There were 9 of us in the group. We rented a van and left Singapore at 630am on a Saturday. It was still quite early so crossing the border was a breeze, except for a few hiccups with P and T's thumb marks unreadable causing them to do their thumb marks again. After that, we had breakfast somewhere near JB. Breakfast was chill, the group talking about random stuff that we were tempted to just ditch the hike and go for a food tour instead. I wouldn't have minded that.
Kluang, where Gunung Lambak is, is 2 hours away from the border. We didn't really feel that the drive was 2 hours as we talked about a lot of things on the way. Well, mainly org-related stuff. We were joking that it was like a Mancom meeting.
We reached our destination around 11. After a bit of stretching, we started on our journey at 11:25am.
The last time we were in G. Lambak, we went to all 4 stations. This time, we didn't have a set itinerary. The plan was just to go to as many stations as we could.
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| The start. Everyone looks fresh and excited and ready and all |
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| starting the long walk. the road is paved but im already using my walking stick to support my still sore knee |
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| after a few minutes of walking, we reached the official starting point. to the left is a trail of moderate difficulty, to the right is a difficult trail. we took the left one |
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| this is moderate but as you can see, it's quite challenging. it's steep. |
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| taking a rest |
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| this is already close to the false summit. i like how these ferns branch out into pyramid like shapes |
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| it's not very obvious but those are ropes to support hikers because of the steep trail. this is on the way to the big tree...a difficult trail. by midway, there was even a discussion as to whether we should continue or not because 1) the trail is too steep, and 2) it looked like it was going to rain anytime soon and if we go further, there's a high chance that we'll be caught up in rain. most of us said go, others said no and so we decided that those who said no should just wait for us at the false summit. but eventually, all of us went ahead. |
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| this is how it is...this is m on her way up. i remember from last time, we were warned about the difficult trail going to the big tree. and yes, it was really difficult. we saw hikers on their way back and they said that the trek going to the big tree is just about 15-20 minutes. that amount of time passed and still, we couldnt see it. we saw several big trees which we thought were THE big tree. and then finally, we saw it... |
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| finally, the big tree. it really is big. we were all exhausted by the time we reached the place |
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| the tiny stream by the foot of the big tree. |
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| on the way back, i saw this gigantic centipede and i remembered that centipede joke which goes like this. question: what did the baby centipede say that caused the mother centipede to faint? answer: mom, buy me havaianas! going back to the false summit took us about an hour. we went in pairs. there was even a time when i was alone in the middle of the forest. i sat on a log waiting for my sister. as i looked at where we are heading, dark clouds suddenly appeared and mists enveloped the top of the trees. it felt like the setting of one of those suspense movies. it felt surreal. one really feels so vulnerable in the midst of nature. and after a few minutes, rain fell. i had my umbrella but didnt have my poncho. needless to say, it was a challenge trekking when it's raining. it was not slippery but the gush of water coming from upstream was enough to makes one shoes soaked. add that to the difficulty of trying to balance while climbing a steep slope, having only two hands but trying to hold an umbrella, a walking stick and ropes. it was incredible. in hindsight, i dint mind that we were caught in rain because that made me experience how it is to trek in the rain! it's definitely a big hassle but it made me feel so close to nature. imagine being under the rain, with no roof above your head, your feet, ok shoes, getting all wet and dirty. and of course, it's a bragging right. yes, ive trekked under the rain! |
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| here was E finally making it to the false summit. we rested for a few minutes and embarked again on our descent because we didn't want to trek in the dark. it was 5:59 when we reached the base of the mountain. |
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| the photo couldn't capture the soaked feet in squishy socks and shoes, and the wet pants |
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| fruits and drinks at the base of the mountain |
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| dinner at nando's where we indulged ourselves with chicken and nice drinks. see how fancy our drinks look like? |
Compared with running, I like hiking more because I get to enjoy the sights and the sound of nature at a closer distance, slower pace and occasional stops. Plus, it is a team activity that strengthen bonds as exemplified by the buddy system and having to wait for each other and make sure that everyone is safe and well accounted for. I also realize that Im more of an "enjoying the journey more than the destination" kind of person. Most of the mountains/hills that I've climbed have an OK view at the summit and that is perfectly fine with me because I enjoy the climb more, the trail, seeing what's on the way, climbing, holding on to those ropes, pushing myself and others, talking to myself to just carry that leg one more time because we're almost there, not to give up otherwise i'll just stay there in the middle of the forest, to finish and go back to the start. Yup, I like hiking. I hope my knees would allow me to enjoy this hobby more.
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Budget for the trip
Van hire from Sg-Kluang-Sg (1 day trip): $42 each
Breakfast: about 5RM
1.5L of water: about 5RM
lunch: pre-packed
post-trek fruits and drinks: 5RM
indulgent dinner at Nando's: about 40RM
Exchange rate: $1: 3.04RM
Total expenses $42 + 55RM ($18)= $60
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