Mount Chabang Aug '18

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Mount Chabang, Pos Slim (Perak)
Aug 24-25 2018


So recently we (G, Aili and Eka) found ourselves itching for a hike after our holiday in Penang and this was how we decided to spend our free time prior to Merdeka. We were in Cameron Highlands, a popular weekend getaway for city folk like us. With its lush emerald green tea plantations, prehistoric-looking fern forests, abundant strawberry farms and winding roads it’s easy to see why this place is a destination of choice for many people.
As we scoured Cameron for the lesser known hiking trails, we stumbled upon information about Gunung Chabang which was just outside of the Pahang-Perak border and located along the Cameron Highlands highway. Being 1711 meters in elevation, and located at Kampung Pos Slim, we decided to try this one out as a personal trip for GOTMAD.

At around 2.30 am we drove to Simpang Pulai and reached at Kg.Pos Slim at 5.30am (overnight trip to avoid traffic). There is an open space at the entrance of the village here where parking is possible, and a parking fee of RM20 that must be paid to the orang asli villagers. We took a nap in the car before starting the hike at 8.30 am.


8.30am: We were already at the trailhead, food ration, camping gear and jovial mood distributed evenly. As we started the hike, we passed by several orang asli houses. The entrance to the mountain was a small pathway that lead into overgrown vegetation at the side of the road.

Within the first few hours of the hike, we realized how tough the terrain was, it was super steep, and thorny plants adorned the pathway like silent deterrents meant to keep pests like us out but we trudged on and were not deterred.


Even though the air was cool, we were soaked in sweat. The trail was unforgiving, wild bamboo and thorns sometimes fell over the trail forcing us to squeeze past like rats in a sewer. Our unfortunate friend Aili struggled to go past at times as the thorns caught on to her bag refusing to let go.



Along the trail, there are 3 water sources; the first one before heading up the trail (at the village itself), the 2nd one being a very small steam, and the last one being a looong way (3-4 hours) from the peak. Our mistake was missing this last water point so you can imagine how that felt.


Closer to the false peak, the forest changed from thick bamboo to moss-covered trees that gave off an eerie but tranquil scene, the intense green giving the impression of an ancient forest stuck frozen in time.



After 4 hours, we reached the false peak at around 12.30 pm. Here, we were so tired that Eka and Aili just dozed off. After a brief snooze fest, we continued our journey to Kem Botak. After 5 gruelling hours battling thick brush, narrow edges and thorns with limited water, we set up camp for the night. We had a simple dinner and drinks consisting of instant mee hun, crackers and tea.





The magnificent (almost 360) view at Kem Botak at noon was superseded only by the stunningly beautiful cloud formations and full moon by night. This was the highlight of the entire hike that left us in awe of the beauty of the night sky on top of Gunung Chabang. The temperature at night was quite chilly but we settled in our tent quite comfortably after making a small campfire to warm up.
The very next day we awoke to a lovely sunrise, and at around 8.30 am we continued our hike (leaving our tent at camp Botak) to the peak. It was about 30 mins away from the camp. The peak did not have the amazing view as Kem Botak but nonetheless there was a photo op with the thick moss-covered trees lining the trail.










Once we’ve had our fill of photo shots, we headed back to our camp. We packed up and headed down the mountain at around 11 am. As we went on, we stopped at the 3rd water point to have a drink and freshen up and continued on our way after about an hour.



We reached the village by around 3.40pm and headed down to our parked car all safe and sound, we were feeling sore and tired but, in our hearts, there was an intense sense of satisfaction and awe. It was an amazing experience to say the least! A tough hike but with fond memories, till we meet again, Gunung Cabang!

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