Gunung Yong Belar, Trans Titiwangsa Perak, G7 Mountain Malaysia

Trans Titiwangsa Trek from Gunung Yong Belar, Gunung Gayong and Gunung Korbu
17th Sept to 21st Sept 2006 (5 days 4 nights)

G7 - Seven of the highest mountains above 7,000 feet.

We have already scaled the six highest mountain and this is the last G7. Gunung Yong Belar (7156') is situated in the three states of Perak/Pahang/Kelantan. This trip our plan was to scale the three mountain at one go and the route is considered to be very tough. Some of the members (included Michael) have not climb Gunung Korbu and Gunung Gayung in our earlier trip. This trip there are two groups, one group will only climb Yong Belar and the rest will proceed to climb the three. The logistics for this trip were complicated because the in trail and exit were different. Our entry point is through Kampong Rajah (Cameron Highland) and the exit is through Kinta Valley Intake Dam. We stayed overnight in Ipoh and we paid RM40 for a big room for 4 persons. The place belong to Perak Used Car Association and for member only.

Day 1. After the famous 'kuay teow' soup breakfast, we proceeded to Ah Meng's house and parked our cars there. Ah Meng has hired a bus to take us to an area just after the Kg. Rajah traffic light. The bus travelled by Simpang Pulai/Gua Musang highway and stopped at a Paving Plant located about 2KM after the traffic light junction from Kg. Rajah (Cameron Highland). At the Paving Plant, two 4WD were hired from the farmers to bring us to their farms which was about 45 minutes ride and the farm is definitely inaccessible by normal vehicles. The ride was bumpy and you have to hold on tight or otherwise get thrown off the 4WD. The other group

went in with their own 4WD as they were returning after G. Yong Belar. After assembling at a vegetable farm and performing a check to ensure our gears were in order. Ah Meng also hired 3 'orang asli' as porter. At 12 noon we start trekking, passing through the big vegetable farm, the first visible trail was through a mushy and soggy terrain and after 15 minutes our shoes were covered with reddish mud (yucky). Our campsite is about 1 hour from G. Yong Belar Peak. The trail was quite well mark except for some unclear junctions, there are lots of bending and crawling due to the thick mossy forest, trees and roots and since it was also raining intermittently, this 1st day climb really sap your energy. We finally arrive at our campsite at about 6.00 pm, everyone tried to get the best site to set up their tent because the ground was soft and soggy from the rain and wet conditions. The height here is around 6000 feet and the weather gets dark and it felt chilly. We had to set up the tent in the rain, team cooperation is vital here. The water source is downhill about 10 minutes and looking very brownish, if you really like cold water (really cold), take a full bath here. Everyone was tired, we took a quick wipe down to clean up (not full bath), KC prepared hot drinks and noodles to satisfy our hunger. Mind you this is only a snack meal but because of the exhausting climb we soon fell asleep and forgot our dinner. All night long it was raining, its wet in and out of the tent, cold but we needed rest.

Day 2 Morning call at 7am luckily it stop raining and it was windy. After our morning breakfast everyone went for toilet "business" (bowel movement), we started packing and left by 9am. Only 1 hour to reach the peak. The returning group went first thing in the morning and we met them on the way up. For some of us celebrated our completion of G7 by letting of firecrackers. Usual group photos and some hoo ha and we proceeded to the next camp H2O that is 5 hours away. It was again difficult, lots of crawling, bending and squatting through mossy forest and fallen branches and finally we reached H2O campsite. It is small campsite near the stream. One member even did some clearing and laid some banana leaves on the floor before setting up his tent.

Day 3. H2O to Gayung peak is a 7 hours climb and very very steep. We passed a peak call Junction Peak, to the last water point. The water source is down a steep hill and back takes about 1 hour. Only the young and strong went down. One more hour to the peak G. Gayung. Hurray! Another G and one more tomorrow. Gayung peak is small and almost all available place is taken up, here you have a panaromic view. We reach the peak around 4pm and lots and lots of photos taken because the secenery here is the best. You can see G. Korbu, G. Yong Belar and G. Yong Yap. and nice sunset.

Day 4. Morning call for sunrise photo. After breakfast and packing we have our group photo again. Started trekking at 9am and reach Korbu peak at 11am. Rest and relax and have our lunch. Photo session again. Trek down 2 hours to the last water point if you come up from Camp Seroja. All the way very steep lots of dangerous slopes but well mark and with points for your hands and foot. We reach Camp Seroja at 5pm. Set up tent and had a very very nice bath because we did not have a bath since H2O campsite. We tried to finish most of our food, normally we have 3 dishes but today we have up to 5 dishes to celebrate our achivement. Later at night we have tea 'tarik' and talk about all the previous trips.

Day 5 After breakfast we trek out to Sg. Leming orang asli settlement but the orang asli settlement was evacuated for dam building. The last trip we paid RM20 each for the orang asli to transport using their motorbike to the Kinta Damp intake . This time no more orang asli but we are even more lucky to get to ride on a lorry 'hantu' and each of us paid the driver RM5 otherwise we have to walk under open hot sun for 2 hours. The lorry ride is about 30 to 45 minutes. Back to civilization and the first thing take out money and treat ourself with cold 100Plus drink. Later some of us went to the river and washed up and waited for arrangement to ferry us out to Ah Meng house where we parked our cars.

Reflection on completion of all the G7 mountains, a sense of satisfaction and good experience. Next trip to climb the G7 a second time.

Have fun and success for all.