THREE mountains in ONE day

An EXTREME determination has led me into this plan. A day pack to Cameron Highlands not for strawberries but sweats! Completing 3 mountains in ONE day, seems impossible but I DID it!

17 May 2011 | Gunung Berembun, Gunung Jasar & Gunung Perdah

This type of mountain hiking has ONE best reason to explain: Iciness Temperature (Misty, Windy & Coolie). A strong contender for my ONE month, ONE mountain mission.

Three mountains conquered in one trip made my checklist go faster. Big applause for hiking enthusiastic who took us too unbelievable mission but achievable.

Weather was undetermined and underestimated at that point of our mission. Even though probability of canceling the event or make it shorter was there, but we seems didn’t lose our hands so easily. We hope and wait for any circumstances to make it even though we encountered ambiguity in between.

We planned as below itinerary:-

Itinerary: -
(Intake) Tanah Rata – Gunung Berembun:- Approximate 2.5 hour
(Outtake) Gunung Berembun – Tanah Rata:- Approximate 1.5 hour

(Rest) Lunch:- Approximate 1.5 hour

(Intake) Tanah Rata – Gunung Jasar:- Approximate 1.15 hour
(Intake) Gunung Jasar – Gunung Perdah:- Approximate 1.15 hours
(Outtake) Gunung Perdah – Tanah Rata:- Approximate 2 hours

Journey started a day earlier. We had chosen to overnight at the highlands before calling our mission on next morning. This place was none other than a temple @ Kg. Raja.

Three hours journey from KL to Cameron Highlands was considered long enough but excitement has taken us to think about tomorrow hiking.

Temporary shelter … temple’s hall

Sleeping time … let’s off the light

Early in the morning, the cold breeze has awakened us. I don’t think anyone of us have a good sleep under such condition (better than camping in the jungle).

Temple’s hall area … very early morning

Get prepared for breakfast first … after packing

Entrance of the temple … peaceful morning

A walking distance to the morning market where we had our breakfast. Anything goes into my mind for breakfast due to coldness I need to withstand on breezy morning.

Quiet road … peaceful mind

Old shops … blending with hiking feel

Wantan mee … small but enough to fill-up my appetite

8.00am … Driving to the starting point of Gunung Berembun

Soon after the breakfast, without dragging until the sun rise on our head, we started our move to the starting point of Gunung Berembun. With the need of crossing private property place, we seek permission to enter their area.

Car line-up … ensure everyone safety

Carpark stop … getting final preparation

Entrance of Taman Agro Teknologi … entrance to private property

Walking past … towards the back-end area

9.00am … Real starting point of sign-board

Even though the time has slightly beyond our schedule, it was such a good weather. It buzzed me further to hike this hill in less than 1.5 hours.

Entering jungle trail … 1.48km for Jungle Walk No.5

Knowledge sharing … while trekking

Completion for Jungle Walk No.5 … meet-up point for another trail

Another trail connected … alternative way

9.40am … Rest station before continue to Gunung Berembun trail

Good to have such station for rest. Neither of us was in rushing hour. We learn all the way up, to recognize the route, to understand the passion of hiking and spur our interest even more.

Hiking @ Cameron Highlands mountains always bring me new experience and joyful moment. I guess because of the weather and temperature.

It hardly made you want to stop in between but going for more wonderful scenery view along the trek.

Dedicated to advance further … Gunung Berembun

Final push … to the peak of Berembun

Sign of success … touch the peak

Group picture of my group … mark the completion

1.30pm … Descending for lunch

By the time we descended, it was the weather who alerted us to cancel the subsequent trip.

Completed ONE mountain … TWO more to go

Our lunch was at some cafe at Brinchang. We waited for almost two hours before we all decided to continue even though rain on and off in just a matter of minutes.

Since it was burning our desire in the first round, should we kill it off for second round?

Journey begins at Tan’s Camellia Garden … private property

Entrance open wide … entering the flower garden

Pitcher plant spotted … nice shape

Just not long after we started, it was a heavy rain. Journey to be continue with rain coat and poncho no matter what happened. Along the wet trek, we found many interesting plant and insect, but we less care.

Completed 850 meter … using Walk No.11

Not going to continue with Walk No.11 … use Walk No.10 instead

Decision to use Walk No.10 … at this junction

Straight going up … slippery trek

Rain has stopped but dark cloud still hovered on our head. That time was 4pm, we’re hurried and worried on the way back caught in dark. I’m thinking whether we’d gone to wrong route which took us longer than expected.

Open area … sign of peak soon

A very close encountered to … High Tension Electrical Tower

Funny surface carved naturally … stepping one by one

We’ve not reached the peak although the view proved so. A short distance is expected by entering the jungle again.

Entered the bush … no sign of peak yet

Standing on peak stone … no view or whatever due to thick mist

Peak of Gunung Jasar… TWO done, ONE to go

5.15pm … Close call for final MISSION

At this hour, we’ve reached the final peak, Gunung Perdah. It was a heavy rain and nowhere for shelter. It doesn’t bothered us anyway, we all fully wet.

Yo yo yo! … Third peak at Gunung Perdah

There were a group before us celebrating something at the peak, I guess birthday. Weird! But how they can reach before us?

They’re not look like hiking tirelessly like us. So we asked them where they come from. They mentioned from Kg.Ruil where a 10 min distance from the peak. We stunned. Really?

Suddenly I’ve recalled that Gunung Perdah was one of the easiest mountains to climb. Hence the reason why. As being told of the shorter route, we followed them going down.

Escape in less than 10 min … what an easy way

Roughly 15 min to walk under the mist … out from Kg.Ruil village

6.15pm … Walk marathon

At last one hour, we walked under the rain, mist and low temperature. We were such fortunate to found this shortcut to cut down our time to return to our base. I’m sure dark time will hit on us, caught under prepare and cause us in the nightmare. So lucky!

Once we returned to our car park, I immediately get washed and changed. A true basic facility (toilet cum shower room) is available outside the Camellia Garden.

Quick bath and change … outside Camellia Garden

Brinchang Town steamboat dinner … recommended by our leader

Completion of this hiking did mean to me a lot because we hardly gather after that. This was a crazy challenge that I ever tried.  We almost caught in the dark if we didn’t meet with the local group at Jasar’s peak.

In fact, I understand our leader didn’t want to upset us, instead of cancelling, he rather follow the flow. He was confident we all able to cope with any hard situation because he knew us so much.

Hiking these three mountains in one day definitely leaving me a good memory, hardly to express in words, but rather in my mind. I’ll treasure this feeling towards any of my future hiking.

The fulfilled and satisfaction grueling all the way under Iciness Temperature (Misty, Windy & Coolie) was incomparable.

Mountain in Cameron Highlands is always a good place to experience the real passion of hiking.