Gunung Korbu

 

 I was fortunate enough to snap this photo of Korbu as I was driving from Lumut towards Ipoh . One rainy but awesome glimpse of Korbu from a distance

This is a caption taken around 6:45 am before we set foot and started our trek . You can see the majestic Mount Korbu standing tall and proud amongst the rest


Gunung Korbu ( Mount Korbu ) is the second highest mountain in West Malaysia at 7162 feet . The highest will be Mount Tahan , exceeding in height by a mere 4 meters . Malaysia is also a host to the highest peak in South East Asia with Mount Kinabalu situated in East Malaysia at 13,455 feet .

I have indulged myself with mountains and beaches from a very young age and having joined the Outward Bound School at the age of 17 , it simply enhanced my knowledge and skills to be a better survivor in this natural human habitat that we all sometimes fail to realise or consider .

I had the wonderful oppurtunity of conquering some of Malaysia's awesome ranges and forests . For some very palpable reasons , Mount Korbu made a very deep and spiritual meaning in my life . I first hiked this awe inspiring mountain at the age of 20 and have gone back 4 times since ( twice in this year alone during my break from England ) . I would like to give a day to day blog on the occurance during the hike as the last hike I made with my good friend Thom Ellis , I navigated the route without any guides and this was a very very meaningful achievement for me . If you have graduated from Korbu , you would probably know what I am talking about .

This day to day blog of the ascend up Korbu will feature my last two hikes . One was with the most amazing people - Hanna , Shanti and Amirthan . The second hike was done for the first time with only two people in which one was me and the other was Thom ( Mat Salleh ) a first time hiker . Hats off to you mate :)

Day 0

It is important to have a rough idea on what you need - the essentials like tents , stove , extra batteries , torch , matches , bin bags , toiletries etc . You will need to be strong on deciding what you really need and what you need as travelling as light as possible is very important . You don't wanna end up ditching your things in the nature neither do you want to slow the group down .

How the items look before they get in the bag . It is good to have an overview of all the things you wish to carry and then eliminate them through time and thoughts . Always travel light !

It is advisable to pack your bags with a heavy duty bin bag on the inside as it could get quite dampy on this trip . The weather is usually unpredictable and crossing rivers and streams is part of the cereal . How I do it , I separate all food items in various bags and double pack the bag with heavy duty bin bags as well as wrap it up with a good bag cover . During the nights I even wrap up the entire bag in a huge layer of water proofs . This helps reduce the dampness by 80-85 percent through my experience . Water makes everything heavy and remember the last thing you want is sleeping in a wet sleeping bag , that is fucked up ! Thom knows better ! Haha ..

Now we'd like to think that's two wonderfully packed bags

Once you got your ration and gear all nicely packed , you are then left with getting into the mental state of positivity . Remember , take nothing but photographs , leave nothing but footprints . You are ready to go :)

Day 1

In order to be passing the newly built ( Empangan Sultan Azlan Shah ) a dam , you need to try and get to Tanjung Rambutan in the early hours to avoid being spotted by the staff who work in this area . Let's make it simple , modern development kicked the orang asli people out of their settlements and put up a big sign saying that Korbu hikers are not allowed to pass through this restricted area no longer .
Well , when I first hiked this mountain , there was no dam but merely some measurements being done but now it's a completely different scenario altogether . Thanks again to modern living , making things easy and let's fuck up mother nature ..

This is an awesome photo from back in 2003 , you could tell the destruction of our forests had just begun . Our thousands of years worth of heritage and animals are forced to ditch their natural habitats and scamper deeper into the forest

I just don't believe that anyone has the rights to stop you from heading back to your roots so take your chances people ! I have been always lucky as the guards were normally very understanding and I even had the balls to hitch rides with the sand lorries that come in or even the awesome orang asli people who pass through on their motorbikes . This saves you 2 hours walk and takes you to the base of the mountain .. This place is nick named The bus stop :) We usually take the oppurtunity to fill up our water bottles and say a prayer asking permission to enter the jungle ..

A view from the 'bus stop' site . You can see what the development has done to these natural resources in these years

Leaving bus stop , you will have to overcome a very sudden steep ascend but this does not last for too long but can be mentally challenging . If you aren't that fit , it could prove to be quite a killer during the first hour of the hike . The bosy usually adopts to this and soon you will find yourself feeling better .

You then reach Dataran Pacat ( Leech ground ) . The name says it all , there are fuckin' alot of leeches here . Stop for a drink and a snack if you wish but be prepared to donate some blood to hungry leeches that lurk around and will soon surround and suck on you :)

One of the two types of leeches found at Korbu trails


The less itchy leech , this is the size before they start their 'drinking session'

You then continue trekking and crossing the streams until you reach the first campsite called Kem Seroja . The trail is commonly used by the orang asli ( Aboriginal people ) so it is good practise to keep low and not make too much noise . The tracks are quite visible except you will need to cross streams and failing to locate the crossing zones will get you lost . Speaking from experience :)

Typical tracks are narrow and located right next to the streams . Quite a number of fallen trees etc but the walk is rather refreshing more than anything . Use the oppurtunity to have a mouthful of fresh running water and wash your face when crossing streams , this helps keep you connected to the place .

Fallen trees are a common sight on the tracks

Me crossing the stream on the first day . Don't bother keeping your feet dry , you will get wet no matter how hard you try

You will pass an amazing waterfall called Batu Besar . The drop is approximately 20 feet high and is usually used as a lunch site . The view is simply breathtaking , take time to unwind , load yourself with some food and for those more adventurous ones , go for a dip . Use every moment and fullfill every wish . Nature at its best !

Batu Besar waterfalls . See to believe ..

Shanti having a snack and a moment of reflection

Just love this photo


There's a common saying , if you ain't go around the tree , you ain't been to Korbu . That's Thom's graduation picture . You rock dude :)

After lunch , you walk on very visible track towards Kem Seroja . This is my most favourite campsite of them all but usually people tend to push through and camp at the next campsite as it will be a good strategy to get to the peak on time . Kem Seroja used to have 2 huts , one has collapsed but the other one merely making it for the time being . Situated right next to the stream is a vast flat area with an awesome jacuzzi like stream . This is a million dollar hotel :)

Kem Seroja , it was good putting the bags down for a change . Notice the hut from the photo below no longer stands

This is the only existing photo I have of the non existing hut that used to stand on this site . Behind me is Sid , fucked off his head and Salan our man ( Team Silver Outdoor Sports )

View downwards from the Kem Seroja stream

Thom making the best out of the jacuzzi

Packings and unpackings

Thom doing the honours after a good nights sleep

Day 2

We took our own time on the second day , had some wikid oats for breakfast and only left camp around 11 am . In the past , whilst travelling in huge groups , we had a strict schedule to confirm to and sometimes it's nice to go at your own pace , especially when you are in control .

The walk on the second day is bit more physical , involves very steep ascends and lotsa stream crossings . You pass a bamboo forest for 5 minutes , it honestly will seem like you're in a different world when you ain't paying attention but this place is a common nesting ground for cobras therefore it's advisable for you to walk swiftly and make as much noise as you can when approaching the bamboo forest . We usually use our feet to make loud stamps or using 2 sticks to produce a sharp noise .

A typical sight on the 2nd day

My experience from the ascend towards the last water point can be described as challenging and very spiritual . Try to keep to your own pace , drift into your very own world and focus on moving slowly but surely .

Green :)

I often think about the very things I often wanted to discard . It makes you reflect on your past , present and the future quite alot . This often sets you either distant or connected to your inner self . It can be a very deep pondering journey if you know what I mean and that is one of the greatest things about hiking , you will be taken aback .

Hardly see the tracks

You will have to overcome 2 hills called Bukit Penat ( The tiring hill ) and Bukit Lagi Penat ( The even more tiring hill ) . The name kinda speaks for itself .. take breaks when you feel like it . Drink water , light up if you need to but do not forget to have that moment of silence and feel the nature around you . Feel the isolation ... Feel your roots ... Feel your presence ... Feel your soul .

After some serious trekking .. when I say serious , I fuckin' mean it . You will tumble upon a campsite called Kem Kijang . This campsite is probably made in heaven due to it's location and outlook in general . It is considerably smaller in size compared to Seroja but there is a huge canopy that does not allow much sunlight to penetrate through therefore this campsite may look rather dark but it gives you like the real feel of the amazon kinda jungle :) Love it !

This is the infamous Kem Kijang .. I will write regarding the littering habits of some hikers towards the end of this hiking journal . Why spoil the moment talking about these low life so called naturists . You are twats . Period .

The first time I hiked Korbu back in 1999 , we stayed here on the first night and I was in a group of between 10-12 people doing Trans Titiwangsa . For a first timer , I was almost in tears and was simply relieved to be able to drop my bag and crash into the tent . So much for experience , this is a very memorable place for me !

From Kem Kijang , you do a 2 hour ascend towards the Last Water Point . The vegetation begins to change . Most of the trees are covered with moss thus giving your surroundings a very green mazy kinda feel .

I often found this track to be rather relaxing provided you hike at your own pace and take regular but short breaks . You hear the sound of gashing water often misleading you into believing that you are almost there when in reality you are far from it . Awesome trekking and good time for yourself ! For once !

You start seeing other mountains around you

View on the way to the LWP

The Last Water Point ( LWP ) is the final place with a water resource which basically means , you gotta start carrying bottled water from this point onwards . Bags get 5 litres heavier and trust me when I say you start appreciating water in a different manner once you reach this destination . The last 2 hikes , we decided to pitch our tents here therefore giving us a bit more time to wash up , shit and have a good meal without really thinking about rationing .

Camping out at the LWP is a rather peculiar experience as there is hardly any space for you to roam about let alone pitch your tents . There is just about space for a two man tent to fit but be prepared for some thick roots spreading underneath you as you sleep . Comfort - far from it but having the thought that water is just beyond reach is an amazing feeling compared to comfort .

You have to walk down a slope averaging 15 feet to fetch your water and do your thing . You often end up dirty before climbing upto site as soil is often slippery , moist and muddy .
This is the beginning of the water source therefore I could perfectly admit that the water I drank here almost felt like honey . Water at it's purest .. mineral water my fuckin' ass , this is definitely the real thing !