Made it up Gunung Datuk!

Sunday 4 April 2010

Woke up eager & all coz we were gonna make today a 'healthy' day. Walked down to Be Yoga at Metropolitan Square for the weekly Karma Yoga but class was cancelled that week! Darn. Was so looking forward to that. Karma Yoga is a free yoga class that happens every Sunday at 11am. It's good karma to give back to the community and the only t&c to participate in this class is a minimum donation of RM10 that goes to charity. The yoga teacher doesn't get anything.

Anyway... since yoga was cancelled, called up Su & Edmund to tell them we will pick them up earlier to head to Gunung Datuk in Rembau. This the directions to the place :

Get on the Seremban Highway and exit at the Pedas Linggi toll
Turn left after toll and straight on till you reach a roundabout.
Take a 3 o'clock and straight on till you reach a traffic light
Turn right at lights and continue for a few ks till you see the sign to Hutan Lipur Gunung Datuk
Turn left into the rubber estates and take a left at the fork
Continue till you reach the park.

There are a few parking spaces, a makan store, a surau and an office at the park. It's quite clean and orderly. You gotta register with the park ranger at RM3 per person. That's to keep track of you in case you don't make it down the hill. Ranger told us it's bout 2 hours up & 1 1/2 hours down.

Find a red sign and walk down the steps and cross a bridge at the river. The trail starts immediately after the bridge. We started our hike at 2.30pm.

It's a steep steep walk up. urgh! Was out of breath right at the very beginning. Jerry barged up the hill while I went at a slower pace to wait up for Su & Edmund. Su gave up after a while and told us to fuck ourselves as she sat down to read her book so its onwards up without them then.

Beginning part of the climb.

Su giving up while Edmund accompanied her - awww cho chweet

I slogged up after Jerry after that. That ox is so bloody fit he just kept charging up the hill. I thought I could keep up with his pace but I was sadly mistaken. The hill just kept on going up and up and up! No flat ground at all! If you ever been to Gasing, it's like going up that steep hill for 45 minutes non-stop! Urgh. I almost gave up as I couldn't catch up to him and almost turned back but then Jerry took pity and waited up for me. I would have never made it up that hill if it was not for his support. Thank you darling!

See the annoyed look on his face as he waited up for me? ;)

We passed a group who we thought was resting but as we neared, we saw a girl on a stretcher. Poor thing was hyperventilating as her friend was rubbing her chest to calm her down. Hope the same fate doesn't befall me!

After suffering for almost one and a half hours - remind me why I do this to myself again? We finally reached some huge boulders, an indication that the summit is almost within reach! We made it faster than normal as Jerry's a Speedy Gonzales. :P

The iron ladders were ricketly tied to the rocks with metal wires - not exactly the most reassuring thing at all. The ladders shift as we climbed! Had all sorts of paranoid images of tumbling head first down to the rocks below. It was almost 4pm by then.

Climbing up the first flight of ladders

We reached an open area at after the first flight of ladders only to be greeted by another 2 flights of dodgy metal rungs. These were worse than the first ladders as it actually moved under our feet!

Took a pic at the first open area. See! I made it!

The view was worth the climb. You can see the Straits of Malacca from there and a few ships sailing the waters. Greenery stretched as far as the eyes can see and birdies were flying high in the skies which was right next to us! You can even see the farmlands and dots of houses scattered below.

Chilled there for half an hour enjoying the scenery and each other's company before I got a bit chilly and wanted to head down. Thanks Su for the Snickers bars! The ranger told us it would take 1 1/2 hours to get down and I didn't want to be caught in the jungle when it gets dark.

The view at the top

We practically ran all the way down. Courtesy of Mr Gadd again who thinks he's some sort of sure-footed mouse deer or something. Bruised my leg and almost tumbled down. hmphh!

We reached the bottom in 45 minutes! But legs were all shaky by then.

Paid the price for it days and days later.. walked as though I had it from the back AND the front. Urgh... SORE. And why do I do this to myself again? Guess I never learn :)