Mountain Climbing N Friendship

Mountain Climbing provides a unique opportunity to foster relationship and build friendship.


Though trekkers may trek through the same path to get to the same destination,



( Click on picture above, to see a beautiful treks of a hill in Broga, Semenyih besides a Chinese temple. )


But how each of them trek through the journey, one will differs from the other.



( Click on the picture to see Broga Hill in Semenyih, Kajang Selangor )


True nature of relationship evolves and friendship is fostered, when people cross path with each other.


This is especially so during long trekking trip, that requires group members to solve the challenges over unexpected incidences that may happen in the jungles and mountains, some within the trekker's control and some outside the trekkers' control.

When people of different temperament, characters and thoughts comes together, and see things differently, as well as behaves differently, you can be quite sure to be shocked, and disbelief to know that the friend that we always see, has another side of them that we have never known at all.

To sum up, friendship is so tangible that you feel the warmth and the joy when sharing in tears and laughter.

Friendship can be view as intangible, just like the wind, once it has gone pass, you don't know how to find it back.





To carry on the mountain climbing journey, the trekkers sometime need to

...say sorry if you have to and when there is a need to, cry if that helps to release tension,

...stop crying you must, to move yourself forward, continue the trekking journey ahead.

Say forgive me to the person you hurt, and say i forgive you to the person who hurts you if that's what makes up of a friendship.

Its is no big deal if you get hurt, be real and trust again, little by little, get heal while passing through the journey, open your heart to someone who can help.

Unlearn any wrong, learn a new way to love, to cherish, and to appreciate so that the trekking journey will be pleasant along the way until everyone and you reach the destination.

The sun rises, the sun goes down, everyday,


( Click to see Sunrise in Broga Hill Semenyih )


But it is not everyday the sun rises, with a clear defined yolk.




The second, the minutes, and the hours still ticks away whether you like it or not.

Even if the sunrise is not beautiful, and the rain causes inconvenience.

whether you trek in jungle or in life, there will be another day call tomorrow, that we have exchange a day of our life with it.

I am just so convince that mountain climbing & trekking provides a unique opportunity to foster friendship.

Varieties, is what it is, making life more interesting and meaningful.

Mountain Climbing, Jungle Trekking N Progress

Sometimes I wonder how our physical body is made to withstand pressure.



Never attempt to climb any mountain or trek will means that we do not know the tolerance level we can withstand.

From a mere 1-2 KM mountain trek/day to a 25 KM of mountain trek/day, it means there is improvement.

Continue from there, we tried 1 night two days trek, follows with 3 days two nights trek, and after that 5 days 4 nights trek etc....to us it means progress.

Improvement and progress builds confidence.

After we have done the easy/relatively easy, or difficult/relatively difficult trek progressing one to the other, there should be no reason why a 12 to 17 days of trekking trip in Annapurna Circuit Treks, The Everest , or The Sikkim, Kanchenjunga and Gangtok, Himalayas that most our of friends talked about so much, O any mountains beyond in other continents is not imposible should we choose to head towards that directions and have the resources for it.

Whatever length of days in trekking, if we do not enjoy the journey, such as enjoying the nature, the plants and the flowers,



Click to see the wild fruit that looks like ' corn comb " found at the peak of Broga Hill, Semenyih


the insects and the crawlies and the animals, the buddies etc....etc....etc that trekking has offer and make something memorable.....

when you come back, our journal entry in trekking will be

I wake up in the morning, I start to trek,
in the evening I rest

The next day I start to trek,
in the evening I eat, rest and sleep

day after tomorrow, I start to trek,
.............tomorow i will wake up and trek..

day after it will be like that too.

Isn't this parallel with living life ?


Today I live life when i wake up in the morning, and night comes, I sleep, and tomorrow, I wake up again, and night I sleep................


Acknowledge the fact that progress and improvement will bring meaning to life, stop by to enjoy what the trek can offer, will be more interesting than just rushing through it just to get to the peak.

How boring it will be to trek through the jungle just to get to the peak without enjoying the journey.

worst if you are trekking through life in that way.

Mountain Climbing N Live Life With The Basic

Jungle trekking and mountain climbing was never our hobby or never part of our activities that we enjoy when we were young.

However, it's never too old to discover and never to late to learn for us.

We discover jungle trekking these recent few years because someone has invited us to one, and thereafter we discover more and more mountains which we have never heard before.

Our heart says

" hei....this is what we like doing and we enjoy

The nature
The fresh air,
The beautiful sceneries,
The naturals colors of life,
The flowers and the trees,
The flying clouds,
The rainbows,

The challenge,
The journey
The peak,
The friendship,
The teamwork,
and most of all, the inspiration and lessons learn that is so applicable to living a meaningful life.

We learn some precious lessons such as we live life with the very basic during mountain climbing.

The heavier the load you carry on your back, the more difficult trekking journey will be.

Packing appropiately, using the right camping & trekking equipments for trekking is rule number one when you go jungle trekking and mountain climbing.

No one should overpack and no one should underpack, because weight pull us down and out.

What a trekker needs is a healthy body to enjoy the journey, a conqeuror attitude until he/she reaches the destination.

Obtained this inspiration , i always remind myself and others, let's work to be healthy, and live a longer life so we will be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor, which we have put half a century of time in it.



Click on the picture to see trek in Broga Hill Semenyih

Isn't it true, what we need in life is simple, basic needs for survival.

Isn't that too much load that we could carry on our shoulder drag us down in life ?

Gunung Benum Pahang Malaysia Part 4

Continued From Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum Pahang, Malaysia Part 3



The text of this expedition in blue is original writting of Dr. Hamdan



The Descent On the third day, we had early breakfast so that our potters can pack up early to descend for ten hours. The rain slowed us down; I slipped down the cliff only to be stopped by the bushes and regained my strength to pull myself up back to the track. Someone pulled my backpack up, only to know how heavy it was. Descending in the rain on slippery mud track was no fun, and we took twelve hours to reach the first river crossing where the 4WD were waiting. By then it was dark and cold, everybody shivering, some sneezing from the cold. we reached Sg.Chalit by nine at night, changed to dry clothes and headed for a small stall for food. I reached home nearly midnight; it was raining all the way from Sg.Chalit to Bentong to KL. What a day, but what adventure we had.
. .
Our fingers and palms were all bruised from gripping rattan trees or caught in them by accident...ouch. It really hurts. And the worst were the leeches. They were everywhere. Even when washing the backpacks, my maid found ten of them stuck inside the pack. Why didn’t I see them … I don’t know. There are 15 leech marks on my feet now – very itchy.

Given what we have been through, all I can summarize is that, the trek is challenging. Had it not been for the rain, it would have been a little comforting at night and during trekking. Other than that it was real adventure. No doubt tough, but more fun than Gunung Tahan.


Ada nice comfy bed, you choose to sleep under flysheet in the rain.

Talibisyen besar besar, anything National Geography ada, you choose to be bruised by the rotan.

Air-cond rumah cangih-cangih, temperature bolih regulate, you choose to shiver and sneezed in cold,

balik komplain 15 leech marks on your feet,

and Dr. Hamdan, you sum up the Gunung Benum trip as


" it was real adventure. No doubt tough, but more fun than Gunung Tahan. "



....To be continued in Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum Pahang Part 5....

Gunung Benum Pahang Malaysia Part 3

..........Continued from Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum, Pahang Part 2

The text of this expedition in blue is original writting of Dr. Hamdan

Four persons were under the flysheet; seven under the second flysheet, three in one tent a few meters away at a slightly lower elevation ( we were on a sloping terrain), and our potters and cook under a separate flysheet next to the seven flysheet.

After dinner, rain kept coming. We used the flysheet runoff as rain harvest into our spare bottles. This saves us from going down the cliff edge to the river for water fifteen metres down. We used this water to wash our dishes and brush our teeth before settling in. With the rain and wind blowing through, it was difficult to sleep as our sleeping bags were getting soaked. I don’t think anybody that night had a good sleep. Everyone was too exhausted after dinner that hardly any conversation took place.
Next morning, the five persons from Cheras decided that they had enough. The thought of carrying three litres of water each to last for two days, and trekking thirteen hills up and down for another ten hours puts them off completely. And they decided to descend. It means that we have to sacrifice one of the potters to bring them down to the river crossing where the 4WD would be waiting to bring you down the mountain, about an hour back to Sg.Chalit, the small town where we started. But they descended despite pleas from Wong that we are short of one porter. The rest decided to continue. I ended up with a twenty-two kg pack after the three litres were added. And to trek uphill for another ten hours? Phew...
.

The trek from first camp onwards was rougher than going up G.Tahan. At least Tahan is well defined, though muddy, and it is only one gradient up. Here, you kept walking up and down peaks thinking when it will end. But it did. After four-and-half hours, we stopped for lunch, and continued for another four hours to the peak. Better than expected of ten hours. At places, because of fallen logs, the passage between the huge log and the ground barely fitted your trunk. So we had to dismount our packs and let it pass through first, then crawled through to clear. My last count for this type of going through was ten places. Those fallen trees are so huge that to go over the top would risk slipping and down the cliff. Scary mate. It was such a jubilation when reaching the summit. Now that we are "otai" already. One up than the group that chicken out. But the camping area is slightly below the summit; very small flat patch (which you may have observed from the photo) but managed to fit everyone. Once again, it was sleeping with the rain belting down; wet sleeping bags and loss of sleep. It was really tiring. Once again, nobody talked after dinner - just too tired.
.

Sad I didn't go...,
Miss out all the fun.

Glad I didn't go,
You have the previleges of holding records in experiencing the leeches.

Congratulation,
To all of you for braved out to the peak, will join you for another mountain, when I am more fit.

....To be Continued Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benom Pahang Malaysia Part 4...

Gunung Benum Pahang Malaysia Part 2

....Continued from Part 1..

Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum in Pahang, Malaysia



The text of this expedition in blue is original writting of Dr. Hamdan



Trekking up Gunung Benum is three times tougher than Gunung Tahan.Despite three days of trekking and sleeping in the rain, we managed to reach the peak, leaving half the group that gave up the following morning as we were conquering the summit. The trail looked as though it was last used more than a year ago; we had to cut our way through most times with many rattan and uprooted trees that blocked our way.Now I have a clearer picture of what was once a trail used by the communists.
.
The trip was planned by Mr. Wong and his wife Rosalind and I was invited to join this exclusive 15 members group. Partly due to food constraint and the other is of course accommodation in either tents or under flysheets which the porters could carry. Initially I was quite reluctant since it was a well known fact that this G.Benum is one of the toughest trekking trail known. Being a black area, it was opened up after the communist surrender in 1990. Hence, most of the tracks that are found inside this mountain used to be walking trails between stations for the communists. My first thoughts were that we might stumble on some undiscovered booby traps, and you can guess what that might do.

When Rosalind told me that the whole package would be undertaken by our usual organizer, a customs officer and a few assistants, I was relieved. That means we do not have to carry our own food or tents, except for water. Water supply is limited to our first night camp site only. From there we have to carry water for ourselves and about a litre each to be reserved for our meals at the summit.In that way, our cook won't be burdened with carrying water for two meals for 15 persons.

Super vehicle on a waterhighway

The Ascent

The trek would take two nights of camping; first day and the next at the summit, and the third day is all the way down. We spent five hours uphill to get to the base camp at the available water point. Trouble was, our guide, being there about a year ago, could not initially find the starting point since it has overgrown so much in one year. Thus we spent searching from the waterfall after crossing the river, a nylon line that was left there. From there the guide cut his way through the overgrown rattan and other undergrowths to make it easier for us to follow through. Half the time we are right at the cliff edge, down below is a one hundred metre drop to the river. The footpath was slippery (it was raining) and very soft, that everyone was sliding all over the place. By the time we reached the water point, it was drizzling heavily and dark. Mr Wong decided that we should stop here rather than let the porters carry extra water for the night's meals and the following day meals for fifteen people to a camp site another two hours up. What a good decision making that was.



To be Continued.............. Gunung Benum Pahang Part 3


From the writting of Dr Hamdan, it's easy to understand why he said climbing Gunung Benum is 3 x tougher than climbing Gunung Tahan.

It looks like he did the ASEND like The SUPERMAN !!!!, never stop to catch his breathe like his never stop in entry for his no paragraphing journal.

it was obvious too I have a 3 x difficulty level reading.

Apa mau buat, mata sudah kelabu !


....To Be Continued Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum Pahang, Malaysia Part 3...

Gunung Benum, Pahang Malaysia Part 1

Walking up Melawati Hill training for another trek, met Dr Hamdan who has just returned from Gunung Benum ( March 16, 2009 ) in Pahang.



"So how ? Gunung Benum"


"tough la, rained non stopped, the entire journey. "

" the hills are rolling, goodness gracious, felt like it's like climbing Gunung Nuang 9 to 10 times within the 3 days. "

" the last time the mountain guide came was a year ago, the overgrowth has covered the path. but he was good, went before us, chopped the bushes, then we moved ahead. "



" We were lost for half an hour before getting back to the intended trail."



" The camp site is so narrow and sloppy, we slept, slided down, moved up the sleeping site to slept, slided down, slept, slided down again... it was dangerous. "

" the best part was we realised the two sides are cliffs !!! "

" the place is not suitable for big crowd "



" My sleeping bag was wet, it added weight to the overpacked backpack I was carrying, 23-25 kilogram. "

" First night i slept 2 hours, second night slept 2 hours. "

" the ground was so soft, at some places, we sat down & slided our way."

" lots of crawling under the trees. "

" There were Sooooooooooooooooooo many leeches, I was pulling them one after another, sometimes, 10 to 15 at one go...."

" The leeches were sticking on my raincoat too."

" Rosalind your know, HAHA.. she was busy, hahaha...haha... hahaha.....

" my goodness, she was busy.... taking away the leeches........... "

" the pitcher plants, they are as big as my head, beautiful, superbly beautiful. "



" When my maid washed my backpack at home, she was screaming on top of her voice.....there was no less than 10 leeches stuck unto different parts of my dirty trekking backpack. "

So, the above was the experience from Dr. Hamdan, always, and at all times, a hilariuos company to be with, & good trekking buddy whichever trek we go.

" tough la, but it was fun "


When he say tough, no one should open his mouth to say otherwise.

This is the same man who cycled with his friends to Kota Bahru, Kelantan from Kuala Lumpur recently.

Upon reaching childhood home in Kota Bahru, his mother asked...

" mano kreto ? "

all he did was,...................

....... smiled

" datang menonggang aje..."

"Apo ? "

" basikal !! "

and she nearly fainted.


.....To Be Continued...Mountain Climbing : Gunung Benum Pahang Malaysia Part 2




Trekking Photos : Courtesy of Dr. Hamdan

Climbed Gunung Tahan

Climbing Gunung Tahan Vs Updating Blog- A comparison

Climbing Gunung Tahan, via Merapuh, starting from Kompleks Taman Negara Pahang in Sg Relau, to Camp Kor, to Camp Botak and many other various camps until we reached the peak to snap a glorious photo and said

“ Yes,….we made it ”.

VERSUS

Updating the blog on the topic of our climb on Gunung Tahan, expressed them interestingly, on trekking that particular track.

and said

“ Ok, it’s done.”

You ask me in comparison, the journey of climbing or updating the blog entry, which is more challenging?

Trekking is more challenging ? or blog entry is more challenging ???

To answer this, let’s look at the time taken for the two tasks,

On Climbing Gunung Tahan August 16, 2008 to August 19, 2008

Trekking started August 16, 2008, we were at the Taman Negara Park Headquarters at Sg Relau, Merapuh Pahang early in the morning, registering, checking of baggages, recording all items in your bag, it took almost half a day, the park officer just wanted to ensure everyone will be responsible to take out all rubbish plus the stuffs taken into the jungle,

waiting…..& waiting

and we hoped into the jeep,

,

and we crossed some rivers,

up & down some mountain ranges, at least 4-5 major one,

Housekeeping…Ooops Campsite keeping

the stops we rested

identified the water points at Camp Kor & Camp Botak

camped at base camp Kem Kor first night ( August 16, 2008 ),

continue second day trekking, reached Kem Botak and camped there second night (August 17, 2008 ),

scaled up to the peak early in the morning August 18, 2008

the weather

The achievement

and trekked down all the way to Kem ??? ( I forgot ) for a night ( August 18, 2008),

returned to the park headquarters next morning on August 19, 2008

it was a mere 3 days affair covering approximately 66 KM, it was challenging but simple & straight forward agendas.

Nevertheless, on updating blog entry,

from the time we came back to KL, I was thinking what to write, so hours passed, reason was physical exhaustion, muscle hard like stones......... justifiable !

Then days came & went by like the streams of water in Gunung Tahan..

I continued to think what to write…at least gained half strength throughout these days, no more canned sardines & white rice & fried bee hoon with chillies, which tasted superb when we ate our lunch & dinner in the jungle.

But the daily responsibilities & activities surrounding the children, the business, the housework, are like the uncounted number of stones in the rivers...........excusable!

….what to write into the blog on the subject of Gunung Tahan ?... I was thinking hard,

think, thinking, .....still thinking as i persue

........explain the half clear & half blur........within my heart.

& thinking as I persue…….if ever there is such word I will say “persue-able”!

The process of thinking continued; now am running out of appropriate vocab end with the “ …ble”,……which shows continuous tense of thinking……..and wanting to write……then a week passed, since persuable is accepted with no complaint from anyone, I might as well, add this to my vocabulary, persevarable !!!!!! another word, which sounds a little like.....lame excuse,

but the mind is clear, I am still thinking..

Rosalind & Wong came one day, said, " Agnes, we have important things to discuss with you, .......bla..bla........bla.......Mt.Rinjani, Lombok in November 2008......how ? bla..bla...bla....bla..bla.how ?????."

" .....have to ask my boss la, he is the one paying........"

Oh, my state of mind was changed,

My inspiration, no more the stones & the rivers, it's fire now........

I heard Wong said, " Mt Rinjani, something like volcanoes, you know........you surf the net la.... !!"

"Oh....I see, have to ask Alex, may be we will go together. "

It was a good old three weeks taken to update the blog.

So, inference to draw : 3 days trekking versus 3 weeks to update blog

jungle trekking is challenging, of course it is without a doubt;

but....blogging is even more challenging.

Climbing Gunung Tahan

Gunung Tahan Climbing Vs Updating Blog- A comparison

Climbing Gunung Tahan , via Merapuh Pahang staring from Kompleks Taman Negara Pahang in Sg Relau( more info, click Sg Relau), to Camp Kor, to Camp Botak and many other various camps until we reached the peak to snap a glorious photo and said

“ Yes,….we made it ”.

VERSUS

Updating the blog on the topic of our climb on Gunung Tahan, expressed them interestingly, on trekking that particular track.

and said

“ Ok, it’s done.”

You ask me in comparison, the journey of climbing or updating the blog entry, which is more challenging?

Trekking is more challenging ? or blog entry is more challenging ???

To answer this, let’s look at the time taken for the two tasks,

On Climbing Gunung Tahan August 16, 2008 to August 19, 2008

Trekking started August 16, 2008, we were at the Taman Negara Park Headquarters at Sg Relau, Merapuh Pahang early in the morning, registering, checking of baggages, recording all items in your bag, it took almost half a day, the park officer just wanted to ensure everyone will be responsible to take out all rubbish plus the stuffs taken into the jungle,

waiting…..& waiting

and we hoped into the jeep,

,

and we crossed some rivers,

up & down some mountain ranges, at least 4-5 major one,

Housekeeping…Ooops Campsite keeping at Kem Botak , one stop before the peak of Gunung Tahan

Setting up fire to keep warm & to dry our clothes

the stops we rested

identified the water points at Camp Kor & Camp Botak

camped at base camp Kem Kor first night ( August 16, 2008 ),

continue second day trekking, reached Kem Botak and camped there second night (August 17, 2008 ),

Early morning of August 18, 2008, we started at 8 am scaled up to the peak

the weather

It was drizzly and cold on our way to the peak of Gunung Tahan.

The achievement

and trekked down all the way to Kem ??? ( I forgot ) for a night ( August 18, 2008),

returned to the park headquarters next morning on August 19, 2008

it was a mere 3 days affair covering approximately 66 KM, it was challenging but simple & straight forward agendas.

Nevertheless, on updating blog entry,

from the time we came back to KL, I was thinking what to write, so hours passed, reason was physical exhaustion, muscle hard like stones......... justifiable !

Then days came & went by like the streams of water and rivers in Gunung Tahan..

I continued to think what to write…at least gained half strength throughout these days, no more canned sardines & white rice & fried bee hoon with chillies, which tasted superb when we ate our lunch & dinner in the jungle.

But the daily responsibilities & activities surrounding the children, the business, the housework, are like the uncounted number of stones in the rivers...........excusable!

….what to write into the blog on the subject of Gunung Tahan ?... I was thinking hard,

think, thinking, .....still thinking as i persue

........explain the half clear & half blur........within my heart.

& thinking as I persue…….if ever there is such word I will say “persue-able”!

The process of thinking continued; now am running out of appropriate vocab end with the “ …ble”,……which shows continuous tense of thinking……..and wanting to write……then a week passed, since persuable is accepted with no complaint from anyone, I might as well, add this to my vocabulary, persevarable !!!!!! another word, which sounds a little like.....lame excuse,

but the mind is clear, I am still thinking..

Rosalind & Wong came one day, said, " Agnes, we have important things to discuss with you, .......bla..bla........bla.......Mt.Rinjani, Lombok Island Indonesia in November 2008......how ? bla..bla...bla....bla..bla.how ?????."

" .....have to ask my boss la, he is the one paying........"

Oh, my state of mind was changed,

My inspiration, no more the stones & the rivers, it's fire,........

I heard Wong said, " Mt Rinjani, something like volcanoes, you know........you surf the net la.... !!"

"Oh....I see, have to ask Alex, may be we will go together. "

It was a good old three weeks taken to update the blog.

So, inference to draw : 3 days trekking versus 3 weeks to update blog

jungle trekking is challenging, of course la;

blogging is even more challenging.