It was just supposed to be another day-pack hiking up to another mountain as part of my training for the upcoming TransLantau. So, with Mount Nuang now flooded with many people with different purposes, it was decided to head to Mount Rajah in Bentong, instead. It should cover some 30km in distance with elevation gain of 2,500m+. With few more friends roped in and invited, the Chamang-Peak-Chamang suddenly got upgraded to trans version, going from Kampung Pertak in Kuala Kubu Bharu to Peak to Chamang Waterfall and back to Kampung Pertak. That gives some 64km in distance and elevation gain of 3200m+. I was worried but just kept quiet and follow the flow. On one hand I was worried about having to ascend twice to the peak with minimal rest and that I had to going through the jungle at night. Well, I have done TMBT and HK100 before at nights but the night route was not done in dense jungle. But on the other hand, I need this training to prepare for TransLantau 50. So, I just decided to go with whatever decision made by the more experienced ones. But wait! Talking about experience, of all six of us who agreed to join this trip, none has done this before! Some had only done the Bentong route, while some had only done KKB route. As for me, my last and the only trip to Mt Rajah was in September last year via Bentong route. But we did get some advice from those who had done the trans route before and the estimated time of completion given to us was 21 hours, which I thought 24 hours would be more reasonable.
On the wee hours of Saturday, all six of us made our ways to Bentong and had our breakfast at the 24-hour mamak restaurant there. Packed ourselves some foods to be eaten later at the peak for lunch while for tea and dinner later, we planned to eat/pack foods from the food stalls in Chamang Waterfall. Somehow, without having to tell the mamak there, he knows how to pack our foods, the way we wanted them, so that we could fit them in into our backpack. Then, it was just a short drive to Kampung Pertak, the same way to Fraser's Hill. After getting ourselves ready, and lots of enthusiasm, we started our journey to the unknowns (and not knowing what would happen to us in the next 24 hours or more) at around 5.10am.
We faced our first confusion quite early as there are three junctions which we need to choose from. Jol led all the way up to the peak as he had done this route before. What I can say about the KKB-Rajah route is that it is a lot tougher than the Bentong route as there are many steep, and at times vertical, ascends that you need to go through, apart from the not-so-clear trail which may get yourself and had to backtrack. There were quite a number of rope sections and we were wondering how we go down later in the day (or night). The trail was also quite slippery but we were just lucky that it wasn't raining otherwise, it will get even more difficult to climb as there will not be traction on the trail. There were also many river crossings at the beginning of the route but after a while, it was all jungle around you, nothing to look at. As we were still fresh, we were hiking in unison, only stopping to catch up our breaths at the few camps along the way, namely Kem BMW (where we stopped for Subuh prayer, too), Kem Botol, and Kem Renoma.
All went well, despite the hard hike and after countless false peaks, we finally reached the real Peak at 10.55am, after 5 hours and 45 minutes, a bit behind the planned time for the targeted 21 hours. However, none of us bothered about the 21-hour time as I think, everyone was just thinking about completing this trip, regardless the timing.
It was foggy at the top, just like the first time I was there but it wasn't raining like last time. Only that this time, the wind was blowing quite strongly and it was really cold. And there was once, for a very short while, the wind was blowing the clouds/fogs and that cleared the view of the nearby mountains/hills and it was so beautiful! Had my maggi goreng ayam special for my early lunch and after about 30 minutes at the Peak, we quickly packed up and descended down to Chamang for the second part of our adventure.
There was a confusion on which one (of the three paths) to take that will take us to Chamang, as we descended. I remember last time when I was with Sol, we went down via KKB route for about 500m until we reached the vertical roping section and had to climb up again for 500m. We followed the marker placed at the junction but that headed us to the wrong direction. And none of us seems to remember which is the correct path. After going up and down, left and right, for a short while, we finally took the right track and soon enough reached Permatang Guntong rest point, near the famous Bonsai tree.
We didn't waste much time descending down as I think everyone wanted to reach the rover trail and Chamang really soon. Once out from the jungle section, we reached the river/waterfall section and the view has always been breathtaking and the coldness of the water from the river have always been refreshing especially for the tired body and mind. The view along this section is definitely different from the KKB-Rajah section. We took about half an hour rest at Lata Naning, refreshing ourselves and somehow I was surprised when Ray told us that he was sleepy, which was quite surprising to me as it was just 2pm!
So, after the refreshing break at Lata Naning, we continued making our ways to Chamang with Ray constantly giving out his motivation for us to reach Chamang as soon as possible so that we'll get to eat burgers from one of the food stalls there (and maybe for him to catch his beauty sleep soonest). We met more people along the route, mostly hiking up to camp out near the river/waterfall. There were quite surprised when they heard that we will see them again later in the night on our ways back to KKB. Yeah, we hoped we'll meet them again, maybe during dinner time for some foods, lol! It was a fast section, where if I don't run, it was a brisk walk, towards Chamang. And finally, after 5 hours from the Peak; and 11 hours and 30 minutes from KKB, we reached Chamang happily.
We quickly set our butt on the few benches there near the food stalls. I quickly ordered my burgers, one to consume right away and one for later consumption at the Peak; while munching on the hot and crispy banana fritters and sipping the sweet teh tarik; while rearranging the stuffs in my backpack, refilling the water and other chores that I normally do at the halfway check points of an ultramarathon. It's part of the training, you know... While I was still at the same spot, just finished with my burger, and still rearranging my stuffs, packed and unpacked, some of us have gone to find their own corners to doze off. While I wasn't sleepy, I took the chance to take a cold dip at the nearby Chamang Waterfall before changing into new clothes. At about 6.10pm, after spending almost 2 hours in Chamang, everyone was ready to go for the second half of the journey, a long way home.
It was pure walking this time, but briskly, all the way from Chamang to Station 1. The faster three - Ben, Jol and Dian, went ahead and we got separated. It was Ray, Sam and myself. We knew that we would meet up somewhere later so nothing to worry. It got dark not long after we passed Station 1 and it was time to put on the headlight. I could feel some hot spot on underneath my left foot, and I knew blister i forming but nothing much to worry too. At a point where it was like a Y junction, entering the jungle part towards Lata Naning, we were somehow worried that the fast pack would take the wrong path. We weren't sure but we moved along. We thought that their fast pace would allow them to catch up with us, if they took the wrong path and fell behind. And we would wait for them at Lata Naning, nevertheless.
And after some times, we still couldn't see any glimpse of the three of them. We wondered they couldn't fell behind too far from us. Maybe they were in front of us. Until we reached Lata Naning, we asked the campers there whether they saw the three of them passed the area earlier and they said no. So, we decided to wait for them at the waterfall, while I took a short dip again and it was cold. There were signs that rain is coming and I don't know what to expect or how to deal with it but I have my waterproof top and bottom to shield myself. Then, Ray said he was hungry and he wanted to stop at the next camp site to eat, which was ok for Sam and I. We waited for quite some time, but still the three chaps haven't arrived. We thought they may have moved really slowly! (It turned out that they were waiting for us at one point since they thought we were behind them).
We moved on to Kem Batu Hijau, the last camp site before the ascent to the Peak. There were shelters set-up by a few campers at the camp site. One of them was lying down to catch his sleep, I guess. We asked for his permission to just sit around the fringe of his camp while Ray having his dinner and while waiting for the other three to arrive. I told Sam and Ray that I would take my nap for the mean time. I wasn't sleepy yet as it was just 10.20pm but I was afraid that I may get sleepy later on, worse case in the middle of the jungle where there is nowhere to lay down. I managed to doze off and not long after that, I noticed the three chaps arrived and when I was expecting we all would continue ascending, everyone seems to take their breaks and lay down around the tent. I continued sleeping.
Not long after that, it started to rain. My legs were exposed to rain as the shelter could only cover the top half of my body. The rest of us were also lying side by side to each other and we got the black trash bag from the camper to cover up our legs from the rain and to keep ourselves warm. I was awakened few times and everytime I was awake, there was no sign that we would continue our hike soon. At around 12am (yeah, we've spent 1h and 30mins at the camp site), Sam called up for Ray to wake up and continue with the hike. I saw he was doing some jumping jacks and heard he was saying something like "let's move on (to keep our body temperature high)" and he was afraid that we might catch hypothermia if we keep idling with minimal coverage to the body to keep us warm. Then, Ray replied with "ok we'll continue at 1am" and I was like, "Yes! 1 more hour to sleep." Then, Sam slowly rearranging his sleeping spot and get back to sleep.
True enough, it was really cold! even when I had the emergency blanket wrapping my body and it was the first time ever that I used my emergency blanket since the first time I bought it in 2012. I was shivering, just like the TMBT-hypothermia story Sam told me earlier in the morning and what Sam was afraid of just now. But I tried to control it. Ray, next to me, was shivering too and when I told him that he was shivering, he said, "sejuuukkkk..." but somehow we continued to sleep. Until another camper came to the chap whom we shared his tent with and told him that he wanted to start cooking and I was like "what the heck with cooking at 2am in this cold weather?" And since the tent where we were sleeping was meant to be the kitchen, the guy asked us politely to shift to other tents. And just like obedient puppies, we slowly got up thinking to shift to other tent when I realized, why don't we get up and continue hiking up.
So, everyone got up, got ready, thanked the chap at the camp site and we started moving up to the Peak at 2.20am. It was 4 hours spent at the camp site, a good 4 hours with a lot of stories to tell especially about Sam lol! Gladly, it was refreshing after the long nap for everyone and we moved consistently as a pack to the Peak. After 2h and 20 mins, at around 4.45am, we reached the Peak, and it was cold, even colder than the first time we were there almost a day ago. I couldn't believe that we have covered three quarter of the whole journey and I was proud with myself that I summited the Peak twice within 18 hours! We didn't stay long at the top and even photo takings were not so appealing to us as it was really cold with really chill winds. I had my long-due dinner with the cold burger from the stall in Chamang.
And after 20 minutes at the Peak, we descended to KKB, turned out to be the hardest part of our journey.
It was a long, torturous, never ending, cold, energy-sapping, mental-challenging, physical-abusive part of the whole trip. Yeah, we had to deal with the many false peaks and when we thought we have descended long and low enough, we were actually still hovering about 1000m in elevation and no wonder it was still cold after so long time. Sam fell behind and when we tried to wait for him at certain points, the cold weather got the better of us. Our body start to shaking and legs start to feel numb so we had to continue moving, just hoping Sam would not be far behind and would follow the right track.
The trail, as hard as it could be, with too many almost-vertical slope, made worsened with the traction-less slippery mud, as we were told that it rained heavily the evening before. Add the slippery muddy trail to the thorny trees and branches on the side, it was like the only option for you to move is by butt-sliding down the slope. Even with the smallest and slowest foot step I took, I still fell on my butt few times. I was hopeless. Not knowing who to blame this on. Many times, I was like giving up, like I would not be able to make it to the car park. The weather got better when the daylight broke especially when we reached back to Kem Renoma. Although we felt relieved to have arrived there, we knew it was still a long way from home (some 3 hours to be exact), and the track after this point was still tough and butt-cracking! And I lost my mood to snap any photos along the return journey from the Peak to KKB :(
After a long, long battle, countless curses, knees busting ups and downs, butt hurting falls, we arrived at Kem BMW cheered by the many campers there and I had a cup of the best hot lemon tea I've had for a long, long time! and we took our time to clean up ourselves at the nearby river stream while waiting for everyone to regroup. Not long after that, it was another 4km trekking back to the car park on a rather flat but never ending rover trail that almost got my mind into the insane mode. I lost appetite and energy to run and just walked entirely. And finally, yes finally, endlich, finalmente, akhiraan... I reached back at the car park at around 12.42pm. It was a total of a freaking 31 hours and 40 minutes out in the jungle (most part of it) and I told myself, "I'm done with this! You're all crazy inviting me or even proposing to do this!" but we left the place happily ever after, just don't know when we'll be back again....
So, 31hrs++ all in including eating breaks, sleeping breaks, dipping breaks, praying breaks, and here are the milestones for future reference...
0510hrs: Start at Kg Pertak Car Park
0644hrs: Kem BMW
0752hrs: Kem Renoma
1055hrs (5h 45m): Mt Rajah Peak
1345hrs: Lata Naning
1534hrs: Station 1
1626hrs (11h 16m): Chamang Waterfall
1910hrs: Station 1
2053hrs: Lata Naning
0446hrs (23h 36m): Mt Rajah Peak
0940hrs: Kem Renoma
1242hrs (31h 40m): End at Kg Pertak Car Park
thats insane. and u did trail run on some parts? i'd walked/ crawled all the way. hehe
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