Gunung Rajah

Two scruffy looking climbers at the peak

It started with a New Year's trip with a web based hiking group. I can only made to less than half the journey. It made me wanting to complete the journey in future. So, the day finally came on the 17th March. With a group of ten, including my wife, Lilian and myself,  we rendezvoused at MacDonalds in Genting Sempah at 6.00 am. The last two participants was late and finally we are all at Chamang waterfall's carpark at 8.00 am.

After last minute checking and preparation, we proceeded to the logging track via a steep slope at the back of the Chamang's bathrooms. Since Farid and Zul are the only ones here who have reached the peak before, they took the lead. We took five half way  through the logging trail and another after we reached the trail head (1st checkpoint ). " Aaaah! wonderful my kind of hiking trip, lots of rest ", I thought to myself.

At the trail to the river crossing ( 2nd checkpoint ) Chin LK broke the buckle of his backpack and after a few adjustments, we are off again. Then the other side's buckle broke and he was lugging it on one side, until he can't manage anymore. I used a cord to tie the shoulder pad to the lower strap and it helped. We finally made to the river crossing. Farid and the others are already there. We rested for a while and then proceeded to the next checkpoint, Lata Naning. This is also the location where I stopped during my last hike.

                        Azmie conquering 'Gunong Chinonek' at the end of the logging trail.

By the time we reached Lata Naning, it was already 2.00 pm and Chin has decided that he can't go on. He said he will camp there. I thought that it was OK to camp there and proceed at 2am or 3am in the morning but Farid says we need to camp at 'Kem Hijau', another 90 minutes hike. Farid and Azmie (another hiker with 2 companions) wants to camp in 'Kem Hijau' as Azmie really wants to reach the top. Chin on the other hand says he can't take another step. Chin says he will be OK there and will wait for us. So, sadly we left him in Lata Naning alone but there were many other campers there. 

We moved on to 'Kem Hijau' but actually I was rather tired too. I lagged far behind and met a group of Philipinos on the way. " Hello," I greeted them. "Going to the top, " I added. They replied, " only tomorrow morning, today only to green camp." So, they overtook me and  slowly I trudged on and reached 'Kem Hijau' at 4.30 to 5.00 pm. The Philipino group were there too and Farid, Vincent, Zul, ZHT, Azmie had set up camp. Azmie had a huge tent for 3 persons. There was no good spot so me and Lilian choose any flat spot we can find and started  setting. As this trip was more of a recce trip so I surveyed the area. It can fit all 30 campers that was coming on the 21st April trip but it will be a mad rush for good spots and  it will even be worse if there was other groups.

After setting up camp, me and Lilian went down to the river to wash up and also to get water for cooking. We cooked some instant noodles and had a hot cup of tea. Vincent gave all of us a scare when his gas canister was on fire. He managed to put out the fire, fortunately else Farid's hammock camp will be burn too. ZHT kindly offered the use of his stove if Vincent needed to cook. I was too tired to do anything else so I napped for a while. By the time I woke up, the rest were joking and laughing over the campfire. I joined in and then we decided that we will wake up at 2.30 am and start ascending by 3.00 am. After a session of aimless bantering, we all went to sleep.

The Philipino group was very noisy as they were boozing. I didn't catch any sleep. There were bugs creeping into the tent. At 1.30 am, I decided to give up sleeping and it was all quiet. I was hungry so I boiled some water to make tea. I was gripping my mini torchlight with my teeth and then I got the 'SHOCK' of my life. As the beam was small, it can only focus on my  stove. I sensed there was something coming and I shone the torch to that direction. Then there was this lady with long, dishevelled hair shielding the light from my torch with her hands. My hair was all standing on ends. Luckily she was wearing pink T-shirt, if she was wearing white, I would have fainted! Why on earth was she walking around the campsite without torchlight? And when everybody was asleep. Must be a drunk Philipino.

Rest stop in 'Bonsai'.

At 3.00 am everyone was ready for the trek except Azmie and group as they used hexamine  tablets to cook. Then after 45 minutes delay we started the hike to 'Bonsai'(5th checkpoint). I have told Farid to lookout for me as I am a slow trekker. After every 20 minutes or so Farid  will holler and Lilian will reply. We reached 'Bonsai' at 5.00 am. Good time and Farid says we  can catch sunrise. I was panting like a dog with the fast pace! After 'Bonsai' we moved on. Since they was catching time, me and Lilian was alone in the dark with just two headlights most of  the time. Finally we reached the 'Rock' (6th checkpoint). They were all there.

The hardest part of the trail. Climbing the 'Rock'.

The rock is the biggest obstacle in this hike. We have to abseil a 40 feet rock at almost 90 degrees. There were three parts in the process. The first one was pulling yourself up a wall. There was also water running down the rock. Second was pulling yourself up with the help of roots  and also the rope. Finally the last one is a steep slope like and we have to place our feet carefully and there were others helping out. Finally all reached the top with most looking like us taking a mud bath. 

I told them to hurry if they want to catch the sunrise. Me and Lilian will only slow them down. I can make it there slowly. The plants were different at this altitude and the ground soft. Me and Lilian finally reached the peak at just before 7.00am. We were not cold because of the body heat that was emitting from the overheated machinery. All 9 of us who set out reached the peak. So, I finished a task that was in my mind since January 5th.

All nine reached the peak with the customary stepping on the round shaped rock.

This is the happy side of the story. Read on to the errr....not so happy  side on my next blog.