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The infamous Gunung Nuang is really in a
category by itself because it has caused
its share of problems for even our most
experienced hikers. The challenge rating
of this mountain is compounded by the
fact that we do most of it in the night.
That's right. Our start time is usually
about 7pm, which means reaching base
camp (Kem Pacat) takes about 5 hours for even
our fittest hikers. The whole group is
usually together again at camp Pacat by
about 1:15am ? some 6 or so hours of
walking only by torchlight, though we
did have one hiker once use only a
pocket lighter.
Nuang is pretty much a nightmare, or a
dream depending on how you look at it.
You just keep walking, and walking,
crossing the occasional stream, dealing
with moderate to high steepness in some
areas, and there is nothing to see save
the piles of garbage strewn throughout
the campsites on the trail. Nuang is
divided up into four parts:
1. The Never Ending Road:
To access the start of the trail,
trekkers must first deal with the "Never
Ending Road", a name coined by former
trekking team leader,
Ian Wikarski.
The road takes about 70 minutes to walk,
but it feels like about 2.5 hours. This
road is the main reason we do this trip
at night because it doesn't feel so long
when you can't see it.
2. The Pipeline:
At the end of the Never Ending Road, one
crosses a small stream, makes a quick
left and then follows the pipeline up to
the dam (usually known as Lolo Camp).
This part takes about 1 hour.
Crossing the dam, trekkers hike for
another 20 minutes or so, reaching the
what we call "Hut Camp 1". Turn left
crossing the stream (do not turn right
to the huts), and then continue up along
the trail passing various camp sites
until you see "Hut Camp 2" across the
stream. You now have to cross the stream
again and hike up to Hut Camp 2. Note
that this is the last water source
before
Kem Pacat. Once at Hut Camp
2 make a quick left and continue up.
3. The Red Clay:
As you continue up now you will notice
that the steepness of the trail has
taken a sharp rise. And you will also
notice that you are hiking on red clay,
which is what you will hike on for the
remainder of the trek until you reach
Kem Pacat. Red clay is fine
when dry, but at Nuang it is rarely dry,
so make sure you have a grippy pair of
boots (running shoes do NOT work well).
There is also a lot of erosion on this
part and the trail looks different each
time we trek. What used to be a
6"wide-8"deep water channel is now a
12"wide-3'deep ravine. This part of the
trail takes 3-4 hours, longer if it is
raining of course.
You will know when you're close to
Kem Pacat when you find
yourself on a short descent before
heading uphill again on the trail. About
15 minutes later, you will reach what we
have termed "Pacat Rock", a rock on the
left side of the trail marked with a big
red arrow pointing to the campsite and
way to the summit.
Kem Pacat is where we set
camp for the night. Though this spot
literally translates as Leech Camp, we
have rarely encountered leeches here. We
have, however, come across many large
insects and animals here. There is a
water source accessible from the camp
site, but it can only be safely accessed
during the day because it is a steep
20-minute descent.
4. The Summit Push:
From
Kem Pacat it is about a 1?hour trek to the
summit; our record for the Summit Push
is 1 hour 8 minutes. It's no longer red
clay but now a mixture of rock, root and
mud, and moderate to high steepness.
As one continues the trek, one will come
to the first peak that one reaches after
Kem Pacat. This is the peak of
Bukit Pengasih. To get to
Nuang's peak, use the trail that leads
to the left. Other paths will lead one
to
Janda Baik -- that's about
another day away.
The summit has changed in recent years
in that there are two lookouts. Before,
one could hardly see anything from the
summit as the view was 90% blocked by
overgrown brush and trees. Today, it is
possible to have an awesome view looking
down at the Ulu Langat dam and the
distant town. To access the lookout
point, turn left at the summit, and hike
for few minutes to see the second
lookout. The view here is worth the pain
you endure while trekking up!
Content provided,
Pejabat Hutan Daerah Selangor Tengah,
Pangsoon, ulu Langat, 43200 Cheras,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Phone no.: 6 03-9075 2885
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