Mount Chemerong, Mount Berembun, Mount Langsir July 2018
From the very beginning, CBL was a trail I
wanted to conquer. The combination of breathtakingly beautiful sights, combined
with its reputation for challenging hikers of all abilities and the 3 day 2 night
duration were all factors that intrigued and excited the hiker in me.
The trail known famously as CBL or
Trans-CBL comprised a trek across Chemerong Waterfalls, Berembun Mountain and
Langsir Waterfalls. A quick hashtag search on Instagram will very quickly tell
you what I’m talking about when I say it’s a beautiful trek -- visually, that
is.
 |
| A dream come true! |
To be completely honest, when G asked me to
join her on this trip I was afraid that I wouldn’t have the stamina to
withstand the hike, which was comprised of many unforgiving steep sections. As
we embarked from KL to Terengganu on the provided transport, I was both excited
and nervous as the group had decided that we would push through 10 straight
hours of hiking to reach Langsir Waterfall on the very 1st day.
DAY 1
My actual story begins when we disembarked
from the common transport at Chemerong Recreational Park. We immediately
started changing and re-packing our bags which had been thrown together pretty
last-minute. A fellow hiker called Abang Nuar helped us reorganise our bags and
managed to pack it so that G’s bag (which was bigger than her). After dividing
the rations amongst the participants and a short warm-up session, we were
briefed on the day’s events and the hike began!
 |
| Line up @GOTMAD x Orang Bukit Kita |
The start of the trail was arduous and
there was no mercy from early on as we repeatedly encountered steep parts and
the roots covering the forest floor made us trip under the weight of our bags
(we were packed for 3 days’ worth of food, clothes and not to forget, G’s
extensive collection of photography devices to capture the perfect shot).
Photos
from first leg of journey forestry
After several hours of hiking, we arrived
soaked to the skin with sweat at Chemerong Waterfalls, which I believe to be the
most beautiful waterfall I’ve seen so far in my short life. We took as many
pictures as we could before just standing and admiring its beauty in utter awe.
Chemerong Waterfall is the tallest vertical waterfall in Malaysia standing at 1,214
feet and begins
majestically at the very peak of the mountain it cascades down.
 |
| Me left G right & Chemerong Waterfalls |
 |
| Photos of Chemerong Waterfalls |
After resting there awhile and taking in
the sights, our group carried on to the second campsite known as Kem B or Kem
Balak. Along the way, we encountered a KFC at Bukit Taubat. Once you hike this
hill, you sure taubat nasuha, or so the joke went amongst us. Hiking on through
steep inclines and steady declines, we finally reached Kem B some time past
1pm. We had planned to push on to Langsir Waterfall but due to some other group
members not being able to withstand the pace and suffering minor injuries, the
organiser and guides decided that it be best we camp there for the night.
The best memory of our time there were the
curious and greedy fishes that lived in the river, star-gazing on the sandy
riverbank with G and talking about the different types of stars. Hilariously
while we were bathing in the river, an excited fish took a massive bite and
managed to take off a small chunk of my skin, to my surprise and everyone
around me. I guess Chindians are really tasty to river animals.
<Photo of fishes and river/video of fish biting G hand>
DAY 2
We woke up early on the second day and
proceeded to re-pack our tents and belongings as well as prepare for the next
leg of the hike. The organisers had woken up before us and prepared breakfast
which we gratefully devoured.
Despite being the last of our group to
leave Kem B, G and I quickly caught up with the rest as we were determined to
try and apply as much speed as we were comfortable with to train ourselves to
do and be better. The weight on our backs meant that we were giving ourselves a
fairly decent workout. On this second hike towards Langsir Waterfalls, we had
many rivers and streams to cross, one of which was Sungai Bangan.
We would only reach Sungai Bangan after
some stiff and steep hiking. Sungai Bangan is a beautiful river point with a
deep emerald pool. As you can guess, many of our group members took this
opportunity to dive from the overhanging rocks straight into the icy water.
Meanwhile, as someone who is small and unable to swim, I was content to step
gingerly into the water while shivering like a vibrating smartphone.
<Photos and video of Sungai Bangan>
After Sungai Bangan which was the mid-way
mark of our hike, we continued on through yet more steep (but more forgiving)
terrain before reaching Langsir Waterfall at mid-day. All in all, the second
day’s hike was easier than both G and I expected and we were glad we managed to
finish it in good time, being among the first of our group to reach the Langsir
campsite.
Upon setting up our tent, we decided to
explore the waterfalls and of course, it was the perfect time for a mini
photoshoot, an opportunity not to be missed at a beautiful place such as this.
 |
| Pics & Vids of Langsir Waterfalls |
The view from Langsir Waterfall was
magnificent at sunset but it was simply mesmerising at night when what seemed
like a million stars came out to dot the sky amongst the wispy clouds of the
Milky Way. If you’d like to see the Milky Way, a clear night on Langsir
Waterfall would be a good bet.
Funnily enough, the animals of CBL seemed
eager to meet me as not only did I get stung by a bee, but G and I spotted a
snake and had to flee the scene. Thankfully we were on land and the snake was
in the water, as we later found out that it was a snake known as Katam Tebu,
which was quite dangerous as the guides informed us.
It was hard to fall asleep on Langsir
Waterfall because the scenery and the sky were so beautiful but eventually we
did as we had one more day of hiking left.
DAY 3
Our third day began with a group photo atop
Langsir Waterfall. G and I humbly represented gotmad by donning our trademark
red gotmad t-shirts. Once the group photo had been taken, we started on our
final hike to Mount Berembun.
 |
    |
Despite being the final day of our hike,
the trail was only a little more forgiving than the previous days’. We
encountered long steep sections ascending like a ladder into the mountain.
Along the way we were lucky to spot a lone orchid and many pitcher plants of varying
sizes. Some mini pitcher plants would be spread out on the forest floor like a
carpet of waiting purses.
We also trekked through the bonsai forest,
it was an interesting experience to see the terrain and fauna change gradually
as we trekked through different elevations. There were also false peaks along
the way which afforded beautiful views of the surrounding mountain range.
After several hours of trekking we would
reach another campsite where we rested and had lunch before we would begin our
final descent out. Hiking up the mountain was steep -- and hiking down and out was
no different. The descent was filled with sharp descents and uneven ground,
which made it challenging to figure out the safest footing.
When my thighs and knees would become
unsteady, I would stop only for a few seconds to slap some blood back into them
before carrying on. We minimised stops to prevent our bodies from cooling down
too much or cramping up.
Upon reaching the final paved walkway out
of the forest, G and I found that we had not had enough and decided to run a
little of the way. Despite all the steep, stiff and daunting parts of our Trans-CBL
trek, we felt like we could re-do the hike, if only to spend another few nights
at this enchanting, magical and majestic place.
Once we had bathed, cleaned up and eaten,
it was time to head back to KL again. We left the park with heavy hearts and
heavy eyelids as the trek really pushed our stamina to the limit. As we were
gently lulling ourselves to sleep in the transport, we realised to our horror
that our driver was not only reckless, but also didn’t seem to like using his
brake.
The self-professed bus driver said he had
little experience with vans and was a long haul truck/bus driver. What followed
was more dangerous than the whole CBL trek itself! But maybe that’s a story for
another time.
I’d like to thank our excellent guides Zura
and Pok Ding, our organizer Shahill as well as members of Orang Bukit Malaysia
for an amazing Trans-CBL experience.
If you’d like to know more, please visit us
on Instagram, Facebook or join us on a hike and we’ll have plenty more funny
mishaps and hiking tips to share.
Till our next adventure!
- Roslan
Comments
Post a Comment