"Looking back it is strangely clear how certain qualities stood out above everything else up there. There were certain things that kept people alive and gave us hope; and they may be different from what you might at first imagine…" by Bear Grylls
Mount of Infamy Mountain: Gunung Nuang
Height: 1493m/4898ft
Location: Pangsoon, Ulu Langat, Selangor
Some picture taken by Daniel during his Nuang trip
Gunung Nuang Location from google earth
Gunung Naung Facts Gunung Nuang is located in Hulu Langat and it's 1490 meters above sea level. Now Gunung Tahan is 2187 meters, so that makes Nuang roughly 70% of Tahan's height.
Rough map of Nuang (Not to scale) courtesy from "http://mind-fields-ahead.blogspot.com"
Gunung Nuang can be divided into a few major sections:
1. Entrance/Parking
2. "The long gruesome walk"
3. Rest point
4. Dam
5. "Lolo" camp
6. "Hut" camp
7. Mid-mountain push
8. Mid-mountain campsite - "Pacat" camp
9. Summit push
10. The "fake summit"
11. "Nuang" summit
The Trek adapted from Don Mah's website with updated information.
1. The Never Ending Road:
To access the start of the trail, trekkers must first deal with the "Never Ending Road", a name coined by former trekking team leader, Ian Wikarski. The road takes about 70 minutes to walk, but it feels like about 2.5 hours. This road is the main reason we do this trip at night because it doesn't feel so long when you can't see it.
2. The Pipeline:
At the end of the Never Ending Road, one crosses a small stream, makes a quick left and then follows the pipeline up to the dam (usually known as Lolo Camp). This part takes about 1 hour.
Crossing the dam, trekkers hike for another 20 minutes or so, reaching the what we call "Hut Camp 1". Turn left crossing the stream (do not turn right to the huts), and then continue up along the trail passing various camp sites until you see "Hut Camp 2" across the stream. You now have to cross the stream again and hike up to Hut Camp 2. Note that this is the last water source before Kem Pacat. Once at Hut Camp 2 make a quick left and continue up.
3. The Red Clay:
As you continue up now you will notice that the steepness of the trail has taken a sharp rise. And you will also notice that you are hiking on red clay, which is what you will hike on for the remainder of the trek until you reach Kem Pacat. Red clay is fine when dry, but at Nuang it is rarely dry, so make sure you have a grippy pair of boots (running shoes do NOT work well). There is also a lot of erosion on this part and the trail looks different each time we trek. What used to be a 6"wide-8"deep water channel is now a 12"wide-3'deep ravine. This part of the trail takes 3-4 hours, longer if it is raining of course.
You will know when you're close to Kem Pacat when you find yourself on a short descent before heading uphill again on the trail. About 15 minutes later, you will reach what we have termed "Pacat Rock", a rock on the left side of the trail marked with a big red arrow pointing to the campsite and way to the summit.
Kem Pacat is where we set camp for the night. Though this spot literally translates as Leech Camp, we have rarely encountered leeches here. We have, however, come across many large insects and animals here. There is a water source accessible from the camp site, but it can only be safely accessed during the day because it is a steep 20-minute descent.
4. The Summit Push:
From Kem Pacat it is about a 1½-hour trek to the summit; our record for the Summit Push is 1 hour 8 minutes. It's no longer red clay but now a mixture of rock, root and mud, and moderate to high steepness.
As one continues the trek, one will come to the first peak that one reaches after Kem Pacat. This is the peak of Bukit Pengasih. To get to Nuang's peak, use the trail that leads to the left. Other paths will lead one to Janda Baik -- that's about another day away.
The summit has changed in recent years in that there are two lookouts. Before, one could hardly see anything from the summit as the view was 90% blocked by overgrown brush and trees. Today, it is possible to have an awesome view looking down at the Ulu Langat dam and the distant town. To access the lookout point, turn left at the summit, and hike for few minutes to see the second lookout. The view here is worth the pain you endure while trekking up!
There will be a scouting process this weekend instead of Bukit Tabur, if God allow i might try to scale Bukit Tabur on Sunday too. May God Bless me. Time to find my trusty back-pack....(where i store them?) I try to snap as much picture as possible
Wonder i might see any "ghost" here this weekend
No mountain high enough: Malaysian participant Safrey Sumping reaching the top of Mount Kinabalu to clinch the fourth place in the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon- The Star
