The Great Outdoors

Back to Basics.......and it was enjoyable too.

Gunong Datuk, Rembau - 22nd July 2012.

The happiest hikers!

After the Berembun trip twice, we did manage to get to the right trail though, my wrist was still paining after a fall. Add salt to injury, I somehow pulled my achilles because of the weakened knees. I was hobbling for the past week and I skipped a week of activity. The last hike was with Kayee and gang from KL Hiking Group and that's also where I met Alex again after a long time.

Lilian (my wife) has not been hiking for the past two months due to work and she has wanted to hike so much. It was also unfair to her as I only did recce trips with hordes of leeches and she detest leeches! So, I signed up for the KL Hiking trip to Gunong Datuk. Although we have done it before, there's no wrong in doing it again, in fact it might be better as we know the terrain.

Hikers mulling at the starting point.

On the said meeting day, we woke up early, prepared and drove to Seremban for breakfast. I then drove to Rembau via the old Tampin road which was the main trunk road to Singapore many yeas ago. The road has changed! At the junction to Chengkau, I saw the KLH's convoy but I was already passed them when I noticed Alex's car. So, I just drove on to the Gunong Datuk's base station. After the handling out of name tags and so, Alex separated the group into two, the slower ones will move out first and the faster ones 10 minutes later. This is make the gap between both of them smaller so that the wait on the summit won't be long.

My plan was just to send Lilian to join them and wait at the station. But last night I popped two 'muscle relaxant' pills bought from a chinese medicine shop. I popped another two this morning before starting our journey. The ankles were OK and so is the wrist. I suspect these pills sold under the counter are actually pain killers with steroids and maybe 'muscle relaxant' was  part of it. It seemed to work so I joined in the hike.

The steep start!

Alex's faster group appeared just a moments later and I was still with some back markers. Honey Romenza was sweeping Michelle and Jenny at the back and  me and Lilian decided to stick with them since Lilian was out of touch and I was injured! We were noisy and we laughed more at the back. My opinion is, a sweeper has more discipline than a normal or better hiker. A sweeper has more compassion and it takes a lot of patience to actually care for other fellow hikers. For this, I admire Alex and in this case Honey!

The jungle ensemble!

Alex once told me that in Belgium, when there are hiking activities, the slowest hiker is always within 5 minutes of the first hiker. When he said that, our hikers here has the wrong idea that all their hikers are fast and there are no slow hikers. BUT you know how wrong they are. It means no matter how fast there are, they also care and wait for the last hiker.

It will never happen here,that I can be sure as we Malaysians (I am not generalising, please) are glory bound. They want acknowledgements for their achievements and they train hard for that too. That's why I say the sweeper has more courage and patience than the ones at the front. That's my personal opinion though after so many hikes and encounters with many hikers. I mean among the hikers there will be slow hikers, first time hikers even injured hikers, ha,ha,ha.

The steep roots clambering.

As we hiked up and almost near the peak, we felt colder and can see that rain was coming. Like usual, our hikers are all made of paper cartons, they wilt and  decompose in rain, all were already rushing down but we didn't care. We still clamber up. I reached the peak later but I did not want to climb the ladders to the top of the boulders as I know it might be slippery, not a worthwhile risk in my condition. Jenny and Honey went up.

The jubilant Jenny at the peak with Alex and friends.

Another shot which makes nurturing new hikers worthwhile. Look

at the jubilance and happiness in Jenny.

We were drenching at the base of the boulders but we were wet anyway. We waited and most of them went directly down after dismounting from the ladders with some disorientated hikers going into the wrong path but we redirected them. Finally the last few that were left finally came down. All was left was Alex, Satvinder, Siva, Sumi, Alexandre, Michelle, Jenny, Frankie and off course me and Lilian. We did not start down immediately but were joking and laughing.  Especially with Satvinder and Siva around and throwing Alex and Alexandre into the fray, it was havoc. Joking all the way down, we didn't really feel the slippery slopes but Jenny and Michelle did slip and sat on their butt once or twice.

When we reached the broken shed, Alexandre was sitting on the rock just in front of the broken down shed with it's pointed roof. He was sitting so grandeur like and Siva snapped at him, " You looked so comfortable there." I added in, " Yeah! you sitting like the Emperor of China. " Without further delay, Alex was bowing to him, " Shall be go down, Your Highness." We were practically laughing all the way down. I think back markers are more fun, we interact more, know each other better and most importantly, our sense of camaraderie spirit is even stronger.

The tired but still laughing their way out from the jungle.

We finally emerged from the jungles at 2.00pm and I changed into dry clothes and waited a while for the rest. Wei Ching was there waiting and so were a few others. After the name tags check, I said 'goodbye' to Alex and made my way to the car. Satvinder was asking," Why do we do this if it is so tiring and hard?" I answered, " To burn calories." She replied, " We can burn calories in so many ways." I replied, " I think it's the friendship, the togetherness and also the crazy jokes and banter." To this she agreed," That's it!"

I drove on to my usual 'Hakka Noodles' outlet if I am around Seremban but upon reaching there, it was full! Me and Lilian in our dirty garbs felt uncomfortable standing and waiting, we went to another famous Seremban noodles, "Seremban Beef Noodles." We satisfy our hunger and then drove back slowly home.

Till "Pine Tree Hill" then. It's only a week away, again I am sure I am also going to be the last hiker again. Ha,ha,ha.