Gunung Tok Nenek / Mount Table & Chair

Gunung Tok Nenek (Mount Table & Chair)

Gunung Tok Nenek was there in the back of my mind, waiting to be conquered. Majestic and mysterious, she stands 1,916m above sea level, like a watchful ancestor. The Orang Asli in this area believe the mountain is a resting place for their ancestors, and they are forbidden to trespass here.

Life wasn't really working out for me when the chance to climb Tok Nenek came by. My personal life was falling apart, and I was stressed out and worn down. I needed to get away from the city. I didn't have much time away from work, so I decided to climb Tok Nenek in two days, instead of the recommended three. I love a challenge, and you can trust me to make it even more difficult for myself. To add more spice, I would be going alone – with a guide, of course.

I left KL close to midnight, heading to Masjid Lojing Kelantan, Tanah Tinggi. There is a small area for vehicles, and as it was 1.30am, I decided to camp in my car. I had brought some food with me and ate dinner in the darkness. It was really cold, and I was anxious although there were a few people nearby. A bus had broken down, and the passengers were outside the bus, talking. At least I wasn't alone. I finally managed to fall asleep after a while, but I couldn't sleep well.

The sun rose, and I was woken by the sound of birds. The sun was gently shining through the dew on my windscreen, and I felt a sense of serenity and calm. This was going to be a good day.

At 9am the guide, Kay Ahmad from SOS http://www.silveroutdoors.my/, met me and we had a quick breakfast and ran through some prep, checking the weight of our bags. About 10kgs each, not too heavy. By sheer luck Kay had managed to get us a 4WD pickup truck, so we loaded our gear and off we went. The ride saved us a whole hour.

We started the hike from Pos Brooke, where the Orang Asli of Sungai Regil live.

We passed through three check points: Simpang Tok Nenek, Camp Lengkuas, and Camp Hari, before we reached Camp Berlumut at 5pm. It took us six hours, and we took short breaks every two hours. We passed through fallen bamboo trees, thick mud that would suck your boot in, and a few small rivers. The recent rains had affected the trail and even some of the markers were misplaced or covered in dirt. This was proving to be a tough climb. All my physical and mental strength was focused on my next step. I slipped several times.

When we got to Berlumut it had started to rain lightly. Luckily, it was only a short while before we managed to start a fire and have food and coffee. To freshen up I washed in the cold river. I put on multiple layers of clothing, and it was still cold.

In spite of the crowd in the parking area, there was no one else around. Just feeling that blanket of night nature sounds wrap itself around you – there is no sense of calm that comes close. At least it felt like that for a while. The sand flies were just getting ready to go out and party. Good thing we brought along mosquito coils and made a smokey fire. Sand flies don't like smoke.

My mind started to wander and I felt like all my problems were a lifetime away.

We began the hike to the summit at 9.30 the next morning, after a quick, high calorie breakfast. We made sandwiches to eat later.

If yesterday's climb was a soggy, muddy hell, this was heavenly. We took our time, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest. Sunlight coming in through the canopy of trees made little pools of light on the forest floor. There was plenty of wildlife out and about.

We reached the peak at 11am and decided to spend some time there. I sat by myself, taking pictures of the view. We were surrounded by other beautiful mountains: Gunung Korbu, Gayong, Yong Belar, Bubu, Yong Yap, Tangga. If you had binoculars you could see as far as Gunung Tahan. This was a 360 degree view of the Titiwangsa range. A view from the penthouse suite of nature. I was mind blown. No CGI could ever give you a view like this.

I closed my eyes and meditated for a while, feeling myself connected to the earth, to God. I felt so much at peace. Throughout the entire hike to the peak, I had been thinking about my problems, and now I had found the answers.

We managed to hike all the way down to the parking area in four hours. How we managed that, I don't know. I felt this incredible sense of relief go through me as we speed-walked our way down. The rush was amazing.

As we we having dinner in Kampung Raja, I thought to myself, “Yep, another mountain conquered. Not bad.” Time to plan the next one.

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