11.13 am | starting point of trek at indian temple on waterfall road | set out to trek to 2 waterfalls on maxwell hill with james yu and cikgu lee | ah chui and selama kong will start later but expected to catch up before second waterfall | trek on tarred road to taiping headworks gateway | turn right just beside the gateway | follow fence until barbed wire | climb over barb wire | turn right to go to first waterfall | turn left to go to second waterfall | 11.24 am | crossed iron bridge and arrived at first waterfall | at the foot of waterfall there is an intake for drinking water for taiping | so no messing around | 11.30 am | set out to second waterfall | trek to barb wire junction | turn left to go back to taiping headworks gateway | go straight to second waterfall | follow fencing until reach clear path to the right | turn right to go on path | trek along path | water pipeline parallel to the path | 11.50 am | arrived at a junction on the path | turn right to go to another intake for drinking water | continue straight pass a small stone bridge to go to waterfall | trek along path | 11.56 am | reached another water intake for drinking water | this is quite a scenic intake | there is a nice pool upstream of intake | there is another nice pool downstream of the intake | you can swim in the downstream pool | turn back at the intake and go back along the path for about 50 metres to an obscure junction | 12.04 am | reached obscure junction with small path going uphill to the left | follow path which goes uphill to the second waterfall | 12.20 pm | ah chui and selama kong caught up | 12.43 am | reached second waterfall | tall waterfall which can be seen from kamunting or from taman lake view | but disappointingly there was no swimable pool at the foot of the waterfall | had coffee | 2.15 pm | left waterfall | 3.15 pm | arrived at indian temple at the starting point of the trek | summary | an easy and enjoyable trek | plenty of leeches especially along the path beside water pipeline | however no swimable pools at the waterfalls | best place to swim would be downstream of the water intake at the end of the water pipeline | for the photos, please click here |

one sunday

| 19 october 2008 | for photos taken on the trail to pondok tiga and at or about pondok tiga on sunday 19 october 2008, please click here | 

titiwangsa traverse photos

| day 1 | 11 october 2008 | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here | for the photos taken by sexy eyes, please click here | day 2 | 12 october 2008 | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here | for the photos taken by sexy eyes, please click here | day 3 | 13 october 2008 | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here | for the photos taken by sexy eyes, please click here | day 4 | 14 october 2008 | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here | for the photos taken by sexy eyes, please click here |

titiwangsa trek nutrition

| team | most appear to start the day with a packet of instant noodles and coffee | team did not stop for lunch | but team stopped quite randomnly to grab bites intermittently through trek | most team members were snacking on biscuits, sandwiches and chocolates during the trek | different persons appear to have different eating habits | most members have heavy dinner of rice and cooked dishes | appear hungry during dinner | personal | the following may not apply to all as it may well be personal | breakfasts consisted of 2 packets of 80g maggi mee, 2 eggs and 2 packets of 30g "3 in 1" either quaker oats or nestle nesvita cereals | the breakfast appear to suffice for about 8 hours of non stop trekking save for a mid trek snack of 2 power bars | dinners comprised of about 250g of rice and assorted cooked dishes | surprised that did not feel all that hungry during or for that matter even after the trek | not much of an appetite | just thirsty and tired most of the time | resources | to calculate the calories you need when inactive, please click here | to calculated the calories you need for various exercises including backpacking, please click here | once you have estimated the calories you need for the trek, eat accordingly | need not be exact calculation, as your body is able burn fat to supply some shortfall |

titiwangsa lessons

| lessons | some of the useful lessons learned during the titiwangsa traverse from 11 october 2008 to 14 october 2008 | may not apply to all though | trek | every trekker has a different pace and different style of trekking | it will take some experience to develop own style and pace | personally consistent pacing yield the best results, be initially conservative | need to adopt different pace for different ground surface, different terrain and different weight of backpack | packing properly and properly securing and tying the backpack is important | leave nothing hanging outside the backpack or body | do not waste energy trying to stay clean | learn to use 2 hands, 2 legs and butt, the butt is quite useful | stay upright when possible | for tricky stretches, look and think before attempting | have a trekking buddy of more or less the same physical fitness and with similar trekking style, others may not wait for you or make the trek a little bit easier on you | a trekking buddy will also make the trek more enjoyable and safer | wear gloves to avoid cuts and to keep fingernails clean | wear protective and quick to dry clothing during trek to avoid cuts and exposure to itch inducing insects and plants | will not get cold while trekking | photo | take photographs at all water points, stream crossings, hill tops, camping sites, signposts, peaks and whatever that takes your fancies | time stamps on photographs will enable one to prepare a log of the trek | keep camera in a small separate bag which can be hung from the belt | gear | buy good lightweight gear | test gear before starting trek | ask around | advice | do not ignore unsolicited advice | but do not blindly apply all advice | apply only what is personally applicable | rain | rain is not always bad | with proper planning, rain can be a blessing | use a plastic sheet to trap rain water for use | wind is worse than rain | pack | keep pack as light as possible, and then lighten some more | this is worth repeating, keep it light | backpack will get heavier with rain and there will be need to carry water up to the peaks | take only the minimum required | it is indeed possible to wear the same clothing during the treks on all 4 days | need not even have changed the underwears but what the heck | had trouble believing it before this | it is also possible to wear the same clothing on all 3 nights spent on the yong belar peak, junction peak and korbu peak | just in case, bring a spare set for night use | it is however not as cold as some may make it out to be | some trekkers can be seen walking around in just shorts and t-shirts, and when there is sun just underwears | take only dry or dehydrated foodstuff along | no need for toiletries, just a small towel and medicated powder will do | but then again a little luxury will lift the spirits | think about how to lighten load | every trekker has own priorities |

titiwangsa traverse team

| team | team comprised of clement (62 years old), pantai ong (60 years old), selama kong (53 years old), james (50 years old), sexy eyes (in his forties), lee thiam huat (in his forties), ah loong (in his thirties) and ah chui (in her thirties) | a big thank you to the team without whom the trans titiwangsa trek could not have been completed | a big thank you to all for good companionship throughout the trek | james | for being a good group leader and for organizing the trek and for looking out and deliberately slowing down for the weaker and slower trekkers and for dishing out some good advice and for carrying more than his fair share of generally shared items | clement | for completing the trek generally considered to be among the toughest trek in malaysia steadily and cheerfully and in good time and for inspiring others with his tenacity and determination | pantai ong | for completing the trek confidently and strongly and for carrying his fair share of water up steep and gruesome ascents to the peaks in wet and slippery conditions and for being always cheerful and confident and for bearing stoically with some loud snorings and for being generous with his personal items | selama kong | for displaying good strength and speed and for paying for the 100 plus drinks and char koay teow at the gates to the ulu kinta dam | sexy eyes | for showing up and showing the way despite completing the trek on 2 earlier ocassions and for being somewhat more knowledgeable than the guides and for cracking jokes to lighten the atmosphere and for providing transport to ipoh | lee thiam huat | for sharing his new tent and for not snoring | ah loong | for slowing down to allow slower trekker to catch up and for being good companion and for carrying more than his fair portion of items for the joint use of the team and for carrying more than his fair share of water up to the peaks and for being unrelentingly cheerful | ah chui | for putting male trekkers to shame with her display of strength and speed and for cooking all dinners and for ignoring the shameless exposure of male trekkers too tired to care about decencies |

about titiwangsa traverse

| trans titiwangsa or titiwangsa traverse trek is a trek that covers 3 mountains namely gunung gayong, gunung yong belar and gunung korbu which are among the so call G-7 peaks of peninsular malaysia ie the 7 of the highest peaks in malaysia which incidently are the only peaks in peninsular malaysia which are higher than 7,000 feet | gunung korbu (7,162 feet or 2183 metres) is the 2nd highest peak in peninsular malaysia, gunung yong belar (7,156 feet or 2181 metres) the 3rd and gunung gayong (7,129 feet or 2173 metres) the 4th | the other G-7 peaks are gunung tahan (7,185 feet or 2187 metres), gunung chamah (7,123 feet or 2171 metres), gunung yong yap (7,113 feet or 2168 metres) and gunung ulu sepat (7,091 feet or 2161 metres) | trans titiwangsa trek is also known as titiwangsa traverse | for more information on the trans titiwangsa trek with suggested timelines, please click here or please click here |

titiwangsa packing list

| packing list | advice on what to pack for a 4 days trans titiwangsa trek if you plan to camp at peaks | if your pack is heavy, the final ascent to the peak will be tough as you will need to take up about an extra 3 kilogrammes of water for use at the peak | toiletries | no need for soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush or any other toiletry item as there will not be enough water | water must be carried to the peaks | during the trek there is no point in washing as you will get dirty quickly | bring 1 small towel to keep clean and medicated powder to keep dry | basic swiss army knife | nail clippers | wearables | 1 long sleeve collared t-shirt (or alternatively 1 short sleeve t-shirt with a pair of roll on sleeves), 1 pair lightweight and quick to dry long pants, 1 pair of gloves and 1 pair of thick socks, all for day use during trekking on all days | 1 pair of sturdy hiking shoes | 1 pair of leech socks for use at lower elevations to protect legs from leeches, sandflies and other creepy crawlies | 5 underwears | 2 pagoda t-shirts, 2 lightly padded jacket, 1 pair of track pants and 1 pair of shorts for sleeping | 1 pair of lightweight slippers | food | bring only dry food, eg instant noodles and powdered soup, as wet food is heavier | 1 lightweight cooking pot with cover | 1 lightweight cup | 1 spoon and 1 fork | 2 gas tank and 1 burner | 2 1.5 litres plastic bottles | 1 1 litre plastic bottle | pharmaceuticals | flu tablets | merck ultracarbon charcoal tablets | anti-fungal cream | metholatum deep heat cream | cod liver oil capsules | oral rehydration salts | anti-histamines tables | multi-vitamin tablets | handyplast | you need to keep healthy | gear | 1 sleeping bag | 1 groundsheet | 1 poncho | 1 headband torchlight | 1 lightweight tent but this can be shared with up to 3 others | 1 lightweight internal frame backpack of about 70 litres capacity | it is not the size that matters but the weight | internal frame will help place the weight on the hips which is where your body can most effectively carry it | to view the arguments in favour of internal frame backpacks, please click here | deuter internal frame backpacks are obtainable in malaysia and is highly recommended by experienced trekkers | hope the foregoing helps you in preparing for a trans titiwangsa trek | resources | to get more ideas for ultralight backpacking, please click here or please click here |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 4

| 14 october 2008 | woke up at 6.45 am | cooked and ate breakfast | as with other mornings did not wash up or brush teeth to conserve water which had to be brought to the campsites which were situated at mountain peaks | changed from sleeping clothes which had been used for all 3 nights during the trek and changed into the trekking clothes which had been used for 3 previous days of the trek | putting on the trekking clothes was quite a challenging proposition and was most difficult on the first morning but got easier | at 8.45 am broke camp, took group photo and started the descent from the peak of gunung korbu to the gates of the road leading to the dam | reached the gates and the ending point of the trek at about 5.40 pm | the trek can be broken up into 4 stretches | the first stretch is the usual steep mountain descent involving the use of ropes | it was reasonably treacherous but not more than expected | the second stretch is not so steep and relatively easy going up and down though mostly down and only a little bit up | the first and second stretch were well marked | the third stretch which started at the first stream crossing and comprised of many stream crossings with narrow and slippery trails along banks of the stream | the third stretch is the most difficult for the day | the third stretch was infested with leeches and sandflies | the only good thing about the third stretch is that there was no shortage of water | a nice waterfall with a swimable pool was passed at about 1.50 pm | the fourth and final stretch is relatively easy with dirt tracks followed by the tarred road running beside ulu kinta river and the dam until the gates to the dam area | the trek for this day was not particularly difficult although the knees took a beating | overall, the trek for the second day was the most difficult, followed by the trek on the first day and followed by the trek for the fourth day | the trek on the third day was the easiest | the trans titiwangsa trek was worse than expected and was quite challenging | do not relish a repeat |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 3

| 13 october 2008 | had a good though interrupted night's sleep | woke up at about 6.30 am for breakfast | through the trek, had to cook own breakfast which for most comprised of instant noodles, cereals and coffee | trek started at 8.45 am and ah long predicted team would reach the peak of gunung korbu after 4.00 pm | as usual ah long's prediction was wrong as team arrived at the peak of gunung korbu at 2.2o pm | this was the easiest, shortest and most enjoyable trek of the 4 days trans titiwangsa trek | the start of the trail was the usual steep descent but not as steep or as treacherous as the descent from gunung yong belar | after the first hour, the trail became easier going up and down on mountain ridges until the final ascent to gunung korbu | enjoyed the trek as the view and scenery was very good | nice views and sceneries were in abundance | passed the peak of gunung gayong but did not stop as the guides failed to identify gunung gayong | the ascent to gunung korbu as relatively easy and "clean" | team was still "searching" for the peak of gunung gayong until arrival at the peak of gunung korbu where team was to camp for the night | initially team thought that the peak of gunung korbu was that of gunung gayong as the guides predicted that team would reach gunung gayong at about 2.00 pm | the joy of reaching the end of the trek for the day was tempered by dissapointment in not having identified the peak of gunung gayong | started to rain soon after arrival of gunung korbu | collected water from the rain using the canvas "roof" of the kitchen area | the water collected was also more than enough for cooking as washing up | with sexy eyes for company, had a good bath wearing only a poncho and briefs | surprisingly it did not that cold | i liked the rain | rain water can be easily collected using a poncho | had dinner at about 6.00 pm | dinner was the best during the trek and comprised of ladys fingers fried with sambal and garlic cloves, tuna, green beans, dried shrimps sambal, fried eggs, salted fish and a bit of curry chicken | enjoyable meal | chit chatted until about 8.00 pm when all went to bed | the campsite at the peak of gunung korbu was the best compared to the others | the campsite comprised of 3 pieces of relatively flat open spaces joint by short paths | kitchen was set up at the highest and middle space, the guides set up their tents at the lowest open space while all 3 tents for the team were set up at the open space closest to the view point for ipoh | from the campsite, there is a short path leading to a view point where ipoh town and the coast could be viewed | slept soundly until about 3.00 am when ah chui invited all to view the full moon just because she could not sleep after 1.00 am and started to cook right outside the tent shared by james, selama kong and clement | ah chui did not cook at the kitchen area because in 1999, 2 persons died of gas inhalation in their tent which was pitched next to the kitchen | for an eyewitness account in malay, please click here | ah chui was joined lee thiam huat and sexy eyes | had pre breakfast snack and went back to tent to resume sleep |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 2

| 12 october 2008 | the trek would be from the peak of gunung yong belar to the peak of gunung junction | team was to camp at the peak of gunung junction | the trek was long and arduous and was the most difficult trek of the 4 days trans titiwangsa trek | the trek started at 9.00 am and reached the peak for gunung junction only about 6.00 pm with only short breaks | this trek can be divided into 4 stretches | the first stretch which was the initial descent from gunung yong belar was steep, muddy and involved some rather tricky bits | the second stretch which continued the descent was not as steep and relatively easy and ends at the stream crossing | arrived at the stream crossing and also the last waterpoint at about 2.00 pm | the third stretch commences with the steep, tiring and treacherous initial ascent of junction mountain | the fourth stretch which continued the ascent of junction mountain was relatively easier but still difficult and cold due to the rain | it also started to rain moderately at the start of the ascent and rain only stopped just before arrival at the peak | rain soon recommenced after tents were set up | had quick dinner of sardines, curry chicken and cucumber ably prepared by ah chui | rained through dinner | the campsite at the peak comprised of 2 flat areas joined by a short path of black mulchy messy mud | 4 tents were set up 1 for the guides and 3 for the 9 team members | felt that it was colder at the peak of gunung junction compared to the peak of gunung yong belar although gunung junction was significantly lower | went to bed right after dinner and slept rather soundly until about 2.00 am in the morning when for the guides woke up to cook themselves a meal | but fortunately was able to resume sleep after a while |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 1

| 11 october 2008 | woke up early, had breakfast and gathered at jame's place at 5.00 am | reached ipoh at about 6.15 am and ah meng and his son drove team to kampung raja where team had a good breakfast | after breakfast, team was driven to the pick up point by a truck | trek was started about 1.5 hours late due to late arrival of the truck which would deliver team to starting point at a vegetable farm | don't know name of the farm but it is located at the end of a dirt road which mets the simpang pulai to gua musang road just at the border between pahang and kelantan | dirt road was in a bad condition | during the trek ah long the guide kept saying that team would only reach the peak of gunung yong belar at 8.00 pm | ah long had absolutely no idea of the distances involved or the terrain between the farm and the peak where team was to camp for the night | to all questions as to how far the team was from the peak ah long's stock standard answers were "jauuuh" | anyway, the trail went up and down, mostly up until the last water point which team reached at about 4.15 pm | then it goes uphill all the way to the peak | the trail was muddy and all equipment and clothing were covered with black sticky mud | after a few hours, did not even attempt to maintain any semblence of cleanliness | lots of clambering on all fours especially at the final stretch | trail was well marked | during the trek, team only made short breaks to drink and for some to eat | trail was slippery and fell a number of times but luckily no injury suffered except to ego | strange that the guides and some team member especially sexy eyes did not seem to fall at all | it rained lightly in the late afternoon but stopped by the time of arrival at the peak | relieved to reach the peak at 5.30 pm when ah long's estimate was a depressing 8.00 pm | it did not felt very cold at the peak of gunung yong belar and a long sleeved t-shirt over another t-shirt and long pants would probably suffice to manage the cold | balaclavas and gloves were certainly far from being needed | decided to stop relying on ah long's estimates of distances and times | dinner comprised of boiled rice, kampung fish, tuna, long beans and dried shrimps sambal organized by ah chui | due to exhaustion bedtime was an early 8.30 pm | slept soundly | when unpacking, discovered the eiger backpack used was totally soaked even with the use of a raincover | some of the plastic bags used to keep items dry were too thin to protect adequately but fortunately most times were dry enough | a piece of advice use only thick plastic bags to keep items dry and a second bag is recommended | noticed that the guides ah long and ah lee totally emptied their bags after they set up their tent and just left their backpacks casually on any piece of ground totally exposed to the elements | the eiger backpack was also showing signs of stress with a bent aluminium frame and more worryingly a torn strap | fortunately the strap did not break | noticed also that the guides and more experienced team members pack everything into their backpacks with nothing outside | the reason is that outside items tend to snag at obstacles | the trek involved clambering on all fours through dog holes created by tree branches and rocks as well sharp short drops | the trek was not easy | ah meng even doubted team could complete the trek due to the presence of "fat and old" team members but the fat and old" team members, who were justifiably irked by ah meng's rather insensitive comment, were more than capable of completing the trek | team comprised of a sixty years old pantai ong and a sixty two years old clement and sexy eyes was on the heavy side | selama kong was 53 years old and james was 50 years old | the average age of the team would have probably been about 50 | the campsite at the peak of gunung yong belar comprised of a single open space | was able to set up 4 tents and a kitchen with space to spare | ah long and ah lee the guides shared a tent | james, clement and selama kong share the same tent | sexy eyes, ah loong and ah chui shared another | lee thiam huat, pantai ong and this blogger share the final tent | this arrangement was replicated for the next 2 nights |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 4 log

| 14 october 2008 | 3.30 am - early morning snack | 6.45 am - woke up and had breakfast | 8.45 am - started trek | 12.00 pm - arrival at kem kijang | 1.15 pm - arrival at kem seroja | 1.50 pm - arrival at waterfall with pool | 4.05 pm - arrived at tarred road beside sand trap for the dam | 5.50 pm - average arrival time of team at guard post for the dam and pick up point | 6.20 pm - arrived at ah meng's place | 7.30 pm - dinner at poh meng's place in pokok assam | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 3 log

| 13 october 2008 | 6.45 am - woke up and had breakfast | 8.45 am - started trek to gunung korbu via gunung gayong | 11.20 am - arrival at kem cerek | 2.20 pm - average arrival time of the team at the peak of gunung korbu in the rain | 6.00 pm - dinner time | 8.30 pm - bedtime | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 2 log

| 12 october 2008 | 7.00 am - waking up and breakfast | 9.00 am - started trek to gunung junction | 1.30 pm - arrival at the peak of h2o mountain | 6.00 pm - average arrival of team at the peak of junction mountain | 7.00 pm - dinner | 8.00 pm - bed time | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here |

yong belar-gayong-korbu trek day 1 log

| 11 october 2008| 5.00 am - clement, sexy eyes, ah loong, lee thiam huat, ah chui, james, pantai ong and selama kong gathered at james' place | 5.15 am - started journey to ipoh | 6.15 am - arrived at ah meng's place and introduced to guides ah long and ah lee | 8.15 am - arrived at kampung raja and had breakfast at coffeeshop | 9.00 am - arrived at kelantan border but truck to starting point was not yet there | 10.30 am - truck to starting point arrived about 1.5 hours behind scheduled | 11.10 am - arrived at starting point which was situated at a vegetable farm | 11.15 am - started trek to gunung yong belar | 1.45 pm - arrival at kem tudung periuk | 5.30 pm - average arrival time of team at peak of gunung yong belar | 7.00 pm - dinner | 8.30 pm - bedtime | for the photos, please click here | and for the photos taken by ah chui, please click here |

one tuesday

| for the photos taken at pondok tiga on tuesday 7 october 2008, please click here |

taiping videos

| some videos taken in taiping and posted on youtube by virtualmalaysia on 19 december 2008 | for a video of maxwell hill, please click here | for a video of the lake gardens, please click here | for a video on the taiping zoo, please click here | for a video of the perak museum, please click here | 

one sunday

| for photos taken one afternoon at pondok tiga on sunday 5 october 2008, please click here | 

main trail

| if you are planning to take the main jungle trail to pondok tiga, you are advised to follow some one who is familiar with the trail | wait at the wooden bridge opposite the jeep station at foothill of maxwell hill and ask the passers by who will be going to either pondok dua or pondok tiga | bring along a mobile phone for you will be able to make and receive calls all along the trail | a reasonably fit person will need about 45 minutes to traverse the trail | for photos of the main trail to pondok tiga taken on 23 september 2008 with captions, please click here | for photos of the main trail to pondok tiga taken on 13 january 2008 without any caption, please click here | take care |

gibbon

| a black gibbon which was sighted on a tree near pondok tiga on 22 september 2008 | to view a short clip of the gibbon, please click here | to learn more about gibbons, please click here |

pondok tiga

| pondok tiga is a hut located on the road located on the road from taiping to the peak of maxwell hill | maxwell hill is also known as bukit larut | taiping and maxwell hill is located in the state of perak in malaysia | it takes a reasonably fit person about 45 minutes to walk from the jeep station at the foot of bukit larut to pondok tiga | pondok tiga which means hut three or the third hut is so called because it is the third hut on the road from the jeep station to the peak of maxwell hill | for some photos taken of pondok tiga, pondok dua and pondok satu on 22 september 2008, please click here | pondok tiga is a favourite place of mine |