The Great Outdoors

                   Gunong Angsi ( Almost lao sai! )

                          A picture I was not in as I did not reach the top...sob,sob!

I have been shuttling between hikes on those dates. First was the date that I was anticipating, Gunong Benum! The guide from Jerantut called after I have RVSPed for the Angsi hike. I have to un-RVSP myself from the hike and also I was to take charge of the guiding of day trippers from KL to Ulu Bendul, not to mention car pooling  agreement. Then, I felt it was not so nice and I then cancelled the trip on the 2nd to Benum and thought that  I can organize one on the 8th for Benum. Then there was no other hikers as the dates clashed. I cancelled that as well. What the heck! just concentrate on the Angsi hike. I then inform them and made back the former arrangements.

As pre-arranged, we all met at the Petronas station opposite Phoenix Plaza at 5.45am. Most of them was already there and later everyone arrived except for Chin. It was already 6.00 am then I have no choice but to push off! Chin arrived just at the moment when the last car departs. The convoy was uneventful as the highway was quite empty at that hour. We arrived in Ulu Bendul at 7.15am and the road leading into the Recreational Park was still closed and we have to park our cars outside.

After changing into hiking shoes we moved into the park on foot and look for the campers that was here last night. I was  a bit suprised to see there were more day trippers than campers. We met the organizer, Henry who just woke up and was a bit suprised that we were early. Henry requested Ann to collect the RM5 hiking entrance fee from every one. After the registering was done, we started off!

                              Our fellow hiker has made great strides in hiking fashion.

I was thinking that Angsi would not be a tough mountain to hike and I even invited a newbie to hike. I mean, it took  me 150 minutes the last time and that was my second hike. Although Ulu Bendul is a longer route as opposed to Bukit Putus, it would not be so hard, right? Hmmm....... actually no! I was wrong. This trail starts off easy but the long first section really saps your energy first before hitting you with a long steep climb later! More like disarming you first before the fight.

As usual, I always hike at the back. I don't really like hikers at my back as I like to take my time hiking. Jeffrey (the newbie I invited) was with me. At this stage Lilian and Mabel was also hiking at my pace or rather at Jeffrey's pace. I kept looking at my GPS and we were actually hiking in a gorge beside the river with not much gain in elevation. We were already hiking 70 minutes and my altimeter is showing only 300 meters. This is suprising! Another check with my GPS with the contour map enlarged showed me a disaster that was coming. The 500 meters mark in the contour map is brown and we are still hiking at the beige section which was below the 500 meters. There's still a kilometer or so to the brown markings! Jeffrey has already started to show tiredness.

                                          Hiking seems effortless to them!

Just a few hundred meters before the 500 meters mark, we met Chin Lip Kee sitting on the 'Lazy Log 1'. Then the rumble in my mind started. Should I wait for Chin? Should I stay back with him? Then, I moved on since Chin is an experienced hiker. I urged Jeffrey on and at the same time I told Lilian and Mabel to proceed. Jeffrey will take some time and will slow them down. So, I took a bottle of 100 Plus in my pocket and urged them on. I lost sight of them in just a few minutes.

                                  Pull, pull and don't let go till you reach the top!

I let Jeffrey take a breather after every few hundred meters as his heart rate accelerates very fast if pushed  too hard. We reached the 500 meters point as indicated on the GPS. Then I saw this long infinite steps that was created by the roots of the trees. It was wide, Yes! But the steps kept going up and up and I can't see the end! The guy that trail blazed the trail must have been a rhinocheros! He didn't make a more subtle and winding trails. He just bulldozed up in a straight line to the top. It was like hiking an Inca pyramid. Jeffrey got cold feet looking at the steps. I told him to take a few steps at a time. I made target markers to reach. "Let's make our way to that big tree", I would encourage. Then,"Let's take a few more steps to that fallen log". Slowly we made to the top (not the peak but only further up) and that's where we met Chin Senor (Chin Lip Kee's partner). He was squatting on the top of a pinnacle with his staff between his legs, staring at me. He looks like the apparition that I saw in 'river Y'. Luckily it was daytime and he was attired in orange.

You have to pull yourself up with the ropes anchored there. There was 3 sections. With Chin Senor's guidance, we managed to pull ourselves up to the first section (that's where Chin Senor was squatting at). He enquired about Chin Lip Kee. I told him Chin Lip Kee is already 'pancit' (punctured in English) at the lazy log. He asked, "Is he coming up?" " I doubt so!", I replied. At this time Jeffrey exclaimed," Wah! there's more slopes to climb". There was another slope which needs ropes to reach. Jeffrey lamented that this rope climbing is really sapping his energy. I have to agree with him. Chin Senor decided to follows us after I told him that there's a short cut down from  the top. Actually I was thinking of descending via the Bukit Putus trail and ask Lilian to pick us up there.

It was a good plan. You reach the peak and you also take a shorter route down. It's a win win solution, right? As we moved higher and higher, Jeffrey's rest time was getting more frequent. It also shows in him. I was getting very tired too! My 100 Plus was depleted and there was no time for breakfast that morning. My lunch was with Lilian at the top. Slowly we inched upwards and the thought of resting longer at the peak was Jeffrey's mirage. We met some hikers coming down and Chin Senor asked them," Berapa lama lagi?" They answered " satu jam lagi ". "Wah! satu jam lagi", he exclaimed. Then another few hikers came down and this time Jeffrey enquired, "Jauh lagi kah?" The youngster replied, "Tak jauh, 15 minit saja". Now which is which? 15 minutes or 1 hour? Chin senor was instigating us to head down. I then ask Jeffrey's opinion, considering the short cut from the peak.

A chinese proverb says, "taking off your pants when farting!"

It means there's no need to do so!

Just before we make a decision, Jessy show up. She informed me that Lilian asked me head down. They will be coming down. I thanked Jessy but still decided to head up. The after 20 more minutes, Jeffrey stopped and I checked my GPS and it showed the peak was only 500 meters ahead! Jeffrey rested longer here and there was this last trail of steps which was very steep. I urged Jeffrey, "last ascend'.

Before we can start again, hordes of hikers from our group showed up. They were all descending at a fast pace. Chin Senor then saw Lilian and Mabel among the pack and before I can say anything, he has already joined the descending pack. First was Bella, then Patrick saw me. Patrick offered me his 100 Plus when he saw I finished mine. It was refreshing. I was thirsty since the last 30 minutes. Lilian reached me and she advised me to head down also. She says the last ascend was really steep. So, all of us headed down. Henry, being the sweeper also showed up later.

                                   Elephants don't do slopes! But this one does.

We then have to clamber down the rope slopes. It took almost 25 minutes to wait for all 7 to reach the base! The base of that particular pinnacle, I mean, not the mountain. The steep slopes has already beginning to strain my knees. 

Although Henry was kind, it was kind of pressuring to hike down fast. Luckily we were following Jeffrey's pace. It was along ardous descend for me, Jeffrey and also my daughter Mabel. It was an agonising descend, painful to the knees. I saw both Chins at a rest stop, slumbering away!

                              Father of the year award from me. Nadza and his kids.

At some point, I met Nadza and his kids. It was already half a year ago, I last saw him in Gunong Rajah. It was nice meeting him again and also I am really fascinated to see father and son bondage that close. We were almost descending together and we even rested at a stream crossing. There were fishes swimming in the stream. I was drinking from the river before Henry gave us some water purification tablet. We filled our bladder with water. After resting, we carried on and on and on and on........................

                                   Fishes in the stream! Hard to see them in KL.

We then saw the electrical poles that was near the beginning of the trails. It was kind of motivating to see the poles. It shows that we are near. Then another and then we finally see colored roofs of some buildings. Finally,we saw Bella and some others sitting there. I immedietely took off my shoes upon reaching as I did not cut my toe nails which I was contemplating on doing a few days ago. My toes was in pain also! This is the punishment for procastinating! There was no parking space, else I would ask Lilian to drive the car in.

Slowly barefooted, I trudged slowly to the car park ourside with Mabel also in the same predicament. At the stalls near the car, I walloped 2 bottles of soya bean milk. I still did not have lunch yet! I did not even take breakfast and my plan for lunch did not materialised because all the others were descending even before I can reach the top. Punishment, NO LUNCH! There was no suitable food sold there so EC Chan, Bella, Patrick, Lilian, Mabel and me decided to have lunch in Seremban. Albeit a very very late  lunch and a very,very,very,very late brunch for me. We had the famous Hakka noodle in Seremban although many always thought Seremban only has famous beef noodles. We had a laugh over the meal, chatting about the hike. After that,we made our separate ways and till the next hike! Regardless, it was fun for me except now, I need to rest my ankles and knees, AGAIN !

                          Should have continued to the peak, look how much shorter 
                                               the Bukit Putus trail is.