MT. YONG YAP

Gunung Yong Yap (2168m)      Gunung Yong Yap is another one of the 7 thousanders in Peninsular Malaysia. The area around Gunung Yong Yap, Sungai Siput, is notorious for it's tigers, who have already killed many villagers around there. The trek up and down Gunung Yong Yap can be done comfortably in 3 days. The trek used to be untouched all the way to the mountain peak, but now, there are many parts where the trek crosses a logging road. Trees which have been marked for felling can also be seen along the trek. I believe the logging activities will creep closer - closer to the mountain , and one day, perhaps we can drive up Gunung Yong Yap. This mountain is rather expensive because of the cost of transport from Lasah town  to Kuala Mu, where the trek begins. First, you have to get a train or bus to Sungai Siput, Perak. Then you have to board a local bus to Lasah town, a small village. There, you have to leave your name and expected time out at the police station. You will also board the 4WD at Lasah. The 4WD ride has to booked in advance and costs quite a lot, around RM500.00 each to and fro, with a maximum capacity of about 7-8 persons. Guides can be obtained on the spot at Kuala Mu, and they charge about RM30.00 per day per guide.     As of the year 2001, a shorter can be made up Yong Yap, as the logging road has crept up right to the orang asli pondok, which is your fisrt campsite on the first day if you take the old route up. A trip up and down Yong Yap can now be made within two days, the shortest trip up and down a G7 mountain. Below I have described both routes. First day (old 3-day route)     As you will probably be reaching Lasah at about 9-10 am, by the time you reach Kuala Mu ( a 2.5 hr ride) it would already be around lunch time. The best time is to hike after having your lunch, to the first campsite. The first campsite can be reached in about 5hrs. The trek starts at a small waterfall across the river. The trek is rather steep at the beginning but slowly lessens. The trek then meets up with the logging road, and you will have to walk along the logging road for quite some distance. The trek then continues into the jungle and crosses the logging road a few more times. The first campsite has a dilapidated hut built by the orang asli, and there is an abandoned tapioca plantation nearby. There is also a small river about 2 meters wide for washing and bathing. Second day     The second day will be quite tough, as the trek is very steep. The hike to the next campsite, where the last water point is , is about 1 hr away. This part is not very steep. To save time, fill up your water bottles for the night at the peak at the first campsite. This way, you don't have to stop many times and waste time. From the second campsite, it is about another 6 hours to the peak. The trek is steep, and there are parts where you'll be sliding down !!!! The last water point is about 1 - 1.5 hours from the peak, towards the right. The water point is not very visible and you should make sure someone knows where it is. There is a small rocky stream at the water point, about 10 minutes down from the main trek. The peak is rather big, capable of fitting about 10 - 15 tents. The view from the peak is also number one, because you can see the whole Titiwangsa trek, Gunung Korbu, Gunung Yong Belar as well as the Transmitting tower at Gunung Brinchang. If you stand at the right part of the mountain during sunrise, you can see the shadow of Gunung Yong Yap caste onto the distant mountain sides. Day three     Kuala Mu can be reached comfortably in one day, arriving late in the afternoon. However, if you have arranged for the 4WD to come and fetch you in the evening, it would be a better if you spent the night at the first campsite. This is because if you spend the night at Kuala Mu , the orang asli children will crowd around you and watch every single thing you do. You may find it amusing in the beginning, but believe me, after about 4-5 hours, it'll get annoying. Another reason is that the orang asli at Kuala Mu rare dogs, which some Muslims might find rather unpleasant. If you spend the night at camp one, Kuala Mu can be reached in about 2-3 hours, just in time for lunch ,a quick dip and some shopping (blow pipes, fish traps, durians..... etc etc) before taking the 4WD out. First day (new 2-day route)     Assuming you arrive at Lasah early in the morning, you can take the 4wd right to the pondok, your first campsite if you take the old route. From the pondok, you will pass  a small tapioca farm. The trail for the first hour is rather flat, until you reach the rivers. From there, the trail begin to ascend sharply, with only a few short flat areas. You'll reach the water point after about 4-5 hours from the rivers. The peak from the water point is about 1-2 hours. You should reach the peak early in the afternoon if you started before noon at the orang asli pondok.  Second day     From the peak , you should be able to reach the orang asli pondok in about 3-4 hours. The 4WD should be waiting, and you can be out at lasah at about 3-4 pm if you're early. Make sure you pre arrange with the 4WD what time to pick you up.

Extracted from: http://www.angelfire.com/trek/mofam/Mountain%20Info/gunung_yongyap.htm

Note: There is another way to Mt. Yong Yap.  This is from Pos Brooke, Kelantan.  Recently, from 31 March 2007 to 2 April 2007, I was joined a group of hikers of 12 to Mt. Yong Yap via Pos Brooke.  I'll describe the Pos Brooke trail in due course.