The Stomach Impetus
Gunung Nuang and I don't go along very well. On my previous three outings, I've always fell victim to some mishap (but they are stories for some other times). This time round, I was a victim even before the CIMP Trekking Club started the trek up the infamous Gunung Nuang. A whole week before the trip, Don Mah has been drumming up interest with witty remarks and imaginary bookies taking bets on whether I'd reach the peak.* The odds, of course, were against me. And it would seem that Nuang was out to defeat me again. But it wasnt so. It seems like everything Nuang hurled my way didn't stop me this time. And in the end, I made it to the top ~ because I thought with my stomach.

       Having had some bad experience on the mountain, I didn't feel like reaching the peak. All along, all I wanted from this trek was to have a good time. The best method was to go by the saying, "I live to eat; not eat to live." So, if I wasn't going to the top of the mountain, I had to enjoy gourmet food. Little did I know the weight of my decision.

       Among the seventeen persons who came on the trek, I had the heaviest rucksack—probably between 12 and 18kgs. I was so determined to have a good time, I soon became a beast of burden. To bear such weight upon my back would surely slow me down tremendously. So I figured I should begin with the leading pack, and gradually, and humbly, let the others overtake me along the steep slopes. But sometimes, things just don't happen the way you want 'em to. I was trekking at the back of the pack from base camp to Kem Pacat (Leech Camp) that night.

       Two events slowed me down. The first was when Nuang dealt it's first blow on me just as we were about to begin the trek. I had saddled up with my rucksack, and I was putting on my shoe. Then the most unbelievable thing happened at the most unlikeliest time and place (then again, it's Nuang...): one of my shoelaces broke in two. Since it happened to me and not anyone else, I was unjustly assigned to trek at the back. I watched the whole gang, armed with just sticks of light, disappear into the dark while I fixed my lace. When I was done, Nee On was the only one left with me. We caught up with Sze Ning and Gin May pretty quickly, and I was happy again (for the moment).

       The other thing that slowed me down was my rumbling tummy. When we left Sunway College for Nuang, it was 6:30pm. That was two hours past our appointed meeting time—I was a little late as I was caught in a hunt for a raincoat for a royal family member, Nee On arrived much later with no good excuses, and, worse of all, the college van needed repairs. By the time we started trekking, it was something like 8:30pm. I hadn't eaten since lunch, so half an hour into the trek, my stomach called for food.

       The call subsided temporarily when my tummy urged me on to flee from the strange aroma emanating from Sze Ning after she let out a gush of partly digested food along the trail. About two hours later, my tummy was drumming quite furiously, and the last thing on my mind was to trek on an empty stomach. I needed to stop and eat. Opportunity came knocking when I caught up with Bernadette and the rest who somehow couldn't see the trail. When we all reached Camp 2, I got a short reprieve when some trekkers were collecting water from the stream. Some of us started munching on some cookies, and I insisted that we should all stop, camp and eat heartily. But that was not to be. Everyone walked on. They only wanted Kem Pacat. Not wanting to trek alone in the dark, I decided to tread on my empty stomach. Bad choice. Within an hour, Quin Jean and Su-Yuen were waiting patiently for me while I made myself a hot cup of Vico. And I was now at the tail end of the pack again.

       Till today, I still wonder if my hunger served as a blessing or a curse. The malt drink eased the hunger and gave me strength to move on. When Quin Jean, Su-Yuen and I finally reached Kem Pacat, it was about 2a.m. And I was very hungry. Some served me sandwiches, and I took them graciously. Even so, I wasn't about to let my one-of-a-kind beef & mushroom pasta sauce, which I cooked at midnight the day before go to waste. Determined to enjoy gourmet food, the TMC Pasta Shoppe opened for business.

       And that was when Nuang struck it's second blow—in my eagerness to serve my special dish, I scalded myself with bubbling hot pasta sauce. I was in pain, but I still had my pasta sauce. Unimpressed, Nuang struck again by making me turn food fit for the foot. I spilled some two servings of my precious pasta sauce on Quin Jean's foot and shoe. There was barely enough pasta sauce for five of us—Ken Yee, Nee On, Candice, Quin Jean and me—-who braved the night eating macaroni and alphabet pasta. We finished the sauce very quickly (probably because it was delightfully delicious). Since I was so hungry, I feasted on plain alphabet pasta. Luckily, I had good company and that helped make up for lost taste. The TMC Pasta Shoppe closed at 4:20a.m. and all went to bed.

       Somehow, I always wake up before the sun rises whenever I'm on a mountain. This time was no different. I had wanted to sleep in, but something woke me up. By 6:30a.m. I was wide awake. I had no plans to head for the peak and I had nothing to do. I was still full from my earlier pasta feast, and I only had enough food for one more meal. Then the thought of impending boredom set upon me if I stayed at Kem Pacat while others trek up the mountain. At that moment, I changed my mind. With a full stomach I was going to conquer Nuang. I got Nee On (leaving everyone else behind) and started the conquest.

       But a minute into our hike, I turned back. I couldn't bear to be selfish. Back at camp, I half-heartedly woke everyone. A short wait later, I was on the trail again. Candice, Quin Jean, and Hui Kie came along. Sze Ning and Gin May followed after some 20 minutes later. Not sure about the rest. On that early misty morning, I knew I had gotten the best out of Nuang. I was enjoying my slow walk, I had good company along the way, and the cool moist air added a refreshing touch to the trek. This part of the trek was not as harsh nor as steep as the sections before Kem Pacat. If one found muddy trail deeply eroded by flowing water earlier on, one can find compact ground surrounded by mossy growths on this part of the journey.

       When we reached Nuang's false peak, I wandered around to find a view. I skipped this peak the last time I was here, so this was all new to me. The sky was still misty, and it was hard to see what lied in the valley. But creeping plants hanging wildly from branches and the mossy trunks silhoutte against the morning sky created an interesting rustic scene. I was tempted to stay, but Nuang's seductive powers here did not deter me from heading for the real peak.

       By now, I've started munching on my last granola bar, let Nee On stray ahead with Candice, allowed Sze Ning and Gin May to catch up and overtake me, and was accompanying by Hui Kie and Quin Jean, whose leg was hurting. In other words, I was at the back of the pack once again. After a while I started feeling tired and hungry. It was probably because I spend so much more energy with each small step. But I didn't mind it one bit because every little step was a stamp of Nuang's defeat. Around 10:00a.m., those who were ahead of me reached the peak. I was at the exact spot (also the highest spot) where I stopped the last time. The look-out point before the peak has changed so much in a year. While it used to be surrounded by thick bushes and branches, I could now have quite an exansive view. I was feeling a little nostalgic being there again. I was quite hungry by then, and the only way to get food was to either head up and devour whatever food Nee On brought along or return to Kem Pacat. I didn't feel like feeling nostalgic another time on another trip, so I moved on. At the peak, Nee On and Sze Ning urged me on. Over the radio, they were saying that there weren't any rubbish up there and there was a view. Those were the reasons I stopped short of reaching the peak the last time; when I was going up the last time, Mr Mah told me the devastating news that all there was at the peak was a pile of rubbish, no view. But rubbish or no rubbish, I was going up this time. At about 10:30 I was at the peak. The first thought that came to my mind was: Mr Mah was right. There wasn't much to see at the peak—only the metal peak-identification structure. And there were rubbish piles here and there, though it wasn't as bad as I imagined.

       But just a little way off, there was a lookout point with a great view of the valley and beyond— we could see the mesmerising blue pool of water of the dam, fluffs of mists caressing the forest canopy, and, in the distance, Malaysia's double phallic structure reduced to a mere 1 cm. But best of all, I got to eat lots of Digestive biscuits. It would have been a lot sweeter a celebration if I got more to eat. Nonetheless, coming up all the way had been worth it.

       I always thought it was harsh of Han Solo to scold Chewbacca for taking the meat on the stake in the forest on Endor in Return of the Jedi. Chewie didn't do anything wrong. It was a very natural act. It was an automatic act of survival. If one is hungry, eat. There's absolutely nothing wrong with thinking with the stomach. In fact, it's good to think with the stomach. The joy of a fulfilling stomach spurred on me on more than anything else on this trip. And I finally trekked up the peak of Gunung Nuang on my fourth and possibly last attempt.