Gunung Ledang, Tangkak, Johor

Gunung Ledang (Mt. Ophir) 4187ft (1276m) is situated in the border of Johor and Melaka state. There are two ways to reach the summit, one from Sagil, Tangkak and the shorter way is from Asahan, Melaka. We have climbed Gunung Ledang long before it was privatized and managed by Gunung Ledang Resort. Our first climbing trip to Gunung Ledang was on Oct 1986. We have no experience and just carry 2 tents and some backpacks and set off to climb the mountain. Our team consist of my father, 2 younger sisters and YK. The first day we went on a wrong trail instead of right we went to the left and were lost. Somehow after walking for some time we heard the sound of waterfall and we managed to trek down and camped near the river. The next morning we realized that we didn't walk very far from where we started. Later other campers walked by and told us the correct way to the peak and we quickly followed them. It is advisable to have an experience guide or one who have been there before. That trip we didn't managed to reach the peak because it was raining, the rocks were slippery and it was dangerous. We camped at Botak Hill which is not recommended because it is a lightning prone area. The next morning we packed up and descent all the way.

In the year 2003, our friend invited us to join him and his group to climb Gunung Ledang. This trip we brought along our three children, Jane 13, TK 10 and Mavic 8 and my mother-in-law (65 years old). Having some experienced and guided by our very experienced friend (Chee Eng Pow, Melaka) we set to climb Gunung Ledang again. We registered and paid the necessary fee at the office and started climbing around 11 am and reached Kolam Anak Gajah around 3pm. It was a slow trek because one can't expect a 65 year old grandmother to walk fast. This campsite is excellent because it has good water source even for swimming. It requires another 5 hours to reach the peak. We pitched our tents and started making 'tea tarik'. Eng Pow's brother Eng Hui was our main cook and he prepared curry chicken for dinner (yummy! yummy!) Later we had red bean soup for supper.

Morning call was early and after breakfast, we packed some bread for lunch at the peak. We left our camp at around 8am and my mother-in-law stayed back to look after the place. We were expected to be back by late afternoon and there were other campers around too. We reached the peak around 1pm. The peak is a plateau and it is a wide and flat ground where it is not advisable to camp here. We took some photos and rested for a while. There was no nice panoramic view because it was misty. In the clear day you can see Segamat, Jementak town of Johor and the historical Melaka. We reached the campsite around 5pm and started preparing dinner. After dinner we talked and chit chatted till midnight.

No morning call and our plan was to trek down after lunch so it was free and easy. We brought along two hammocks and managed to tie them to the trees. The children were enjoying themselves in the cold and chilly water. Imagine drinking hot milo while soaking in the cold stream. After lunch we packed up and decent and along the way took some photos. It was a successful climb and a low cost outing for a whole family.


Have fun and be happy! ♥










Posted by KC