Trek Tales: 03-04/03/2003

Fifth Outing: Going for the Record

Date: March 3-4, 2003
Destination: Gunung Nuang, (Ulu Langat, Selangor)

After successfully reaching Gunung Nuang's peak after three other attempts last August*, I said it would take a lot to get me back on this dreaded mountain. Little did I know that it was going to happen in six months. It was a lot when a record of 32 students and lecturers signed up to go up Gunung Nuang. Inevitably, I became trek crew number 33 because I knew the trail and I can drive.

This marks CIMP's sixth outing to this mountain since September 2000. I wonder if this will be our last time, or my last, at least. After all, it is time we started considering the seriousness of accusations such as Jason Ellis' "You are mad to bring people up this mountain!" Then again, we just can't get enough of this mountain. Each time we head out to this mountain, we have never failed to be amazed at ourselves and the things we see and do and go through.

We Lost Our Way? No, We Were Just Exploring...
After coming here so many times, who would have thought that we'd make a mistake at the trail. Quite a number of us have come to Nuang before—Don and Me (5), Bernadette, Nee On and Jensen (3), Bang Qin, Amos, Candice, and Fidelia (2)—yet we all took the wrong path at the same place. We all knew we had to do a second river crossing, and we all knew there should be a rock on the left of the trail immediately after the crossing, and we knew there was a huge fallen tree by the river bank. We missed all those things even though many of us realised that the trail looked different. We just moved on, and the consequence of not saying anything earlier was that we spent some 20 minutes looking around before everyone was directed to the right path.

The Day the Master Chef Got Lazy
I had a feast on my previous Gunung Nuang trek because I had prepared my own special pasta sauce. But I decided against it this time. It seemed too much trouble to cook just for three—Nee On, Candice and me. They were the only ones who asked for pasta and my sauce; the new CIMP trekkers do not know I can cook.
All I did was re-pack a bottle of Leggo's Bolognese sauce thinking it was the smartest thing to so. Well, that's the last time I carry bottled pasta sauce. It smelled wonderful when we mixed it into our hot pasta. But what we tasted was something else all together. The sauce was quite sour and bland and difficult to swallow. Nee On and Candice refused to finish their share; and we had to pass a few spoonfuls to other trekkers. That didn't help much. Not wanting to let it go to waste, I started stuffing myself as much as I could. I stopped eating when a tiny grasshopper made a stopover in the mesh tin. Then, Aaron came by and asked the last few bites. Nee On and I said, "Sure, go ahead." And we see him happily devour everything—pasta and all that was in the mesh tin.

Size Matters
     In 2000, I was amazed by gigantic plants. Bamboos shot up to four stories high and leaves of some plants grew up to four feet long. plants. In 2001, I got to see even larger versions of those same leaves.
     In 2002, I was shocked to see the extent of erosion that has taken place along the trail. I also got to hear of a black furry "monster" and giant grasshoppers that year.
     In 2001, I got to see even larger versions of those same leaves. On this outing, I got to see a giant fly-like insect that was almost as big as my palm and a 10-inch long millipede**.

Ian Wikarski & the Giant Leaf in 2000

We seem to see and do so much more on Gunung Nuang these days. Perhaps we are getting used to the pain, perhaps we have become better trekkers. And that has allowed us to be more alert of our surroundings. Then again, perhaps the Curse of Nuang has been broken. With a record of 33 people coming on this trek; with 13 making it to the peak; 2 who attempted the peak but circumstances made them turn back; and all but 2 slept at Kem Pacat (the 2 turned back 20 minutes into the trek when they decided they prefered their own beds at home), Gunung Nuang was probably intimidated. We went in, went up, we all came out in good time, and we all went home tired. And I was left wondering if CIMP should ever come back again and the evil thought that we are indeed all mad.

____________________________
* Read "The Stomach Impetus and Other Heroic Tales" for details.
** Photos of the giant insects are in the Photo Album)

Trek Who's Who?

(L-R) Ker Soon, Candice, Fidelia, Don, ,Cissca, Jensen & Nee On.
Part of the group that made it to the peak of Gunung Nuang.
Photo © Tan Meng Chwen

The Ones Who Reached the Peak (in chronological order)

Bernadette: First lecturer to make it to the peak twice.
Craig Gerow: First time at the peak.
Aaron Lee: Had nothing to do at the camp, so he decided to tag along Mr Gerow to the peak.
Kar Mern: Could have been the quickest to the peak, but lost her way at the false peak.
Kim Han: First time at the peak.
Nee On: Second male student to make it a second time.
Candice: Second female student to make it a second time.
Ker Soon: 3.
Jensen: This crazy guy has made this peak 3 times in a row.
Fidelia: Likes Nuang so much this was her second time and she got her sister to come all the way from Indonesia.
Cissca: Fidelia's sister; likes Nuang as much as her sister.
Me: 5th outing, second time at the peak.
Don: Now has a double peak under his belt after 5 outings.

The Ones Who Tried for the Peak

Alicia: Came to about 20 minutes from the peak.
Martin: Sprained an ankle. Had to turn back 30 minutes from the peak

The Ones Who Stayed at Kem Pacat

Craig Kannan: 3.
Sean: 3.
Bang Qin: 3.
Amos: 1.
Fitri: 1.
Azreena: 3.
Ihsan: 3.
Jeeves: 3.
Hafeez: 3.
Mae Sze: 3.
Jason Ellis: 3.
Amirul: 3.
e: 3.
e: 3.
e: 3.
e: 3.

The Ones Who Walked Did 20 minutes

Priya: Ate something fishy earlier in the day; couldn't go on.
Tai Ken Lin: Ate something fishy a week earlier.