After having laid off trekking for the past few months, we decided to go easy and make a day trek route an overnighter. The most obvious choice was to continue where we left off — the 3-hour trek up to Gunung Hulu Semangkok. Only seven trekkers — Adrian, Ker Soon, Amy, Sze Ning, Candice, Nee On and me — came on this trek. It's a small group, but I like it. With smaller groups there is always a higher rate of success. This time is no exception as all of us made it to the top and back.

Of all the things, Sze Ning wore a apair of sandals that had a smooth sole

tree fell in the path, blocking everything

adrian and me tried to go round the tree. made new path used our feet to break dried bamboo, and flatten them. spent some 20 minutes doing it. couldn't go round it. turned back to where everyone else were standing.

Ker Soon had climbed on the tree to find out if it was possible to get across

didn't rain till 20 to 30 minutes before we reached the peak of Gunung Hulu Semangkok

scrambled to pitch tents.

no food - surprised to say that they were seasoned trekkers. chow 10 sausages. pasta and pesto.

pesto leaked from my ziploc bag. my rucksac never smelled better

ran down. 1 hour from Gunung Hulu Semangkok to Semangkok Gap. After that it took four of us between 27 and 35 minutes from Semangkok Gap.

Then we had to wait 50 minutes before Nee On, all battered and beaten up, came down. Sze Ning and Amy got down 20 minutes later. And that's after I went in to look for them. They were already on the wrong path heading where Nee On went. And if they went all the way, they would have came out at the generator, which I presume it was where the old trailhead started.

Apparently Nee On had went on the trail of broken bamboo Adrian and me made the day before.

cleaned up at the Resthouse. it's a honour system where they charged 20sen to use the bathroom. came down, and recap story as we ate noodles, fried rice and noodles at the coffee shop just across the road.