• The Trail To Gunung Tahan

A suitable plan for a 7-day trek is as follows (see maps and trail profile)

 

Day 1: Kuala Tahan – Kuala Melantai

Day 2: Kuala Melantai –Kuala Puteh

Day 3: Kuala Puteh-Wray’s Camp

Day 4: Wray’s Camp- Padang

Day 5: Padang –Summit Gunung Tahan

Day 6: Summit Gunung Tahan - Kuala Khor

Day7: Kuala Khor-Kuala Juram-KL

 

 

Day 1: Kuala Tahan to Kuala Melantai

 

This takes 4-5 hours. Follow the trail out of Kuala Tahan to Rentis Tahan-Trengganu for about two hour. After 11/2 hours you will pass a turn-off to Lubuk Lesong a popular picnic site: this turn-off is sign-posted. After a further half-hour, there is the turn-off for the main trail to Gunung Tahan. This turn-off is not clear and may not be sign-posted.

The trail is fairly flat for some time. Towards the end there is a steep climb of about 100m (flat), before descending to the campsite. The campsite at Kuala Melanti is a bare earth patch surrounded by tall tree. There is a small stream where you can wash-but not swim. The altitude is about 100m (300ft)

 

Day 2: Kuala Melantai to Kuala Puteh

 

            This takes about 8 hours. For most people, this is a hard day. There is usually no water en route.

            The trail starts with a steep 250m climb up a ridge at the back of the campsite. This hill was once know as “Blood Hill’, for a European surveyor who coughed up blood and died on the hillside.

            After about 1 hour, the ridge top is reached. There is a view. The trail goes north along the ridge. You cross a total of 27 little hills on the ridge. At the end of the ridge, there is a 150m (500ft) climb to the top of Gunung Rajah- the highest hill on the ridge.

            Gunung Rajah is 576m (1900ft) high. On the top there are signs of a large fire (probably started by lightning) and a lot of rezam fern have grown up from the ashes.

            Then the trail makes a long steep descent down to the campsite at Kuala Puteh. This descent takes 1-11/2 hours and rushing water can be heard long before you reach the campsite.

            Kuala puteh is an attractive site on the bank of the Tahan River. There is plenty of space to camp. You can fish and swim. The altitude is about 150m.

 

Day 3: Kuala Puteh to Wary’s Camp

           

            This takes 7 or 8 hours. The route is along the Tahan and the river is usually crossed several times. However the distance is short and there is almost no change in altitude. If the water level is low and the weather fine, Kuala Teku can be reached comfortably in 3 hours.

            Before setting out, cut a walking stick to help you in river crossings. There is a good change of seeing elephant droppings along the riverbanks. In fact this is your best change of seeing any animals thought the odds are small.

            There is no fixed trail to Kuala Teku. The number of river crossings depends on the state of the river. Usually one continues upstream along the east bank for about 40 minutes to junction with the Peleting (a small tributary). The first crossing of the Tahan is made here. On the other side, the Peleting is crossed soon after. Provided you stay close to the river, you will eventually arrive at Kuala Teku.

            If the river is in flood after very heavy rain, you may have to wait for the water to go down. This might takes as long as 12 hours (provided the rain stops).

            As you approach Kuala Teku, you will be on the east bank of the Tahan. You must then cross the Tahan to reach the campsite, which is at the junction of the Tahan and Teku River.

            There is an alternative, land route to Kuala Teku. This could be used if the Tahan is in flood. Instead of making the first river crossing near the Peleting, continue along the east bank of the Tahan. Proceed until the vegetation becomes too dense for progress without cutting with a parang (machete-type knife). At this point, climb straight up the hillside at right angles to the river. This can be exhausting: it is almost vertical, the vegetation dense and there are loose rocks. Eventually you will arrive on a ridge top. Here there is an old trail running along the ridge, parallel with the river bellow. Go along the ridge for 1-2 hours. The ridge forks: take the west fork. The trail then disappears and the ground descends. At this point, there is an old trail (marked by parang cuts) down to the river. In any case, go due west down to the Tahan. You will then be almost at the junction with the Teku. The Tahan must still be crossed to reach the campsite.

            The land route must be led by someone with experience of jungle. Kuala Teku is a scenic campsite. You can fish and swim. There is plenty of space for camping. The altitude is 168m (550ft).

            Kuala Teku was the base camp of the first successful Gunung Tahan expedition of 1905. All the earlier expeditions made the mistake of continuing from here up the Teku River. The correct route is up the ridge behind the campsite.

            After reaching the Kuala Teku the track will continue runs up for about 800m (2396ft) though oak forest and pine trees, to a little flat spot just off the trail-called Gunung Pondok Dua (“Second Peak”) the trail will take 4-5 hours. This campsite is also known as Wray’s Camp-after one of the leaders of the 1905 expedition. A distinctive feature of Pondok Dua is the primitive ferns called Matonia Pectinata, which are only found on a few mountaintops in Peninsular Malaysia.

            Pondok Dua is a convenient campsite. Water can be found at a small stream 10minutes scramble down from a point a few yards further along the trail. The altitude is 898m (2946ft).

 

Day 4: Wray’s Camp to Padang

 

            There is no further water between Pondok Dua and the Padang. Water must be carried from Pondok Dua. Immediately after leaving Pondok Dua is an abrupt vegetation change. The trees become short and twisted. There is a lot of moss. The ground is soft and spongy in places. Orchids and pitcher plants begin to proliferate.

            The trail goes along the top of a narrow ridge with long steep drops on both sides. The ridge is very broken and a lot of scrambling is required up and down short vertical sections.

            There are three convenient campsites along this ridge-each on a little peak. The first is Gunung Pankin about 1 hour from Pondok Dua after a steep climb. Another 11/2 hours is required to reach Gunung Tangga Lima Belas at 1578m(5164ft).

            Gunung Tangga Lima Belas is a spectacular place to camp. The summit is very small, about 5m square, with a sheer drop on the west side, straight down into the teku valley. But the view is superb and you can hear the water rushing through the Teku Gorge below. You can see along the whole rock face, across the Teku valley.

            Tangga Lima Belas is very cold at night, because of its exposed position. Wind and mist sweep the ridge and campsite. The trail goes over Gunung Reskit to the base of the rock face on the side of Gunung Gedong, This takes a further 11/2 hours.

            You then scramble up a clef in the side of the rock face. It is very damp and dark. There is an old steel cable remaining from an expedition in the past, which is useful for handholds in places.

            At the top of the rock face, one emerges on a shoulder of Gunung Gedong. There is an abrupt vegetation change: it is now very thin and low-consequence of rocky ground and washed out soil. There is an excellent view back down along the entire ridge. The height here is 1900m (6200ft). Gunung Gedung is on the edge of the Padang- an open plateau with gently rolling hills which stretches out below Gedong.

            The Padang campsite is 300m down from Gedong, on the other side of a small stream. It is at about 1600m (5250ft). A lot of attractive pink orchids grow around this site. There are the remains of two concrete platforms, which apparently date from the 1920-1930 period when a weather station was operated on the Padang. An old abandoned wooden weather station can also be seen high up on Gunung Gedong.

            Flocks of birds sometimes cross the Padang around noon. Elephants have been recored on the Padang (how they get there is a mystery).

            The Padang campsite can be reached from Gunung Tangga Lima Belas in 3-4 hours. The whole Padang can quickly be covered in mist: visibility is then reduced to a few yards. The Padang is very cold at night. Temperatures as low as 4’C have been recorded though 15-20’C is more normal.

 

Day: 5 Padang to Summit Gunung Tahan

 

            In clear conditions, the whole of Gunung Tahan is visible from the Padang. It takes 21/2 hours to reach the summit from the Padang campsite. The trail from the Padang campsite goes north over the plateau for a time and then climbs steeply onto a ridge linking Gunung Tahan with Gunung Gedong. Once on this ridge there is only one way to go and the trail is obvious.

            The ridge drops down into a saddle between the two mountains. This little valley contains dense mossy forest with lots of orchids and other high-altitude plant. It is quite wet and the trees unusually high.

            On the other side, the trail rises towards the summit of Gunung Tahan. The vegetation is very low and heath-like. There are white patches of quartzite rock, particularly on the trail where many boots have worn away the thin soil. Many pitcher plants can be seen.

            The summit of Gunung Tahan is not impressive. There is an iron survey beacon, the original one put up in 1906. Unfortunately, people standing on it for photographs have largely destroyed it; you are unlikely to get a good view from the summit. More often then not, the summit is immersed in mist and there is light rain.

 

Day 6: Summit Gunung Tahan to Kuala Khor

Day 7: Kuala Khor to Kuala Juram

 

          

Location	Altitude	Distant	Hour
Kuala Juram-Kuala Luis	309m-306m	1 1/2km	1 ½
Kuala Luis-Lata Luis	306m-558m	6 km	1 ½
Lata Luis-Kem Khor	558m-750m	2.5 km	1
Kem Khor-Permatang	750m-874m	2.5 km	1
Permatang-Kubang	874m-1406m	3.5 km	3 ½
Kubang-Belumut	1406m-1493m	1.5 km	1
Belumut-Bonsai	1493m-1705m	5.5 km	3
Bonsai-Bukit Botak	1705m-1943m	3 km	2
Bukit Botak-Summit	1943m-2187m	2.4 km	1

 

Times to reach destinations are estimations as it varies according to the climber’s level of fitness.

 

(Original source of info.: unidentified, email from Chai Kam Meng)