BAS Trip

Jelawang, Kelantan, is known for its many caves and mountains. Driving through the area, there were one or two spots that we’ve stored in the back of our minds for future climbs, although most of the area is not yet open to the public. Someday guys, someday.

It’s sad that there is a lot of illegal timber activity in this beautiful state. We hope that continued trips to these parts will raise awareness on the issue

The five of us (Jade, G, Faris, Millie, and Aili) made the drive from Kuala Lumpur for this particular three-peak medley of hits: BAS- Baha (1,450m, 4,750 ft), Ayam (1,550m, 5,085 ft), and Stong (1,442m, 4,665 ft). The tough part is getting up to that first peak and then it’s just a matter of crossing over to the other peaks.

Don’t make a wrong turn heading towards Kelantan, like we did, or you’ll end up on the old timber lorry back roads. It’s fine during the day, but at night it looks like a scene from horror film. We were on this road at about almost 2am, near the peak witching hour. Lovely. The fog was thick, and we were half-expecting a Kak Pon to show up on the road to hitch a ride with us. On one sharp corner, overlooking a steep drop, there was a broken-down trailer that looked like it had been there for some time. We also passed a random guy standing by the side of the road outside a small mini-hut. What was he doing at 2am? Don’t know, don’t want to know. Let’s assume he does roadworks.

Further up the road there was a regular house-moving sort of lorry, but it was carrying a small jeep. What sort of craziness is this? Anything goes on these old roads.

We took a short break to stretch our legs at Gua Musang R&R. We hit the road again and took another wrong turn (yes we keep taking wrong turns) and came across a narrow bridge across a river. It took sheer guts and mad driving skills to get across. The point is, stick to the highways. It’s quicker and safer.

22.10.2018

We reached Jelawang at 7.30am and took a short nap in the car before meeting up with our guide, Abe Mus at the entrance of Taman Hutan Negeri Stong.

After the obligatory pre-hike photo op, we started on the trek. The start of the trek goes through an abandoned resort. It was beautiful, back in the day, I suppose. The wooden chalets, after years of neglect, have been eaten up by time and nature. There are plenty of steps and paved parts, right before you start on serious business.

We reached the famous waterfalls and stopped for some vogue calendar pics. We ended up chilling for about 20 mins to enjoy the beautiful waters. These rocks are mossy and slippery, and Jade learned the hard way and slipped and fell on her butt. Another few inches further down and she would have fallen a lot further. Be careful here, especially around the wetter months. Luckily, other than a bruise on her butt, Jade was ok.

We got to the campsite (two plus hours from the start) and set up camp. After lunch it started raining a ridiculous amount, and we barely managed to save our equipment. Tip: always get the most waterproof tent you can find. It will be worth every sen in times like this.

23.10.18

After a quick breakfast, we started the trek up to the first peak. The hike up to Baha is not easy. There are stretches of pure steep climb, and short, flat walks in between. Abe Mus shared a little bit about the plants in the area. Who knew that nature held so many cures? The first check point was an old timber logging camp site, Kem Balak. We also went through a landslide area, which has a pretty good view. Some areas of the jungle had clearly been trodden on and flattened by some large animal, and we were told that elephants pass through here quite often. On steeper descents, they would sit on their bottoms and slide down, flattening the plants around them. Cute. We spotted elephant dung along the way, but they had been there for a few weeks already, so the elephants were nowhere near us.

The climb was really tough on the less experienced climbers and they actually hatched a plan to turn back after Baha. Climbing another two peaks seemed like a faraway dream, only achievable with bionic legs.

We muscled through, and finally reached Baha peak. Everyone’s legs were intact, and after the added confidence boost of reaching the first peak, everyone decided to just go with the flow and continue to the next destination. We’re already here, might as well go all the way.

The climb to Ayam peak was another series of steep and slippery climbs with short, flat, intervals in between. We took a short meal break before continuing to the last peak, Stong.

We were expecting another tough climb, but it was easier, and in less than an hour we had reached Stong peak. We climbed up a short ladder to get to the top, and we were rewarded with a breathtaking view. Johnny, the buff squirrel, was there to greet us. It looked like it was going to rain, so we didn’t stay long.

We took another trail down, passing the Bogor cave, which is next to a river. Legend has it that lots of spiritual beings live here, and you should never seek shelter in the cave overnight. A more likely possibility is that the rocks leading to the cave are super slippery, and no one can hear you or help you if you should slip and fall. G managed to snap some quick photos (from a safe distance).

We headed back to Kem Balak and reached Baha camp at around 7pm, just as the sun was about to set. We managed the entire climb in 10 hours, at a leisurely pace. There are some pros who can do it in half the time. We had a quick dinner before cleaning up and going to sleep.

24.10.2018

We woke up to catch the famous sunrise, but it was way too foggy to see anything. We spent the day chilling at the campsite and exploring the nearby waterfalls. There is a series of pools (jeram lesung), and as with pools like this, there is always an interesting myth.

We came across a cascading waterfall, which you can slide down. Jade had some experience sliding and falling down things, so naturally the others didn’t encourage her to try this one. But before we knew it, she was already climbing up the rope to get to the top of the slide, then whoosh! Scream! She did it! G followed after. It’s worth the fear.

We reached the campsite just as it was starting to rain heavily again. We were supposed to head back to the entrance today, but the rain made it impossible to leave. We decided to extend our stay another night.

25.10.2018

The crew woke us up for an amazing sunrise from the top of a waterfall (which you can see from the main road). This is the mountain that just keeps on giving. The clouds formed a perfect carpet, like cotton candy. Memang betul-betul hashtag blessed moment. We spent two hours just taking in the view and relaxing on the rocks. Again, please be careful here, there is a closed off section which you should never cross. We saw quite a few people taking risky selfies. Guys, a selfie is never worth your life.

After a quick meal, we packed up and headed back down the mountain. We decided to take a shorter, steeper route than the one we came in on, and made it back to our car in about an hour.

We are definitely coming back again.