Transtitiwangsa Expedition

Day 1 (21/7/2008)

The expedition team members gathered at the university atrium at 7.00 p.m. There the supplies and group items as well as the equipments are distributed to all team members.

Once all items have been packed, a final gear check is done and the team members gather for one last briefing and photo op before departing for Sri Petaling LRT station. We arrived at Plaza Rakyat LRT station and boarded the 11.30 p.m. bus to Ipoh.

Day 2 (22/7/2008)

Arrived at Ipoh at 2.00 a.m. We met our guide, Fuad who also happened to be in the same bus as we were and had a brief introduction with our guide. Then we stored our bags at a bus counter and continued our sleep while waiting for our 4WD pick-up to arrive.

By about 5.00 a.m. our pick up arrived and we loaded our packs and even grabbed the day’s lunch which was a simple fare of chapatti and dhal. We then set off for our intake point which was the Ulu Kinta dam. Along the way, day finally broke and we managed to catch a glimpse of Ipoh’s trademark limestone formations as well as the foreboding mountain ranges beyond.

After roughly an hour’s ride, we finally arrive at Ulu Kinta dam. The driver then sent us further in, to meet up with our other guide, Kasim, who was a former member of the Police Field Force, also known as the Senoi Praaq, an Orang Asli fighting unit whose role during the communist emergency was paramount in tracking the subversive activities of the communist terrorist. Thus, Kasim, has a tremendous amount of jungle experience and the jungle is almost like his own backyard. The 4WD then delivered us to the starting point of our track which was Sungai Senoi. With our packs all on our backs, we rallied together and then set off on the start of our trek by crossing the river.

Along the way, the track was obstructed with fallen bamboos due to the heavy rain a few days back. This obstruction made the trek more difficult as we were forced to crawl most of the time under the bamboo on all fours. To add to the challenge, the track was muddy all the way and the entire track was infested with leeches.

At around 12.00 p.m. we stopped for a quick lunch. It was not long before our packed lunch was consumed. Then after a short break we continued on along the track, crawling under piles of fallen bamboos, until we finally reached our camp site by the river at around 5.00 p.m.

By now, team morale was slightly diminished due to the excruciatingly exhausting trek which would have taken half the time if not for the obstruction. We set up the flysheet and groundsheet for our shelter, cleaned up and started cooking dinner. After a warm dinner, we all settled in for the night and slept.

Day 3 (23/7/2008)

Everyone woke up and started preparing breakfast while some packed up the groundsheet and flysheet. By 9.00 a.m. we started our ascend towards Korbu Peak.

2 hours of trekking later we arrived at the last water point at 1040 metres where we had a short break and a quick lunch. From there on, the trek now encompasses multiple ascends and descends with numerous shorter peaks along the way before reaching Korbu Peak. Along the trek, we passed by Bukit Botak, Bukit Dagu and Anak Korbu each getting progressively higher. Also, along the way, the vegetation began to change from a diphterocarp forest to a Montane forest above 1800 metres which conveyed an almost mystical feel with its bonsai trees and moss covered tracks as well as brilliantly coloured flowers along the way.

Finally at 5.00 p.m. we summited Korbu Peak. The usual drill of setting up our shelter and cooking was carried out. After dinner, we managed to view the sunset at Korbu Peak for a brief moment just before the mist sets in. In the evening, we managed to chat with our guides regarding the mountains before turning in for the night.

Day 4 (24/7/2008)

The next morning, we managed to wake up at 6.30 a.m. to the sunrise at Korbu Peak which was a magnificent view. As the day got brighter, we could see Ipoh shrouded in the shadows of Mount Korbu and the mist rolling in from the mountain sides. In the distance we could also see the Gayong Peak and Junction Peak which are the two peaks that we will be conquering for the day.

After taking in the view from the mountain, we prepared breakfast. By 9.00 a.m., we packed up our gear and began hiking towards Gayong Peak. Along the way, we got to savour the majestic panorama of the Titiwangsa range as we were able to see some of the tallest mountains in West Malaysia such as Yong Yap and Tok Nenek. It was a straightforward hike and took the entire party 2 and half hours to get to the junction to Gayong Peak. At this junction, we unloaded our packs and hiked towards Gayong peak which was 3 minutes away from the junction.

After a brief photo op at Gayong Peak, we returned to the junction and continued on towards Junction Peak. The hike towards Junction peak was also relatively straightforward. 2 hours into the hike, we stopped by at Kem Cerek, so named because of a hanging teapot at the campsite, to prepare lunch. After lunch, the ascend got steeper as we approach the peak to the extend that the track was almost in our faces and there were scrambling on all fours involved. This was made all the more difficult by the roots of the bonsai trees along the track which grew haphazardly in all directions forcing us to contort in the most uncomfortable positions in order to crawl past the roots.

Finally, after scrambling up the near vertical peak for about 20 minutes, we reached the top of Junction Peak. The peak is called Junction Peak because on this peak there are various other trails that lead to other mountains such as Yong Yap Peak and Tok Nenek Peak in Kelantan. With the obligatory photo op done, we pressed on again for the next peak which was Peak 6850 (the number refers to its height in feet).

Our next campsite was H20 Valley, so named because there is a river that runs through the valley and thus is a popular water point for all the hikers on this trail. The descend towards H20 Valley was steep and there were also rock faces along the way which was slippery. 3 hours into our trek, the rain began to pour heavily. This slowed our progress down considerably and before long, the sky turned dark as night began to set in. Thus, we had no choice but to hike in the dark with the aid of our head torches.

A further hour of trekking in the dark finally brought us to our campsite amidst the downpour which has gotten heavier. We immediately set up the flysheet and the groundsheet as quickly as possible but alas, our shelter for the night was wet. We still manage to prepare a quick dinner in the pouring rain and the warm meal was a welcome for all the hikers who were wet, cold and tired from the day’s hike.

After dinner, everyone settled into their respective shelters and tried their best to sleep but sleep was fleeting however for the cold dampness of the night along with the incessant sand fly attacks had most of the hikers staying awake throughout the night.

Day 5 (25/7/2008)

The rain finally stopped in the morning and as day broke, we got a better view of the campsite with the river that runs through it. We immediately prepared a hearty breakfast in preparation for summiting Yong Belar Peak.

By 11 a.m. we packed up and left the camp site. As steep as the descend was the day before, the ascend for the day was also equally steep as we hiked up along the mountain side and headed towards the ridge.

Along the ridge, the ascend was also unforgiving with steep climbs and bonsai tree roots jutting out in every directions to greet us. To complicate matters, the heavy downpour the night before made the track even muddier and there were parts where whole feet up to well above the ankle sunk into the mud.

Our progress was once again partially slowed as we had to tread carefully on the tree roots and constantly balancing ourselves as we hiked. The track also had numerous treacherous ledges which were narrow with sides that dropped all the way down to the valley and caution had to be exercised at all times along the way. Along the track, we even manage to spot tracks of jungle wildlife such as a paw print which we later found out belonged to a panther. The terrain was also very similar to the hike towards Korbu Peak with numerous shorter peaks along the way, each getting progressively higher.

We finally reached Anak Yong Belar, which was the peak just before Yong Belar peak where we had a short break before pushing on. Then, we arrive at Kem Kuali, which was camp site just beneath Yong Belar peak. From here, the ascend was even more unforgiving with a near vertical climb for 45 minutes. We had the track in our faces most of the time.

At the top of Yong Belar peak, we finally managed to catch a short glimpse of all the previous peaks that we have summited along the way before the mist set in. At the peak we also met a group of hikers who were going the other direction towards Challi Peak and Three State Boundary Peak.

After a brief conversation with the group as well as more photos, we left an IMU banner on the peak as a mark of our conquest. From there, we continued hiking towards our next campsite which was Kem Kasut. At Kem Kasut, we carried out our usual drill of preparing the meals and the laying out the groundsheet and flysheet. The weather was excellent as it was dry. Although the cold factor due to the wind chill was still present and had most of us huddled up to keep warm.

After dinner, we all settled in for the night.

Day 6 (26/7/2008)

The day began with the usual breakfast and by 9.00 a.m. we were packed up and ready to go. The day’s hiking was much easier as it was generally a descend. However, we still had 3 to 4 hills to climb on our way to our exit point which the Blue Valley Dam in Kampung Raja, Cameron Highlands.

As we passed our last peak which was Warfu Peak, we were greeted with the sight of the Blue Valley and the surrounding farms, which indicated that we were very near to our exit point.

We continued on hiking down the valley and followed along the water pipes and concrete tracks maintained by TNB before reaching a series of 270 steps heading down towards the dam.

At the bottom of the stairs we gathered for one last group photo before finally getting on the 4WD pick up which brought us to the town in Brinchang. At Brinchang, we checked into a hotel and cleaned up before heading out to find proper food as well as checking out local places of interest.

Day 7 (27/7/2008)

We woke up for breakfast in Brinchang before heading towards Tanah Rata via public bus. From there we took a bus to Ipoh and then back to Kuala Lumpur.

A picture is worth a thousand words. :)