Hiking and Stuff

Distance: 75km

Elevation Gain: 5,200m

Rated: 10/10

Trans-Titiwangsa V2, not a name you will hear often and not many will organize a hiking trip for this. As this trail is known to be one of the toughest hiking trails in Malaysia, it is expected that hikers has to be extremely fit to attempt this!

This hiking trail covers 4 of the tallest Peninsular Malaysia mountain. Gunung Korbu (G2), Gunung Gayong (G4), Gunung Yong Belar (G3) & Gunung Yong Yap (G6). Typically, most hiker will start their hike from Yong Belar side as it will make the hike easier. Since Yong Belar elevation is much higher compare to Yong Yap trailhead, there would be much less elevation gain from Yong Belar.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2381887921/overview
GPX File: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d248ec427o4deoe/Trans_Titiwangsa_V2.gpx?dl=0

The hike start at Camp Cabin/Kebun and the hike of Yong Belar is covered in this blog:

https://keeminginsj.blogspot.com/2019/01/gunung-yong-belar-via-blue-valley-dam.html

The hike for Trans-Titiwangsa V1 is covered in this blog:

https://keeminginsj.blogspot.com/2019/05/trans-titiwangsa-v1-via-ulu-kinta-sas.html

And similarly to Trans-Titiwangsa V1, you will use the same route all the way until Gunung Korbu. The only difference this time after reaching Gunung Korbu, you have to come back to Gunung Junction to start your Trans-Titiwangsa V2 journey. The trail here is as raw as Trans-Titiwangsa V1 but it is quite open though can be quite badly overgrown at some part of the trail, please take note as there is a quite a number of minis junction which doesn't go the right way.

The hike from Korbu to Gayong is covered in this blog (do notes, for V2 you will only hike to Korbu peak and u-turn back to Gayong):

https://keeminginsj.blogspot.com/2018/07/gunung-korga-and-gunung-gayong-via-ulu.html

During this trip, do notes you have to bring a LOTS of WATER from Camp H2O as there won't be any water source from Camp H2O to Gunung Korbu and back to Gunung Junction and then continue all the way to Camp Lembah Agas to have your next water refill.

That is about 21km with 1,800m of technical climb and it can take up to 16 hours (it might take longer or shorter depending on your pace). 16 hours without water source is something you have to take into serious consideration. In my case:

- Refill 2.5L of water at Camp H2O

- Limit myself to drink only 500ml during the Gunung Junction hellish climb.

- Leave 500ml at Gunung Junction and bring 1.5L to KorGa

Side note: I brought watery fruit along this journey too like apples

(In some case, there is an exception, there a water tank in Korbu peak but it water is stagnant but there are rats there. And the water tank maybe dried up if you go during dry season. Use that water with caution! I did bring my life straw here and use it to drink the water here.)

Once you come back to Gunung Junction (30.1km), repack your bag and start heading toward Gunung Tok Nenek and prepared for more series of up and down!

Gunung Junction (head down to Anak Junction after KorGa)

We reached Anak Junction (30.6km) and sleep here for an hour. Initially thought Anak Junction would be warmer as has a lower altitude compare to Gunung Junction itself, we were very wrong, it like a wind tunnel here and it was not a pleasant night to sleep. So take note others, it may actually be better to sleep at Junction Peak or if you can tahan, continue on for 2:30 hours and you will reach a very small empty land but wide enough for 4ppl that is much warmer to sleep at. (it took us 3 hours minus the sleep time to reach Lembah Agas from Gunung Junction).

There will be one more much bigger empty land which looks like a campsite and has a river which requires you to walk down around 3-4 minutes to it. This is not Camp Lembah Agas which is roughly less than 30 minutes away.

After all of that, we reached Camp Lembah Agas (34.6km) and had our breakfast here for around 40minutes. Refill our water and prepare ours hike up to Puncak View.

Anak Junction, worst place to sleep.

A campsite without any name (not Lembah Agas)
Turn left and walk down to a river, cross the river and start climbing toward Lembah Agas

Lembah Agas (Breakfast here & water point after a long period of time)

Camp Lembah Agas

From Lembah Agas, you will reach Puncak Bonsai Tengah (36km) and if you are lucky with the weather, you can see all the Titiwangsa Mountain Range here including all four G7 peak, Yong Belar, KorGa & Yong Yap.

Puncak Bonsai Tengah

After enjoying the view here, there is one more viewpoint along this trail. It may look near on the maps but it actually quite a distance and it took us one hour to reach it, otherwise known as Puncak View (38.5km).

(Side note: If you take a look in the attached GPX file or our route, we actually took a wrong turn down the hill at 36.6km. It was a good 150m downhill which is huge. The problem was not because the path is not clear but the path that took us to the wrong route was "clearer". And yes, the whole group mistook a turn here, so please be careful at 36.6km.)

Puncak View

After that it a short downhill to Camp D.G.U. aka Don't Give Up. You can choose to refill your water here or on the next water point which is roughly 2-4 hours away after Puncak Belumut.

Camp DGU

This is one of the tougher section of the V2, climbing Puncak Belumut. There is many mini false peaks and to make thing worst, there is literally no view on top here...

Puncak Belumut

At Puncak Belumut, after walking around 5minutes or less, there is a junction. The junction going straight might be more obvious than the one going to the left. DON'T GO STRAIGHT!

After that, it another roughly 40m-1hours downhill to Camp Kacang. During this time, please keep an eye out of this campsite as it is not obvious and it not in the line of sight when you are descending. DO NOT MISS THIS CAMPSITE!

Once you reach here, do refill as much water here as the next water source will be after Gunung Yong Yap and yes, I know there is another water source at Camp Lopak which is in between Bubu and Tok Nenek, but same as Camp Cerek, the water source is very far.

Camp Kacang

After refilling and all, time to descend a bit more and climb all the way back up to Puncak Kambing. Roughly after an hour or two, you will reach the Puncak Kambing which is part of the trail of YYBTN! Turn right first to go Gunung Tok Nenek, take a few pictures and then U-turn back and complete your Trans-Titiwangsa V2 by passing Bubu and then Gunung Yong Yap!

The hike for YYBTN is covered in this blog:
https://keeminginsj.blogspot.com/2018/08/gunung-yong-yap-gunung-bubu-gunung-tok.html

Time log for this hike:

18th May,
9:45 Start
12:30 Camp Kasut
13:10 Yong Belar
13:55 Camp Kuali
16:30 Camp H2O (dinner 30m)
19:05 Gunung Junction
21:30 Simpang Proton
23:10 Gunung Korbu
.
19th May
01:27 Gunung Gayong
02:00 Camp Cerek (Nap 15m)
04:00 Gunung Junction
04:30 Anak Junction (Sleep 1 hour)
08:05 Camp Lembah Agas (breakfast 40m)
09:35 Puncak Bonsai Tengah
10:54 Puncak View
11:20 Camp DGU
13:05 Puncak Belumut
13:45 Camp Kacang (Lunch 30m)
15:30 Tok Nenek
18:00 Gunung Bubu (15m rest)
21:30 Gunung Yong Yap (30m rest)
23:50 Camp Balak Pecah (sleep 1 hour)
.
20th May
03:50 Camp Agas (Nap 15m)
07:05 Simpang YY/TN
09:25 End of hike

(47hours 40mins) [Our team front group managed to complete it in under 38 hours]

Food prepared for this hike:
-2.5L capacity of liquid
-7 Snicker Bars
-2 Apples (for the KorGa round trip as there is lack of water sources)
-9 Hutan Rations Bars
-Salt sticks
-1 Kembara Pack
-1 Can Baked Bean
-1 Energy Gel
-6 Extrajouss

If you do plan to do this hike "daypack" style, be very prepared both mentally and physically! If you feel there a need to abort mission cause of maybe bad weathers or team member don't feel comfortable anymore either at Korbu or Yong Belar or even at Tok Nenek, don't hesitate to do so. the trail can be very unforgiving and one small snowflake can cause a huge disaster in there.

We took 2 attempts to only finally complete it (our first attempt we had to abort at Tok Nenek), there are some took a few more, so don't worry if you can't complete it on your first attempt. But if everything goes well, I can guarantee you that satisfaction... I really can't describe in words.

Last edited:

9 June 2019

Distance: 65km

Elevation Gain: 3,800m

Rated: 9.0/10

Gunung Gereh, G11 - Gunung Bilah, G14 - Gunung Bieh, G16, aka, Gunung GBB, a very long hike and typically take hiker up to 4 days to complete the whole route. This route is not known for its view but it beautiful mossy forest and this route actually shared the same trailhead as Gunung Ulu Sepat, so yes, you will be sitting in the same 4WD from Masjid Bawong all the way to Pos Kemar.

To get to the 4WD pick-up point, use "Masjid Bawong Perak" or "4.996597, 101.140228" to get here. We parked our car outside the mosque. There is basic public facility in the mosque but since it a mosque, please respect the area. For the hike, a permit is definitely needed but a guide is not mandatory. It is still preferable to bring someone who knows the route as the trail is not marked clearly.

Around 60km into Pos Kemar from Masjid Bawong
GPX File link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ffjlmnh2e1t18j/Sg%2C%20Siput%204WD%20to%20Pos%20Lelar.gpx?dl=0

We parked our car at Masjid Bawong but left the fresh cloth in the car for after the hike. Why not bring it in and change in Pos Kemar? The reason being as you will have to sit back the same 4WD to Masjid Bawong, you are bound to get dirty in it, so why bother? But we did bring in stove and gas and food for after hike makan.

After roughly 2:30 to 3:00 hours of bumpy ride, we reach the trailhead and left some of our stuff at the kampung, pack our bag and start our journey. Also note, at the trailhead do have some basic facility like toilet but as always, please respect the orang asli around the area.

The starting point of GBB

If some would notice, yes, it exactly the same route like starting Gunung Ulu Sepat. In fact, the same route goes all the way for 7.2km before you will reach a junction separating GBB & Ulu Sepat.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2342652562
GPX File: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o4hhjxw6l7079c6/Trans_GBB.gpx?dl=0

Before the junction, the trail is mainly quite flattish upward and it actually quite similar to Yong Yap first 6km and just like Yong Yap route, you will reach a campsite after 6km. I forgot the name of the campsite already but it has a nice river to the side of it. You will have to cross this river to continue your journey. There actually plenty of rivers you will need to cross but it won't be as much as the Yong Yap trail.

A Camp Site (6km)

Camp Site at 6km (Camp Sungai Y??)

After the campsite, not too far ahead or 1.2km later, you will finally reach the junction for Ulu Sepat & GBB. Here, turning left will bring you to Ulu Sepat, so turn right up to GBB and start your steep climb up your first huge false peak, Puncak Bongok...

7.2km into your hike, this is the junction that separate GBB & Ulu Sepat.

The climb to Puncak Bongok (8.5km) can be quite tricky as there is quite an amount of fallen tree. One really have to take note when coming down in the dark on this part of the trail. After 1.3km of steep climb, you will reach the peak and you will walk along the ridges until you come to a steep downhill at 9.5km. It a very steep downhill and can be slippery when wet. This downhill is something you will have to take notes as to when you come back, you going to have to climb 300m in 2km... Can be hellish after a long climb....

Puncak Bongok

After the huge false peak, you will reach Camp Sungai Agek (11.5km). You can choose to refill your water here or hold up for the next water point which is 5.5km away.

Camp Sungai Agek

Camp Sg. Agek

[Note: Pos Agek has been updated recently, go to the end of the page for the update.] Right after Camp Sungai Agek, you will pass by some overgrown lalang and you may have to watch where you go as there are some small junction in between. After that, you will hit a big junction where your left will be a wooden gate. Turn into the wooden gate and you will see a orang asli hut.

Wooden Gate

Around the orang asli hut

Around the first Rumah Orang Asli

One of the very few views along the hike, the second Orang Asli Hut is here

If the path is correct, you will see the view as like the picture above

The trail around the two huts can be a little bit confusing and it will be worst during the night. One has to really take note of where he/she is going during these two parts of the hike.

After around 2 hours, you will reach Camp Perodua (17km), this will be sort of your last waterpoint. We refill full bottle here and start our push to Gunung GBB.

(You do have another waterpoint which is on the way to Gunung Bilah but it far and yes, you can go Bilah first, but if you are day-packing, it much less mentally tiring if you do Gunung Gerah and Bieh first)

Camp Perodua

Some view along the way

Do take note that after 2km from Camp Perodua, there is a junction where you need to turn right. (This is also the trail where you will start hiking along the boundary state.)

Junction point 2km after Camp Perodua

There is one more campsite in between Camp Perodua and GBB-Junction but since there no water-point here, we did not stop here and cause of that, I have completely forgotten the campsite name

(Now I remember is Camp Sarsi, nearby has a Last Water Point which is before you reach Camp Sarsi but it a distance just to get to it).

(Note: if you are using the attached GPX File, you will notice we took a wrong turn at roughly 22km. The path toward both ends was clear and it did look like a proper trail, but one was going downhill all the way whereas the correct path is supposed to be flatter as you are walking along the mountain ridge here.)

There is a false peak "campsite" at around 26.4km, walk down to your right and head to GBB-Junction.

False Peak

After all that nonsense and 9 hours later at 27.8km, you will finally reach GBB-Junction. The signboard is will not be in your line of sight when you come up but there is a very clear split path where one goes down toward Bilah and another is more flattish toward Gerah-Bieh

GBB-Junction

You can choose to do Bilah first and get your water here, but if you did carry enough water up, it definitely better to do the double mountain combo first as we found this path more tiring than just Gunung Bilah. [Huge note: the water between Bilah and Junction Point is very brownish when it is not raining. Can't judge whether is clean to drink or not. During the 2019 daypack, it was raining so the water was cleared.]

Gunung Gerah (28km)

This is Gunung Bieh in the daylight.

Gunung Bieh (30km)

Gunung Bilah (34.2km)

If you can time your hike correctly, it would definitely be much better to reach these three peaks during the daytime. Even with just our headlamp, we can definitely tell the mossy forest is very beautiful, it just a shame that the daytime didn't last very long.

Overall, the hike may not have a lot of up and down as to compare to Trans-Titiwangsa trail but it is very long and can be mentally torturous especially when you are coming back since you have to climb back up the steep Puncak Bongok just to get home... Time it nicely and you can definitely witness GBB beautiful mossy forest.

Time Log for this hike:
4th May 2019
9:10 - Start
10:20 - Camp Sungai Y? (The first campsite)
11:20 - Puncak Bongok
12:00 - Camp Sg. Agek
13:45 - Camp Perodua
16:50 - False Peak
17:45 - GBB-Junction
18:16 - Gunung Gerah
19:05 - Gunung Bieh
21:10 - Gunung Bilah
22:00 - GBB-Junction

5th May 2019
2:00 - Camp Perodua
5:00 - Camp Sg. Agek
8:40 - End of hile

Food I brought along:

1. 7pcs bite size snicker
2. 4pcs hutanration choc. bar
3. 2pax Extrajouss mix with river water
4. 2pcs Salt Pill Chew
5. Apple
6. 4L water (2L river water)

Other info:
4WD SOS: +60 13-487 8380 (Kay) or +60 12-531 7141 (Muzs)

Last update:

22/5/2019

Update on 22/5/2022

From Camp Sg. Agek, following is a new rough map around the kampung:

The first Kamping Orang Asli Hut

The wooden gate is not there anymore and most of the area is quite cleared out already.

The last hut

There is still lot of lalang between this river and the last hut (with Satellite Link Antenna) but the trail is much better when we hike.

The first kampung orang asli hut

Hiking and Stuff

Trans-Titiwangsa V2 (via Yong Belar / Camp Cabin/Kebun)

Gunung Gereh, Bliah, Bieh