Hiking and Stuff: May 2018

Gunung Besar Hantu (including Lata Kijang)

Distance: 26km with Lata Kijang
EG: 2,100m with Lata Kijang
Rated: 6.5/10 with Lata Kijang

Gunung Hantu Besar, situated 1,462m above sea level, it the highest peak in Negeri Sembilan and it direct translation to English is Big Ghost Mountain and I not going to comment whether it is haunted or not.... The trail to Gunung Hantu Besar also share the same trail as Gunung Hantu Kecil but to do both peak with Lata Kijang all before dark will require you to be running up and down the hill instead of hiking at a comfortable pace. (Fast hiker that day took 7 hours+ for GBH and Lata Kijang). The trail entrance is guarded and require permit to enter. After entering the premises, there public toilet here to wash up but no store open here, so prepare food and water in your car for the after-hike.

(The following is to obtain permit. Do note these data I got from are from a few blogger, one of them is mcHiker as I personally not able to go and obtain the permit myself since I still having a full day job.)

To obtain permit: "2°56'07.8"N 102°04'05.8"E" which is the Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan at Kuala Klawang, open only on working hour (Closed on Saturday and Sunday). Currently, this is the only way I know to obtain the forest permit.

Direction to the Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan at Kuala Klawang to get the permit

Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan at Kuala Klawang to get the permit

After getting the permit, now it time to head to the trail head. Use "N3.176500, E101.986333" to head for the trail head.

Direction toward Gunung Hantu Besar and Kecil trailhead

The Trail Head of Gunung Hantu Besar, Gunung Hantu Kecil and Lata Kijang

The trail of Gunung Hantu Besar (9km+ one way from entrance) and Lata Kijang (2.5km from Y-junction) only
https://www.strava.com/activities/1583598227

GPX File Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bcon2d041l75z4h/GBH%20and%20L.Kijang.gpx?dl=0

The total hike up and down to Gunung Hantu Besar alone will usually take 7-8 hours, if add-on Gunung Hantu Kecil, is another extra 3 hours and if you even more chi gek and add on another waterfall route, that another 1.5 hours. So total would take more or less 12 hours for the whole adventure.

The hike start out fairly steep on the 4WD road and will continue on for the next 4.8km which will be the entrance of the forest trail. During the 4WD road hike, you will encounter a few Y-junction but and one of the Y-junction is where the tarmac road will continue on the left and the dirt road continue on the right, this is the junction that seperate the waterfall route and mountain route.

Hold to your left on the first junction

Turn left here toward the waterfall which is an extra 1.5hours to and back.
Turn right here toward Gunung Hantu Besar.

Hold to your left

Bench and stuff, go straight down toward the river.

Immediately after the bench area, this is Camp Sungai Kering.

That day it took us around an hour (1:30hour average) to reach to reach Camp Sungai Kering. This is also the end of the dirt road and the start of the forest trail and it keep on going up. It take us another hour (1:30 hours average) to reach Camp Orkid.

Right after Camp Orkid, you will see this junction but I never took the time to check what on the right...

After leaving Camp Orkid, this is where it get very interesting. After all the uphill climb, the mountain reward you will an even steeper uphill climb which is similar to the one "Camp Pacat to False Peak of Nuang". It took us an hour (1.5hours average) to finally reach the peak.

The peak to be honest isn't one of the best peak out there but it is after all the tallest peak in Negeri Sembilan. It still an interesting hike. But what actually make that hike that day even better was it magnificent waterfall.

To reach the waterfall, you need to be a bit agile and fast if you want to finish the whole ordeal before dark as you need to come down the mountain and go all the way back to the last +-1.5km of the journey, take the left turn at the Y-Junction as mentioned, and hike another 45min to an hour of 2.5km.

The hike toward the waterfall is definitely not easy as there are uphill and downhill which are steep. It will definitely take a toll on someone who is not prepared especially after hiking up and down Gunung Hantu Besar. But after all that, the view of Lata Kijang is definitely worth it!

Now, it is possible to do all three attraction in one day which include GBK, GBH and the waterfall within daylight? It definitely yes, but you may need to be trail running most of the way. Even that day I only did GBH and waterfall and was moving averagely fast, it still took me 8 hours for the whole thing though it include around 2 hours of rest.

Last Edited: 24th May 2018

Gunung Semangkok via Twin Peak and Pine Tree Hill

Distance: 32km
Elevation Gain: 2,600m+
Rated: 7.5/10

Gunung Semangkok, situated at 1,824m above sea level, it is the tallest peak in Selangor after Gunung Nuang. The difficulty of this mountain is definitely not to be underestimated. It much much tougher compare to Gunung Nuang via Hulu Langat if it were a dayhike. Now most of the entry would be the same as the link below which is Pine Tree Hill and Twin Peak Hill : http://keeminginsj.blogspot.my/2018/05/pine-tree-hill-twin-peak-hill-via.html. This entry would be a continue from the previous entry.

The trail of Pine Tree Hill, Twin Peak Hill and Gunung Semangkok, the trail to Pine Tree is 5.5km while Twin Peak is 6.5km and Semangkok is 15km (one way only)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1536827583

GPX File Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jpd1j8h8v0wwyn2/Gunung%20Semangkok.gpx?dl=0

During our hike, we took around 3 hours to reach Twin Peak Hill from the entrance, here we rested and enjoy the view before the journey of "hell" start. The total journey toward Gunung Semangkok only was around 8 hours+ with a few good resting moment. Total journey up and down that day took us 17 hours +. The trail is quite straight forward as I recall.

Once you reach the Twin Peak Hill on a clear day, Gunung Semangkok can be seen straight ahead and it look far because it is far. The journey start with a downhill... It quite an endless downhill and to think about going back up later was something you really shouldn't think about... About around 2 hours, we reach the end of downhill and climb up to Camp Sungai Merah.

Camp Sungai Merah

Camp Sg. Merah

Camp Sungai Merah is like a base camp site before you start the steep hike up toward Gunung Semangkok. There a river water source to your right for refilling and it would be better to refill before you start as the hike up will take some time.

After that, stay to your right of the path to start the climb up toward Gunung Semangkok. The next infamous checkpoint would be Helipad which took us around an hour.

Helipad

Unfortunately there no real helipad here to call for helicopter to come fetch you... It just the name of the checkpoint. It a small opening where you can rest here before continuing on toward Gunung Semangkok. The journey from here are mostly uphill and it took us another 1hours and 30minutes to reach the peak of Gunung Semangkok.

The peak, continue to the right to reach the infamous lots of sign (1 minutes away)

Mossy forest at the peak

Fun and crazy bunch of people, Naga Group

The peak of Gunung Semangkok is a mossy forest itself but there isn't any view similar to the one at Twin Hill Peak. This mountain can be muddy and slippery when it wet, like any mountain actually... The peak here can get cold when it is raining, so do prepare jacket or emergency blanket.

The tallest mountain in Selangor, Gunung Semangkok is really something of an interesting hike. Tough yet beautiful in it own way. All of us come out dreaded but yet so satsisfied! Dayhike is intense but if you plan to do it in two days, it would be much less dreadful but then again, where the fun in that!

Last edited: 23th May 2018

Pine Tree Hill & Twin Peak Hill via Fraser Hill

Distance: 6.5km (Twin Peak Hill) 5.5km (Pine Tree Hill)
Elevation Gain: 1000m+
Rated: 5.0-5.5/10

Pine Tree Hill (situated at 1456m a.s.l.) and Twin Peak Hill (situated at 1505m a.s.l.) is one of the famous hill in Fraser. They maybe name as hill but definitely do not underestimate the trail. The trail entrance is at "3.711750, 101.727589" or "Pine Tree Trail Entrance (5.5KM Long), Fraser's Hill, Pahang" and it has a huge sign at it, you definitely won't miss it. Though the area here do not have a lot of parking space which lead us to park at "3.713242, 101.729602". The trail entrance do not have any public facilities so you might to bring a bottle of water in your car to wash yourself.

You will also required to obtain permit to enter the trail but no guide is required as the trail is straight forward. To apply permit, this website may help but I have not personally apply permit on my own before, http://forestry.pahang.gov.my/ekorimba/main/index.php.

Toward Fraser Hill, Pine Tree Trail

Car Park Area (Or the place we parked)

From car park to trail head

The trail entrance

Pine Tree Hill and Twin Peak Hill trail
http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/2073664579

GPX File Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vco5o38fvxmph76/Pine%20Tree%20and%20Twin%20Peak.gpx?dl=0

The journey to Pine Tree Hill consist many up and down and it certainly not an easy hike. Averagely would take 3-4 hours to get to Pine Tree Hill and another 1 hour or so to get to Twin Peak Hill. Both peaks have awesome view to enjoy and there is plenty of space here to sit and relax. Trail can be a bit muddy but not as bad as Gunung Irau.

The trail here doesn't have any Y-junction or T-junction and it straight forward.Aall the way, the trail is not very technical until the last part where you have to rock climb up to get to Pine Tree Hill. Right after the rock climbing section, you will see almost immediately see a junction. Going to the left will lead you to Pine Tree Hill while going straight will bring you to Twin Peak Hill.

Rock Climbing (Pine Tree Hill is right after this section.)

It a hill that really is worth the climb if you happen to be in Fraser Hill though the permit do required time to be processed and be approved (at least two weeks).

Now if you want to continue on toward the hellish Gunung Semangkok from here, move to this link:
http://keeminginsj.blogspot.my/2018/05/gunung-semangkok-via-twin-peak-and-pine.html

Last Edited: 22th May 2018