Activities Report Jul 2000 Newsletter
Gunong Bubu Climb (29th April to 1st May 2000)
By Dr. Chan Ah Lak
Veteran Perak MNS mountaineer
Ong Boo Kuan (Moon), backed by Caving Leader Liew Chin Chow led a small
group of fit hikers up to the summit of Gunong Bubu. Many potential hikers
were probably discouraged by horror stories from the last expedition of
a trail so thick with tiger leeches that when you stop to peel one off,
ten will jump onto you, of walking in the dark and climbing the almost
vertical slope just before the summit!
The group of six hikers
started at 4.30 pm from Kem Bina Negara, on the northern bank of Sungei
Kenas, Ulu Kenas, about 14 km from the Royal town of Kuala Kangsar. A three-metre
wide laterite road led to a reservoir. En route we passed a road leading
down to the first of the two mini-hydro-electric power stations in this
area. The second one is just beside the track on the bank of Sungei
Asap. The jungle track starts just to the right of the bend where
the road dips down to the reservoir. The trail follows an overgrown old
logging track that closely follows the river initially, but soon the trail
branches and we took the right branch, going away from Sungei Kenas. The
logging track has a gentle gradient and led to Sungei Ganding. Five minor
water-crossings had to be negotiated before reaching Sungei Ganding. This
part of the trial is not distinct and not marked. However we had no problems
because Moon had made a recce trip in April, cycling in with his mountain
bike for an hour until he was stopped by the steep banks at the third water
crossing. We definitely owe him a makan!
After crossing it, we made camp
at 6.30 pm. It was a wise decision by Moon to camp here. We had enough
time to set up camp, had a good bath and take our packed dinner before
darkness set in. Otherwise, we will have to walk and fight the leeches
in the dark like members of the previous Perak MNS expedition in the early
nineties. We found out the next day that the next campsite is at least
two hours away ? no way we can reach it before dark!
Next day, at 9.20 am we continued
along a much steeper old logging track which followed the river.
We passed a beautiful tall waterfall, and two hours later we reached the
Ulu Sungei Ganding campsite at the confluence of three tributaries. The
umbrella palms-lined trail drops to the valley and there were three
camps in this area. After going through the maze of trails that weave among
the tributaries we reached the third camp.
From then on, it was serious
climbing. It started off with an ‘appetizer’ climb of a 45-degree
slope. Ropes have been tied to facilitate progress. For the first time
we are climbing on a ridge instead of strolling along the old logging track.
An hour later, the trail led to the last waterpoint, a tiny stream at the
base of Gunung Bubu. There we found about 50 students who had finished
their lunch and were waiting to make the final ascent.
The last section makes an
interesting and very challenging climb. The gradient is about 70-80 degrees
and is very similar to the last section of the climb up the Pinnacles in
Mulu Park. Only here there are no sharp daggers of limestone to impale
you should you fall accidentally and the 14 aluminum ladders are conspicuously
absent. For the Pinnacles climb, you need to carry only a light daypack.
Here, loaded with water requirements for the summit, a 14-15 kg backpack
is a challenge to haul up. At times both hands are required to pull oneself
up through the stunted oak trees. Due to the lower altitude, moss is very
scanty here compared to Gunong Yong Belar ? definitely not enough for you
to “suck water from it”. After struggling for an hour and twenty minutes
in a light drizzle, we were relieved to reach the summit, at 2.10 p.m.
The summit is a small area,
able to accommodate about four 4-man tents. The trigonometrical point,
besides marking the summit, also marked the place where two Ipoh Town Council
employees were struck by lightning, one fatally, in 1999. The summit was
swathed in mist most of the time. An intermittent drizzle dragged on into
the night. The cold wind forced us to retire early into the relative warmth
of our tents.
Next morning,
the skies were clear and we were treated to a spectacular sunrise and a
panoramic view of the Titiwangsa Range (G. Korbu, G. Yong Yap) on the east.
The Bintang Range with Bukit Larut, G. Hijau, and the telecomunications
towers were easily seen towards the north-east. Towards the south-east,
the Perak river with its tea-coloured water could easily be recognised.
The view to the west were partially blocked by the shrubs at the summit
but we could make out the Kuala Trong coastline and Pasir Hitam island.
Descent was relatively fast
since it is all the way downhill. We started at 9.00 a.m. and were back
at the car park by 4 00 pm, inclusive of an hour’s lunch break at Sungei
Ganding, our campsite for the first night.
The leech problem is manageable compared
to the large numbers that we encounter our previous recce trip from Trong
Waterfall in 1998. After the campsite at Ulu Sungei Ganding there were
no more leeches. Leech socks do work!
Verdict: A trip not to be missed.
Pre-trip fitness training mandatory.
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Created on 5th Jul 2000