Taken In By the Beauty of Gunung Tahan; 11-17 June 2007

I was disappointed I had to miss the August 2002 trek. I had prepared--the paperwork and physical training-- and was all ready to go, but my daughter fell ill. After all, the family does come first. When Quin Jean suggested we head up Gunung Tahan around March 2007, I wasn't about to let the opportunity go to miss. So there I was doing all the paperwork (again) and having to train (again).

Having gone to the peak of Gunung Tahan and back with Quin Jean, Amir, Ikhwan, Hamed, Rita anad Aloy from 12 to 16 June, 2007, I think missing the 2002 trek was probably a pretty good thing. For one, I don't think the landscape has changed that much in the last five years. Sure, about an average of beterrn 1600 and 1800 hike up the mountain yearly, but that wouldn't amount to a lot of environmental damage (in the short run anyhow).

Secondly, I had a pretty wonderful bunch of people to trek with. Sure, I did get mad at some of them during the trek, but I had expected it. Sure I would have liked Nee On on the trek. After all he has been a pretty constant trekking partner in the last few years (he has semi-retired from trekking; hanging up his boots for a daytime deskjob -- probably working at widening his waist length). Having Amos around would have just make me go faster and further. He is sort of a monster in a jungle. But now, I would never trade Quin Jean for any of those two. Having her around was probably the best thing to happen. She is such a positive person that she broke the ice with other fellow trekkers easily (none of them has ever heard or seen her before). She was encouraging and her laughter was rather infectious. I could hear her voice echoing over the valleys and slopes of the mountain. Amir was nice to bully, as usual. Ikhwan surprised me with his grit and determination; and though small in frame he was our beast of burden. Rita, skeptical about coming, proved me right when she made it up and down all right. Aloy was truly a trooper; and for a long stretch, she too walked steadily with weights I thought would have killed her. She had sore feet and was cold, but she hardly complained. Hamed, well Hamed is Hamed in his own Hamed world. I had my grouses about him, but he turned out OK in the end.

Thirdly, I went in there worried about my knees - having busted them years before, and most recently at Gunung Ledang; barely three months from when I hiked up Gunung Tahan. But I had such an enjoyable leisurely walk to the peak, I really wondered if Gunung Tahan was as painful and difficult as it was reputed to be. Then again, sometimes it's not us who make it up the mountain. Rather it's the mountain that allows us to go up, and down. Whichever way, I was glad I was fit for it all.

Fourthly, I thought i'd be crazy to lug near 2kgs of camera equipment up the mountain. But I did it and came back happy with the photos I got. Sure, it was really misty there this time, but that's the beauty of it all at it's own time. I was presented with a misty landscape, and I take it in all in stride. Oh, having forgotten to change the setting on my camera to an appropriate ISO, I had lots of underexposed pictures, but those that came out at ISO100 were a gift. I've some really bright, crisp and sharp images -- better than I expected!

I could go on with reasons, but the experience I had on Guung Tahan is truly one of the highlights of my trekking career. Now that I've hiked up this mountain, I need to look at others.

The cost of the trip was approximately RM230—covered the cost for all transportation, guide and park fees. Food was an additional expense and had to be supplied and carried by each trekker.

Read about the 2002 CIMP Trekking Trip