The Great Outdoors

Pine Tree Hill........as quoted, Going up is optional but going down is mandatory.

I have RVSPed this hike a few weeks ago as it is hard to get my daughter's and wife's holiday on the same day. We were supposed to book a room and head to Fraser's Hill on Friday afternoon but something came up so we abandon our plans and woke up at 3.30am to get ready. I reached quite early, too early in fact, at 6.30am where there was no one around and also it was still dark! I was the first one there, I guess, barring those who were there last night. Anyway, I never like to be late nor like to wait for others too! A fact too unfavourable in my terms especially in KL.

Briefing by Alex.

Alex came next before the other came in droves. It was already past the expected starting time but Alex got a call informing him to hold on as they are on the way. We took the time to have a group photo at the clock tower right in the centre of a roundabout. But after 45 minutes delay (Alex usually don't wait that long) there was still no sign of the vehicle. We convoyed to the trail head  and everybody got ready and listen to a briefing by Alex.

I and Siva was appointed sweeper while Wei Ching took the lead while Alex will coordinate in between. Incidently, there was a few weak hikers and Siva made sure they laughed on every steps of the way. Laughter has the coaxing  and feel good solution on problems especially tiredness. Ha,ha,ha! At this time Mabel and Lilian was also along with us. Alex made sure that Mabel joined the faster group as he knows she's a faster hiker, than her mommy and daddy-lah but not the other supermans and superwomans. I wonder what they eat, probably not much delicious calorie filled foods that I crave so much.

Really cooling and breezy hike.

This group of new hiker actually needs to join nature walks more. They freaked out, really freaked out seeing a harmless millipede. I was behind them all the way until the group splintered into smaller two by two with each group a sweeper. A few while before I reached the false peak, I got a call from Mabel and she was saying I might meet an obstacle later before the false peak. All of us needs to clamber up a nearly 60 feet vertical slope with help of ropes anchored there. And "yes", there's another peak to scale after the false peak!

We started off at almost 9.00 am and it was already 11.30am now and we are just at the vertical slope. By the time we all made to the false peak, Mabel was already on the way to the actual peak. There was a 'lookout point' here and there was also a sign proclaiming that it is the Pine Tree Hill. If not for Mabel's absence here, I would have stop my hike here and Alex asked me if I am going to the peak. I answered," Yes!" He gave me a thumbs up and that is the sign that I must carry on.

The almost vertical slope!

I was still sweeping Kim but she was moaning all the way and was contem- plating turning back after her fingers got pierced by spines from a rattan plant. I wish Mr.Chul was here or there was 'kimchi' on my menu as  she was moaning about her finger. There was nothing I can do except maybe kiss the finger, ha,ha,ha which I did not, obviously! Keep your head clean. On the way up, I saw Daniel was heading down and many were already making their way down, especially those fast ones. I asked if Kim wants to turn back and she was straggling in-between of turning back and going forward to the almost-there peak. Daniel said she was on his car pool list and a little push she was off with Daniel.

I speed up (as if I can, ha,ha,ha) and I met Alex after a while and he was still sweeping the other slow hikers and I was at the back. Alex prolonged the turn around time a little as we were all almost at the top and another hiker was missing. He went venturing into the Semangko trail and was still not back. finally, as usual, I am always the last to arrive. I took a breather, although hungry but was unable to whip up an appetite. I just had a banana and a lot of 100 Plus. The missing hiker was still not back and I can see the worried faces on Wei Ching and Alex. The top was nice and it had a 360 degree view but sadly, it was hazy.

Funny looking cave made of tree roots.

The group was getting smaller as more and more were heading down already. Fortunately, the hiker showed himself and after that we took another peak group photo and then left the peak. I have under estimated this peak. Although we were hiking in between 1200 meters to 1350 meters asl, the number of ascends and descends really tires me out. In two of the ascends and descends, the difference was more than 150 meters. The return trip to the vertical slope was not hard and the lowering myself down holding the ropes was not really a problem for me, Lilian or Mabel.

Me at the peak!

The return trip of this hike is similar to the start. If you ascend long, the descend is long and vice versa. So, there's no advantage of faster descends in this hike, both ways are the same, in fact harder as by that time (it's almost 6 hours already), we were all really tired, I mean real tired!

The designated natural sweeper!

By the 3.9 km mark (which is a camp site with water point just nearby), I was practically dragging my feet. I was unable to lift up my legs. I was really tired and water is running out fast! As they said, "Going up is optional, Going down is mandatory!" But Alex was still behind me, as he was sweeping two other female hikers. I was switching places with Samantha, Jaycee and Lilian. Sometimes they were in front, sometimes us. They were dead tired too. Still the trail goes up and down, up and down, tiring us out tremendously.

Finally we came back to the steps which is a sign that we are nearing the trail head. But there was still 1.9 km. to go and this direct measurement over a map is misleading. The signs were also measured with GPS as they tally with my GPS reading. You can hiked like ages but you only gained 300 meters in distance! The return was really tiring, the moment we descend we know there will be another ascend. The last few ascends were really steep and this practically causes me to pickled in my sweat. In my opinion, the trail is even longer than the Chamang to Lata Naning trail which is 10.5 km one way. I was not this tired doing that. We won't know, will we? The distance measured was in a straight line and the diversion from the line and the ascend and descend was not taken in consideration.

Finally at 6.00pm, we emerged from the jungles. There was still Alex behind there sweeping. EC Chan was there while many has left and a few went for tea. Luckily EC Chan has extra water as ours are all dried up. 20 minutes later, Alex showed up with the other two hikers and they were estatic to see the road. This is a real tough one and I won't be doing it again soon.

Dinner time!

They were all having a blast at the tea house when I passed them, I can hear their laughter but I was now hungry for real food. Still pickled in my sweat , I went to the 'Kedai Kopi' , the only one there, I think, to have rice. The drying sweat makes me cold and cool breezes was blowing  and we sat outside. Nothing like a hot soup on a cold evening! sitting there, waiting for food, I see lots of tourist from KL, in my opinion. They were also coming for the lousy food dish by this restaurant. They should have brought their own meal, maybe that's just me thinking or maybe since I am a cook by profession, I think differently. As said, the food was LOUSY and also expensive. Anyway, you don't do this daily and I was enjoying the moment, resting my legs and sitting with my family. That's worth the price!


I started back at almost 8.30pm and reached home nearly 11.00pm. Still it was fun day! That matters and also this is another feather on my cap.